KD0TLS: MN APRS update -- Bemidji area

 I've touched on some of the developments in the Bemidji area APRS infrastructure before, but I wanted to see how much of it stuck around more than a couple of weeks before I covered it more intensively. 

Bemidji area digipeaters and gateways

 For a long time, the W0BJI-2 digipeater in Lengby was the only element of infrastructure around. It did a fairly good job by reaching the gateway in Thief River Falls, but its fringe coverage was in Bemidji proper. Even then, W0BJI-2 took extended absences. When it came back on-air regularly about two years ago, the KE0VUL-10 TX I-Gate soon sprung into existence, making the Lengby digipeater much more useful. The gateway added RF-based messaging and provided a solid path to gateway for a digipeater that had above average RX coverage. It also generated APRS objects to show the location of local repeaters.

 The next big step forward was the addition of a TX gateway (and digipeater) in Bemidji itself. This was W0RFP-1, which expanded the coverage of the Lengby digi and made local APRS traffic much more reliable. The Lengby digi now had two reliable paths, and solid APRS coverage crept eastward toward the immense gap between Bemidi and the iron Range infrastructure. 

 Because of the existence of the Bemidji W0RFP-1 station, expansion was now possible. A new digipeater to the north of Bemidji, KC0TV-2, soon came on-air with TX strong enough to reach Thief River Falls on a good day. 

 With the exception of the Lengby digipeater on a tower, these are all modest stations pooling their individual resources to leverage the Lengby digipeater, while making it stronger at the same time. You don't need a 300-foot tower and a 50W rig to make a big contribution. If we wait for these mega-stations to materialize, we will pass up the chance to build redundant, reliable coverage in areas that need it. 

 Over time, it could be possible to expand this small network to reach Fargo or Brainerd. Expanded coverage usually leads to an increase in local APRS operators. It may be that a solid network would convince EMS/EmComm organizations on the County level that APRS is a useful tool, and open up more sites for gateways and digipeaters. Who knows? Some enterprising ham could even set up an HF APRS node. That would be a service to amateurs across the State.

 But let's not forget the value of motorists, campers, and people vacationing at cabins to connect to the wider world with HTs and mobile rigs. And all of these new additions improve the accuracy of VHF/UHF propagation data, too.