                        QUICK DEMOS OF APRS

So you wanna know what this program does without reading all the README.files..
The following steps give the maximum exposure with the minimum of reading.

MARATHON EVENT:  First, run APRS and use FILE-LOAD to load the MARATHON.BK file.
Hit SPACE to show the position of APRS packet stations at our marathon event.
Next do a FILE-REPLAY.  Select the File MARATHON.HST.  You will see
the LEADER and TAIL Vehicles which were GPS equipped.  Also RUNNERS.BK/HST.

FOOTBALL RUN:  To see the Army/Navy game football run from Annapolis to Philly,
load FBALL.BK, and then REPLAY the FBALL.hst file.  During replay, you can
Re-center the screen with the HOME key and zoom in/out with Pg keys.  To speed
up replay, hit (F)ast.  FBALL93.hst is this years run.

AUTOMATIC DOPPLER DF:  To see a great demonstration of the N7LUE automatic
Doppler DF interface to APRS, replay the AUTODF.HST file.  It shows what the
APRS screen looks like as the DF radio is tuned to each of three on the air
signals in Phoenix AZ.  To see a manual DFing event, load FOXDF.BK and then
REPLAY FOXDF.HST.

HF TRACKING:  To see the capability of APRS for tracking mobile units, replay
the Naval Academy boats 93BLOCK1.HST file.  Or replay my trip to Alabama over
XMAS93.HST.  To see the number of stations on our HF tracking frequency, use
FILE-LOAD to load the HF10151.BK file.

SPACE AX.25 DIGI's:  See README.SAT for info on using APRS for plotting
satellite DX contacts and how to replay the SHUTTLE.HST demonstration.

CHANNEL MONITORNG:  Zero memory with FILE-ZERO command.  Tune your radio to
an active packet channel and monitor for 10 minutes.  Select the LATEST
display, and you will see all UI frames (BEACONS) on the channel.  If you know
where these stations are, insert them onto the map and save the file.  Rename
the file to include the frequency for later recall.  If no one is beaconing,
and you get impatient, you can turn off the beacon-Only filter by hitting the
CONTROLS-OTHER command.  Then ALL packets will be collected.

LOCAL AREA:  To see our local APRS net, load the FREQ579.BK file.  Zoom in to
my location and see my neighborhood streets.  I drew that map using 1200 pixels
per degree.  To see if your area is covered by an existing detail map, PgUp to
the USA map and select the MAP-BORDERS command.  The outlines of all existing
maps will be shown.  Move cursor to your area and zoom in (PgDwn) to within
one of these maps.  To move long distances, CTRL-PgUp to large scale map, move
to your area and then Ctrl-PgDn.  Have a friend place his LAT/LONG in his TNC
BText as follows:    BText !DDMM.xxN/DDDmm.xxW/Comments...  You will see him
appear on your map!  He can also just use his Grid Square enclosed in Brackets
[GRidsq] at the start of his BText.  Better yet, give him a copy of APRS and
Add objects locations to your screens by moving the cursor and using the INPUT-
ADD command.  Similarly you may broadcast text back and forth by altering your
BText using the B command or Send individual messages using S.  Registered
(validated) users can save a CONFIG file so that the program starts up on their
preferred map each time.  If you are Un-registered, you can save a backup file
of your screen and reload this backup file each time you start up to restore
your screen and location.  Better yet, register your copy of APRS and get a
validation number so you can save a config file.

OTHER IDEAS AND APPLICATIONS:  See README.WX for using APRS in a weather
reporting net.  APRS supports an optional home weather station serial
input to make your station automatically include WX conditions in your position
report.  See README.DF for triangulation in fox hunting, and README.SAT
for displaying satellite beacons.  Or README.HF and come join us on the APRS
HF Boater and RV tracking net.  Finally, read the full system documentation
in README.APR, and start drawing local maps as described in README.MAP.  There
is a chess board map in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico at 25N 90W (below 64
mile scale) to show the flexibility of APRS to use any maps for any purpose.
Play chess on the air using APRS!

NOW WHAT?!   APRS is a human communications tool.  Try APRS during weekly
emergency exercises or events when humans are at their stations.  Find a two
meter freq that is not saturated with BBS's and start an APRS network.  In the
Wash/Balto area we are using 145.79.  Please consider using this freq in your
area to help us build a nationwide mobile tracking network.  Encourage periodic
reporting weather nodes (not the store-and-dump kind) and keyboard QSO's to
also join your frequency.  Anyone with low duty cycle data is welcome, but
BBS's, file forwarding, TheNET and databases should operate elsewhere!  This
is NOT meant to be discriminatory, it just optimizes the frequency for the
maximum number of individual real-time users.  This is best for all HAMS if
there is a frequency where human operators can communicate in real-time and not
only exchange text, but also see the instantaneous network topology.

