APRS/Packet newbie...

[N2KIN]

Hello everyone,

Last week I finally made my station capable of APRS using rigblaster and UI-VIEW. However, I had a couple questions that need to be clear up:

1.) Besides position reporting, WX monitoring and messaging, what can I do with APRS, I use it as a base station and my HT is not capable of APRS.

2.) What is "effective digipath"? I saw the stations around the area typed some callsign in it.

Also I have some questions about packet mode:
1.) What are the common frequencies for packet on 2m?
2.) What software do I need that can transmit via sound card? (using AGWPE engine)

My equipments consist of:

Yaesu FT-100D
Rigblaster nomic
UI-VIEW
Hamscope
AGWPE packet engine

Thanks a lot and merry xmas to all!
Denny  

[K0HZI]

Hello Denny,
Try to answer a few of your questions.  Most common frequency for APRS around the USA is 144.390 simplex.  You should be able to use UI-View and the AGWPE applications together for APRS on the soundcard.  Maybe check the help files in UI-View, Roger is pretty complete with how to set things up with UI-View.  There is a Yahoo egroup for UI-View, and if you search the archives on the group site, there should be an answer or you can post questions to the group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ui-view/

[K5LXP]

> Besides position reporting, WX monitoring and
> messaging, what can I do with APRS,

That's about it.  It's not really a "fun" mode, but it can be very useful and interesting.


> I use it as a base station and my HT is
> not capable of APRS.

If you pick yourself up a unit like a TinyTracker, any transceiver can be used for APRS.  I have a Deluo GPS receiver, a TinyTracker, an Alinco HT and Nicad battery I put in a small (6x8x3) plastic case and have used this setup to track myself on long trips across country.  If you're anywhere that has a path to an I-node you will appear on findu.com, where anyone can see where you are on a map.  The group that I hang out with uses this system to keep track of each other on long trips, and coordinate HF mobile skeds by putting times and freq's into the message text, which also appears on findu.com.  It's a great marriage between the internet and ham radio.

Mark K5LXP
Albuquerque, NM
k5lxp@arrl.net