This time of the year I like to take the Nikon and take off for the boonies. As I go alone and I am often in some remote areas it is nice to have the APRS system broadcasting my location in the event I have a problem.
Today I had the system attached to the backpack with the camera equipment when I hiked to the spillway at the Martin Dunham Reservoir in Grafton, NY. The area is pretty remote but the system worked perfectly using the Baofeng UV5R 8 watt HT. Yes, there is an 8 watt version, that is not a typo.
Another use for APRS tracking while hiking is to record exactly where you took those breathtaking images. HI HI.
Looking closely at the satellite image you can just make out the spillway in the image below.
The icon shows a car, but I don't bother to change it for hiking.
The screengrab of the northeast above illustrates how extensive the APRS system really is. Almost all of the icons represent amateur radio stations operating in support of the system, or using the system.
The idea that amateur radio is extinct is absurd, to say the least. Considering that only a small percentage of amateurs are involved in APRS, it is obvious that the hobby is alive and well.
My station alone, N2JNT-2, seen in the center with the yellow path lines, is sending in excess of 5,000 position packets to the APRS servers each month. From the Capital District area in upstate New York position packets are received and uploaded to the internet from north of Montreal, west to Buffalo, south to Long Island and east almost to Boston.
The entire system was designed, operated and funded by individual amateur radio operators solely for the benefit of the hobby. Hams are donating their talents, time and equipment for the benefit of other hams.
Does this sound like something you would be interested in getting involved with? If so, getting licensed has never been easier.
