w4hix

People get lost on Cape Ann. We have some beautiful woodlands, but they can be very confusing to the unprepared. In thinking about amateur radio support of search and rescue operations, CAARA has attempted to improve APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System, developed and trademarked by Bob Bruninga) reception. Two station are currently in operation working as iGates that move packets heard on the air to APRS-IS servers on the internet. More stations are planned. One practical use for this system is to track tail cars used for road races. Race organizers want to know where the last runner is in a race and this would give them a realtime view on their smart phone.

Welcome to W4HIX.com. I have several interests, two of which are amateur (ham) radio and computers. You can check out my weather station/webcam site. I’ve been a member of the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association in Gloucester MA since getting my license in 2008 and being president for four years. I maintain several ham stations for the club, including Echolink, APRS, an AIS station for ship tracking and sometimes an ADS-B station for aircraft tracking.

Computers and ham radio also add up to digital modes, and I’ve worked many, including PSK31 and JT65A. CAARA also operates a WSPR station to determine propagation of our trip-band beam. We’ve also operated a Winlink2000 RF e-mail station, but don’t operate as a sysop.

One more project that’s in the works is making the club’s FlexRadio FLEX-3000 software defined radio a remote station.