[aprssig] Overlooked TM-D710 Features

[Jason KG4WSV]

On Fri, May 9, 2008 at 8:15 PM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:

> Your thought process is amazing.  Does your MAP60C support the
> full APRS symbol set?

Yes, actually, Scott provided one I uploaded to my MAP60C (suitable
for most any Garmin mapping unit, not just one US$600 model) and my
tracker2 does an admirable job of taking advantage of it.

> Comeon, if there was a GPS
> out there ANYWHERE that supported the full APRS symbol set I
> GUARANTEE that kenwood would output a protocol to it.

Garmin, Kenwood.  Kenwood, Garmin. When can I download the firmware to
upgrade my D710?

> Hummh, its FREE.  We are talking about what you can do with the
> radio.

Eh?  gigaparts lists the radio as $599.  That's not free.  If I hook
it to a weather station, it's not doing other things.  That's not
free, that's retasking.

>  If you don't have the radio, then you cant do anything
> with it.

And if you're using it for something, you can't necessarily use it for
something _else_ at the same time.

>> Did they fix the item display bug?
>
> Why? The ITEM format is depricated in the APRS spec...

Oh, come ON Bob - it's in the spec formally adopted by committee, and
repealed in your "spec" updates on your web page specifically because
the D7/700 couldn't do it!

>> Did they add some RAM to make it useful
>> for higher bandwidth packet applications?
>
> They more than doubled the station list.

I'm not asking about the station list, I'm asking about RAM for IO
buffering.  This is something that is important to network devices
(e.g. TCP/IP over packet).  One common complaint about the D7/700 is
the single packet buffer makes it unsuitable for many non-APRS uses.


I don't know why I get myself into these discussions.  To the original
poster, sorry if I hijacked your thread.  The D710 is surely a quality
radio; I would probably buy one myself if I didn't have a 700 already.
 Before you buy, look at the capabilities of a Tracker 2 equipped
Alinco DR-135.

-Jason
kg4wsv