Yaesu FT-7900 or FT-8800
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I've tried now with a Nuvi350 and a Garmin GPS III+. Both can act like the GPS source for the FTM-350 with current firmware. The radio does not do anything special with an external GPS compared to the Yaesu options. You get the same information on the screens regardless.
To connect the Nuvi I used Argent Data's GTRANS with a D-sub 9 and built a DIN8 adapter. This adapter works with the GPS III+ serial port, so I think should work with any serial port GPS with a connector wired per RS232. Notice that the Yaesu DIN8 side is not the standard RS232 assignment for pins, so OTS serial port adapters will not work.
The connection:
DB9 <-> FTM350
2 <-------> 8 (Radio RX)
3 <-------> 7 (Radio TX)
5 <-------> 2 (GND)
I set menu E16 (Com Port) to:
1. Speed = 4800
2. Output = WAYPOINT
3. Input = GPS
4. WP Format = NMEA9
5. WP Filter = ALL
On the GPS III+ I didn't see any other stations show up on the map, but other stations did show up in the waypoint list. That might be a limitation or incorrectly configured GPS III+, I dunno that much about it. But it did seem to being doing bidirectional communication.
With the Nuvi other stations show up on the map as waypoints and they move on the map when a new beacon is received from them. They show up in the waypoint list and can be used as navigation targets. I don't remember if the GPS recalculated your route when a new location comes in if you're using a moving station as a target. I'd have to check on that. Realize that the Nuvi 350 is the only GPS that works correctly in this application since it replaces old waypoints with new ones rather than leaving a cookie crumble trail as they move. This setup was definitely doing bi-dir comm.
Note that in the video showing the Nuvi 350 the ham is showing APRS messaging. This only works with the OpenTracker2 and I assume OT3 and does NOT work with the FTM-350, TM-D710 or any other radio or tracker. That is something Scott figured out and does in his products. That is super slick.
BTW, Don, W6GPS, has mentioned that he got an AvMap 6 working with a FTM-350. It's got some limitations due to Yaesu's strict NMEA0183 implementation rather than the extended sentences like Kenwood uses in the TM-D710/TH72 and Byron uses in the TT4. But this only means that you get either a fixed station or mobile station icon rather than the full icon support. But the functionality is there.
Great. Now everyone knows what I do all day
The Android app APRSDroid is $5 on the market. It works VERY well. The GPS icon will show in the taskbar when you're tracking and giving out your position. It can be turned on and off easily. You just have to remember to turn it off. It will blow right through your battery if you have it updating frequently like I do. So I only activate it when I'm hooked up in the truck and testing or fooling around with it.
My orginal concept was to use this the track our 10 trucks that are going out to Cruise Moab in the spring. It's a long drive from Jersey to Utah and it would be nice to know where a friend is.
That sounds like a perfect application for this technology. Maybe you could start a thread and let us know how it works out?
DaveInDenver: The Nuvi350 is the only unit that Argent says gives full support. I would imagine the 7200 would work as well since its got the same base software as a 350.
JonHeld: The android app will work fine as long as you have network connectivity. If you want tactical mapping off Cell network you would need to do something along the lines of what we are talking about. I have a few simlar apps on iOS.
I mentioned before that I recommend using the fgps 1 in the FTM 350 as the GPS source. If you want the mapping I would feed a Nuvi the data stream from the FTM350.
JonHeld: The android app will work fine as long as you have network connectivity. If you want tactical mapping off Cell network you would need to do something along the lines of what we are talking about. I have a few simlar apps on iOS.
I mentioned before that I recommend using the fgps 1 in the FTM 350 as the GPS source. If you want the mapping I would feed a Nuvi the data stream from the FTM350.
My understanding is the Nuvi 350 firmware has a POI bug that is unique to it which makes this work. According to the wiki the 7200 does make waypoint duplicates, so it would leave the trail of points as a station moves and would necessitate periodically deleting them to keep from filling up the memory.
Garmin FMI - ArgentWiki
I'm still trying to figure it all out and most of us don't have APRS equipped radios. We would have to rely on cell service, but that's not an issue traveling on an interstate.
All of our adventures are going into our Moab thread:
https://forum.ih8mud.com/ny-gotham-city-land-cruisers/558564-gclc-goes-cruise-moab-2012-a.html
Remember the remote cables are standard cat 5/6 network patch so you dont have to buy expensive Yaesu ones to extend the head further than the included cable.
I also ran a mic cable from the brain to the dash so I didn't have to have the mic plugged directly into the remote head. I think it makes it tidier. That cable is a 6P6C (Data / Straight through) which I bought at MonoPrice.
I also ran a mic cable from the brain to the dash so I didn't have to have the mic plugged directly into the remote head. I think it makes it tidier. That cable is a 6P6C (Data / Straight through) which I bought at MonoPrice.