This file discusses how to use APRS as a coordination tool for all frequencies and also has a list of coordinated APRS frequencies. First, here is the list of known coordinations:
| Defacto operations | |
|---|---|
| COORDINATED | (states don't coordinate packet) |
| Alabama (north) | Missouri, Iowa, Illinois |
| Maryland (DMARC) | Ohio |
| Virginia (northern, DMARC) | Eastern PA |
| Pennsylvania (south, DMARC) | Utah |
| New Jersey | Georgia |
| Florida | |
| Kansas | |
| Calif (north) | |
| Arizona (N7MRP) | |
| Michigan (Upper) |
APRS makes an excellent frequency coordination tool. We are using it in the Digital Mid-Atlantic Radio Council to display the location of all packet stations on all frequencies. Individual APRS.BK files are prepared for each digital channel. Loading these backup files gives an instant display of not only the location of all stations on the frequency, but also their radio range using the MAPS-POWER rings display. The interaction of stations and nodes with each other can visually be seen at a glance.
These files are distributed to all BBS's so that users can download them and see the current status of the network. TO help users find the shortest and most effecient path to the packet network and BBS's, the files are also combined together in three summary files that show all stations on all frequencies in the VHF, 220 and UHF spectrum.
ID/POSITION BEACONING ON ALL PACKET FREQUENCIES: All BBS's NODES and digipeaters are encouraged to beacon their POSIT at least once PER HOUR. Be sure to include your POWER-HEIGHT-GAIN format shown in PROTOCOL.HTM. If you use the Grid-Square format, the cost is only 6 bytes!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Although the above paragraphs give the general idea of how to use APRS as a general purpose Frequency Coordination display tool, it is actually better to save the data as HISTORY files vice BACKUP files. This is because re-loading BACKUP files wipes out what you already have in your P and L lists, while replaying a HISTORY file does a ONE-TIME display without changing anything! This means you can REPLAY a FREQ-COORD file and see all of the local BBS's or whatever you want, superimposed over the existing map display, without messing up what you already have displayed!
A second advantage of using the HISTORY files for Frequency Cordination displays is that UNREGISTERED users are NOT limited in their use of REPLAYS. But they are limited to only one page on their P and L lists. By using HISTORY files then for distributing information about the location of stations for general use, permits casual non-registered users to see the full picture.