- Joined
- Sep 17, 2003
- Threads
- 64
- Messages
- 4,427
- Location
- Sunnyvale, CA
- Website
- www.george4wd.taskled.com
I've been using APRS for a while with my own gps/tracker design. Anyhow, used it last trip to the snow so my wife could keep an 'eye' on us and see where we were etc.
So, figured it would be nice to be able to send more info than just position info and did some web searching for various products.
Found AGWPE which amongst many other things implements a sound card based modem. A few resistors and capacitors and the headphone output of the laptop is able to be fed straight into the HT or mobile rig packet input. My laptop doesn't have a serial port, but I could use my USB->RS232 dongle to get a serial port. Simple little circuit (transistor and a couple of resistors) and I had a PTT signal that could feed into the HT or mobile rig to key the transmitter.
Then I downloaded AGWTRACKER from the same website, free to evaluate (no operating restrictions) or $50 to register the software - I'm still playing with it, so haven't registered yet.
I already have a bluetooth GPS, so that provides GPS position info to the tracker software.
The end result is a mostly software based APRS tracker that runs on a laptop (windows). Very neat. You can also send messages via the tracker software and if you send to EMAIL, then you can send short email messages to anyone with email. That's another nice way to provide status info to someone that is 'back home' keeping an eye on you. Obviously via the APRS you also are transmitting position fixes, but being able to send a message is neat since you can provide some text based status on your progress.
I have a lot more to learn about the capabilities, but so far I'm impressed with how easy it was to get going - basically a couple of hours this afternoon including cobbling up the circuits (xmas tree style construction). Now that I know it works, I'll have to make up a neater cable/board hookup so allow the laptop to plug into my HT or mobile rig.
Here's the basic info on the cables/circuits etc ->
1. Interface: Radio to Computer
cheers,
george.
So, figured it would be nice to be able to send more info than just position info and did some web searching for various products.
Found AGWPE which amongst many other things implements a sound card based modem. A few resistors and capacitors and the headphone output of the laptop is able to be fed straight into the HT or mobile rig packet input. My laptop doesn't have a serial port, but I could use my USB->RS232 dongle to get a serial port. Simple little circuit (transistor and a couple of resistors) and I had a PTT signal that could feed into the HT or mobile rig to key the transmitter.
Then I downloaded AGWTRACKER from the same website, free to evaluate (no operating restrictions) or $50 to register the software - I'm still playing with it, so haven't registered yet.
I already have a bluetooth GPS, so that provides GPS position info to the tracker software.
The end result is a mostly software based APRS tracker that runs on a laptop (windows). Very neat. You can also send messages via the tracker software and if you send to EMAIL, then you can send short email messages to anyone with email. That's another nice way to provide status info to someone that is 'back home' keeping an eye on you. Obviously via the APRS you also are transmitting position fixes, but being able to send a message is neat since you can provide some text based status on your progress.
I have a lot more to learn about the capabilities, but so far I'm impressed with how easy it was to get going - basically a couple of hours this afternoon including cobbling up the circuits (xmas tree style construction). Now that I know it works, I'll have to make up a neater cable/board hookup so allow the laptop to plug into my HT or mobile rig.
Here's the basic info on the cables/circuits etc ->
1. Interface: Radio to Computer
cheers,
george.