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| Reviews Summary for APRS+SA |
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write your own review of the APRS+SA.
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KA2UUP
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Rating: 4/5
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Jun 5, 2006 09:29
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Good but hope for an update
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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Got the registration from Brent and works very well. However, i wish it would support newer versions of SA.
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WB8CEH
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Rating: 5/5
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Apr 29, 2006 05:05
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Very good software
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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Tried several different programs APRS+SA is the best one I found. The latest version is now freeware.
The GUI has lots of options and the set up would be hard for novice user with limited computer experience.
Just hope KH2Z does not give up on it, would like to see support for the later versions of Street Atlas as 9.0 is really dated.
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KC7DBA
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Rating: 5/5
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Jan 26, 2004 01:31
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Highly Adaptable
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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I have used APRS+SA for years and despite having tried all the others, keep coming back to it due to it's adaptability. It is very feature heavy and as with all APRS software having a local user's group or a good Elmer will be helpful. APRS+SA will only use DeLorme Street Atlas up to version 9 but anyone with a little skill can port the data from this program to many other 2D & 3D mapping programs. The author just recently compiled the program into a standard Windows install file which will remove the mystery for some users. He also lowered the registration price to $15 for a competitive upgrade. Documentation is available on the web for those who require it. I personally have enjoyed finding the myriad of features hidden in this gem and know there are more capabilities that I have yet to need or find. I also appreciate that the author continues to work on the program unlike WinAPRS which has seemed dead on the vine at times.
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AK1O
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Rating: 3/5
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Jan 24, 2004 22:18
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Almost impossible to master
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Time owned: 3 to 6 months
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It's a sexy program that, when used with Street Atlas(c) can resolve APRS stations right down to street level. The problem is, it's almost impossible to master fully. It's way too complex and not at all intuative with its vast array of menus, buttons and features. I've been evaluating for a while and would love to buy it, but I just can't bring myself to buy a program so poorly documented. The author should think about documenting it more fully or releasing a APRS+SA Lite version.
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KQ4KK
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Rating: 3/5
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Jul 1, 2003 14:42
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A dead end program...
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Time owned: more than 12 months
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It works sorta like WINAPRS. But uses Deloreme Street Atlas, the old versions. The author supports it better than the brothers do for WINaprs. However, currently you have to use old Altas map databases. Current WINaprs can use the free USGS TIGER map database that you can download.
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N7TUK
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Rating: 5/5
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Dec 4, 2002 18:09
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Complex but competent.
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Time owned: 0 to 3 months
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A review of APRS+SA by Dallas Eschenauer, N7TUK, 04-DEC-02
I am Microsoft and CompTIA A+ certified and was first licensed in the 60’s. I’ve been playing with packet radio for about 8 years.
Be forewarned: APRS+SA is not an application you can easily jump into and to be up and running smoothly without devoting a good bit of time twiddling the seemingly endless array of settings, options and functions within many different screens. It is this high level of complexity, however, that once learned and dealt with, makes APRS+SA the kind of application that will do what you want to do when you want it done. But, to get there, even the most ardent propeller head will need to optimize his/her prop pitch and throttle settings to fly APRS+SA smoothly.
If APRS+SA is your first foray into the world of packet radio, it is imperative you first get familiar with Windows’ com port settings, RS-232 (serial port) connections and using a terminal program to understand your TNC’s command set. Until your packet station is up and running and you’re communicating with others, you should not install and run APRS+SA. I recommend the book “What is you TNC doing?” by Gloria Medcalf, KA5ZTX.
APRS+SA will also work without a packet station via an Internet connection. If you’re reading this from a Web site, then you’re ready to jump into it.
That said, APRS+SA installs easily. It must be registered in order to save your configuration. Without registration, you must set it each and every time you run it (that’s lots of typing and clicking). For those who leave their computers on all the time, this might not be an issue if it’s acceptable to keep APRS+SA running full time. That is until you accidentally close the app or need to reboot the computer for some reason.
APRS+SA runs with, but doesn’t need, Delorme’s Street Atlas - any version from 4 to 9, but NOT the new 2003. There is no Street Atlas 10; Street Atlas 2003 is a completely new product. This means that your map data, with SA9, will be two years out of date and much older with earlier versions, of course. While hooking into Street Atlas is an elegant and feature-laden tool for positioning and tracking data, it’s not the only one in the shop. You can make your own graphic files, in BMP format, of scanned maps, screen captures or Internet downloads. Naturally, these files have certain requirements and, once brought up in APRS+SA, need to be calibrated. That alone is an adventure in trail and error, but once mastered, works really well.
APRS+SA will also draw data, albeit limited, to Garmin’s MapSource “United States Roads & Recreation” and “Worldmap.”
In addressing the complexity of APRS+SA, the subject of maps first comes to my mind. Having worked with both bitmap files and SA9, I am still trying to figure out what settings do what to what. It is difficult to tell, from the various map settings, options and functions where bitmaps leave off and SA picks up and vice versa, and/or if they overlap.
Indeed, it is obvious that APRS+SA evolved through many different iterations with features and functions spread out over several interfaces and screens: a menu bar and/or a tool bar and/or tabbed pages and/or keystrokes. Some settings are accessed via a Setup option, while others via a Command option. Some command settings affect the setup settings and vice versa, and some not. Some settings for positioning and tracking apply either to maps or to data display screens, or to both. There is a Settings window with a registry-like tree for entering or changing a plethora of key values. Finally, there are a multitude of text files (.tnc, .ini, .txt, among others) that can be edited or created to change or enhance some feature sets. It simply boils down to playing with all that stuff and just watching what happens
“But,” you ask, “what about the documentation and help files?” Uh, yeah. APRS+SA doesn’t come with any, registered or not. What got me through the learning curve were the files I found through the home page: http://www.tapr.org/~kh2z/aprsplus/
http://www.tapr.org/~kh2z/aprsplus/FAQ.htm
http://www.qsl.net/ve5dgd/aprs/html/Site_Welcome.html
http://www.manistique.org/main/APRS/APRS+SAhelp.html
Like most documentation, they assume a certain amount of pre-familiarity with the technology involved. They are somewhat outdated and incomplete, but better than nothing. Suffice to say, without them I’d still be kludging through APRS+SA. Having a friend also helps, like John, AC7PH, who got me started in all this and continues to delight me with his really neat solutions to his own APRS+SA/TNC/Windows/Laptop issues and projects. You should see the Kenwood/Garmin/Compaq setup in his new Ford pickup. (But he needs a better antenna.)
And when you register, you also get a friend in Brent Hildebrand, KH2Z, who answered my email within hours and had the patience of a saint when dealing with my MapSource inquiries. He is also active on a daily basis, with equal patience and a drive to help all, in the APRS+SA forum at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aprsplus/
Although complex with a steep and tedious learning curve, in the final analysis, once it’s setup and running, APRS+SA rocks. Anyone who wants to spend the time on it will be pleasantly rewarded by its thorough and competent abilities dealing with APRS communications and networking.
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