From: johnr@mik.uky.edu (John S. Roberts, Jr.)
Subject: Re: Online Repeater Directory! Watch For It!
Reply-To: johnr@mik.uky.edu (John S. Roberts, Jr.)
Organization: University Of Kentucky, Dept. of Math Sciences
Date: Tue, 29 Dec 1992 17:50:14 GMT

In article <1992Dec29.105223.1160@walter.cray.com> jwl@ferrari.cray.com (Jim  
Lynch) writes:
=>In article <1992Dec29.144403.15398@ms.uky.edu>, johnr@mik.uky.edu (John S.  
Roberts, Jr.) writes:
=>>I was the dude that started this thread.  Idea being that everyone thought  
that  
=>>the ARRL directory wasn't as useful as it could be and therefore I  
considered  
=>>scanning in what they had and then taking modifications from you.
=>>
=>>Watch for software within the next several months which will contain all the  
=>>data from the ARRL and then allow you to map routes, get local listings, and  
=>>many other useful things!  What platform would you guys prefer (NT, windows,  
=>>dos)?
=>>
=>>John
=>>
=>>--
=>Well, you asked, so here it is.
=>
=>I am driving down the highway in rural america when I decide I want to 
=>talk to someone on a nearby repeater, or maybe I just ran into a bad  
accident, so
=>I grab my notebook or laptop computer and bring up my new nifty program that
=>John just wrote.  John's program has access to two databases, one listing the
=>information about each repeater, like location (lat. and long.), height of 
=>antenna above sea level, power out, antenna gain (and pattern if not  
omni-directional,
=>call sign, availability of open phone patch, etc.  The other database has the
=>entire U.S. Geological survey data complete with locations and titles of  
roads, towns
=>rivers, etc.  John's fine program accesses the GPS card in the  
notebook/laptop
=>and determines my exact location and calculates the estimated signal strength  
of
=>all of the repeaters in the area and discards the ones that would have  
unreliable
=>paths.  Now it displays a map of the area showing the locations of the  
repeaters
=>their frequencies, and relative signal strengths expected.  OH, I forgot that  
the
=>radio is equipted with the remote control module so it can be controlled by
=>notebook/laptop via the new interface card.  When I decide which repeater to  
try
=>I touch the touch-sensitive screen at that location and the radio is set to  
that
=>frequency.  Since I have the vox option on the radio, I just call for help.  
=>
=>How about that John?
=>
=>I forgot that the interface card in the notebook/laptop also has a voice  
synthsizer
=>so you don't have to give your call!  
=>
=>What is so scarey about this is that it is doable today.  Might cost a bunch  
and
=>the GPS receiver isn't small enough to fit into a notebook, and the survey  
data 
=>probably would take a handfull of CDs, but everything would fit into a car.  
=>Hey, anyone want to start a business selling one of these?
=>
=>73 
=>Jim.
=>
=>-- 
=>------------------------------------------------------------------------
=>Jim Lynch, Sales Analyst,  Cray Research, Inc. / ARS: K4GVO
=>Southeast District, Phone: (404) 631-2254, Email: jwl@sedist.cray.com
=>Suite 270, 200 Westpark Drive, Peachtree City, GA 30269

Sounds good to me.  I'm not sure about the GPS interface as I haven't ever  
messed with one.  What I was planning on you entering some sort of location  
identification.  Maybe some sort of grid system where it would then find  
repeaters who based on your direction of travel and their locations and power  
outputs would be likely to be reach able from your location.  I'm still  not  
quite sure how the user is supposed to enter his/her location in though.  I  
think that letting the program know about the interstate system so that you  
could enter a road way, your direction of travel,  and your mile marker and it  
would know where you were.  What do you all think?

John
--
-=+ John S. Roberts, Jr.       FACTS Center  McVey Hall  Room 100  +=-
-=+ Communications Consultant  Work: (606)257-2275  Home: 272-1417 +=-
-=+ University of Kentucky     Ham: KD4UBM   DoD: 727   '85 Shadow +=-
-=+ Computing Center           HomeUUCP: johnr%agnostic@ms.uky.edu +=-
Newsgroups: rec.radio.amateur.misc