APRS Capabilities and Hardware

Oct. 21, 2012

AB2WS

What is APRS?

• APRS is a real-time tactical digital communications protocol for exchanging information between a large number of stations covering a large (local) area. As a multi-user data network, it is quite different from conventional packet radio.

– Bob Bruninga, WB4APR

• 144.390 MHz (in USA)

APRS is a communication support system

To facilitate all forms of local HAM Comms

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR DCC 2010

The maps are just so you can SEE the Network and know how to Communicate!

Who, What, When, Where, Why & How! call Freq now map status msg • Position, course and speed • Information on Antenna and Range • Text Messages, Email, Bulletins • AND Voice!

Local Asheville APRS Activity

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

APRS SSids • -0 Your primary station usually fixed and message capable • -1 generic additional station, digi, mobile, wx, etc • -2 generic additional station, digi, mobile, wx, etc • -3 generic additional station, digi, mobile, wx, etc • -4 generic additional station, digi, mobile, wx, etc • -5 Other networks (Dstar, Iphones, Androids, BB’s, etc) • -6 Special activity, Satellite ops, camping or 6 meters, etc

• -7 walkie talkies, HT's or other human portable • -8 boats, sailboats, RV's or second main mobile

• -9 Primary Mobile (usually message capable) • -10 internet, Igates, echolink, winlink, AVRS, APRN, etc • -11 balloons, aircraft, spacecraft, etc

• -12 APRStt, DTMF, RFID, devices, one-way trackers*, etc • -13 Weather stations • -14 Truckers or generally full time drivers • -15 generic additional station, digi, mobile, wx, etc

ALOHA Circle

www.aprs.org

APRS Voice Alert! *

Voice Alert is effectively a 3rd & 4th Radio channel

for APRS radios with internal TNC’s

Set APRS Band A to CTSS-100, Volume UP!

All packet-racket is MUTED You are available for a voice call using PL-100 on 144.39 And you will hear* a Ping ALERT if another VA-station comes in line-of-site

to you… (a proximity radar alert!)

Great for long haul traveling and meeting other APRS users. Also great local Backchannel for APRS coordination

(Simultaneous Voice and Data channel) (Automatic Proximity Alert)

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR DCC 2010

APRS Channel MUTE

Set APRS Band A to CTSS-XXX, Volume UP!

All packet-racket is MUTED All other Voice Alert Proximity pings are muted You are available for a voice call using PL-XXX on 144.39

MUTES APRS, but allows for backdoor (PL-XXX) voice contact

Include “V-Alert Txxx…” in your Status Text

(Voice alert with personal CTCSS)

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR DCC 2010

APRS Messages 2012-10-22 01:55:12 UTC: SMWMWW>BOMSMW: for the South Central Coast has been cancelled 2012-10-22 01:55:40 UTC: KB8HHQ>N0MR: Have you had any trouble getting into the bbs here? 2012-10-22 01:55:47 UTC: LA4HQ>LA3HQ: CON#/kYSwYj8 2012-10-22 01:56:03 UTC: N0MR>KB8HHQ: I just connected fine. You see me? 2012-10-22 01:56:27 UTC: KB8HHQ>N0MR: How can I tell if somebody is in there? 2012-10-22 01:56:45 UTC: VA2SS>VA2SS-7: test de j-f 2012-10-22 01:56:51 UTC: N0MR>KB8HHQ: Somewhere top left should say callsigns 2012-10-22 01:57:24 UTC: LA3T>LA3HQ: CON#p9kmhoE/ 2012-10-22 01:57:30 UTC: KB8HHQ>N0MR: ok I see it, it was giving me a little hard time a couple of nights 2012-10-22 01:57:32 UTC: KC8YDU-1>KC8RGO: test 2012-10-22 01:57:35 UTC: KB8HHQ>N0MR: ago. 2012-10-22 01:57:52 UTC: LA7ECA-2>LA3HQ: CON#OL3iET4z 2012-10-22 01:57:57 UTC: N0MR>KB8HHQ: Old laptop been a long time turned off. 2012-10-22 01:58:18 UTC: KB8HHQ>N0MR: yup and it is working great now. 2012-10-22 01:58:31 UTC: KB8HHQ>N0MR: Stand by I need to run out to the garage for a second. 2012-10-22 01:58:36 UTC: N0MR>KB8HHQ: Do you still have that old KAM I sent you? 2012-10-22 01:58:39 UTC: N0MR>KB8HHQ: OK 2012-10-22 02:00:47 UTC: VA2SS>VA2SS-7: test de j-f 2012-10-22 02:01:07 UTC: KC9RGX-10>KC9WPR-5: Yes, forgot to put that in email, path is "ARISS", freq 145.825 2012-10-22 02:01:35 UTC: G4HYG-5>G4FKH: A,-82.8,-97.6,-99.2,B,-95.3,-107.1,-109.1,C,-100.5,-104.4,-105.4 2012-10-22 02:01:55 UTC: K7MT>AE7V: No problem.... 2012-10-22 02:01:56 UTC: KC9RGX-10>KC9WPR-5: Haven't checked if it is on since Dragon docked. 2012-10-22 02:02:05 UTC: VA2SS>EMAIL: jf.va2ss@me.com test de j-f 2012-10-22 02:02:35 UTC: KC9WPR-5>KC9RGX-10: its on I sent some packets up on one of the passes today. ariss.net 2012-10-22 02:03:22 UTC: KB8HHQ>N0MR: I hate Chineese made things, they are junk!!! 2012-10-22 02:03:28 UTC: LU2PLG>CX2SA: ?APRST 2012-10-22 02:03:36 UTC: KC9RGX-10>KC9WPR-5: Oh, I see. What antenna did you use? 2012-10-22 02:03:39 UTC: N0MR>KB8HHQ: I agree Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

APRS Messages

Atlanta APRS Activity

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

APRS Activity- NY Harbour

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

Tracking K4HCP-9

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

Tracking K4HCP-9

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

Station Information K4HCP-9

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

Station Information K4HCP-9

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

Packets Transmitted

New Positions

Speed

Altitude

Weather Station Information

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

Other APRS Information

Aprs.fi on Sun. Oct 21, 2012

Equipment to Receive APRS

• Computer with internet – www.findu.com

– aprs.fi

– www.openarprs.net

– www.aprsfl.net

– www.aprs-is.net

• Any ham station with packet capability – Computer and Software

– TNC

– Radio

w5ac.tamu.edu

APRS Software Options

-Google Earth

APRS Software Options

-Google Earth

-APRS Point

APRS Software Options

-Google Earth

-APRS Point

-WinAPRS

APRS Software Options

-Google Earth

-APRS Point

-WinAPRS

-XASTIR

APRS Software Options

-Google Earth

-APRS Point

-WinAPRS

-XASTIR

-SARTrack

APRS Software Options

-Google Earth

-APRS Point

-WinAPRS

-XASTIR

-SARTrack

-UI-VIew

Two-Way Trackers • Kenwood D-700

• Kenwood D-710(A)

• Kenwood RC-D710

• Kenwood D-72(A) – AVMap GPS

• Yaesu FTM-350

• Open Tracker & Nuvi

Two-Way Trackers

• Kenwood D-700

• Kenwood D-710(A)

• Kenwood RC-D710

• Kenwood D-72(A) – AVMap GPS

• Yaesu FTM-350

• Open Tracker & Nuvi

Two-Way Trackers

• Kenwood D-700

• Kenwood D-710(A)

• Kenwood RC-D710

• Kenwood D-72(A) – AVMap GPS

• Yaesu FTM-350

• Open Tracker & Nuvi

One-Way Trackers

• Can be mobile or portable

• Need 3 components

– Transmitter/Transceiver

– TNC

– GPS

http://n3ujj.com/The_N3UJJ_APRS_Project.html

One-Way Trackers GPSs

$15 (11 x11 mm) Need break out board

$25 (1” x1”)

One-Way Trackers TNCs

www.byonics.com http://code.google.com/p/trackuino/

www.argentdata.com/ www.foxdelta.com

Bad Trackers Good Digi’s

http://tnc-x.com/

www.kantronics.com

One-Way Trackers all-in-one (ish) units

www.byonics.com

One-Way Trackers all-in-one(ish) units

www.crosscountrywireless.net

www.argentdata.com/

www.bigredbee.com

http://code.google.com/p/trackuino/

www.kantronics.com

TinyTrack Configuration

Official Tracker Info

• APRS TRACKER Manifesto: • • Welcome to APRS! • Bob Bruninga, WB4APR See: www.aprs.org/localinfo.html • • Thank you for investing in this exciting aspect of the Ham radio hobby. You will find APRS as a great

real-time communications and information distribution system that keeps everyone informed of all surrounding APRS and other Ham Radio activity and that also facilitates communications by data and voice among all members of the APRS network.

• • In that regard, APRS was intended to be a two-way communications system between operators.

Although you have purchased an APRS “Tracking Device” which is sometimes connected to only a transmitter, you can still fully participate as an operator in the APRS net. The best way to do that is to connect your APRS tracking device to a transceiver and although the receiver is not used for data, the receiver and speaker with a CTCSS tone can still be fully used as an APRS “intercom” channel for back-channel voice coordination and radio-proximity detector. In effect, you get dual use out of the radio (Data and Voice)!