| |
VK7AX > APRS 31.12.07 00:16l 252 Lines 9584 Bytes #999 (0) @ VKNET
BID : VK7AX-1912LS
Read: GUEST
Subj: [APRS] Digest Number 1440
Path: IZ3LSV<IW2OAZ<F4BWT<VE2PKT<ZL2BAU<ZL2ARN<VK3HEG<VK7NW
Sent: 071219/0339Z @:VK7NW.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC #:33168 [NWTARIG] FBB7.00g $:VK7AX-1
From: VK7AX@VK7NW.#ULV.TAS.AUS.OC
To : APRS@VKNET
There are 4 messages in this issue.
Topics in this digest:
1a. Looking at getting started
From: joejulie1
1b. Re: Looking at getting started
From: Gordon Arnold
1c. Re: Looking at getting started
From: joejulie1
1d. Re: Looking at getting started
From: Curt, WE7U
Messages
________________________________________________________________________
1a. Looking at getting started
Posted by: "joejulie1" joeyjulie@rogers.com joejulie1
Date: Mon Dec 17, 2007 7:02 am ((PST))
I'm looking at getting started in APRS, but not sure what I really
need. I've looked around the web and like most things in the HAM
world there is lots of info but no one place to find it all. Maybe I
can get it all here.
I currently have 2 radios, a Yaesu VX170 (Handheld) and Yaesu FT8900
(Mobile).
First question is that since the FT8900 operates like 2 radios, could
I have the APRS operating on one side and still operate voice on the
second? I know that I can only operate on one side at a time so this
may not be possible.
Second question is that if I can't use the ft8900 and still operate
voice, could I use the vx170? Even looking for data cables, the only
site I found said that they had cables for everything except the
Yaesu's with the screw in connectors (vx170 has one such connector).
Also where can I look to purchase the equipment needed (and what do I
really need).
Any options you can offer for getting up and running with minimum cost
output as possible. I want to do it right, but only just bought the
8900 so money is tight.
Thanks in advance
73
Joe
VE9JJC
Messages in this topic (4)
________________________________________________________________________
1b. Re: Looking at getting started
Posted by: "Gordon Arnold" gordonkarnold@gmail.com gordonarnold
Date: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:43 am ((PST))
I imagine that people smarter about APRS than I will respond, but I want to
clarify a few things in order for the folks here to best advise you.
#1 Does your FT8900 have a data jack on the RF deck and is there a "Data
Band" option somewhere in the menus? We need that information in order to
tell you if what you envision is possible with that radio, and you will
likely find the answers in the manual. If it doesn't you could use the VX170
but with the normal range limitations associated with a handheld. My Kenwood
TM-V7A has these and I operate just as you would like, voice on the
right-hand band and data "in the background" on the left. The only thing is
the voice band cuts out when the TNC asserts PTT through the data jack, but
the APRS transmission is so brief that it just sounds to folks on the other
end like my finger slipped off the PTT button.
#2 What do you want to do with APRS? My car has an Opentracker (
http://n1vg.net/opentracker) transmit-only device that takes position
information from an attached GPS, formats it as an APRS packet, and squirts
it out to the network through the aforementioned V7A. My wife's car on the
other hand has a Kenwood TM-D700A which shows distance and bearing to
received stations on the display, and my base has a Kantronics TNC that
receives APRS packets and plots station locations on a map.
Gordon K6GKA
On Dec 16, 2007 4:08 AM, joejulie1 <joeyjulie@rogers.com> wrote:
> > I'm looking at getting started in APRS, but not sure what I really
> > need. I've looked around the web and like most things in the HAM
> > world there is lots of info but no one place to find it all. Maybe I
> > can get it all here.
> >
> > I currently have 2 radios, a Yaesu VX170 (Handheld) and Yaesu FT8900
> > (Mobile).
> >
> > First question is that since the FT8900 operates like 2 radios, could
> > I have the APRS operating on one side and still operate voice on the
> > second? I know that I can only operate on one side at a time so this
> > may not be possible.
> >
> > Second question is that if I can't use the ft8900 and still operate
> > voice, could I use the vx170? Even looking for data cables, the only
> > site I found said that they had cables for everything except the
> > Yaesu's with the screw in connectors (vx170 has one such connector).
> >
> > Also where can I look to purchase the equipment needed (and what do I
> > really need).
> >
> > Any options you can offer for getting up and running with minimum cost
> > output as possible. I want to do it right, but only just bought the
> > 8900 so money is tight.
> >
> > Thanks in advance
> >
> > 73
> >
> > Joe
> >
> > VE9JJC
Messages in this topic (4)
________________________________________________________________________
1c. Re: Looking at getting started
Posted by: "joejulie1" joeyjulie@rogers.com joejulie1
Date: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:46 am ((PST))
Well, let me see if I can answer your questions......
There is a data jack in the back of the radio (ft8900) and the manual
for the VX170 says it will interface with a packet TNC. I have the
cable for the FT8900 as I use it to load frequencies in from my laptop.
I would rather use the VX170 if I can, but if there is only a minor
interruption when the packet it sent then I could likely use the
FT8900 (How often is the packet sent)?
I guess I'm so green at this that I'm not sure what I want. I would
like to see the most data possible. I have a Garmin 60CSx gps so I'm
hoping that I could use that to send the gps data. All of which in my
vehicle. Would be nice for it to be displayed on a web site
somewhere. I know that's possible, but not sure on the set up.
Also, what am I looking at for costs (I'm in Canada if that helps).
73
Joe
--- In APRS@yahoogroups.com, "Gordon Arnold" <gordonkarnold@...> wrote:
> >
> > I imagine that people smarter about APRS than I will respond, but I
want to
> > clarify a few things in order for the folks here to best advise you.
> >
> > #1 Does your FT8900 have a data jack on the RF deck and is there a "Data
> > Band" option somewhere in the menus? We need that information in
order to
> > tell you if what you envision is possible with that radio, and you will
> > likely find the answers in the manual. If it doesn't you could use
the VX170
> > but with the normal range limitations associated with a handheld. My
Kenwood
> > TM-V7A has these and I operate just as you would like, voice on the
> > right-hand band and data "in the background" on the left. The only
thing is
> > the voice band cuts out when the TNC asserts PTT through the data
jack, but
> > the APRS transmission is so brief that it just sounds to folks on
the other
> > end like my finger slipped off the PTT button.
> >
> > #2 What do you want to do with APRS? My car has an Opentracker (
> > http://n1vg.net/opentracker) transmit-only device that takes position
> > information from an attached GPS, formats it as an APRS packet, and
squirts
> > it out to the network through the aforementioned V7A. My wife's car
on the
> > other hand has a Kenwood TM-D700A which shows distance and bearing to
> > received stations on the display, and my base has a Kantronics TNC that
> > receives APRS packets and plots station locations on a map.
> >
> > Gordon K6GKA
Messages in this topic (4)
________________________________________________________________________
1d. Re: Looking at getting started
Posted by: "Curt, WE7U" archer@eskimo.com we7u
Date: Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:33 pm ((PST))
On Mon, 17 Dec 2007, Gordon Arnold wrote:
> > #2 What do you want to do with APRS? My car has an Opentracker (
> > http://n1vg.net/opentracker) transmit-only device that takes position
> > information from an attached GPS, formats it as an APRS packet, and squirts
> > it out to the network through the aforementioned V7A. My wife's car on the
> > other hand has a Kenwood TM-D700A which shows distance and bearing to
> > received stations on the display, and my base has a Kantronics TNC that
> > receives APRS packets and plots station locations on a map.
FWIW I also run an Opentracker in my Jeep, attached to an el-cheapo
GPS I bought on closeout and a mobile radio, all but the GPS and
2-meter antenna are installed inside an ammo-can.
I run a separate 2-meter mobile radio and antenna for voice. I set
the Opentracker to do Base-91 compressed positions to keep the
transmissions very short. I also set it for SmartBeaconing and
CornerPegging so that I get a nice trail laid down without having to
transmit at a fast fixed rate: The transmit rate changes with my
speed, plus it also transmits when I corner.
For your application you might want something like a Tracker2 TNC,
which can plot the positions of other APRS stations onto your GPS as
waypoints. The Tracker2 and the OpenTracker TNC's are made by the
same guy, Scott Miller, N1VG, in CA.
At home I run a TNC-X and another mobile radio, attached to a Linux
box running Xastir.
Just for getting started you can try running an APRS client over the
internet instead of on local RF, then perhaps add a TNC and radio to
that station later. If running only on the internet though you
depend on local igates to get your mobile packets into the internet
for your home station to then be able to view them. If you have a
TNC on the air you can receive them directly and/or _be_ a local
igate if there aren't enough in your local area.
--
Curt, WE7U: <www.eskimo.com/~archer/> XASTIR: <www.xastir.org>
Messages in this topic (4)
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
