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Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI www.kc5goi.net [email protected]
22
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Page 1: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Introduction to APRS

By Guy Story, KC5GOI

www.kc5goi.net

[email protected]

Page 2: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Topics to be covered

• What is APRS?

• Why do I want APRS?

• How do I view APRS?

• OK, now how do I go mobile?

• Current software

• The internet piece of the puzzle

• Upcoming goodies

Page 3: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

What is APRS

• Automatic

• Position

• Reporting

• System

• By Bob Bruninga, WB4APR

• Brief history

Page 4: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

History of APRS

• Initial use as we know it in 1990 to track boats during summer cruises. The following flavors followed.

• MacAPRS

• WinAPRS

• APRS+

• pocketAPRS just released

• PerlAPRS

• XAPRS released as beta at 1999 Dayton Hamvention

Page 5: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Why do I want APRS?

• For Starters….

• Ok, Joe Ham tells me he has a bike rider down but has no clue were he is.

• Or, Joe Ham has hail coming down and still has no clue were he is.

• Joe Ham is part of a disaster evaluation team.

Page 6: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

How do I view APRS?

Basic setup f or a fi xed station

TN C P C w ith m ap s R ad io on loca l freq u en cy

H om e S ta tion sTh is can b e :

E O CN E T C on tro l o r H om e

Page 7: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Software

• There are many flavors to APRS• DOS APRS• WinAPRS and APRS+SA• MacAPRS• XAPRS for Linux (currently in beta)• pocket APRS (Palm Pilot)• APRSdigi, digi software• PerlAPRS

Page 8: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

OK, now how do I go mobile?

• TNC route

• Mic-E route

• Pic-E route

• GPS receiver

• Do I have/want to use a laptop?

Page 9: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Mobile Equipment

Page 10: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

TNC Verses Mic-E or Pic-E

• TNC route requires a separate radio

• Mic-E and Pic-E can go in-between radio and mic.

• Either route can be run on separate radio

• Either route is referred to as a “TRACKER”

Page 11: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Definitions

• A tracker is a mobile station

• Posits are position reports

• UI Frames are frames that do not employ error correction techniques, entirely that is.

• Digipeaters are stations that act as a simplex repeater except in a digital format

• IGATES are stations that feed data to and from the internet

Page 12: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Definitions

• GATES are stations that take the HF APRS data and retransmits them on VHF and possible the internet.

• APRServers are stations that IGATES send data to and redistribute them to the IGATEs

Page 13: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

How does it work, basically?

• A tracker or fixed stations sends out a UI frame that has lat/long and possibly other data.

• If the packet burst passes the checksum, the info is then displayed on the screen.

• If the checksum fails, the packet is lost. This is not a big deal since the posit will be transmitted again soon.

Page 14: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.
Page 15: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.
Page 16: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

The Next Level

• IGATES, why would I want to do this?

• IGATES provide a feed to the net so everyone can see what is going on and allows for messaging on a world level

• Balloons, mobile stations, weather events you want to track, using automated watch/warning data to transmit in your area.

Page 17: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

What else can I do with APRS

• Connect your weather station

• DF abilites

• track vehicles (balloons, trucks, space vehicles, hurricanes)

• messages

• Propagation, PropNet

Page 18: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Guy Story:

W8XF baloon launch on 8.3.97. The X indicates max altitude achieved.

Guy Story:

W8XF baloon launch on 8.3.97. The X indicates max altitude achieved.

Page 19: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.
Page 20: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Digipeater does and don’ts

Page 21: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Other station tips

• What is my tnc deviation?

• The target is 3 kHz deviation

• Greatly improves channel throughput.

• Go to http://www.febo.com/layer-one/index.html for more data.

• Open squelch??????

• Hidden and deaf transmitters

Page 22: Introduction to APRS By Guy Story, KC5GOI  kc5goi@kc5goi.net.

Credits

• Bob Bruninga, WB4APR

• TAPR

• Mark, KB2ICI and Keith, WU2Z, Sproul

• Brent Hilderbrand, KH2Z

• Steve Dimse, K4HG

• Mike Musick, N0QBF

• Rich Perry, W9IF

• John Ackerman, N8UR