APRS Field Day 2006

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This plan will demo APRS like it should be!

  • The general PATH for Field Day 2006 is UNPROTO APRSFD VIA TEMP1-1,TEMP7-7.
  • The Frequency for Field Day (if available in your area) is 145.01 the national packet frequency
    Please note that ALL D700 radios should be permanently configured to digipeat TEMPn-N not only for FD support, but for possible emergency use the other 365 days of the year also.

    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 Field Day with HUMAN operators at all stations. This is not at all what most APRS users are familiar with on a 24/7/365 basis. Let's show 'em!

    To meet the spirit of Field Day, the APRS System on that Day must include one temporary and portable digi and be independent of the existing global APRS infrastructure on 144.39. Here are the 2006 ARRL rules governing Field Day:

    THE BIG PLAN: Ideally, all digis would support TEMPn-N and provide generic multi-hop paths. Fortunately all of the thousands of Mobile D700 radios can do this as well as all KPC-3+ and some old KPC-3 version 8.2 or later. Also, UIDIGI and DIGIx and other type TNC's can do this. But not the old TNC's. THey can only do TRACE1-1 digipeating but are still useable. See details that follow the operating section.

    See 70' push up 35lb mast

    FD OPERATIONS:

    Initially use APRSFD VIA TEMP7-7. If you see yourself digipeated, you are good to go for the event with TEMPn-N.

    Next try APRSFD VIA TEMP1-1,TEMP7-7. This will get you out via ANY digi including old ones for the first hop and then 7 hops beyond. This may be needed if the only digi you can hit is an old TNC digi.

    Next try APRSFD VIA TEMPa-A,TEMP1-1,TEMPb-B. Look carefully at your map and at the beaons from all digis. Look for old TNC digis that cannot do TEMPn-N and can only do TEMP1-1 which should show up in their beacons. To get through and past a TEMP1-1 digi that is a few hops from your location, set a path of TEMPa-A,TEMP1-1,TEMPb-B. This way, the old TEMP1-1 digi will correctly digipeat the packet and then it will continue with B hops beyond that. Notice that the number of A hops has to match perfectly, to get to the TEMP1-1, or it will not work. Notice also, that the only way you will know what digis are TEMP1-1 only are if they include TEMP1-1 in their BEACON. This is very important.

    USE TEMP1-1 instead of DIGIx: Do not be tempted to use TEMPAa-A,DIGIx,TEMPb-B to get through a DIGIx that is only TEMP1-1, because it will arrive as DIGI1,DIGI2,DIGI3,DIGI4,DIGI5,DIGI6,TEMPB and there is no way for the recepient to know which one of all the digis is the TEMP1-1 one. To get back to you, he has to use a path of TEMPb-B,TEMP1-1,TEMPa-A.

    SETTING UP YOUR FD DIGIPEATERS:

    You will find it convenient to set up your home station and your mobile and all of your friends home stations to act as digipeaters for Field Day on 145.01 (if available in your area). Here are the settings:

    USING OLD TNC'S AS TEMP1-1 DIGIS: Even old TNC's that do not support any of the fancy TEMPn-N or UITRACE parameters can still be used for FD by setting their MYALLIAS to TEMP1-1. This way, they will at least support an initial 1 hop from a FD station. Or other more complex paths after discovery.

    USING A D700 FOR A PORTABLE DIGI: The D700 mobile makes an excellent TEMPn-N digi, but to activate the UITRACE parameter for FIELD DAY, you must use a PC via the serial port and make the settings below. The radio will remember these settings, even when in APRS mode and even when the APRS MENU for DIGI is set to OFF. Thus, they are always available for instant use as needed.

    USING A KPC-3 FOR A PORTABLE OR HOME DIGI: You can also use the KPC-3+ TNC's with version 8.2 or later as TEMPn-N digis as follows. But again, after field day, please cut the beacon rate and bath back to once evey 30 minites direct.

    PLANNING and ALERTING All Operators:
    To meet these objectives, the following steps are recommended in your area to alert all APRS operators to this event and the procedures and let us see what everyone is planning.

  • Set an OBJECT on normal APRS now until Field Day showing your station using the SSID of -FD and "camping" symbol
  • Also give it the comment text saying something like "FD on 145.01 using TEMPn-N"
  • These OBEJCTS will help everyone else in their pre-FD planning. See them on the map or on FINDU.COM

    Next as the big day approaches, someone in your area should put out some BULLETINS alerting all those APRS users that are not aware of this event. These bulletins inform everyone of the special Field Day frequency of 145.01 and the use of TEMPn-N temporary digis.

  • . . BLN1: For FD setup temp/portable DIGI on 145.01 with UITRACE set to TEMP,20.
  • . . BLN2: For simple TNC's just set MYALIAS to TEMP1-1
  • . . BLN3: For APRS-FD: http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs/fd2006.html
  • . . BLN4: QSY ur home and mobile APRS FD to 145.01 and use TEMP1-1,TEMPn-N

    CQ SCOUTS STATIONS: Don't forget that if you are a SCOUT station that many IGates in the vicinity of SCOUT camps or other scout activity will often wildcard messages to SCOUTS so that scout groups can make contact via the APRS system. While such internet assisted contacts cannot be used for points, they are a great way for getting scouts on the air and in contact with each other. Also, you can query the FINDU system for a LIVE list of all SCOUT stations on the air (that are using the SCOUT symbol) bu using This SCOUT link

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