[Az-Geocaching] Garmin Rino 520/530

[Roping The Wind]

>From: ShadowAce <>
>Reply-To: listserv at azgeocaching.com
>To: listserv at azgeocaching.com
>Subject: Re: [Az-Geocaching] Garmin Rino 520/530
>Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 07:12:39 -0700
>
>Money would be better spent getting you HAM license and putting an APRS
>tracker in the balloon.
>
>Then hit the repeater with your location and you can be tracked anywhere in
>the world via the internet. :)
>
>Here is an Article from a fellow Balloonist:
>http://www.explorium.org/exhibits/Tech_Corner/Balloon%20Tracking.htm

Thanks for that article Shadowace! I have seen APRS in use before and it is 
awsome. The only drawback to HAM radio, it cannot be used for commercial 
operations (perhaps GMRS cannot either? I dont know). If you are doing a 
balloon flight on a recreational basis, you can use HAM to communicate. If 
you are doing a flight for hire or for profit/commercially, you cannot use 
HAM to communicate. That is my understanding anyways. HAM radio operators 
seem like a fairly tight nit community. The other issue I would obviously 
have with the HAM/APRS is that there are alot more components to that setup. 
With the Rino, it is all in one unit and fits right in my shirt pocket. I do 
beleive APRS is much more accurate (as far as position reporting) and it 
will track real time and continuously. HAM has the benefit of numerous 
repeaters and such and the ability for your communications to span MANY 
miles and miles. I understand there are some limited repeaters available on 
GMRS frequencies as well. Dont know much about that yet though or if they 
are accessible or not. The Rino does have the repeater channels on the unit.

APRS has been used for many years in ballooning for long distance flights 
and the round the world flghts. It is awsome to be able to sit at your home 
computer (findu.net I think it is) and watch a long distance balloon flight 
in near real time! The gas balloon competitions use APRS and each balloon 
can be tracked during the races right from your home computer! Very cool 
technology!

Scott
Team Ropingthewind

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