Can someone explain what this is and what this does in terms someone with zero experience on this subject can understand? Is this like an Amateur Radio based PLB?

That's basically correct, but let me clarify just a bit. An APRS station runs all the time in normal operation, and can be seen by everybody. There is an emergency code you can set in the encoder, which can raise an additional alert for those people who are watching.

If you have the right equipment, there is a capacity to send short messages. No more than 256 characters, I think. These can be sent as regular email, as long as you are in range of an internet gateway. Winlink over HF really shines for email. I went to Mississippi after Katrina, convoying with another guy who had a new HF Winlink installation. He was able to send and receive email all during the trip.

Sure. Think of it more as a fleet vehicle location system, where your location can be tracked all the time. If you were to run into an emergency, such as the Kims' where you were stranded in the woods, the internet portion of the system would retain a trail of your last positions that rescuers could use as a starting point.

However, with a ham license and the right equipment, you could have the flexibility of transmitting your position over long distances using HF radio or by transmitting to any of the available satellites.

Well, I would have had to travel to get the rigs - plus they were BIG heavy out of date rigs that I would have had to prevail on a friend to program (commercial rigs - GE Rangrs for those in the know) - plus 110watts .

Forgot to add - heavy enough that the shipping would cost more than what you could buy a smaller, newer rig on eBay for. I called around to local hams - got rid of 2 or 3 that way. There was a point a few years back (before I knew the guy) - he threw out 200 of them in ONE day. And yeah, he's a ham. Around here - you want to run commecial rigs as a ham, he's a GOOD man to know

Actually, I believe I could build a nice 5 watt Hf rig set to 2182 Khz with an automated repeating SOS on CW that would run for about 12 hours or so. Someone is always listening on that frequency, and you would be DF'd with a fairly tight fix after the first hour or so of transmitting. Get into trouble? No problem, just flip the switch and let the little black box do the job from just about anywhere in the world. Try finding a good PLB for $50 these days.

You could do the same on 500 Khz, but I think the ERP at 2182 Khz is going to be better from a pocket portable device. I'd probably try and scavenge a bar mag antenna from an AM portable receiver and see if I could get a decent Z at frequency with a Hi-Q disc cap or some such.

Ahh, those kind <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> I was given some old train radios when I was a kid, made nice panels to build a pretend spaceship in the closet with.
I'm trying to find inexepnsive handhelds to play with and add t my bob.

I believe that transitters for that frequency have to undergo certification testing per FCC part 80 or 87 depending whether it's a maritime or aviation application.

I also read that the modulation is limited to J3E (single sideband suppressed carrier) or H3E (single side band full carrier). This means that the modulating signal must be analog telephony.

Part 80 (maritime) requires that the minimum PEP be 60 W, I didn't check part 87 aviation to see what the minimum power requirement is there.

So I'm guessing that while this is something that could be put together and used in an emergency, it's not a viable option for wide spread use.

Around here the OMs tend to convert retired portable tranceivers to APRS stations. If the mike is still operable they may be able to establish full two way communication.
I got a TH7F (not retired yet) and a cable for TinyTrack. So I could send my APRS data when I want to.

I clicked on this link thinking about Christmas hams and wondering why they would be discussed on this forum. BTW, I think my wife routinely positions our ham in the center of the oven, and turns it around about half way through because the back of the oven gets slightly hotter.

> It's been a while since I've read part 97, but I think the idea of
> putting together a transmit only version is contrary to the FCC
> rules for amateurs.

From part 97: