APRS is one of those quirky little things that I can see as useful, but not something I want to base a purchase on (of maybe a dual band mobile).  And why would I want to have APRS interrupt what I'm doing on the other VFO once in a while.

So I am going to take one of my Baofeng's that has started to flake (the channel down button doesn't work), plug it into one of these http://www.mobilinkd.com/tnc/, velcro an old android phone of about the same size profile (motorola Atrix) to the whole rig, and play with an APRS toy.  I'll leave it in the boat when I go to the lake.  I don't know what else I'll do.  Maybe I'll get a project box and the right DC voltage regulators (actually I think I have those in the junk box already) and put the whole thing in a box with 12V in to run the radio, the phone and the TNC.

so I'm taking a "disposable" chinese HT, a 3.5yr old android phone that I haven't used in 2 years, adding a TNC to it for some fun.  

What else can I do with my toy?  Suggestions?

Upgrade the antenna. It is very difficult at best with a 5w radio to get into a digipeater if the area as anything but light traffic.

yup.  I didn't mention it, but probably because I think the only thing those little rubber duckies are good for is monitoring.  The second thing I did with this one was upgrade the antenna.  (the first thing was assemble and test it)

I've been thinking about putting an NMO mount on the roof of the truck.  I could leave the magmount on the truckbox for my APRS toy.  :)

Same rig with a handheld yagi would make a nice ISS contact unit. Use the droid and Satellite AR app for aiming.