Posted: 2/15/2016 8:53:17 AM EDT
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Was looking at active messaging on http://aprs.fi
Found an active message exchange in Scottsdale AZ on http://aprs.fi Used http://findu.com to send a text message to try and make a contact. Got a reply on my radio on the APRS network and we exchanged multiple text messages (radio to aprs network to radio). Once you get a response message on your radio from the aprs network, you can then text message back and fourth radio to radio through the APRS network. I don't think this counts as a 2m 1,600 mile contact :-) Interesting stuff. |
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I don't quite follow exactly what you did with the websites. Will have to check that all out.
I have done text messaging over APRS. I did it three ways. One way is that someone I knew text messaged me on his radio and I answered him on my radio (they knew I was on the air mobile and they texted me). I have also had people text message me over APRS from their cell phone using the APRSdroid app to my radio. This requires a local digipeater that transmits TCP/IP stuff back out over RF which obviously we have here locally. Yet another way I did it is when I had my digipeater up, you can see message traffic (if you turn on that item in the menu) and have had people text message me over that (it shows up on the computer rather than the radio, but was done radio to radio). Finally, I have used the APRS/SMS Gateway to send texts over radio to people's cell phones. |
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Quoted:
I don't quite follow exactly what you did with the websites. Will have to check that all out. I have done text messaging over APRS. I did it three ways. One way is that someone I knew text messaged me on his radio and I answered him on my radio (they knew I was on the air mobile and they texted me). I have also had people text message me over APRS from their cell phone using the APRSdroid app to my radio. This requires a local digipeater that transmits TCP/IP stuff back out over RF which obviously we have here locally. Yet another way I did it is when I had my digipeater up, you can see message traffic (if you turn on that item in the menu) and have had people text message me over that (it shows up on the computer rather than the radio, but was done radio to radio). Finally, I have used the APRS/SMS Gateway to send texts over radio to people's cell phones. APRS is a cool asset that I don't think we use enough of. When hooked up to a computer APRS can really shine. A proper network would be an awesome thing. There is even a part in the protocol for Line Of Bearing messages so you can setup a distributed fox hunt DF network. However with new digital voice modes all of that stuff can be built in. I really enjoy APRS and packet. |
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APRS is a cool asset that I don't think we use enough of. When hooked up to a computer APRS can really shine. A proper network would be an awesome thing. There is even a part in the protocol for Line Of Bearing messages so you can setup a distributed fox hunt DF network. However with new digital voice modes all of that stuff can be built in. I really enjoy APRS and packet. Quoted:
Quoted:
I don't quite follow exactly what you did with the websites. Will have to check that all out. I have done text messaging over APRS. I did it three ways. One way is that someone I knew text messaged me on his radio and I answered him on my radio (they knew I was on the air mobile and they texted me). I have also had people text message me over APRS from their cell phone using the APRSdroid app to my radio. This requires a local digipeater that transmits TCP/IP stuff back out over RF which obviously we have here locally. Yet another way I did it is when I had my digipeater up, you can see message traffic (if you turn on that item in the menu) and have had people text message me over that (it shows up on the computer rather than the radio, but was done radio to radio). Finally, I have used the APRS/SMS Gateway to send texts over radio to people's cell phones. APRS is a cool asset that I don't think we use enough of. When hooked up to a computer APRS can really shine. A proper network would be an awesome thing. There is even a part in the protocol for Line Of Bearing messages so you can setup a distributed fox hunt DF network. However with new digital voice modes all of that stuff can be built in. I really enjoy APRS and packet. I have never really understood the point of just beconing over APRS without having some kind of interface where you can see the received data. Don't get me wrong, I have driven around with an APRS tracker, but quickly decided there was no point in it. It would be like running WSPR and then never looking at the results. It would be like transmitting on SSB without having a receiver. I seems obvious to me that in order for you to get anything out of APRS, you need to have some type of computer/cell phone/tablet/AVMAP GPS where you can SEE other APRS stations on the air and their location as well as announcements, messages, weather station data, etc.................................. * I can see a few worthwhile purposes for transmitting APRS location data without having the ability to receive anything over APRS. Let's say you were activating a summit, you could post online that you were going to activate the summit, and then beacon over APRS during the trip up the summit so people wanting to work you would know when you got there. We also use APRS location beaconing during events such as foot races where we have a vehicle leading the runners and one at the tail end. Back at the command post we can see the progress of the race using those beacons. But what I am talking about is just driving around in your car doing your daily business and beaconing with no way to see anybody else or to receive any two-way traffic from them. |
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Quoted:
I don't quite follow exactly what you did with the websites. Will have to check that all out. I have done text messaging over APRS. I did it three ways. One way is that someone I knew text messaged me on his radio and I answered him on my radio (they knew I was on the air mobile and they texted me). I have also had people text message me over APRS from their cell phone using the APRSdroid app to my radio. This requires a local digipeater that transmits TCP/IP stuff back out over RF which obviously we have here locally. Yet another way I did it is when I had my digipeater up, you can see message traffic (if you turn on that item in the menu) and have had people text message me over that (it shows up on the computer rather than the radio, but was done radio to radio). Finally, I have used the APRS/SMS Gateway to send texts over radio to people's cell phones. I used the websites to find someone on APRS that was actively text messaging and used the websites to send the initial text message. They answered the text message on APRS and my radio received it. After receiving their text message on my radio, I was able to text back using my radio on the APRS network. I used the websites to find and initialize first contact only. I have a Kenwood TM-D710G and can see local APRS stations, their call sign, distance and direction. If you use voice alert, you do not hear the APRS data packets but do hear beeps to indicate local APRS pings. If you are in simplex range you can initiate a brief voice cal on the APRS frequency to make a voice contact (you will need to switch to a simplex frequency to continue the call). If both people have their radios set up correctly, when you see another APRS station ping, you can press the tune button and the Kenwood will automatically tune your secondary frequency to the other radio's secondary frequency and make your call on that frequency. The idea as I understand it is you can be driving around and see other APRS stations and make contacts by voice or text. You can see who is out there actively on the radio. The APRS pings you get on the radio can also have short messages that can inform of local repeaters, meetings, announcements, bulletins,alerts, weather and special events in the local area. I haven't tried all of this yet but having fun in the discovery process. Quote from http://www.aprs.org/ "APRS is not a vehicle tracking system. It is a two-way tactical real-time digital communications system between all assets in a network sharing information about everything going on in the local area". |
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That is because APRS isn't Automatic Position Reporting System, the P stands for packet. The system can be used to carry all sorts of data other than just position reports.
Weather stations are a good example. This was the article Bob wrote that really opened my eyes to what is possible. In that example he uses the APRS to push 40MB of data to users of the system. While in today's world 40MB doesn't seem like much it is plenty for IoT type devices. Today as popular as Arduinos and Pis are it could really be put to use. I am just throwing out ideas, but you could wire your APRS into your mic. When your mic grounds out (ptt) it sends a message over APRS. This could light a LED in a shack for someone else to know their buddy is on and they need to turn on a radio. It could be used for DX spotting etc etc I really like the idea of a SMS and Twitter gateway like have been implemented, those to me are what haming is about. Yes you really do need some kind of device like a computer hooked up to take advantage. Kenwood has voice alert (I think that is what it is called) where on my THd72 and the 710 it will include the voice freq you are listening on. I used this on a drive to Dayton. I saw a beacon and it had his simplex freq attached. I pressed the QSY button and we could talk. They also have a pl setting that lets voice through but not packet data. That way you can talk on the freq but not listen to R2D2. |
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Yes you really do need some kind of device like a computer hooked up to take advantage. Kenwood has voice alert (I think that is what it is called) where on my THd72 and the 710 it will include the voice freq you are listening on. I used this on a drive to Dayton. I saw a beacon and it had his simplex freq attached. I pressed the QSY button and we could talk. They also have a pl setting that lets voice through but not packet data. That way you can talk on the freq but not listen to R2D2. Voice alert is when you use a 100 hz tone which you use as a squelch. If a packet data transmission opens your squelch then you know somebody is transmitting a 100 hz tone. You then transmit on voice also with a 100 hz tone to tell the other guy to QSY to a voice freq. When you hear the packetc data, you know he is using voice alert, and also know he is within simplex range. The Kenwood rigs have voice alert as a menu selected item. As mentioned, they will also transmit in your packet data, the freq of your other VFO (including offset and PL tone) plus the Kenwoods receive this data and allow instant QSY to the other station''s voice channel. Kenwood is leaps and bounds ahead of anything else when it comes to APRS |
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Quoted:
Voice alert is when you use a 100 hz tone which you use as a squelch. If a packet data transmission opens your squelch then you know somebody is transmitting a 100 hz tone. You then transmit on voice also with a 100 hz tone to tell the other guy to QSY to a voice freq. When you hear the packetc data, you know he is using voice alert, and also know he is within simplex range. The Kenwood rigs have voice alert as a menu selected item. As mentioned, they will also transmit in your packet data, the freq of your other VFO (including offset and PL tone) plus the Kenwoods receive this data and allow instant QSY to the other station''s voice channel. Quoted:
Yes you really do need some kind of device like a computer hooked up to take advantage. Kenwood has voice alert (I think that is what it is called) where on my THd72 and the 710 it will include the voice freq you are listening on. I used this on a drive to Dayton. I saw a beacon and it had his simplex freq attached. I pressed the QSY button and we could talk. They also have a pl setting that lets voice through but not packet data. That way you can talk on the freq but not listen to R2D2. Voice alert is when you use a 100 hz tone which you use as a squelch. If a packet data transmission opens your squelch then you know somebody is transmitting a 100 hz tone. You then transmit on voice also with a 100 hz tone to tell the other guy to QSY to a voice freq. When you hear the packetc data, you know he is using voice alert, and also know he is within simplex range. The Kenwood rigs have voice alert as a menu selected item. As mentioned, they will also transmit in your packet data, the freq of your other VFO (including offset and PL tone) plus the Kenwoods receive this data and allow instant QSY to the other station''s voice channel. Voice alert is more then just a tone though. The tone is only send on voice and not data. On my older radios I set two feqs one with tone and one without. Every now and then I hear packets audibly and that is because some guy is beaconing packet data with the tone on. Kenwood AFAIK is the only one with the function. We are saying the same thing, but for the readers/lurkers that might not know what voice alert is. |
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No, you do send the tone with the data transmission and voice.
Here is a link explaining it. "The way it works is that every APRS mobile with VoiceAlert is transmitting his once-a-minute packet with CTCSS 100. So, of all the thousands of packets on that channel, only the ones with CTCSS are from mobiles and have not yet been digipeated... meaning they are local, simplex range if you hear them. Otherwise your speaker is dead quiet. This is the "radar ping" proximity alert feature of Voice Alert. But similarly, all those Voice Alert MObies with CTCSS 100 are also monitoring the channel 100% while mobile and can hear a VOICE call with CTCSS100 just as well. Thus, it is a full time 100% monitored Voice Alert comm channel for use anywhere in North America for simplex mobile to mobile use." At the risk of beating a dead horse, it works like this: You are driving down the road and data is being transmitted on 144.39 but you don't hear any of it because you have your radio set to only open it's squelch if it hears a 100 hz PL tone. As you are driving along, you suddenly hear a burst of packet data coming out of your speaker. You hear this data burst because the guy who sent it, is transmitting a 100 hz tone with his data, and this opened the squelch on your radio. Because you just heard his packet data coming through your speaker, you know two things: 1) He is transmitting a 100 hz PL tone and is thus operating using voice alert and 2) he is within simplex range (otherwise you wouldn't have heard his data). So, you pick up your mic and transmit on 144.390 on voice with a 100 hz PL tone. You say something like, "one forty six five two". Just a very brief voice message. He hears this because his squelch opens when it hears the 100 hz PL tone and he is within simplex range. You then both QSY to 146.520 and have a voice QSO This can be done with any radio but preferably one that uses a data port or built in modem for data. You could do it with a radio where you are using the mic and speaker jacks for data but obviously you would have to plug and unplug cables to do it. The Kenwood rigs do this with a menu selection but they also take it to the next level and allow you to transmit the freq of your other VFO and if the other guy is also using a Kenwood rig, he sees your voice freq on his display and can QSO directly to your voice channel with a button push. |
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Quoted:
Voice alert is when you use a 100 hz tone which you use as a squelch. If a packet data transmission opens your squelch then you know somebody is transmitting a 100 hz tone. You then transmit on voice also with a 100 hz tone to tell the other guy to QSY to a voice freq. When you hear the packetc data, you know he is using voice alert, and also know he is within simplex range. The Kenwood rigs have voice alert as a menu selected item. As mentioned, they will also transmit in your packet data, the freq of your other VFO (including offset and PL tone) plus the Kenwoods receive this data and allow instant QSY to the other station''s voice channel. Kenwood is leaps and bounds ahead of anything else when it comes to APRS Quoted:
Yes you really do need some kind of device like a computer hooked up to take advantage. Kenwood has voice alert (I think that is what it is called) where on my THd72 and the 710 it will include the voice freq you are listening on. I used this on a drive to Dayton. I saw a beacon and it had his simplex freq attached. I pressed the QSY button and we could talk. They also have a pl setting that lets voice through but not packet data. That way you can talk on the freq but not listen to R2D2. Voice alert is when you use a 100 hz tone which you use as a squelch. If a packet data transmission opens your squelch then you know somebody is transmitting a 100 hz tone. You then transmit on voice also with a 100 hz tone to tell the other guy to QSY to a voice freq. When you hear the packetc data, you know he is using voice alert, and also know he is within simplex range. The Kenwood rigs have voice alert as a menu selected item. As mentioned, they will also transmit in your packet data, the freq of your other VFO (including offset and PL tone) plus the Kenwoods receive this data and allow instant QSY to the other station''s voice channel. Kenwood is leaps and bounds ahead of anything else when it comes to APRS I chose wisely. |
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I think the biggest downfall to APRS is that until recently it has always required secondary hardware. Kenwood and now Yaesu has made some analog integrated stuff...but all of the digital VHF/UHF modes have had their own versions of position reporting/texting built into them. Personally I think the best is currently DMR as you get commercial features such as Radio Check (to see if someone is on the network) but can still send position and text messaging through the system. P25 has similar features (though under utilized). DStar has it as does YSF. I don't play with NXDN but from memory the features are also present there.
I know on some of my radios, I can set a secondary accessory port to channel steer for position onto a specific channel...but two way signalling is just difficult to do with that setup. |
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Quoted:
Was looking at active messaging on http://aprs.fi Found an active message exchange in Scottsdale AZ on http://aprs.fi Used http://findu.com to send a text message to try and make a contact. Got a reply on my radio on the APRS network and we exchanged multiple text messages (radio to aprs network to radio). Once you get a response message on your radio from the aprs network, you can then text message back and fourth radio to radio through the APRS network. I don't think this counts as a 2m 1,600 mile contact :-) Interesting stuff. That is how it is supposed to work. 
You can do 1600 miles via ISS I would imagine. I have only used the ISS for 600 or so. |
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I think the biggest downfall to APRS is that until recently it has always required secondary hardware. Kenwood and now Yaesu has made some analog integrated stuff...but all of the digital VHF/UHF modes have had their own versions of position reporting/texting built into them. Personally I think the best is currently DMR as you get commercial features such as Radio Check (to see if someone is on the network) but can still send position and text messaging through the system. P25 has similar features (though under utilized). DStar has it as does YSF. I don't play with NXDN but from memory the features are also present there. I know on some of my radios, I can set a secondary accessory port to channel steer for position onto a specific channel...but two way signalling is just difficult to do with that setup. The TH-D7 had it in 1998. The VX-8R has been out for 7 or 8 years. Bob did not publish the paper on APRS until 1992. |