APRS in Charleston, SC

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APRS in Charleston, SC

• A presentation by KD4RDB

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APRS Introduction

• APRS is used to
• Track people graphically
• Send messages
• Track weather systems

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APRS Packet Overview

• Packets Travel from One Digipeater to Another
• The Digipeaters are only concerned with
  distributing APRS type data.
• The data can contain Position Information,
  Objects or Messages
• Digipeaters route packets on the air
• IGATEs route packets through the internet
• GATEs route packets between frequencies

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How Does an APRS Position Report Travel?
Since APRS Packets Arent Addressed To A
Particular Station, Anyone Can Hear Them
And If An IGATE Station Hears The Position
Report, It Is Passed On To the Internet For
Everyone To See
The Data Moves Outward In Tiers
A Position Report Bounces From One Digipeater
To Another
Internet
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Once on the Internet, a detailed map or photo of
the station can be accessed.
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Home Users

• PC, MAC, Palm, or WinCE
• TNC or Sound Card
• Scanner or Radio
• Internet Connection

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Mobile Users

• Dumb Tracker
• Ham HUD
• Kenwood
• Laptop

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Tiny Trak 1

• 25 TNC inserts in line with your microphone
• Works with 2M voice rig
• Stand alone or MIC-encoder hookup

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Tiny Trak 2

• 25 TNC
• Works with 2M voice rig
• Supports SmartBeaconing?

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Mic-Encoder Repeater

• Adds APRS ability to users with one radio.
• Interfaces with repeater controller
• Mutes Packet Racket

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Track Brick

• Proposal only at this time
• PIC based TNC
• GPS support
• KISS support
• Auto configuration from tracker to APRS station

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µWX

• Self Contained WX station and TNC
• Just add your radio
• Temperature, Baro, Humidity
• Dallas One-Wire Support
• http//www.qsl.net/k0rx/uWx/
• Cost is around 50

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Dallas One-Wire WX station

• Reads Wind Speed / Direction / Temperature
• Perfect companion for µWX
• 79
• http//www.aag.com.mx/weather.html

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What can APRS do?

• Track Things and People
• Messaging
• Weather

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Tracking

• Cars, Trucks, Firetrucks, Emergency Vehicles
• Users can create and move objects such as
  hurricanes and funnel clouds.

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Messaging

• Short, one-line messages
• Repeating public announcements
• EMAIL

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Weather

• Trending Weather Data
• Weather Alerts from NWS
• Superimposed RADAR

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PCsat

• Covers 100 of earth 4 times/day
• Uplink on 145.825 / 435.2509600
• Downlink 145.825 / 144.39
• World Wide Email
• World Wide Emergency Beacon
• World Wide Paging
• On Board GPS

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PCsat Radio Setup
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PCsat Eclipse
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PCsat Passes Over South Carolina
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Echo Station Repeater

• Win9x software based voice repeater
• Autopatch with voice modem
• Speech Synthesizer can read text files such as
  weather reports and APRS messages
• http//www.synergenics.com

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Internet Resources

• APRS web page
• http//wes.johnston.net/aprs
• APRS web server
• http//wesjohnston.homeip.net14439
• Email
• wes_at_johnston.net