Posted: 1/31/2012 6:06:29 PM EDT
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Ok, So I want to get into APRS. I have never messed with it but am now interested. I want to use it mobile. What are my options for a rig? I also want to use the same rig as my mobile VHF/UHF rig. I see the new Kenwood 710 but the face looks rather large, and I am working with limited space. Don't know anything about the Yaesu. Are there more?
Thanks |
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I saw recently how some of the kenwoods are able to integrate APRS with Winlink. I thought that was totally cool.
APRSlink So I'd get one of the Kenwoods that'll do that if it was me and I was spending the money. |
| I know you said you want to use your existing radio. I did too when getting into APRS. Instead I bough the Kenwood 710. That radio is awesome. Just hooked the radio up, got a cable to connect it to my GPS, and programmed some parameters in the radio and I was on the air. It's a really neat system, especially since you can see where other people are right on the radio control head. |
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I am running the D710 with a Nuvi 350 and the argent data cable. The Nuvi plots moving positions of received APRS stations as well as providing my data to the radio. I like it a lot!
ETA: The 710 works fine with one side on APRS and the other on voice. That's how I usually run. |
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I've been working on this as well.
To be clear, I haven't installed, or even recieved any of what I ordered yet, but here's what I've settled on, and why. I chose the Argent OT3 for my TNC, because it allows messaging from a Garmin GPS, and in my case, two-way messaging was very important to me, not just position reporting. In researching using one radio to use for both voice and APRS with an external TNC, I found there were pretty limited options. Stay away from Yaesu, if you go with an external TNC. With a Yaesu, you can't set one side to voice, and the other to data. The radios you can set up that way seem to be the Icom 2720 and 2820, and the Kenwood 710 and 71. For my car, I chose the IC-2720. For my wife's car, after considering the advice given in my thread on the topic, I've elected to use two separate radios. Her car will have a Yaesu 8800 for voicce, and probably a 1900 for APRS. This way, the data radio is out of the way, so we don't have to worry about bumping a knob or button. Something I didn't think about before was that I would also maintain my ability to cross-band repeat. The down side was this meant two antennas, and they have to be relatively far apart. If you choose not to use an external TNC, then I'm pretty sure everybody will recommend the Kenwood 710. |
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Quoted:
Ok, So I want to get into APRS. I have never messed with it but am now interested. I want to use it mobile. What are my options for a rig? I also want to use the same rig as my mobile VHF/UHF rig. I see the new Kenwood 710 but the face looks rather large, and I am working with limited space. Don't know anything about the Yaesu. Are there more? Thanks At the risk of being heretical, there is an APK for that if you have an android device (AORSDroid, also free version available if you sideload). Hasn't yet convinced me to upgrade radios, but that could happen. |
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I am running the D710 with a Nuvi 350 and the argent data cable. The Nuvi plots moving positions of received APRS stations as well as providing my data to the radio. I like it a lot! ETA: The 710 works fine with one side on APRS and the other on voice. That's how I usually run. Sounds like a sweet setup. I currently have the kenwood 710 with the green light labs gps on it. It works very well. aprs on one side, normal voice comms on the other. Very, very happy! |
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I am running the D710 with a Nuvi 350 and the argent data cable. The Nuvi plots moving positions of received APRS stations as well as providing my data to the radio. I like it a lot! ETA: The 710 works fine with one side on APRS and the other on voice. That's how I usually run. Sounds like a sweet setup. I currently have the kenwood 710 with the green light labs gps on it. It works very well. aprs on one side, normal voice comms on the other. Very, very happy! Any issues with the green light labs gps? A friend just got a D710 and I am going to recommend that he look into it. I already had the nuvi when I got the D710; I was glad because it plots other stations, but he might want something simpler. The green light gps sounds pretty plug and play. |
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I have been doing more research and I was unaware the Garmin Nuvi series had the capabilities that it did. With the Fleet management Interface is seems to be easy to do APRS integration and text messaging. I don't know anything about the text messaging. I am using this cable from Argent Data between my radio and nuvi gps. I wish I had the text messaging capability on the Nuvi, but I am not sure it is available. |
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I am running the D710 with a Nuvi 350 and the argent data cable. The Nuvi plots moving positions of received APRS stations as well as providing my data to the radio. I like it a lot! ETA: The 710 works fine with one side on APRS and the other on voice. That's how I usually run. Sounds like a sweet setup. I currently have the kenwood 710 with the green light labs gps on it. It works very well. aprs on one side, normal voice comms on the other. Very, very happy! Any issues with the green light labs gps? A friend just got a D710 and I am going to recommend that he look into it. I already had the nuvi when I got the D710; I was glad because it plots other stations, but he might want something simpler. The green light gps sounds pretty plug and play. The green light labs setup is rock solid and good to go. GPS. Lock in a few seconds, I cant imagine it working any better. Really. No room for improvement, Its perfect. |
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In researching using one radio to use for both voice and APRS with an external TNC, I found there were pretty limited options. Stay away from Yaesu, if you go with an external TNC. With a Yaesu, you can't set one side to voice, and the other to data. Please explain further! I have a D710 in my house and an FTM350 in my car. If you want a full TNC and plan on hooking a computer up to the radio, go with the Kenwood. if you want something that is just going to beacon positions (and receive) but want an awesome display, go for the Yaesu. Both are great radios! |
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I run the 710 with AvMap G5 in my truck. (Hope kenwood gets the MSG'ing interface code completed for the AvMap someday) On my sail boat that is dock out back I run a TM-7A with TT4 TNC, it interfaces with GPS onboard. The main reason I put it on the sailboat is to monitor and control the bilge pump, voltage levels and temp. I had a bilge pump go out one time and did not check on the boat for few days...mess. Now I will have a early warning! I have a Kenwood D72 that we take on the center console fishing boat with external antenna when out in the gulf fishing so the SO can check and track us via www.aprs.fi APRS.
APRS is useful and interesting. Sails |
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In researching using one radio to use for both voice and APRS with an external TNC, I found there were pretty limited options. Stay away from Yaesu, if you go with an external TNC. With a Yaesu, you can't set one side to voice, and the other to data. Please explain further! I have a D710 in my house and an FTM350 in my car. If you want a full TNC and plan on hooking a computer up to the radio, go with the Kenwood. if you want something that is just going to beacon positions (and receive) but want an awesome display, go for the Yaesu. Both are great radios! this. i am pretty sure i can set my ftm350 for data/voice. i am also positive my ft8800 will do that as well. iirc they just won't simultaneously. but i would expect that with any radio. i have been told the d710 is a bit easier to configure but the 350 certainly isn't difficult. |
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In researching using one radio to use for both voice and APRS with an external TNC, I found there were pretty limited options. Stay away from Yaesu, if you go with an external TNC. With a Yaesu, you can't set one side to voice, and the other to data. Please explain further! I have a D710 in my house and an FTM350 in my car. If you want a full TNC and plan on hooking a computer up to the radio, go with the Kenwood. if you want something that is just going to beacon positions (and receive) but want an awesome display, go for the Yaesu. Both are great radios! this. i am pretty sure i can set my ftm350 for data/voice. i am also positive my ft8800 will do that as well. iirc they just won't simultaneously. but i would expect that with any radio. i have been told the d710 is a bit easier to configure but the 350 certainly isn't difficult. Well, I can't specifically speak for the FTM350, but the problem with the 8800 is that according to everything I've read, the 8800 will transmit your beacon on whichever band is set as the main band. So, for instance, you're chatting away on your local repeater on the main band, and it comes time for your TNC to beacon, and the packet will be sent out on the side you are transmitting on, most likely to the annoyance of everyone monitoring the repeater. Alternatively, with something like the IC-2720, as I understand it, your chatting away on the left side, and it comes time for your TNC to beacon. Because you set the right side to packet, it won't transmit until you're done talking. Basically, you just miss that beacon, and have to wait until another comes due. I'm still waiting on my OT3's, but when they arrrive, i will give it a try. |
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Ok....Money spent. Just bought a 710 off a guy on QRZ. So.....I just happen to have to buy a new GPS for the car tomorrow for work anyways...What kind do I need that will interface with this rig? Uh oh.. Not just any GPS will work. First, you need a serial connection between the GPS and the radio. VERY few GPSs offer that. Argent offers some cables that bridge that gap, but not sure that they have them that work with any but a small number of units. If you want a GPS for use as a nav unit in your vehicle that'll work with the 710, you are pretty much limited to the AvMap or the Nuvi 350. The thing about the Nuvis- When you receive a beacon from another user, the GPS plots what it receives from the TNC. The 350 moves the plotted track point icon to the new location and just leaves the track at the old location; it is apparently actually a mistake in that unit only. Others in the line leave the old icon and plot a new one with a track between them, which QUICKLY fills the screen making it all but unusable. From what I understand, if you update the firmware on the 350 beyond a certain version, you install the problem. The AvMaps are designed to work with the 700/710s and work smashingly. I use a Garmin GPSmap76 CSX with my 710 and it works really well. I do not however have any of what people have come to expect in the way of navigation capabilities from a GPS with it. It is a handheld GPS, not an automotive GPS. |
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I run a Byonics GPS2 with my D710. Affordable (although the power cable is a little pricey). Bought the GPS2 so I could use with my TT4 as well (no GPS power cable needed there).
Works really well. Whatever route you go, you'll need to terminate the end of the GPS cable that comes with the D710. I put a standard DB9 on mine. |
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I have been running an Argent Data Systems OT2M with a Yaesu FT-23R HT as a mobile tracker for several years. I use a "hershey kiss" 1/4 wave mag mount antenna. I'm also using a Nuvi 350 for messaging.
All of this fits in a .30 cal ammo can. With this setup power comes from a cigarette lighter plug and makes it very portable from vehicle to vehicle. Works well for public events as well. 5W has been plenty of power, I have traveled all over the US both by car and motorcycle with this setup. |