[OZAPRS] Smart Beaconing settings

[Tony Hunt]

Hi Stuart,

Hopefully you have it sorted by now with that TT4. Ive had no experience 
with the TT4 myself. I have a TT3 on HF and ran TT2s for a while.
One thing Ive noticed with the TT4 on 2m in particular is the Telemetry. 
Placing a tick in boxes (I dont know the exact combos) seems to produce 
a completely separate Telemetry frame. Unless your using some Telemetry 
decoding software or maybee a App on the Web this is just another Junk 
value frame going to air with regularity.

Ive downloaded the TT4 config app and had a look at it.. I am guessing 
but it seems perhaps marking either`or both of the send Voltage / send 
Temp will make it start banging out Telemetry frames. Then there is the 
rate Box on there.

Have a look here at how many Telemetry frames there are
http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&call=VK5ADE-9
They look like this.
2010-03-26 06:15:38 UTC: *VK5ADE-9 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5ADE-9>*>APOT21,VK5RLH-1 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5RLH-1>,WIDE1*,WIDE2-2,qAR,VK5ZEA-1 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5ZEA-1>:T#006,153,175,251,000,010,00000010
2010-03-26 06:15:49 UTC: *VK5ADE-9 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5ADE-9>*>APOT21,VK5RLH-1 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5RLH-1>,WIDE1*,WIDE2-2,qAR,VK5ZEA-1 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5ZEA-1>:T#007,153,175,251,000,008,00000010

Theres no Positional info on these. Just Temperature and Voltage in APRS 
Telemetry format if you want to decode/decipher it from the analogue 
telemetry values in there.

The same thing seems to be present on your HF -15

Ive found the same thing is happening with Pauls Tracker 4
http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&call=VK5VCO-1

So I ask again . Are you guys actually using these Telemetry frames ?? 
It might seem like a cool idea to broadcast your battery volts and Temp 
but in this format are you actually using it ? I really wonder with 
Pauls setup. His Temp is usually between 45 and 60 degrees C.
In the TT4 manual it shows a calibration trimmer for the Temp setting . 
Perhaps Paul needs to look at this calibration.

Going back to the TT4 config. I suspect Paul has all 3 boxes marked in 
the Telemetry section. Heres a clue.
I am guesing that if you mark only the "send after Position" box then it 
will include the Temp and Volts in the position frame and not send 
separate Telemetry frames at all. When it sends it as a comment with the 
Position frame its in plain English Degrees and Volts.
Like this.
2010-03-27 07:25:40 UTC: *VK5VCO-1 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5VCO-1>*>APTT4,WIDE2-1,qAR,VK5AH-5 
<http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&limit=&call=VK5AH-5>:/072538h3445.10S113837.01E#310/000/>Temp 
48C Batt 14.1V/A=000092!wwd!

Thats not strictly telemetry by definition either so just what that 
setting is doing in the  "Telemetry" box in the TT4 config I dont know.  
This is why its confusing perhaps. Assuming I am correct about those 3 
boxes in there.

Looks like the Altitude is also slapped on there as well with Pauls 
frame above. Thats a pretty long frame when its all said and done.
If you enable compression you will end up with a smaller frame and 
increase your chances of getting a Digipeat and the frame carrying 
particularly in Elizabeth and on HF. So try to enable MIC-E as suggested 
on the Config pages
http://www.aprs.net.au/configuration/tinytrak4

The open Traker 2 has a similar setup allowing you to tack the Volts and 
temp onto the Posit. Its just less ambiguous with the enabling of 
Telemetry with a separate box for Telemetry ON/OFF.
Hope this helps and makes sense.

-- 

Tony Hunt VK5AH