Radio vs Electronic

[Ian Miller]

I know we have a lot of chasers who are Ham's and i am one of them, i have in the past dedicated one of the radio's when chasing to ARPS to track my position about for others to see back home when chasing, with the recent (last few of years) availability of data cards and decent connections you can now track your position say via the spotters network quite easily, while the ham version is comparativly free and you dont pay for data over the network, you dont get an exclusive view of all the chaser positions on a given day. i guess i will still take and use both with me when i chase(the more comms the better) and you can shout for help with a radio when there's no phone signal... but wondered if people thought it may be the beginning of the end of ham as a chase tool other than for the spotter and emergency networks.

 

[Rob Wadsworth]

I don't have an APRS radio, but I do run a GPS puck thru Spotter Network. I have yet to use my Ham radio on a chase. I've been using it at home learning the 'ropes' so I can be better prepared for this coming season.

When using a CB; is there a particular freq/ch that is commonplace for chaser to chaser communication? Or should we decide upon one as a standard. I think it would be a splendid idea if we could all agree upon one or two of them.

I know that on 2m and 440mhz~ there are NWS freqs. And Skywarn has their freqs too. Maybe we can pick/choose freq's for chasing. Especially chosen for members of Stormtrack. It might not be a practical idea, it was just a thought that I'd had for a while...

 

[Ric Burney]

For positioning systems I am only familiar with and use gps through spotter network which overlays nicely on GRL3.

Radio comms for chasing have been discussed on numerous threads such as:

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19679

and;

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=20265

and;

http://www.stormtrack.org/forum/showthread.php?t=19370

Hope this helps.

 

[Jason Foster]

I find both pretty unreliable. Radio wise, it is mostly due to the lack of a digipeater to get the signal back out.

On the various stream sites, the tracking of the people is rather inaccurate. It tends to only update some of the time, but at best is still around 10 minutes or so. A few have been much quicker, but none of the sites seem to accomplish this well.

 

[Steve Polley]

APRS is an excellent backup to updating your position when the data card fails. Kansas also has an excellent digipeater network along with Iowa and Northern Missouri. Here is a website that I ran across that uses googlemaps and APRS together. Pretty cool stuff.

http://aprs.fi/

 

[Steve Polley]

As far as CB goes, I dont know any chasers that are using CB's for comms. They are too unreliable and you have 40 channels to share. Somedays depending on band conditions, you maybe lucky to get out a mile or so. For ham comms, 146.550 is a pretty common freq used by several chasers.

 

[Rich Long]

I find both pretty unreliable. Radio wise, it is mostly due to the lack of a digipeater to get the signal back out.

On the various stream sites, the tracking of the people is rather inaccurate. It tends to only update some of the time, but at best is still around 10 minutes or so. A few have been much quicker, but none of the sites seem to accomplish this well.

I'm suprised by the 10 minute update! Do you know why this is or is it just one of those things to live with?

 

[Tim Shriver]

One rule of doing anything with a degree of danger or a chance of something going
very wrong is to be prepared. Backups for backups.

I say keep them both. Work on getting folks to put up more Digipeaters
and do not toss out any tool that could be used when one mode goes
down or is unusable.

So no, it is not the end and with all the new Digital goodies coming
out on the ham side things just keep getting better. At least around here.

Tim

 

[Skip Talbot]

wondered if people thought it may be the beginning of the end of ham as a chase tool other than for the spotter and emergency networks.

I think it is the beginning of the end. There will be a place for ham radio for years to come, but as the technology improves I think we will see less and less of it in use. If my cell signal were perfect and I had a good way of using it for quickly communicating with chasers in the area, I would probably leave my ham rig at home. In the meantime, I think its great for talking in a caravan or with other nearby chasers. Now, however, I do all of my reporting through Spotter Network.

 

[Skip Talbot]

As far as CB goes, I dont know any chasers that are using CB's for comms. They are too unreliable and you have 40 channels to share. Somedays depending on band conditions, you maybe lucky to get out a mile or so. For ham comms, 146.550 is a pretty common freq used by several chasers.

Steve, is right. CB is not popular with chasers and I wouldn't want to share the radio with a bunch of truck drivers, anyway. 146.55 is the national simplex frequency (for non-repeater traffic) so its kind of the default frequency for everyone. Another one is 146.52. For making contact with the most chasers in a given area, its a good idea to stick with these frequencies, instead of picking a "Stormtrack only" frequency that will probably be pretty quiet.

 

[Lou Ruh]

... 146.55 is the national simplex frequency

Actually, 146.52 is the 2m National Simplex Frequency. I think chasers generally use 146.55 so as to not gum up the National Simplex Frequency and keep it free for more general use.

 

[Tim Stoecklein]

I run the Kenwood D700 as my primary mobile radio when chasing, so I usually have APRS running just about anytime I'm in my vehicle, no different when chasing. I run tracking info through Spotter Network concurrently when data is available as well. If I have a good data connection to transmit via SN, I may switch my APRS channel over to monitor WX radio instead. The other channel is set to local Skywarn frequencies or 146.55.

As for the beginning of the end......I don't believe so, not just yet. I rarely take the time to input the report via SN if I can relay it via ham radio or cell phone. It just seems quicker, and more accurate if they have questions, to do it by voice...at least thus far.

 

[Jesse Risley]

I run the Kenwood D700 as my primary mobile radio when chasing, so I usually have APRS running just about anytime I'm in my vehicle, no different when chasing. I run tracking info through Spotter Network concurrently when data is available as well. If I have a good data connection to transmit via SN, I may switch my APRS channel over to monitor WX radio instead. The other channel is set to local Skywarn frequencies or 146.55.

Ditto on the Kenwood TMD700 for APRS.

146.550 MHz has been designated as an unofficial simplex frequency for chasers, but 146.520 Mz is the nation VHF simplex calling frequency. I think that ham radio still has its uses for chasing and spotting, but it is being used to a lesser extent with the wide availability of wireless data in the field. I think ham radio will continue to have its uses as a backup, in addition to being a nice tool for car to car communications on the chase.

 

[Ian Miller]

I run the Kenwood D700 as my primary mobile radio when chasing, so I usually have APRS running just about anytime I'm in my vehicle, no different when chasing. I run tracking info through Spotter Network concurrently when data is available as well. If I have a good data connection to transmit via SN, I may switch my APRS channel over to monitor WX radio instead. The other channel is set to local Skywarn frequencies or 146.55.
QUOTE]

I guess im with you although the internet advances are leaping forward i still like my backup, there always seems tobe somone listening when you power up the radio and ask for help...

 

[david diehl]

As a Ham operator, and a volunteer Examiner I have to day, don't rely in your cell phones too much, just remember 911. Cell phones were not working due to tower clog, but ham radio was still going. I guess my opinion is I may have Cell, and Data connection.
But I will always have Ham radio.