Bob Bruninga, Wb4APR, the creator of APRS, dies at 73
Bob Bruniga, WB4APR, an electrical engineer, Navy researcher, and the creator of the Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) became an SK on February 7.
In addition to APRS, Bob developed the Appalachian Trail Golden Packet event, an annual operating event where hams deploy on the summits of mountains along the trail, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to the Canadian Border and pass APRS packets from mountain top to mountain top.
Bob had a local connection to Atlanta. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1970.
Jeff Hochberg, W4JEW, worked with Bob on the Appalachian Trail Golden Packet and on APRS. Jeff, knowing Bob was critically ill, sent him an email earlier this week thanking him for his service to Jeff and the whole Amateur Radio community. Here's a snippet of Jeff's note: (Reprinted by permission)
In addition to APRS, Bob developed the Appalachian Trail Golden Packet event, an annual operating event where hams deploy on the summits of mountains along the trail, from Springer Mountain in Georgia to the Canadian Border and pass APRS packets from mountain top to mountain top.
Bob had a local connection to Atlanta. He graduated from Georgia Tech with a degree in Electrical Engineering in 1970.
Jeff Hochberg, W4JEW, worked with Bob on the Appalachian Trail Golden Packet and on APRS. Jeff, knowing Bob was critically ill, sent him an email earlier this week thanking him for his service to Jeff and the whole Amateur Radio community. Here's a snippet of Jeff's note: (Reprinted by permission)
Your contribution to the amateur radio community at a global level has left an indelible mark on the art and science that is ham radio.
APRS is, beyond any shadow of a doubt, one of the most powerful and pervasive technologies designed for real-time communication that provides a solution satisfying myriad use-cases from general day-to-day use to emergency communications and rescue operations.
I wish we could present you with an honorary doctorate as I can think of no other more deserving.
The Appalachian Trail Golden Packet event is the finest demonstrations and proving ground that takes advantage of the technology and spirit of APRS you have dedicated so many years of your professional and personal career.
You have inspired me as well as countless others to embrace amateur radio in ways I never dreamt were possible and I would like to say thank you for providing me with an experience that I will never forget.
The ARRL posted a obituary for Bob on their website. It can be found here.
UPCOMING EVENTSCOVID-19 is still plaguing the world so we'll be meeting via Zoom again.
https://zoom.us/j/4263755765?pwd=Vzdva1NaODZxUDByQmplcjN4WG5zUT09 Meeting ID: 426 375 5765 Passcode: 791957 Friday Lunches (in person) are Back
(Next: February 25 @ 12:30 PM ET) Join us at the Mellow Mushroom in Brookhaven for our first Friday lunch get together of 2022. The food is good and the company is better. Everyone is invited.
🗓 January - February Calendar
Event: WinterHeat 2022 Amateur Radio Smplex Event
Date: January, 2022 (All Month) Details: https://hamactive.com/ Event: Monthly Atlanta Radio Club Meeting
Date: Thursday, January 6, 2022 Time: 7 p.m. ET (0000Z) Location: Zoom Event: ARC Friday Lunch (in person)
Date: Friday, January 7, 14, 21, 28 2022 Time: 12:30 p.m. (1730Z) - 2:00 p.m (1900Z) or thereabouts Location: Mellow Mushroom Pizza, Brookhaven Event: Second Sunday ARC Ham License Testing
Date: Sunday, January 9, 2022 Time: 12 p.m. ET (1700Z) Location: DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Administration Building Community Room #227 (Opposite side of building from Downwind Restaurant) 2000 Airport Road, Atlanta, GA 30341 Details: https://atlantave.org/ Event: HamCation (Orlando Hamfest) (Not an ARC event)
Start: Saturday, January 11, 2022 9 a.m. ET (1400Z) End: Sunday, January 13, 2022 2 p.m. ET (1900Z) Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds and Expo Park 4603 W Colonial Dr Orlando, FL 32808 Details: https://www.hamcation.com Event: Atlanta Radio Club / ARES Winter Field Day
Start: Saturday, January 29, 2022 2 p.m. ET (1900Z) End: Sunday, January 30, 2022 2 p.m. ET (1900Z) Location: Sweetwater Creek State Park 1750 Mount Vernon Road Lithia Springs, GA 30122 Douglas County (15 Miles West of Downtown Atlanta) GPS Coordinates: N 33.753783 | W -084.639000 Details: https://gastateparks.org/SweetwaterCreek Event: Monthly Atlanta Radio Club Meeting - Ria Jairam, N2RJ - Software Defined radios (SDR)
Date: Thursday, February 3, 2022 Time: 7 p.m. ET (0000Z) Location: Zoom Event: ARC Friday Lunch (in person)
Date: Friday, February 4, 11, 18, 25 2022 Time: 12:30 p.m. (1730Z) - 2:00 p.m (1900Z) or thereabouts Location: Mellow Mushroom Pizza, Brookhaven Event: Second Sunday ARC Ham License Testing
Date: Sunday, February 13, 2022 Time: 12 p.m. ET (1700Z) Location: DeKalb-Peachtree Airport Administration Building Community Room #227 (Opposite side of building from Downwind Restaurant) 2000 Airport Road, Atlanta, GA 30341 Details: https://atlantave.org/ Event: Georgia Tech Amateur Radio Club / ARC License Testing
Date: Sunday, February 27, 2022 Time: 2:30 p.m. ET (1930Z) Location: Georgia Tech Van Leer Electrical Engineering Building Room W218 Map: HERE Details: HERE Event: Publix Atlanta Marathon (Ham Radio Operators needed)
Date: Sunday, February 22, 2022 Time: 5 a.m. (1000Z) - 2 p.m. (1900Z) Location: Centennial Park 265 Park Ave W NW Atlanta, GA 30313 (Volunteers will get location assignments when they check in) Race Details: HERE Volunteer: https://atlantatrackclub.volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=59950 Event CalendarView our Groups.io calendar on the web here
Subscribe to our calendar (iCal, Google Calendar, Outlook, etc) https://groups.io/g/arc/ics/1861828/1377317764/feed.ics 2022 Summary of Meetings and Events
2021/2022 Leadership TeamPresident - John Talipsky Jr (N3ACK)
Vice President - Skip Kazmarek (K4EAK) Secretary and Treasurer - Ade Shamblin (KJ4CUY) Member at Large - Bill Perkins (KB4KFT) Member at Large - Rob Osattin (KI4UTY) Newsletter Editor - Tom Crowley (KT4XN) Program Director - Rob Osattin (KI4UTY) Web "master" - Rob Osattin (KI4UTY) Repeater Trustees
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PAST EVENTSThis column is archived.
Previous ARC Meetings can be found on the Previous Programs page Previous ARC Events and Outings can be found on the Events and Outings page February Meeting (February 3 @ 7 p.m. ET)
Our February meeting featured Ria Jairam, N2RJ, who spoke about Software Defined Radio (SDR). Ria explained that SDR is a marriage between radio hardware and computers. Conventional analog radios use hardware to convert the RF received from the antenna to the audio we hear over the speaker on the transmit side, and from the audio picked up by the microphone to RF we shoot into the antenna on the transmit side. SDR radios convert the RF received from the antenna to a digital signal that is passed to a computer, which performs all of the demodulation and filtering functions that the hardware did in the analog radio, then converts it back to audio to feed into the speaker. On the transmit side, the analog signal from the microphone is converted to a digital signal that is passed to a computer. The computer filters and modulates the signal then passes the digital signal to a converter to convert it to analog. The analog signal is fed into the antenna. Ria showed us diagrams of the major components of SDR radios and discussed the function of each one. That was very helpful. She went on to describe the advantages of SDR over analog radios and talked about the various SDR radios on the market. She showed us where we could find comparisons of the radios. The SDR radios range in price from about $600 to about $6,000 so the comparison numbers are very important. There are also some entry level SDRs available for under $100. They are receive-only. Low end transmit/receive SDRs fall into the $100-$600 range. Ria Jairam, N2RJ is the ARRL Hudson Division Director. She has been licensed since 1997 in Trinidad and Tobago and in the US since 2001. She first became interested in radio at 5 years old from her dad, an avid SWL and learned about amateur radio from a teacher, Mr. Tony Lee-Mack, 9Y4AL. Ria is active in contesting, Dxing, DMR, DSTAR and digital modes. To her name are several DX and contest awards including 9 band DXCC (160 through 10 meters), Challenge at the 1800+ level, all 3 modes and 325 entities mixed. She has also won several contest plaques including regional, national and North American titles in various DX contests. Ria has won a “Top Elmer” award in 2016 for her mentoring on the Flex Radio forums and also helping users use their radios remotely. She subsequently was awarded two “Top Tester” awards in 2017. She is a volunteer QSL card sorter with the W2 QSL bureau, run by the North Jersey DX Association (NJDXA) and is the Northern NJ section manager for the Frankford Radio Club (FRC). She is also the District 2 chair of the Young Ladies Radio League (YLRL) and a member of the British Young Ladies Amateur Radio Association (BYLARA). Ria is an alumna of the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, where she studied Electrical Engineering. In the ARRL, Ria is currently a member of the Administration and Finance committee (IT falls under this committee) and the Band Planning committee. Look for her in the DX pileups, often operating remotely, or operating WSJT digital modes to snag a new one. Watch this video. It was very informative. Video: https://youtu.be/rxmi1HBiY38 Slides:: Download Video Timeline CLUB BYLAWS
MEMBERSHIPFirst year FREE for new hams! (Details on Membership page)
Click here for details on how to join or renew your membership FREE LICENSE EXAMIn-person Second Sunday License Testing at Peachtree-DeKalb Airport (PDK) has resumed!!
For more information: Meetings & Events An FCC Registration Number (FRN) is REQUIRED Detailed Rules: https://www.atlantave.team/rules.html FCC CORES Registration WORKED ALL GEORGIA AWARDThe Atlanta Radio Club, with the support of the Georgia Section of the ARRL, is proud to support the "Worked All Georgia" Award. The WAG Award is open to radio amateurs who can provide proof of two-way radio amateur radio contact with all 159 counties in the state of Georgia. This award is nice complement to the annual Georgia QSO Party, which in fact would be a good time to work on some of those hard-to-get counties. The award is embodied in a nice certificate.
More information can be found here. NETSEvery Sunday night - 8:00 PM ET
More details CLUB HISTORYThe Atlanta Radio Club (ARC) was founded in March 1911. It is believed to be the longest continually operating club in Georgia (Georgia Tech was founded earlier). With over 100 members, ARC activities include meetings, operating events, training sessions, membership outings, and community service activities in Metro-Atlanta.
The ARC helps operate the Atlanta Hamfestival and owns, operates or supports 11 repeaters around the metro area. In an average month, the club will hold a regular membership meeting, a tech/training session or operating outing, publish the Atlanta Ham newsletter, have 8 lunch outings and host over 20 nets via club repeaters. SISTER Club - Geelong Amateur Radio Club - VK3ATLDid you know the Atlanta Radio Club has a sister club?
In 2010, Dallas Jones (VK3DJ) from Drysdale, Victoria in Australia visited the United States to meet some friends he met on the air. "During his travels, he visited the Atlanta Radio Club and from all accounts had a great time with the guys." |
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