As a member ham and member of the local Search and Rescue organization, we
have been interested in tracking fellow searchers. The technology has been
available for some time, but was not straightforward.

That may be changing, and the change may be very useful for soaring pilots
who wish to follow pilot tracks and locations and also for following the
nearness of other glider pilots.

APRS (automatic position reporting system) was developed by a ham and is now
used by police and other groups for tracking. The problem has been taking
the data and doing something useful with it. For a number of years, you
could transmit a position report and have it show up as a position and track
on the internet. That alone is useful to glider pilots, but it requires
access by the receiving station to the internet. To implement this setup,
all that is necessary is an old 2 meter handy talkie (about $50 or less
used), a TNC (less than $50 new) and a GPS. The GPS can be any retired unit
with simply a serial data output. So, for $150, you can place your location
on the internet. Note that you do not need to be a ham to use this in your
glider. It needs to be "operated" by a ham, which means the ham would
install it and set up the software. The software controls the transmitter,
so if the ham sets up the software, he is controlling the transmitter, even
if not present.

So far, this is fairly useful, although it does not allow the pilot to see
other pilots with APRS installations. Now, however, there is a big
improvement. See http://www.argentdata.com/products/tracker2.html . I am
about to order the Open Tracker OT2m to try out. I think what the
advertisement says is that with a 2 meter radio (the same $50 used one), the
OT2m (under $100) and a mapping GPS that allows uploading waypoints, you
could receive location reports from nearby soaring pilots and have them
appear on your GPS - with an identifier.

If you are not a ham or know a ham, you can now obtain a license without
knowing the morse code. That requirement has been eliminated. The exam, in
the simplest form, involves memorizing a pool of multiple choice questions
and receiving passing grades. A book with the most current question pool is
available.

I have not tried out the OT2m but am planning on ordering one and thought I
would post this to let others think about it.

Colin Lamb