APRS Radio callsigns

When moving from England to Wales (or GM/GI etc) I will have to alter the call APRS callsign from m0vaz-7 to mw0vaz-7 ? I suspect I will have to ?

Yes, of course. You’re in Wales, need a Welsh RSL.

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From my knowledge that is usually not needed.
But with the exotic callsign change system in G country everything is possible :slight_smile:

When visiting a CEPT county one uses the home callsign.
APRS just does not support long callsigns with Prefix.

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I agree with Joe, no need to change. I use ON7DQ everywhere (no suffix = -0). But (if I don’t forget, hi) I change the status text in something like “My call is DL/ON7DQ/P”
Luc ON7DQ

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Most people don’t bother to change callsigns on APRS. If you did, there are a few roads here in Cheshire where you would need to change it every few miles.

In other news I have just connected up a solar supply for my digipeater MB7VK which covers dozens of SOTA summits GW/NW GW/MW G/SP and G/WB. It’s on test at the moment so do take your APRS handies along for the journey.

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Thanks. I did think I had to change, but wanted to double check.
Hopefully I am out later on a summit and will be taking my HH with me
My RX igate needs a better aerial, or at least could do with being outside rather than in the loft.

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It only supports 6 char callsigns so I don’t how Australian foundation licence holders use it as they have 7 char callsigns.

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Not anymore. The old structure of VKnFxxx for Foundation and H,L,M,N,P &V letters for Standard (Intermediate) calls was dropped in July 2020 now everyone can have whatever is available. Exceptions - two-letter prefixes are only available to full licence holders and repeaters still keep the Rxx callsigns.
73 Ed.

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This post brings up an interesting question. For a high-altitude balloon running APRS travelling around the world - why does it not need to change its callsign to a reciprocally licensed call sign when it goes through another country’s airspace? I know it’s not practical but if there is a height considered to be international airspace (similar to international waters at sea), the height required would most likely be different not only country by country but also state by state and a court’s “opinion” of where common usable airspace starts.

By the way, a reciprocal licence if it were to be needed, would have to be applied for directly to each country that the balloon might fly over. The general short-term visiting CEPT arrangement doesn’t apply as it requires the operator to be with the radio.
So, are these balloons operating “illegally” and no one has, as yet, noticed them?

73 Ed.

Do the balloons not use things like the ISM bands (like 433.920MHz) and more modern licence-free things like LoRa? That way you can get around the fact that aeronautical mobile in the UK is not allowed in the standard licence (other countries have other rules).

I think you are meant to use the balloon’s GPS to geofence your balloon and only transmit where the ISM/LoRa etc. is legal.

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Hi Andy - I know about the fact that the APRS shuts down when the GPS recognises it is over an “unfriendly” country (and also changes the 2m frequency to a different frequency for US, Europe and other regions APRS frequency, based on its location), but they do use two metres, not Lora or ISM frequencies.
Ed.

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UK use of aeronautical mobile would need a licence addition. I’m supposing as APRS doesn’t support longer calls for CEPT etc. people just ignore the requirement.

You could be right - as I said CEPT doesn’t apply. The balloon would have to change from say a US call to a UK callsign and then as you say, as /AM is not automatically allowed in the UK, that could be an issue as well.

Actually, the APRS beacons I have seen don’t use /AM or even -AM rather just callsign-number.

It rather does sound like APRS balloon licencing (for those that travel out-of-country) is a very grey area.

73 Ed.

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I’ve just found this - which appears very relevant:
https://ukhas.org.uk/general:aprs_legislation

Also, section 2(1)(c) of this Ofcom guidance document appears to be very clear that airbourne amateur radio either from a plane or a ballon is not allowed.

73 Ed.

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Some HABs use multiple modes and frequencies, and HAB folk with a Clue™ generally geofence transmissions as best they can in order to remain legal, so in the UK you shouldn’t find any HABs using APRS. (HAB folk with less Clue™ have, on occasion, been descended upon from a great height when they broke the rules…)

Smarter HAB folk even buffer up their balloon’s positional history and only transmit it over friendly territory. Saves power, too…

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You know, Rick, with this added complexity because of the different regulations in different countries, It makes high altitude ballooning even more of a challenge than it was to start with. So all respect to those who have engineered the solutions!

I take it Clue™ is some proprietary hardware/software solution as you have added the TM symbol to it?

Ed.

Goodness me, a thread in which I have zero understanding, other than I know what APRS is and understand what it does… or is it just the effect of the Pimms and Lemonade on this hot and humid day? :joy:

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Nah. :wink: Just a term (possibly from SF fandom, or maybe corners of USEnet) implying thorough application of appropriate knowledge to a situation. Related to “Clue-by-four”. Opposite of “clueless”. :wink:

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I would have thought this would have been simple, if you are lucky enough to be activating in another country then you change your callsign, last year during the Scouts Jamboree On The Air (JOTA) someone had set up a Wires X display using an HT connected to their laptop, however it couldn’t be used as it was still using his callsign, not the special event callsign!

So if you have a dual-mode handheld aka Analogue/DV which is APRS capable then you need to change the callsign, not a big issue if you use Mobilink

Never used to do that, Many US Amateurs never realised that APRS works on different frequencies outside the US, hence numerous requests on QRZ.com in years gone by for European and North African APRS iGates to change frequency!

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