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A Poor Man’s APRS Setup

A Poor Man’s APRS Setup. How to message, report position, and see other stations without spending $1500!. APRS in general. Invented by Bob Bruninga Allows position reporting and... ...more importantly, 2-way text messaging Does not need to be expensive

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A Poor Man’s APRS Setup

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  1. A Poor Man’s APRS Setup How to message, report position, and see other stations without spending $1500!

  2. APRS in general • Invented by Bob Bruninga • Allows position reporting and... • ...more importantly, 2-way text messaging • Does not need to be expensive • Can use older radios that may have out-lived their usefulness in other modes

  3. In a Perfect World • We’d all make enough for an “ultimate” set up: • Kenwood D-710 ($539.95)

  4. In a Perfect World, pt. 2 • AVMap G5 Aviation certified GPS Receiver ($599.95)

  5. Advantages • Designed to work together • Fewer hook-ups, easy to set up and get working

  6. Disadvantages • D-710 TNC does not offer full TNC functionality • Messaging is thru rotating a knob to choose letters, no keyboard • Control is via radio, not touchscreen • Cost (at least $950)

  7. The Poor Man’s Method • Any 2M FM transceiver that you can get audio out of, audio into, and PTT • Inexpensive TNC that offers full KISS functionality so nothing is sacrificed • Inexpensive GPS with keyboard • Readily available cables that you can build yourself to save money

  8. Advantages • Much lower costs (mine is under $400 including a new radio) • GPS allows control of TNC via its keyboard (full command set) • Touchscreen control of messaging • YOU have the satisfaction of making it work! • Full TNC capability allows flexibility in use • Hook it to a computer with UI-View, etc.

  9. Disadvantages • The “best” GPS is discontinued, but available and supported • You have to hook it all up and make it talk together • Not as “elegant” as a ready-made system • You might have to read a forum or two to figure it all out

  10. Parts List • Yaesu FT-2800M 2M Mobile Transceiver ($140 including shipping) • Garmin nuvi 350 GPS Receiver ($104 including shipping, from eBay, included all factory cables and windshield mount, also available from Radio Shack for $109, factory refurbed) • Argent Data OpenTracker2 TNC ($101 from Argent) • Garmin Fleet Management Interface Cable ($28 from Argent) • Various cables and connectors

  11. Block Diagram 12V in Garmin Fleet Management Interface cable to OT2 Data port Mic w/ PTT Speaker 12V to rear Connector (required By FMI) OT2 Radio Port 12V in

  12. Hints, 1 • Other Garmins will work, see the online resources for help, BUT... • The nuvi 350 has a firmware “bug” that makes it the only model that properly handles moving waypoints, deleting the old one when it is detected as having moved to a new position. Others only leave breadcrumbs.

  13. Hints, 2 • A radio with a fixed-level audio output (as in a data jack) is nice so the volume control getting changed is not an issue with reception of incoming data. • A radio with a rear-panel data jack will also likely have PTT and Audio In so wiring is simpler. • Read the forums and wikis on a regular basis; a newbie comes along every day and asks the question you are afraid to ask!

  14. Resources, 1 • OpenTracker2 Product page and support: • https://www.argentdata.com/products/tracker2.html • https://www.argentdata.com/support/tracker2.html • http://wiki.argentdata.com/index.php?title=Tracker2

  15. Resources, 2 • Garmin nuvi 350: • http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3480192&cid= • Garmin_nuvi_Exchange@yahoogroups.com

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