location tracking of HF HAM sailors

[ludo.verhavert]

Hi,
can anyone advise me on website url's where the real time location of HAM operators/sailors can be found ?

thx.
ludo verhavert (on3yq)

[atoll]

they all wear tin foil hats and talk in code...........so they can't be found...............

[captain58sailin]

They are also working on the latest unbreakable code for the CIA, and if they could talk to you, they would have to kill you.

[St. Elsewhere]

MarineTraffic.com will show the locations of AIS equipped vessels who's signals are received by a station that sends the AIS data to the MarineTraffic.com web site. Some HAM operator/sailors are equipped to do this via their HF radios.

If you click on a vessel on their site and it displays "Received (25) aprs.fi" as the data source, then that data has come from a HAM operator/sailor who is using his gear to support the MarineTraffic.com. If the vessel you are looking for is operating such a system, you will find his location by entering the vessel name in the MarineTraffic.com search box.

[Jim Cate]

From the Winlink/Airmail system:

Introduction to Yotreps

YOTREPS is a voluntary reporting scheme for boats on passage, created by long-term cruiser Mike Harris. Airmail provides a page in the Position Reports window to create Yotreps reports, see Position Reports- Yotreps for more information. Mike provided the following introduction to the Yotreps system:

All boats on passage, anywhere in the world are welcome to take part in Yotreps, and it's free. Benefits of reporting are:

A personalized web page showing a plot of your last 30 reports within the last year.
Reports are routinely forwarded to weather forecasters who use the 'on the spot' observations as a check on the accuracy of their atmospheric modeling, and so contribute to the overall accuracy of forecasts.
In return, in some areas, notably the south Pacific, forecasters provide a long- term prognosis of weather prospects for boats contemplating passage.
Reports are also forwarded to search and rescue co-coordinators. In an emergency, this enables them to see an up-to-date plot of boats in a particular area and so provides a vital information base from which to make decisions on which vessels are best placed to render assistance.
Reports contribute to a database of passage weather observation for analysis of trends in ocean cruising weather conditions. Where there is sufficient data, a web page provides a historical review of conditions experienced on popular cruising routes.
Taking part
The YOTREPS report distribution and position plotting system is entirely automated. The system will reject reports that don't fit the standard format, and return an error message. So before submitting a report and to avoid frustration, please make sure that you understand what is required. The most up-to-date source of information is the YOTREPS web site which contains, not only the boat position plotter, passage analysis pages and free software downloads, but also full details of reporting protocols and a page of Frequently Asked Questions. If you have any questions not covered by the FAQs please contact mike@pangolin.co.nz
Also on the web site is 'Vessel Details' form. So far, the largest vessel using YOTREPS has been the 'Queen Elizabeth II' and the smallest an 8 metre cutter 'Discovery II'. You can remain anonymous if you wish, but filling this out helps to let us know who you are and something of your perspective on ocean weather.
Note for YOTREPS reporters
1) If you've not already done so please check out the YOTREPS web site (www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps) for the latest updates on reporting protocols.
2) Please only send YOTREPS reports while on passage and not from shoreside locations, ports, anchorages or marinas.
3) Please send no more than one report in 24 hours. If you make an error, sending a repeat will not correct the problem.
4) Please use only UTC times and dates. Reports received at the server more than 24 hours after their validity time, or reports with future dates are rejected.
5) YOTREPS reports are routinely forwarded to search and rescue coordinators, met. forecasters and are used in an ocean passage weather analysis web page. For this reason, weather observations form an important part. One or two blank observation fields are acceptable but reports with no weather observations are rejected.
6) Reports remain in the web site data base for about a year. When you have a few in the system the following URL can be used to show a plot of your last 30:
www.pangolin.co.nz/yotreps/tracker.php?ident=ID
where ID is the identifier used on your reports.
Report content
It's surprising how a report of even the simplest observations can be open to a variety of interpretations. When talking of the date and time, for example, do we mean the local time with any adjustment for daylight saving, or perhaps Zone, or Universal time? If we specify a compass course, do we give what the compass actually reads or is it corrected it for the local magnetic variation? When reporting boat speed, would that be our speed through the water, or the speed over the sea bed? When exchanging information between people from different backgrounds, cultures and experience, it is absolutely essential to be sure that we are speaking the same language. Fortunately, with marine weather reporting, there is already a widely used, internationally agreed standard that has been in regular use for many decades.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Voluntary Observing Ship scheme (VOS) uses a system of encoding (BBXX) that firmly defines the parameters to be given in weather reports. It is these, with some small noted differences, that are used in YOTREPS reports and are as follows:
Parameter Units Explanation Note
Date and time UTC UTC (Coordinated Universal Time which for the purpose here is synonymous with GMT (Greenwich Mean Time)
Position Degrees and min Report to the nearest whole number of minutes and do not use decimals.
Boat course Degrees true Boat's course through the water. (Not necessarily the same as the boat's heading) 1
Boat speed Knots Average speed over the last 3 hours to the nearest whole number. Speed reported should be the speed over the ground. 2
Wind direction Deg true or Compass points Direction of the true wind. To obtain this use either the Beaufort Scale or correct the masthead wind indicator reading for the boat's speed and course.
Wind speed Knots Average speed of the true wind. To obtain this, use either the Beaufort Scale or correct the masthead anemometer reading for the boat's speed and course.
Swell direction Compass points Direction of the main ocean swell.
Swell height Metres Vertical distance from trough to crest and the average of the larger well formed swells.
Cloud cover % Proportion of the sky covered by cloud 3
Pressure HPa Barometric pressure
Pressure tendency + or - hPa Pressure change over the past 3 hours. Prefix with a plus or minus sign to indicate rising or falling. Report 0 if steady
Notes

The course reported should be obtained by correcting the compass heading for deviation, magnetic variation and leeway.

Except when in a strong current, which is unusual on an ocean passage, speed over the ground will be very similar to speed through the water and could be measured by electric or mechanical log, GPS set or visual estimate. Remember to report the average and not peaks that might perhaps occur when surfing down wave fronts.

To estimate cloud cover, imagine the sky divided into quarters like a cake. Imagine each quarter further divided into two parts; each segment forming one eighth of the total sky. These are known as oktas and are the unit of cloud cover used by professional observers. Perhaps because the okta is not widely familiar, cloud cover is often reported as a percentage. Multiply the number of oktas by 12.5 to convert to a percentage.

*******

There are other reporting systems as well...

Cheers,

Jim

[atoll]

thanks for the link jim,met mike in gibraltar in 1990 when he was doing the cruising guides for imray and cornell,nice family

[Communicator]

try Google Maps APRS or http://www.winlink.org/userPositions may help you

[jeremiason]

If you give a weather report to the 14300.net they will place your current location on Ship Track.

www.14300.net

[Tony B]

On 14.300 part of the voluntary free service includes putting you on ship track and relaying any messages for you. They will post any info for you also on ship such as "storm went through, lost antenna for a few days, all is OK and we are back on course". Your family and friends can look it up on ship track. It was on shiptrak.org when I used it years ago.
I believe it is now on 14300.net and mmns.org. If your family and friends have your call sign number they can track you via these groups on a map and also like I said, they will relay messages for you and if you catch someone on the network with the right equipment, they can connect you to their phone via a patch.

Keeps your family from worrying about you on long passages. You can check in with them as many times a day as you wish.

[Tony B]

There are also lots of local cruiser ham networks all over. They kinda check in with each other from time to time to see if everyone is OK.
My old Kenwood TS-50 was modified to operate on both marine and ham bands. Also AM and FM. LLOL.

[Cpt Pat]

Originally Posted by ludo.verhavert

Hi,
can anyone advise me on website url's where the real time location of HAM operators/sailors can be found ?

thx.
ludo verhavert (on3yq)

• If they are beaconing their position on APRS, look here: Google Maps APRS.
• If they are submitting position reports via WINLINK, look here: http://www.winlink.org/userPositions

Position reports sent via WINLINK are also cross-posted to aprs.fi.

I use APRS continually to send automatic position reports (automation is good for single-handers). When close to shore, I beacon on VHF (144.390 MHz - 10 meters), and when offshore, I beacon on 10.148 MHz (30 meters) using a PACTOR III modem. Range on 30 meters is over 2,000 miles with 50 watts ERP. I also occasionally beacon my position through the International Space Station on the 10 meters Ham band, when it is in view.

You can see my stats here: Station info for N8QH-8. Look at the section "Stations which heard N8QH-8 directly on radio" for reception range details. Anything over 100 miles was sent via HF on 30 meters. At the time of this writing, I am beaconing only on HF.

[Goudurix]

Hi Ludo,

you did not reply to aknowledge if the replies contain the info you need....

Looked you up on qrz.com but you are not listed (which only means that you are not regeistered in qrz;com of course...)

Where is your boat moored?

I am in Zeebrugge, 37 ft Jeanneau sloop.
yaesu FT897D, SGC-230 atu, sloping end-fed wire antenna and several 1/2 wave vertical dipoles.

Jan

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cpt Pat

[*]If they are beaconing their position on APRS, look here: Google Maps APRS.[*]If they are submitting position reports via WINLINK, look here: http://www.winlink.org/userPositions


Position reports sent via WINLINK are also cross-posted to aprs.fi.

I use APRS continually to send automatic position reports (automation is good for single-handers). When close to shore, I beacon on VHF (144.390 MHz - 10 meters), and when offshore, I beacon on 10.148 MHz (30 meters) using a PACTOR III modem. Range on 30 meters is over 2,000 miles with 50 watts ERP. I also occasionally beacon my position through the International Space Station on the 10 meters Ham band, when it is in view.

You can see my stats here: Station info for N8QH-8. Look at the section "Stations which heard N8QH-8 directly on radio" for reception range details. Anything over 100 miles was sent via HF on 30 meters. At the time of this writing, I am beaconing only on HF.

This is extremely interesting. Can you describe how you've automated APRS reports over HF?

[Cpt Pat]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

This is extremely interesting. Can you describe how you've automated APRS reports over HF?

Configuration details are here: 30 meter HF APRS settings with PTC-IIusb —

Don't buy the more expensive Dragon modem - it doesn't support APRS. Now that Pactor IV is out, you should be able to find a Pactor II (upgradable to Pactor III) modem for sale used at a good price.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Cpt Pat

Configuration details are here: 30 meter HF APRS settings with PTC-IIusb —

Don't buy the more expensive Dragon modem - it doesn't support APRS. Now that Pactor IV is out, you should be able to find a Pactor II (upgradable to Pactor III) modem for sale used at a good price.

I have a Pactor IIusb with Pactor III firmware.

I have not finished installation of the radio, however. Hope to do it over the winter. It's an Icom M802 with AT140 which I'll be using with a long random wire antenna hoisted by a halyard.

But I also have a Diamond VHF/UHF antenna on the first spreader, and plan to install a Kenwood TM-D710A at the nav table, so I'll be able to do APRS over that when I'm in port.

I'll read your paper with great interest.