Jay Maynard wrote:

On 2008-05-04, Ron Lee wrote:
An APRS provides the track functionality of Spot and no cost once you
get the equipment.
http://tinyurl.com/624vv6

Well, you also have to get a ham license (but don't let that stop you; it
only takes a written test these days, and it's easier than the PPL written).
However, there's another detail: you need to be in range of a node that
feeds the APRS network. I don't do APRS myself, but I understand the
coverage is widespread but not universal. Then again, if you're airborne,
getting into the network at altitude is probably pretty easy unless you're.....

I took the ham test on 13 April and got 100%. Another pilot with an
APRS unit took a trip from the Denver CO area to Page AZ (over the
Rockies and remote areas). Fairly good coverage for that trip and the
antenna was probably not optimal and he had the 300 mW transmitter.
There is an 8 Watt unit.

I will probably get one soon

All these systems have pros and cons. Spot won't activate in the
event of a crash just as my PLB won't and the ELT may not. Spot may
only transmit positions every 15 minutes which is too far apart for my
aircraft.

APRS does not exactly have a 911 function but the secondary
configuration could be set up to annotate an emergency. In addition,
the developers of one unit "may" allow for more message types which
could include everything Spot has and more...configurable by the
owner.

Ron Lee