Not So Welcome

I have travelled much of the US and also much of the world with ham radio. Until recently I have always been welcomed.

My profession has recently taken me to the Tampa, FL area. I always travel with my DMR hotel kit and typically with a APRS tracker.

While traveling I usually use a Byonics MT-RTG beacon in my rental car and also a low powered CSN tech iGateMini either in my office or hotel.

A rather rude email with profanity and political slander was received by an APRS digi/igate manager local to my hotel about hanging in his neighborhood and how the MT-RTG was transmitting packets. Like in so many areas, APRS activity is very limited in this area as well.

It is very disappointing that Sad Hams make our hobby anything but pleasant.

In the Berkshires we use APRS to support the largest charity in the area every fall. The rest of the year we leave it turned on to keep the interest going.