Hi Eric,
Just a couple of thoughts from someone who just got into APRS a few months ago. I'm by no means an expert and still have a lot to learn, but I did manage to get a base station and a mobile tracker working.
You already have almost everything you need to set up an APRS base station. (In fact, you could actually set up an APRS tracker in your car, but that's kind of a waste of a laptop.)
First, download the WINAPRS and AGWPE software. WINAPRS can be found at
http://aprs.rutgers.edu and AGWPE is at
http://www.raag.org/sv2agw/Second, you'll need to make up some cables for the following:
1. Audio in to your radio
2. Audio out from your radio
3. Push to talk
Not knowing what radio you are using, I can't be much help, but if you look through the AGWPE and WINAPRS documentation you should be able to find what you need. Lots of folks get a plug which fits their radio's microphone connector and do it that way. I have an Alinco DR-135 and all the connections needed are available on a DB-9 connector on back of the radio.
Third, you will need to make a keying circuit. Again, the WINAPRS or AGWPE documents will help. I decided to use a Radio Shack reed relay instead of the usual transistor keying circuit. I use a reed relay with a 250 ohm coil and it keys just fine from the computer's COM port.
Finally, once you have your cables and keying circuit made up, all you have to do is connect the audio in to your radio to the laptop's headset port, the audio out from your radio to the laptop's microphone port, and the keying circuit to your laptop's COM port.
AGWPE is a software "TNC." WINAPRS is the program that displays the received APRS packets.
I'll leave it to you to wend your way through the documentation and get things set up. It's not complicated, but requires that you actually read the documentation and follow it cause setup is not intuitive.
If you have any problems, I'll be glad to help. Just drop me an email at tomplichta@home.com
This will get you up and operating on APRS with a total investment of a couple of bucks for cables, a reed relay (or transistor if you go that route), and a DB-9 connector.
Once you decide to go mobile, I suggest you try the Tiny Trak II. It's a transmit only TNC on a small circuit board about 1 in x 1 in. Go to
www.byonics.com for info. Will cost you $30 plus S/H. Very easy to build and set up.
As far as the Tripmate is concerned, lots of folks build the Tiny Trak or similar "TNC" right in the Tripmate case. They remove the battery holder and wire the Tiny Trak up (using a 78L05 voltage regulator to drop the car's 12 vdc to 5 vdc) so it's powered off the car battery. Sounds like you already have seen those instructions.
I went a different route, however. I rewired the Tripmate to autostart, removed the battery holder, installed a 5vdc voltage regulator and a female dc power socket and left the Tripmate's data cable intact. This way, if I want to, I can unplug the Tripmate from the Tiny Trak, plug it into my laptop, and use it with Street Atlas. If you do it this way, you'll need to buy a DB-9 gender changer to plug the Tripmate into the Tiny Trak.
As far as your question about how your location gets to the internet, it's really pretty simple. Any reasonably sized metro area, and I'm sure Peoria is no exception, is going to have one or more digital repeaters (called digipeaters). The nice thing about the digipeaters is that you don't need to know where they are or what their call sign is. When you set up your UNPROTO path, all you need to do is enter: WIDE, WIDE and the digipeaters will receive your APRS packets and repeat them. Most digipeaters are also I-gates (or internet gateways) and they put your APRS packet on the internet as well.
There are several ways you can see what's on the internet.
Go to map.findu.com/k9ohi and you will see my APRS station. map.findu.com/k9ohi-9 will show you my mobile tracker. With findu, you have to know the callsign.
Or, you can install WINAPRS, go into settings > TCP/IP Connections > Connect to APRServe Network and you will see APRS from all over the world. All you need is to be connected to the internet. You don't need a radio, AGWPW, cables, or a keying circuit. And if you want, you can enter your station information and put yourself on the internet. Of course, that's not nearly as much fun as doing it with your radio through a digipeater.
One final thing. When you're mobile, a lot of times you might not be able to hit a digipeater. Lots of hams set up their base stations to "relay" APRS packets if you are in range. If you set up your mobile station UNPROTO path as RELAY, WIDE, WIDE, you can take advantage of any relay stations set up in your area and you will likely get better coverage.
I realize this probably sounds a bit complicated, but it's really quite easy if you just take your time, read the documentation, and ask for help if you get stuck. If there is a local ham club or repeater society in Peoria, you might want to go to their webpage or attend one of their meetings. They are sure to have someone who is knowledgeable about APRS and they will be eager to help you get set up. And, again, I'm available if you want.
Good luck, and I'll be watching for you on findu.
73 de Tom, K9OHI in Charleston, SC
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Topic: newbie (Read 9151 times)