Hi all

I have been looking at the use of APRS over packet radio and noted that many
Amateurs now have mobile installations in their cars both for fun and to
assist in tracking the vehicle should it get stolen.

This is quite an appealing idea however I do have one concern that I hope an
experienced mobile APRS user could assist me with.

When one visits petrol/gas stations here in Australia one sees signs saying
to switch off one's mobile phone as the electromagnetic radiation could
cause a spark and ignite fuel vapour. It has made me wonder how to make APRS
safe so that should you be filling up your car at a gas station you can be
assured that a regular APRS update from your mobile APRS setup won't run a
risk of causing a fire.

Have APRS users considered this possibility and what precaustions, if any,
are taken to deal with this problem?

cheers Peter

peter berrett wrote on 07/02/2004 10:17:

I have been looking at the use of APRS over packet radio and noted that many
Amateurs now have mobile installations in their cars both for fun and to
assist in tracking the vehicle should it get stolen.

This is quite an appealing idea however I do have one concern that I hope an
experienced mobile APRS user could assist me with.

When one visits petrol/gas stations here in Australia one sees signs saying
to switch off one's mobile phone as the electromagnetic radiation could
cause a spark and ignite fuel vapour. It has made me wonder how to make APRS
safe so that should you be filling up your car at a gas station you can be
assured that a regular APRS update from your mobile APRS setup won't run a
risk of causing a fire.

Have APRS users considered this possibility and what precaustions, if any,
are taken to deal with this problem?

This works well for me - Lean slightly forward, apply gentle pressure
with index finger to button on radio labelled PWR.

--
Roger Barker, G4IDE -
For UI-View go to - http://www.UI-View.com
For WinPack go to - http://www.peaksys.co.uk

Droll... very droll...

Trouble is that there is still a risk that just as pull into the station you
transmit a signal and somebody filling up on the other side of your pump
gets toasted.

Seriously how are most mobile packet setups wired? Are they wired into the
ignition which would turn the radio off when you turn off the engine? The
problem with this is that if someone steals your car and parks it somewhere
you won't be able to determine its location.

I'd be keen to hear how people wire and use their mobile setups.

Thanks Peter


"Roger" wrote in message
...
peter berrett wrote on 07/02/2004 10:17:

I have been looking at the use of APRS over packet radio and noted that
many
Amateurs now have mobile installations in their cars both for fun and to
assist in tracking the vehicle should it get stolen.

This is quite an appealing idea however I do have one concern that I
hope an
experienced mobile APRS user could assist me with.

When one visits petrol/gas stations here in Australia one sees signs
saying
to switch off one's mobile phone as the electromagnetic radiation could
cause a spark and ignite fuel vapour. It has made me wonder how to make
APRS
safe so that should you be filling up your car at a gas station you can
be
assured that a regular APRS update from your mobile APRS setup won't run
a
risk of causing a fire.

Have APRS users considered this possibility and what precaustions, if
any,
are taken to deal with this problem?

This works well for me - Lean slightly forward, apply gentle pressure
with index finger to button on radio labelled PWR.

--
Roger Barker, G4IDE -
For UI-View go to - http://www.UI-View.com
For WinPack go to - http://www.peaksys.co.uk

peter berrett wrote on 07/02/2004 10:55:

Droll... very droll...

Trouble is that there is still a risk that just as pull into the station you
transmit a signal and somebody filling up on the other side of your pump
gets toasted.

Then switch it off before you go into the filling station.

Seriously how are most mobile packet setups wired? Are they wired into the
ignition which would turn the radio off when you turn off the engine? The
problem with this is that if someone steals your car and parks it somewhere
you won't be able to determine its location.

I think you may be misunderstanding something - Most mobile APRS
installations use a transceiver and a normal ham antenna, they are not
clandestine installations. So if someone steals your car, unless they
are stupid, they will very probably switch it off.

However, wiring it via the ignition does not solve your perceived
problem, unless you are in the habit of switching off the engine and
coasting up to the pump!

[snip]

--
Roger Barker, G4IDE -
For UI-View go to - http://www.UI-View.com
For WinPack go to - http://www.peaksys.co.uk

In article ,
peter berrett wrote:
(snip)
Trouble is that there is still a risk that just as pull into the station you
transmit a signal and somebody filling up on the other side of your pump
gets toasted.
(snip)

How would this happen? Could there really be sparking from the aerial
or something (which you think you'd notice because it might interfere
with your radio operation) or could it just get really hot? Is the
idea that the EM radiation alone could cause ignition? I just have a
hard time understanding this risk - the only blowing-up instances I'm
aware of involved naked flames, yet you'd have thought that cars were
inherently full of spark potential anyway being full of metal bits
with high-current wiring.

-- Mark

I don't believe you'd REALLY blast someone at another petrol pump -- isn't that an urban (or rural) legend?

R

peter berrett wrote on 07/02/2004 10:55:

Droll... very droll...

Trouble is that there is still a risk that just as pull into the station you
transmit a signal and somebody filling up on the other side of your pump
gets toasted.

Then switch it off before you go into the filling station.

Seriously how are most mobile packet setups wired? Are they wired into the
ignition which would turn the radio off when you turn off the engine? The
problem with this is that if someone steals your car and parks it somewhere
you won't be able to determine its location.

I think you may be misunderstanding something - Most mobile APRS
installations use a transceiver and a normal ham antenna, they are not
clandestine installations. So if someone steals your car, unless they
are stupid, they will very probably switch it off.

However, wiring it via the ignition does not solve your perceived
problem, unless you are in the habit of switching off the engine and
coasting up to the pump!

[snip]

--
Roger Barker, G4IDE -
For UI-View go to - http://www.UI-View.com
For WinPack go to - http://www.peaksys.co.uk

In article ,
peter berrett wrote:
(snip)
Trouble is that there is still a risk that just as pull into the station you
transmit a signal and somebody filling up on the other side of your pump
gets toasted.
(snip)

How would this happen? Could there really be sparking from the aerial
or something (which you think you'd notice because it might interfere
with your radio operation) or could it just get really hot? Is the
idea that the EM radiation alone could cause ignition? I just have a
hard time understanding this risk - the only blowing-up instances I'm
aware of involved naked flames, yet you'd have thought that cars were
inherently full of spark potential anyway being full of metal bits
with high-current wiring.

-- Mark

I don't believe you'd REALLY blast someone at another petrol pump -- isn't that an urban (or rural) legend?

R

Droll... very droll...

Trouble is that there is still a risk that just as pull into the station you
transmit a signal and somebody filling up on the other side of your pump
gets toasted.

Seriously how are most mobile packet setups wired? Are they wired into the
ignition which would turn the radio off when you turn off the engine? The
problem with this is that if someone steals your car and parks it somewhere
you won't be able to determine its location.

I'd be keen to hear how people wire and use their mobile setups.

Thanks Peter


"Roger" wrote in message
...
peter berrett wrote on 07/02/2004 10:17:

I have been looking at the use of APRS over packet radio and noted that
many
Amateurs now have mobile installations in their cars both for fun and to
assist in tracking the vehicle should it get stolen.

This is quite an appealing idea however I do have one concern that I
hope an
experienced mobile APRS user could assist me with.

When one visits petrol/gas stations here in Australia one sees signs
saying
to switch off one's mobile phone as the electromagnetic radiation could
cause a spark and ignite fuel vapour. It has made me wonder how to make
APRS
safe so that should you be filling up your car at a gas station you can
be
assured that a regular APRS update from your mobile APRS setup won't run
a
risk of causing a fire.

Have APRS users considered this possibility and what precaustions, if
any,
are taken to deal with this problem?

This works well for me - Lean slightly forward, apply gentle pressure
with index finger to button on radio labelled PWR.

--
Roger Barker, G4IDE -
For UI-View go to - http://www.UI-View.com
For WinPack go to - http://www.peaksys.co.uk