[OZAPRS] [Fwd: Re: APRS questions from VK6HV]

[Ray Wells]

Not sure if my post with an attachment got though so here's a repeat 
without the image.

Ray vk2tv

Steve/All,

Given your parameters 1, 2 & 3, I can't help but feel you're failing 
with every one of them with your proposal, by using excessive rack 
space, increased power demand beyond what's "really" needed, and you'll 
add to the heat in the hut.

Have you thought of doing it in a more traditional way - a radio plus a 
TNC2 compatible TNC, running UIDigi, on the hill, and use a remote 
Igate? Basic, simple and proven reliability in thousands of 
installations around the world.

You don't have users "now" but if you provide the digi facility you 
provide the incentive. The "traditional" way also provides a system that 
can properly deal with fill-in Wide1-1 digis to fill holes. I don't mean 
to imply the TT4 doesn't - I don't know its capabilities. The TT3 is 
unsuitable because it's only a dumb tracker with no receive decode 
facilities - but it's great for driving around and testing your new toy 
on the hill. :-)

I wouldn't cripple the installation by making it rx only, which is how I 
read your proposal. If you make it a full digi it can;
transmit the location of mobiles to other (suitably equipped) mobiles, 
and home stations
transmit the frequency of the 2m repeater as a periodic beacon to advise 
(amateur) travellers in the region.
transmit club meeting times (if there's a club)
transmit weather warnings (coastal wind, fire, severe thunderstorm, 
flood, other severe weather alerts) for the area from the internet 
weather server to RF as a local tool for all and sundry. I have this 
information visible on a screen at my local community radio station as a 
heads-up for presenters. I also post current weather conditions at local 
airports on that screen. The attached screendump provides an indication 
of what can be done. There is currently a coastal waters wind warning, 
and fire weather warnings for two adjoining areas.

APRS is much more than watching mobiles move about on a map.

Is the BF 430 suitable for the task? In order to upload to aprs-is you 
need a passcode, which is unique to each callsign. The aprs application 
normally sends that information during establishment of the TCP 
connection, and I would question the ability of the BF 430 to do that. 
Somebody more knowledgeable than me on the subject might care to shoot 
me down in flames if my thinking is incorrect.

If you "really" want the Igate on the hill, you might investigate a 
Sheevaplug (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SheevaPlug) running aprsd. The 
Sheevaplug is a very low power requirement computer in a large plug 
pack. It has a 1.2GHz processor and runs Linux natively. You talk to the 
device through USB and Ethernet. They're currently $US99.

Regards,
Ray vk2tv

Steve Page wrote:
> Hello All,
>
> ((I originally sent this to Geoff VK2XJG at his email address from 
> QRZ.com but it bounced, so I thought I'd post it here on the mailing list))
>
> Just a short intro. The name here is Steve and the call is VK6HV. I'm 
> located in the Pilbara area about 1600 kms. north of Perth in the North 
> West of WA. There is no APRS activity in the Nor West that I  know of. I 
> believe it's all down in the southern part of the State. I am trying to 
> get something going up this way for myself and the 4 other local "hams". 
> We here in the North West are all new to APRS and what ever we can 
> manage to get going, we'd it to be installed at our repeater site to 
> service the 5 surrounding townships of Dampier, Karratha, Wickham, 
> Roebourne and Point Samson. 
>
> Here is our problem:          
>
> 1) Rack space is at a premium. (Virtually none)
> 2) The power demand must be an absolute minimum.
> 3) There is no air conditioning in our repeater hut! (How our 2 meter 
> repeater has lasted 10 years in that incredibly hot hut, I can never 
> figure out!)
> *** So a computer and possibly a monitor are about out of the question 
> in our little radio hut ***
>
> So I have taken this approach which is not unique as I have seen it work 
> with the AIS ship positioning data.
>
> I have acquired or have access to the following equipment. Tiny 
> Tracker3, Tiny Tracker 4, a model BF-430 RS-232 to TCP/IP converter, 
> NetComm N3G002W 3G router and a PCMCIA GSM? (2G) Modem. The NetComm 
> Router, PCMCIA card and another BF-430 RS-232 to IP are already being 
> successfully used in an AIS system almost exactly what I am trying to 
> achieve except the AIS system uses a receiver on 161 and 162 Mhz. rather 
> then 145.175 Mhz.
>
> The plan is to receive 1200 baud APRS data from mobile stations around 
> my local area with a surplus VHF 2 meter radio and patch the radio 
> speaker audio into J1 (DB9 connector) on the Tiny Tracker4. Patch the 
> 19.2 kilo baud RS-232 data output from the Tiny Tracker4 on J2 (DB9 
> connector) and wire it to the RS-232 input to the BF-430 RS-232 to 
> TCP/IP converter. Patch a Cat5 cable from the Ethernet port on the 
> BF-430 into a spare port on the NetComm 3G router. And then transmit the 
> APRS data onto the internet via Optus with the PCMCIA card in the 
> NetComm router. I also have a Telstra 3G USB modem in hand that has 
> successfully worked in the NetComm 3G router but it cost 10 time the 
> amount as Optus charges!
>
> What I have accomplished so far...... my Tiny Tracker3 is in the car and 
> set to beacon  ever 120 seconds. I have a surplus 2 meter rig in the 
> house hooked up to the input of the TT4 and the TT4 output plugged into 
> the home computer serial port running Hyper Terminal at 19,200 baud and 
> this is what I received from the TT3 outside: 
> VK6HV-9>RPT0U9,WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1:`-`/l!R>/"4,}  
> So far, so good??? I hope.
>
> What I am unsure about is what to set the IP address and port number to 
> on the BF-430? I set the RS-232 side of the converter to 19,200 baud,  
> 8, N,1 On the Ethernet side I am unsure what to set it to? Possible 
> options are UDPClient or Server, or TCP/IP Client or Server. I have 
> tried most everything but mostly UDP client on 60.240.249.238 on ports 
> 14577, 14578, 14579 and 14580 but no luck so far. I also tried a few 
> other IP addresses and port numbers  but still I could never find 
> VK6HV's APRS beacon data on any internet maps such aprs.fi. In an email 
> yesterday, I was advised that I may need to be "authorized".  So 
> possibly my APRS beacon info above is getting to first.aprs.net.au but 
> it's being denied or ignored? Can I pass aprs data onto the internet via 
> first.aprs.net.au using this technique? Has anyone seen APRS data sent 
> this way without running a computer 24/7 ???  
>
> Is anyone familiar with the Tiny Tracker4? Would you have any 
> suggestions for the TinyTracker4 settings to help accomplish the above 
> computerless setup.
>
> Basically it's my understanding that what we want is a I-Gate and not a 
> digipeater? After all, there is know one up here to digipeat to! All 
> townships are in receiving distance of our 2 meter repeater site and 
> proposed location of an APRS I-Gate.
>  
> Any help would be greatly appreciated. (especially the IP and port address:)
>
> 73's
> Steve - VK6HV
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