AMSAT: Can’t get enough of the bugs at Field Day? Then take 3 weeks to recuperate and join us:

The 7th annual attempt to do APRS contacts along the 2000 mile path along the Appalachians using 14 hops will be Saturday 18 July. Last year was the first end-to-end success. This year we plan a repeat, plus, DX branches off to other “trails” and into Canada will be considered.

We still have some gaps in Commitments to the 14 main-line stations:

AL. Huntsville - ?

TN. Lookout Mtn - ?

GA. Springer - Glenn, N4AZR

TN. Clingman’s Dome - Larry, K4AEC

NC. Roan Mtn - Dave, K4KWL

VA. Comers Rock - Zack, KJ4LQP + VTARA

VA. AO Mtn - ?

VA. VA Mtn - ?

MD. MD Mtns – Mike George

PA. GD Hill – Bob, WB4APR

PA. Camelback - ?

NY. Sam’s Pt - ?

MA. Greylock - WECA, WA1PLE

MA. Equinox - ?

VT. Mt-Wash - John, NT1I

ME. Sugarloaf - John, WA1KLI

ME. Katahden - ?

We do –not- generally encourage other local digis as they QRM the DX packets which are vulnerable enough as it is. But we will consider branches going off at least 100 miles or to exciting places. We operate NOT on the national 144.39 APRS channel so that we avoid the wall-to-wall QRM. The event lasts a minimum of 4 hours starting at noon until success.

See the web page: http://aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html

Further we would like to ecnourage other groups across the USA to try to activate any of the other 50,000 linear miles of hiking trails in the USA such as the Pacific Coast Trail, and Intercontinental trails, or Lewis-and-Clark trail, Pony Express?, First Telegraph route to Calif, etc?

Also don’t forget the same date/time is Scouting’s Operation On-Target where scouts and hams take to the mountain tops to try to make contact with signal mirrors. Team up with a group and show off ham radio.

Bob, WB4APR