APRS Email to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy            29 May 2009
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> Todd, Remaley
> Chief Ranger
> Appalachian National Scenic Trail
> P.O. Box 50 (252 Mc Dowell Street)
> Harpers Ferry,  WV 25425
> (w)304/535-6171 (c)717/991-0126 (f)304/535-6270

Dear Ranger Remaley,

As a follow-up to our conversation on 28 May, 2008.

I enjoyed talking to you about your concerns for our planned ham 
radio activity which we call the Appalachian Golden Packet Event we 
are scheduling for 26 July 2009.  If I can summarize your concerns 
and our mitigating responses.  I hope you will find these conditions 
would not require us to submit a formal "AT Event Application", since 
the actual "AT" is not a significant part of our "event".

DATE:  26 July 2009

SCOPE:  15 locations from Georgia to Maine with only 7 being actually 
on or near the AT.
  - Springer Mountain  www.aprs.org/springer.html
  - Clingmans dome     www.aprs.org/clingmans.html
  - Cloudland Mountain www.aprs.org/roan.html
  - Apple Orchard      www.aprs.org/AO.html
  - Mount Greylock     www.aprs.org/greylock.html
  - Mt Washington      www.aprs.org/mtwashington.html
  - Katahdin           www.aprs.org/katahdin.html

EVENT:  In Amateur Radio, we use the term "event" to refer to a 
congregation of lots of individuals on a common frequency in the 
radio spectrum and not at a physical "location".  You should not 
be alarmed that this is an "event" involving a congregation of 
lots of people at any one site on the AT.  It is not.  It is only 
a few individuals at these sites, acting as relays for any other 
individuals wherever they may be (including possibly some individual 
hikers on the AT).

IMPACT:  We now understand your concern of impact on others, and have 
revised our plans so as to not encourage any more people at any one 
site as would be needed.  The typical site only requires a single 
car, with its existing mobile whip antenna, or a single backpack and 
battery.  Of course we are hoping to have a BACKUP station at each 
site for reliability.  So we will commit to limit our impact to no 
more than 2 cars or 5% of available parking whichever is larger.

We will also discourage any other "contesting" type of amateur radio 
mobile stations from joining us because these stations are typically 
much more un-attractive and complex often involving huge arrays of 
truck mounted antennas.  We have purposefully chosen our date of 26 
July to avoid any other known amateur radio VHF activities or 
"events".

WEB PAGE:  We have revised our main web page 
www.aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html to address these issues:

1) Eliminated the AT logo
2) Minimize the term Appalachian Trail as an event 
4) Use "Appalachian Golden Packet Event" instead
3) Require all participants to sign-up in advance so we can manage 
   the scope
4) Discourage other amateur radio contesting operations at our sites
5) Require site leaderd to obtain any needed permissions at his site

We will keep you informed of any changes and will make any additional 
changes you might recommend.  Otherwise, our web page will be the 
best place for the most current information.  

See: www.aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html

Very Respectfully

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR
bruninga@usna.edu
US Naval Academy Satellite Lab