[aprssig] poor man's blue tooth

[wes at johnston.net]

Although one of the arguements against blue tooth enabled GPS units is that you
just have that many more batteries to replace... consider this...

I'm thinking of two uses..
1)I have a GPS unit in my car and want to stream the GPS data to a laptop without
having to have a tangle of wires.  My GPS is already wired to a d700.

2)In an emergency comms bus, I want to have the ability to share GPS and TNC data
with other users.  I don't need them to be able to talk back, just to see what's
going on around them.

I think a neat "one to many" solution is Linx Technologies LC 433mhz rf modules. 
The modules are simple 433mhz radios with serial in / serial out.  The TX module
is $5.60 in onesies, RX module is $11.80.  These modules TX at 5kbps at a range
of 300 feet.  All we need is to add them to a PCB with will do the rs232/ttl
level conversions and Y GPS data and TNC data together (on the TX side).  Give
each person/laptop you want to beable to see what is going on a RX module with
rs232 or they have a rs232 to USB module for $10.  Now you can "stream" data out
of the em comm bus to a public display (in the case of a publicity show and tell)
or even share a GPS between two cars which are following each other.... or pass a
laptop around the inside of car w/o wires.

http://www.linxtechnologies.com

Wes


I have seen the village...
   and I don't want it raising my children.