[aprssig] APRS wish list

[Bob Burns K4RXR]

At 01:24 AM 8/15/2006, Tyson S. wrote:

> > 1. Send ARPS data with my vehicle's position using SmartBeaconing as
> > described by Arnerich and Bragg. Beaconing my position should be a
> > "hands off" operation from my point of view.
>
>Can't help you there, the D700 should work fine as is.

The D700 is a great tool for exposing people to APRS, but it is 
limited. Two of the issues I've run up against are:

1. The D700 knows nothing of Smart Beaconing. It just keeps beaconing 
at a fixed rate no matter what's happening to the location, speed, or 
course of the GPS data being fed to it.

2. To the best of my knowledge, the APRS software that works with the 
D700 requires that you put the radio/TNC into "packet" mode. This 
takes the unit out of "APRS" mode and disables the built-in APRS 
functions of the radio/TNC. That puts the APRS load on the software 
running on your computer. No problem unless you plan to switch back 
and forth. In my application, I want the tracker running all of the 
time when the vehicle is running, but only occasionally will I have a 
PC hooked up. Sure, I can make the switch at the radio/TNC, but I'd 
prefer something more seamless.

It'd be great if there was a way to let the D700 continue to run in 
APRS mode and then have a mapping program that pulls the positions 
from the D700. I haven't seen anything like that out there.

> > 2. Receive APRS data and display the locations and tracks of those
> > stations on a fairly accurate map, possibly on a PC.
>
>UI-VIEW32 on a laptop with UI-Height track

What does UI-View give me that ARPSPoint doesn't?

> > 3. Receive APRS weather bulletins and potentially display watch or
> > warning boxes on a map.
>
>UI-VIEW32 on a laptop, download NWS shapefiles, activate the snowflake.

OK, there's one advantage.

> > 4. Have a "head's up" display of my position.
>
>Wait for the Tracker2 to come out and use it for the TNC with your
>mapping GPS unit on the dash. It will plot APRS stations on the screen.

What is Tracker2?

I don't have a "mapping GPS unit". The mapping feature of my Garmin 
GPS II+ is primitive. And I don't want to spend several hundred 
dollars for a mapping GPS with limited map memory to duplicate what I 
already have in a PC running a mapping program. The AvMap mapping GPS 
accessory that Kenwood is pushing for the D700 looks great, but it ain't cheap.

> > 5. Access to maps for locating topographic and geographic features
> > and access to trip routing functions.
>
>UI-VIEW32 feeding Dmapper and plotting stuff to Topo USA or Terrain
>Navigator.

Yikes. I don't think I need to plot APRS positions on Topo USA. But I 
would like to share GPS position data between the APRS solution and Topo USA.

> > Ideally, the mapping program would use the same GPS
> > receiver as the APRS solution.
>
>Split the NMEA data to two separate com ports, virtual if need be, APRS
>on one and Topo USA/Terrain Navigator on the other.

Yep, that's what it may come to.

Thanks for your input!

Bob...