[BARC-List] Re: BARC-List digest, Vol 4 #139 - 1 msg

Wed, 29 Oct 2003 14:16:54 +0000

If you haven't already, there's a way you can experiment first to test the local APRS waters before investing money.  I had good luck using UI-View (I bought it, but you can get a 16 bit demo version at http://www.ui-view.com/) with the AGW sound card packet engine (see http://www.qsl.net/soundcardpacket/ for links to AGW engine and lots of How To info).  This allows you to use your PC and sound card to monitor local APRS traffic.  If you have an old TNC, that will work with UI-View and other APRS programs, too, of course -- I'm just trying to outline a way to sample this before spending $ if you don't have an old TNC handy.  

After some tweaking with AGW and the sound card setup, you can get a feel for what's going on locally.  You also can plug in your home QTH coordinates, transmit same using UI-View and then look yourself up at Find-U (http://www.findu.com/), if you like.  There seem to be many local stations that broadcast APRS beacons from their home QTH, and there are nodes that also will forward information from other parts of the world, so monitoring for a while can be interesting.  On the other hand, unless you're into collecting very specific weather information, I'm not sure how much you get out of just sending and monitoring stationary QTH beacons, but it's good for testing, finding out who's active locally, etc., which is why I appreciate others who keep those APRS beacons on the air.  It has real value for emergency and public service work, so having the portable capability would be useful.

While I have not yet set up portable operation myself, one approach I have considered is to use a Tiny Trak or other pic encoder (which can even be built into a mic) to be able to xmt APRS packets from the field in case of emergency or public service event need.  This allows APRS packet transmissions from the field without lugging around a lot of equipment, leaving it to your laptop and soundcard or TNC when you need to monitor the traffic from a net control location, etc. I'm sure there are many approaches to this.  I'll defer to the more APRS-active folks to speak on portable operation.

By the way, another interesting application of UI-View is PropNet/Beaconet, which uses packet, PSK31 and PSK63 to transmit VHF and HF beacons for propogation monitoring.  For more information on this interesting project (which has some local active participants, I believe), take a look at: http://www.rochesterny.org/beaconet/propnet/
 and 
http://www.apritch.myby.co.uk/hf.htm

I've only dabbled, so others no doubt can provide better, more detailed data.  Have fun!

73,

Joe, KB1CJ
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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. Packet/APRS in Metro Boston area? (Scott Ehrlich)
> 
> --__--__--
> 
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 28 Oct 2003 09:34:54 -0500 (EST)
> From: Scott Ehrlich <[email protected]>
> To: [email protected], [email protected]
> Subject: [BARC-List] Packet/APRS in Metro Boston area?
> 
> I am gaining a bigger interest in data modes, concentrating for now on VHF
> and UHF.   APRS seems to be a big interest with growing popularity.
> 
> What kinds of information flow through ARPS in our area?  Are there any
> websites showing life info for our area, or all the possible types of data
> which can be intercepted and shown?
> 
> I was originally thinking of putting together a serial cable for my Sony
> NX70V Palm 5-based PDA (using PocketAPRS), getting a GPS receiver, maybe
> putting my newly acquired Yaesu VX2R to use with this, and maybe even
> getting a GPS/APRS TNC.  Then I sat back for a second, and as you may be
> reading the listing, that's a LOT of stuff for portability.
> 
> Then I thought about a TNC with a built-in radio, and I discovered the
> Kenwood TH-7A which reverses the idea.  But that radio ain't cheap, and
> the display appears limited to what I've seen APRS capable of.  I'm also
> largely interested in weather data.  And, if many handheld GPS units can
> give me coordinates, why do I need another radio to do the same?
> Plus, the TH-7A, while it has a TNC built-in, still needs a GPS for
> location.
> 
> Which brings up my next question - does a GPS help provide data with
> respect to my particular location (if I had a GPS in the setup)?
> Otherwise, could I simply have APRS with no location awareness, and just
> perform quiet data gathering?
> 
> Which then brings me to the data the TH-7A can offer vs a graphical
> program utilizing the equipment listed in the first brainstorm?
> 
> Thanks for any help/insight for APRS utilization in the Metro Boston area.
> 
> I have collected several APRS web pages, but I'd like to get stories from
> local users to see what path makes most sense (equipment vs budget).
> 
> Thanks.
> 
> Scott, WY1Z
> 
> 
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