HOWTO: APRS Tracking

[Stuart Robinson]

Stan - in the real chase world, how have you got on with APRS over the radio reception? - since 2004 when I first attempted this I have found APRS reception to be less then good. This year I will try my kenwood 700 rig with 50W and a good antenna but I really feel that reception will be less then over the internet via a laptop card.

Even in the UK APRS is patchy (50W) and we have MANY internet gateways. But we do have a few hill in the way

 

[Tyler Allison]

You'll have less coverage with APRS than you will with a cell phone. Sad..but true. I asked this question over on the APRS-IS mailing list a few months back and had it confirmed by the guru's on the list (including Bob himself)

The only real APRS option is to go with an HF rig but I don't know anybody with that setup (Bob's recommendation).

I ran APRS mobile for a few chases in southern indiana last year and had practically zero success once I got more than few miles outside Louisville, Indianapolis or Cincinnati. And that's in an area where coverage is suppose to be good. (50W power, VERY good antenna, TinyTrak)

-Tyler

 

[Stan Olson]

Stan - in the real chase world, how have you got on with APRS over the radio reception? - since 2004 when I first attempted this I have found APRS reception to be less then good. This year I will try my kenwood 700 rig with 50W and a good antenna but I really feel that reception will be less then over the internet via a laptop card.
[/b]

I haven't had much luck once I leave the city. There's a few digis here in central IL, but once you get in the country, it hasn't worked too well for me. That's one reason I've been trying the internet method for tracking purposes. I'd like to do both so that if I'm in the middle of nowhere local chasers could still pick me up via the radio method. I'm not sure if it's something I'm doing wrong or just the nature of the beast. I may try using shorter packets or compressed packets and maybe I'll have better success.

Stan

 

[cedwards]

I have had pretty good coverage most places except Colorado and Nebraska. I am transmitting at 50W.

 

[Stan Olson]

Anyone who is using APRS either via the tutorial here or their own tracker/TNC, please hop over to the Allisonhouse forum and PM me. (or PM me here) I have a list of chasers there who are using APRS and would like to add to it. (especially for the Sat/Sun events!) Here's the link:

http://nexrad.allisonhouse.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=400

Stan

 

[Caleb Lawrence]

Stupid question, and I assume you probably need it...to make this work, you have to have an internet connection like with a cellphone with this particular setup, right?

If so, how do you go about setting up APRS tracking without internet or a cellphone?

 

[cedwards]

Get a Ham License
Get the TinyTrak http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak/
Connect it to your computer with a null modem and run the configuration utility to select your options and program your call sign in it.
Disconnect it from the computer.
Connect a Ham radio and a GPS to it.
Tune the radio to 144.390
Log into http://www.findu.com/ and track yourself.

 

[Gerard Jebaily]

Get a Ham License
Get the TinyTrak http://www.byonics.com/tinytrak/
Connect it to your computer with a null modem and run the configuration utility to select your options and program your call sign in it.
Disconnect it from the computer.
Connect a Ham radio and a GPS to it.
Tune the radio to 144.390
Log into http://www.findu.com/ and track yourself.
[/b]

You just answered what my post was going to be, thank you! Just for all the dumb people out there (me), what exactly is a TinyTrak? The website is very detailed but i dont understand the basic purpose of it. Thanks.

 

[cedwards]

what exactly is a TinyTrak? [/b]

Basically, the TinyTrak takes information from your GPS, formats the information to the APRS standard an embeds your call sign, converts that to tones and sends it out to your ham radio as it keys up the radio.

That information if received by a digipeater, will upload the information to a database that can be retrieved via www.findu.com

 

[Glenn Dixon]

ok, I know this is an old thread, but from my reading here it sounds like a mobile unit will have more success (broader coverage) in *transmitting* their location via APRS via a wireless internet connection as opposed to repeaters. Do I have that about right?