TEMPn-N and Field Day

APRS is a tactical-real-time-local digital communications network designed for rapid deployment in the field using come-as-you-are equipment for a LARGE number of simultaneous stations. APRS is PERFECT for establishing an AD-HOC network such as for Field Day with HUMAN operators at all stations. This is what APRS is about. Not the missleading vehicle-tracking that too many people wrongly see on a 24/7/365 basis. Too many people think APRS is only vehicle tracking, and they are so wrong. . See why.

For example, the ARRL Field Day rules make it difficult to use APRS on Field Day beacuse the APRS System on that Day must include temporary and portable digis and be independent of the existing global APRS infrastructure.

THE SOLUTION: USE THE AD-HOK TEMPn-N NETWORK INSTEAD: This ad hoc use of APRS is great for special events. Severl examples are:

  • The typical Field Day Event.
  • The annual Golden Packet Event.
  • VHF and UHF Rover Tracking.

    TEMPn-N is the name for an AD-HOC APRS emergency network that can use the THOUSANDS of D700/710 MOBILES FOR TEMPORARY DIGIpeaters. Although there are more than 1000 permanent digis across the USA, this overlooks the potential of the THOUSANDS of mobile D700/710's and portable D72's that can act as digis in an emregency if needed. The problem is how to activate them when needed and how to avoid using them (QRM) when not needed!

    We do NOT want mobile digis 99.99% of the time, but it is a shame not to have them available when needed. The solution is to simply turn them on as digis ALL THE TIME, but only to support the path of TEMPn-N. This makes them always out of sight, but always useable if needed. (including Field Day!). . This gives those remote D700/710 emergency digipeaters a standby-ready-to-use-anytime system on not only the national APRS channel, but any channel at any time... without any apriori action by the owner. For the D72 walkie talkie, we suggest that the default should have TEMPn-N support set to OFF, since unless strategically placed, and HT digipeater would only add to congestion instead of helping propagation.

    On the D710, TEMPn-N is enabled by factory default. This is with the UITRACE Menu set to TEMP and UITRACE enabled. For the D700, if UITRACE is not set to TEMP, then the owner needs to use a PC to setup these settings to enable permanent TEMPn-N mobile digipeating support. You must use a PC via the serial port to make these settings on the D700. . The radio will remember these settings:

  • set UITRACE TEMP
  • set HID OFF

    MOBILE TEMPn-N SUPPORT: So, if everyone follows the guidance on this page, then the shadow TEMPn-N emergency network is always in place. To use this network, the USER has to change his normal path from WIDEn-N to TEMPn-N. The owners of the mobiles do not have to do anything but have the radio ON.

    MOBILE WIDE1-1 SUPPORT: But sometimes emergency digipeaters are needed in situations where the users arrrive at special events or cannot easily change their paths. In this case, the action can be taken by some mobile operators to enable their radios for WIDE1-1 temporary fill-in digipeating. This will support existing users of existing paths. . To do this, they need to save two APRS MENU items:

  • UIDIGI WIDE1-1

    By storing these parameters in a PM, they are always available, but also always off to prevent channel QRM. But for any special application, the mobile can simply turn DIGI ON from his front panel, and then his vehicle will support the WIDE1-1 function temporarily. When he turns the radio off, it will revert back to DIGI OFF. We must have the DEFAULT for all mobiles to have any WIDEn-N digipeating default to OFF.

    AUTO-PM-STORE Must Be Set to OFF: Remember, that the D700 has a special command under the RADIO-DISPLAY Menu that unfortunately defaults to ON.. THis command when ON, will re-save everything you do on the front panel each time you use the radio. This overwrites any special settings you have saved in a PM. For most normal amateur operations, users want to pre-program the PM's for special settings and then always revert back to those settings each time the PM is pressed. To make sure this happens, you must permanently set this menu item to OFF!... AND you must save that setting in every PM!

    See how to apply this to Field Day

    D700 as PERMANENT DIGIPEATER: See the D700 digipeater page for info on setting the D700 up as a permanent digi for general use of WIDEn-N and SSn-N support.

    GENERAL MOBILE D700 SETTINGS: and if you haven't done so already, be sure to see the D700 FAQ page for proper setup of the D700 for normal operation.

    Lets get the word out.
    de WB4APR, Bob