Posted: 7/3/2015 9:51:18 PM EDT
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Update: I'm making progress. Plugging just the cable into the computer let me select the com port in the terminal program. THEN, I plugged in the TT4 into the cable. I was able to then view the DISPLAY list in the terminal.
Update 2: I'm not sure about the digipeating yet. But I did get the TT4 to show up as a object on APRSdroid hooked up via a Mobilinkd TNC2. I'm going to go through the same steps in the Alpha config program now and see what happens. After playing around with a Mobilinkd TNC2 and APRSdroid I decided I wanted to setup a digipeater at home. My TinyTrak4 arrived today along with the USB cable to use for setup. I've read through all the setup guides and have installed the Alpha Config.exe program. The settings are not very user friendly so I've been trying to at least figure out out to load data into the config program, basic stuff like my call sign, and then write to the TinyTrak4. I then go and remove power, open up the config program again and try and read the data I wrote to the TinyTrak back to the config program. But I get nothing back. Just a NOCALL each time in the config program. Any help would be appreciated. |
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Update: I've now tried using the instructions from Byonics using both Hyperterminal and Tera Term and I can't figure out why I'm not able to access any data on either terminal program.
The lights on the TT4 turn on when plugged into the computer via the Byonics USB cable. And the programs seem to recognize that a device is plugged into port 3. Quoted:
After playing around with a Mobilinkd TNC2 and APRSdroid I decided I wanted to setup a digipeater at home. My TinyTrak4 arrived today along with the USB cable to use for setup. I've read through all the setup guides and have installed the Alpha Config.exe program. The settings are not very user friendly so I've been trying to at least figure out out to load data into the config program, basic stuff like my call sign, and then write to the TinyTrak4. I then go and remove power, open up the config program again and try and read the data I wrote to the TinyTrak back to the config program. But I get nothing back. Just a NOCALL each time in the config program. Any help would be appreciated. |
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Quoted:
Are you using a null modem cable? I configured mine, it was working great for a year or so, I wanted to make a couple of changes and could not get it to work. Turns out I forgot the null modem adapter. This is what I'm using. Do I need something in addition to this?  " />
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I am not sure about the serial adapter that you are using, but is should be a straight USB to serial. You also need a null modem adapter. A null modem cable (or adapter) switches the transmit and receive lines on one side of the cable. More info on null modem: Here is the cable and adapter I use with my Tiny TraK 4 (Amazon links, no endorsement intended) |
I spent Months and Months trying to get our TT4's working. If the $120 to buy it hadn't been so hard to come by, I'd considered putting it under the truck tire back in December! It seems that almost Everyone online presupposes that anyone wanting to get a Digipeater up and running knows all there is to know about TNC's 
I can't think of a more frustrating exercise of futility I've ever participated in-ever. The TT4 IS NOT Plug & Play!!!!!!! I never ever got the Alpha-Config to run on ANY of my Windows machines...neither could the 3 other guys who bought the TT4 along with me. It wasn't until I got a Null-modem cable and figured out Tera-Term that I actually got it 'working'. That and a great many emails with ARFcom 'ers and Yahoo Group Members. My TT4 Supplied USB/Serial cable smoked one night and that was when I decided to order a Null cable. It could be that we're all just ignorant....but that device almost whooped me 
I'd be happy to send you my display file via email, just IM your contact info. You'll have to change the Location and Call data. |
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The cable I showed is the cable from Byonics. Here is the description from them: TT USB Cable - $20. This USB cable will connect a TinyTrak3Plus or TinyTrak4 to a computer USB port for configuring or operation. In addition, if the TinyTrak is set for 5V on J7 (TT3+) or JP6 (TT4) to power a GPS2, this cable will also power the TinyTrak from the computer. It is a USB A to DB-9 female, and is basically a USB to serial adapter plus a F-F null modem cable, with the bonus of providing 5V to power the TinyTrak via pin 4.
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I am not sure about the serial adapter that you are using, but is should be a straight USB to serial. You also need a null modem adapter. A null modem cable (or adapter) switches the transmit and receive lines on one side of the cable. More info on null modem: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_modem Here is the cable and adapter I use with my Tiny TraK 4 (Amazon links, no endorsement intended) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/7507825604?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N9TYW0?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s02 |
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A long, LONG time ago.... (is that the beginning of a movie, or a song?)
I purchased a TinyTrak because APRS was the reason why I got into ham radio. I already had a TH-D7 HT, but I wanted to make a dedicated tracker. I built the kit, and when you applied power it made flashies on the leds. It would also key the radio. What it never did was send audible data that would come across loud enough to work. There were emails etc..... double check you did everything right. (I did) it just never worked. I'm sure there have been lots of people with better luck than I had. There are also lots who had the similar experiences. |
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This really doesn't help with the probelm, but..........since some other people have posted in a similar vein.............
I have owned a couple TT3s and a TT4 and I never had any problem with them at all*. The point is that I don't want to see this product unfairly get the reputation of not being a good product. * when I say I never had any problem at all, I should say that I never had any problem using it as an APRS tracker. I never had any trouble configuring it to be an APRS tracker. However, I did have a problem with the TT4 in another application. I own a Kenwood 710 rig I use as a mobile in my pickup and with it, I have a AVMAP gps. I wanted to take APRS to the next level and do text messaging over APRS. The Kenwood 710 is capable of doing that natively, but it is a PITA. I read about people disabling the modem in the 710 and instead attaching a TT4 which would basically allow you to text message from the screen of the AVMAP GPS. I never got that to work. My buddy did and I got frustrated and never got together with him to see what I was doing wrong. So, technically I did have a problem with the TT4, but not while trying to use it as an APRS tracker. I have since gotten better APRS gear that uses my cell phone or tablet to display the APRS data on a map and also allows much easier text messaging, so I gave my TT4 away to a guy in my local club and he had no problem getting it working either and is using it daily. FWIW: when I got my TT3, I had zero experience with APRS and the guy I gave my TT4 to had zero APRS experience. So, it can't be that hard, there is just some little thing you must be missing and I am sure you will get it straightened out and working. Good luck. |
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Quoted:
This really doesn't help with the probelm, but..........since some other people have posted in a similar vein............. I have owned a couple TT3s and a TT4 and I never had any problem with them at all*. The point is that I don't want to see this product unfairly get the reputation of not being a good product. * when I say I never had any problem at all, I should say that I never had any problem using it as an APRS tracker. I never had any trouble configuring it to be an APRS tracker. However, I did have a problem with the TT4 in another application. I own a Kenwood 710 rig I use as a mobile in my pickup and with it, I have a AVMAP gps. I wanted to take APRS to the next level and do text messaging over APRS. The Kenwood 710 is capable of doing that natively, but it is a PITA. I read about people disabling the modem in the 710 and instead attaching a TT4 which would basically allow you to text message from the screen of the AVMAP GPS. I never got that to work. My buddy did and I got frustrated and never got together with him to see what I was doing wrong. So, technically I did have a problem with the TT4, but not while trying to use it as an APRS tracker. I have since gotten better APRS gear that uses my cell phone or tablet to display the APRS data on a map and also allows much easier text messaging, so I gave my TT4 away to a guy in my local club and he had no problem getting it working either and is using it daily. FWIW: when I got my TT3, I had zero experience with APRS and the guy I gave my TT4 to had zero APRS experience. So, it can't be that hard, there is just some little thing you must be missing and I am sure you will get it straightened out and working. Good luck. Yet if you look on Eham…the TT series has nothing but great reviews. Mine were all TT3+ models and they all worked at one point in time. Haven't touched them (left them in the same place for the last year) and all the sudden they don't work. May be level issues (setting the levels is impossible if you don't have any other packet gear) or may be the Bionics GPS receiver has gone bad. There's a number of things that could go wrong…I just think it's less hassle to purchase an assembled ArgentData product (at least all the levels can be adjusted via software post installation) for roughly the same price as the Bionics tracker/KISS TNC. |
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The major problem I found with the TT4 (for me) was lack of real support...until I found the Yahoo Group (not to mention the ArfHams). I even canvased Youtube for help vids and nothing exist (a how to vid would be sweet)?
Many new APRS/Packet users have no clue what all the commands mean, and once you realize (after you buy the piece) that the Alpha Config won't work, you're a little more than screwed till someone offers you help. I'm hoping min continues to plug along, I'd even like to connect it to a Pi and Watch the APRS traffic without the net....but after all it took to get to this point, I'm skeered to try much anything else. |
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I'm still playing with mine at night after the kids go to bed.
Last night I configured it with the bare minimum of my call sign and GPS coordinates. I used a Mobilinkd TNC2 and a Baofeng nearby beaconing its position and watched for the TT4 to either digipeat the Baofeng or at least show up in APRSdroid with its position and I got nothing. From what I've read from Byon just putting in the callsign is the absolute minimum to get the device to digipeat. Do ya'll turn your squelch up or down on your radio? I've tried it both ways but can't seem to find out the "correct" way. |
I've been using the Argent stuff for a while, though they are cheaper, they don't have the ability to digipeat. Which, for most users isn't an issue, unless you're dong what this thread is describing.  I do really like the USB port on the OpenTrackerUSB, though. Makes configuring it easier, and you can feed it commands from a terminal while you're actively using it. |
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Quoted:
The major problem I found with the TT4 (for me) was lack of real support...until I found the Yahoo Group (not to mention the ArfHams). I even canvased Youtube for help vids and nothing exist (a how to vid would be sweet)? Many new APRS/Packet users have no clue what all the commands mean, and once you realize (after you buy the piece) that the Alpha Config won't work, you're a little more than screwed till someone offers you help. I'm hoping min continues to plug along, I'd even like to connect it to a Pi and Watch the APRS traffic without the net....but after all it took to get to this point, I'm skeered to try much anything else. Did you call Byonics or email them ? I remember doing that for something and they straightened me right out. |
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Quoted:
All I did was get connected via the terminal program, then go down the list of commands from the reference sheet and change whatever needed to be changed to the settings that I needed. that's what I finally did to get it operable, but even then I had some questions that had to be helped along. Emailed and called, never a reply. Which was curious. Yahoo group finally got it done ETA: so I have some further questions for the Crew. I've got my TNC-2 pinging away up in the shack, while the TT4 is up and going as well. The TNC-2 is running with a LIttle UV3r on the Duck antenna. The TT4 is on the outdoor Yagi. I think I should be able to see my TNC-2 on .fi since my TT4 should be Digipeating to other stations...right? I can't. My initial guess is maybe the TNC-2 setting of Wide 1-1, Wide 2-1 is incorrect? TNC-2 is /7 and TT4 is /2 I also sent a message from the TNC-2 to the TT4 but cant see it on .fi either... link |
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Quoted:
that's what I finally did to get it operable, but even then I had some questions that had to be helped along. Emailed and called, never a reply. Which was curious. Yahoo group finally got it done ETA: so I have some further questions for the Crew. I've got my TNC-2 pinging away up in the shack, while the TT4 is up and going as well. The TNC-2 is running with a LIttle UV3r on the Duck antenna. The TT4 is on the outdoor Yagi. I think I should be able to see my TNC-2 on .fi since my TT4 should be Digipeating to other stations...right? I can't. My initial guess is maybe the TNC-2 setting of Wide 1-1, Wide 2-1 is incorrect? TNC-2 is /7 and TT4 is /2 I also sent a message from the TNC-2 to the TT4 but cant see it on .fi either... link Quoted:
Quoted:
All I did was get connected via the terminal program, then go down the list of commands from the reference sheet and change whatever needed to be changed to the settings that I needed. that's what I finally did to get it operable, but even then I had some questions that had to be helped along. Emailed and called, never a reply. Which was curious. Yahoo group finally got it done ETA: so I have some further questions for the Crew. I've got my TNC-2 pinging away up in the shack, while the TT4 is up and going as well. The TNC-2 is running with a LIttle UV3r on the Duck antenna. The TT4 is on the outdoor Yagi. I think I should be able to see my TNC-2 on .fi since my TT4 should be Digipeating to other stations...right? I can't. My initial guess is maybe the TNC-2 setting of Wide 1-1, Wide 2-1 is incorrect? TNC-2 is /7 and TT4 is /2 I also sent a message from the TNC-2 to the TT4 but cant see it on .fi either... link You may be saturating the receiver on the radio on the tt4 and it is not decoding the distortion. Lower the power or move it away from the tt4 antenna and radio. |
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Quoted:
I've been using the Argent stuff for a while, though they are cheaper, they don't have the ability to digipeat. Which, for most users isn't an issue, unless you're dong what this thread is describing.
I do really like the USB port on the OpenTrackerUSB, though. Makes configuring it easier, and you can feed it commands from a terminal while you're actively using it. The Tracker3 stuff has digipeat (not OpenTracker USB). Runs between $40 and $95 depending on the model you purchase (fully assembled). A TT4 build runs $75 |
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After viewing a working terminal config setup from scwolverine and mirroring my setup I've now got the TT4 up and running as a digipeater.
Yay! I used the Tera Term software to program everything and it was much easier to use than the Alpha Config. Regarding support from Byonics. I emailed them my GPS coordinates as I was having trouble understanding the conversion logic between LAT and LONG and how to input it into the TT4. Byon got back to me within the afternoon and gave me the correct conversion numbers and explained how it worked. I thought that was pretty good customer service. Thanks everyone in this thread for their assistance. Quoted:
I'm still playing with mine at night after the kids go to bed. Last night I configured it with the bare minimum of my call sign and GPS coordinates. I used a Mobilinkd TNC2 and a Baofeng nearby beaconing its position and watched for the TT4 to either digipeat the Baofeng or at least show up in APRSdroid with its position and I got nothing. From what I've read from Byon just putting in the callsign is the absolute minimum to get the device to digipeat. Do ya'll turn your squelch up or down on your radio? I've tried it both ways but can't seem to find out the "correct" way. |
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Quoted:
that's what I finally did to get it operable, but even then I had some questions that had to be helped along. Emailed and called, never a reply. Which was curious. Yahoo group finally got it done ETA: so I have some further questions for the Crew. I've got my TNC-2 pinging away up in the shack, while the TT4 is up and going as well. The TNC-2 is running with a LIttle UV3r on the Duck antenna. The TT4 is on the outdoor Yagi. I think I should be able to see my TNC-2 on .fi since my TT4 should be Digipeating to other stations...right? I can't. My initial guess is maybe the TNC-2 setting of Wide 1-1, Wide 2-1 is incorrect? TNC-2 is /7 and TT4 is /2 I also sent a message from the TNC-2 to the TT4 but cant see it on .fi either... Quoted:
Quoted:
All I did was get connected via the terminal program, then go down the list of commands from the reference sheet and change whatever needed to be changed to the settings that I needed. that's what I finally did to get it operable, but even then I had some questions that had to be helped along. Emailed and called, never a reply. Which was curious. Yahoo group finally got it done ETA: so I have some further questions for the Crew. I've got my TNC-2 pinging away up in the shack, while the TT4 is up and going as well. The TNC-2 is running with a LIttle UV3r on the Duck antenna. The TT4 is on the outdoor Yagi. I think I should be able to see my TNC-2 on .fi since my TT4 should be Digipeating to other stations...right? I can't. My initial guess is maybe the TNC-2 setting of Wide 1-1, Wide 2-1 is incorrect? TNC-2 is /7 and TT4 is /2 I also sent a message from the TNC-2 to the TT4 but cant see it on .fi either... Is the digipeater showing up on .fi? If the digi isn't visible, what it's repeating won't be either. What's the path on your digi beacons? What are you digipeating, Wide1? If you're in a rural area I'd try Wide2-2 and see if that can get you to an Igate. Again though, I would get the digi visible first before trying to digipeat through it. |
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Shamless plug? 
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Why doesn't it report that you've heard any stations? Just that other stations have heard you. Mine is doing the same thing. I changed it to the callsign of another local ham because it is installed at his location (bigger antenna). http://aprs.fi/info/a/KF4BAE-1 |
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Why doesn't it report that you've heard any stations? Just that other stations have heard you. Mine is doing the same thing. I changed it to the callsign of another local ham because it is installed at his location (bigger antenna). http://aprs.fi/info/a/KF4BAE-1 Quoted:
Why doesn't it report that you've heard any stations? Just that other stations have heard you. Mine is doing the same thing. I changed it to the callsign of another local ham because it is installed at his location (bigger antenna). http://aprs.fi/info/a/KF4BAE-1 I dont know? |