I see my position says 'bruce,hou.tx.' but appended to the front of the message is 410.975 and i cannot find that in the menus.

That is the current frequnecy of your BAND B receiver and is what is all new about APRS since 2004. Knowing not only your location but what channel you are monitoring so that you can be contacted. (You can turn it off under the APRS menu).

These radios can then tune to anyone's frequency just by pushing the QSY(TUNE) button. It sets up FREQ, TONE and shift automatically.

That is also why the APRS network now puts out such FREQUENCY objects for the locally recommended voice repeater in any given area, so that visitors can see these on the front panel of their radios and instantly can contact locals with the push of one button. See www.aprs.org/localinfo.html

Echolink and IRLP nodes are also identified this way, so the visitor instantly can be in contact anywhere on the planet.

Then tie this all together with an Automatic Voice Relay System (AVRS), and we will have a HAM equivalent of a cell phone system. You just send an APRS message saying you want to voice QSO with CALLSIGN, and the network will set up the call, and make the instant QSY to the nearby Echolink, IRLP, WIRES or D-STAR node to complete the call. At least that is where we are headed...

Please see www.aprs.org/avrs.html

Oh, and AMSAT satellites can extend this connectivity anywhere on the planet.

Bob, WB4APR