How about Automatic Packet Reporting System in Oklahoma?

The second statewide APRS net of the year will be held Saturday, May 9th at 1 PM.  APRS is the Automatic Packet Reporting System and has been a key digital communication medium for amateur radio during the past two decades.  This exercise will give amateur radio operators in Oklahoma a chance to use the short messaging capabilities of the system.  The Tulsa Digital Radio Club (TDRC) is sponsoring the event.

For this net, radio amateurs will be requested to send the following “report” to the net control station, AE5ME-10 via an APRS message:

APRS software/TNC/Radio/Antenna

For example, AE5ME-10’s message would be, “Soundcard/TS-2000/Dual-band vertical”

Net control will also accept messages sent to the ANSRVR system.  Send an APRS message to “ANSRVR” with the following content:

CQ OKAPRS APRS software/TNC/Radio/Antenna

To watch other stations’ traffic during the net, you would send a message to ANSRVR with a “J OKAPRS”.   If you would like to learn more about how ANSRVR system works, please read the APRS messaging primer by the TDRC at

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rgvw6bokclb4ttj/APRS%20Messaging%20TDRC%20Training.pdf?dl=0.

“The short messaging capabilities of APRS are very similar to the text messaging capabilities you have on your cell phone.   However, APRS also has GPS tracking capabilities and an infrastructure that would continue to operate even when the cell phone network is overwhelmed during a regional disaster such as tornadoes or flooding. “ said Jeff Scoville, president of the Tulsa Digital Radio Club.

For more information you can go to the club web page at tulsadigitalradioclub.blogspot.com. or facebook page on www.facebook.com/kt5dig.  General information about the amateur radio hobby is available at www.arrl.org.

Thanks to Jeff, AE5ME for this information.