Topofusion - a video

[Vegas Runner]

Real time GPS tracking with topographic maps and aerial photography has become an important part of my off road adventuring. Topofusion is my software of choice for this.

New this year (to me) is APRS hardware and software which allows me to transmit my location and receive the location of others who have the same type of equipment. I am able to view my location and the location of others on topographic maps and aerial photography using a great piece of software called USAPhotomaps.

[Vegas Runner]

I also found this video on you tube. It was made by David Boulder. Pretty Cool!

[ScottMorris]

Cool stuff -- nice video.  It's been a while since I've looked at USAPhotomaps.  I'll have to check out the APRS support.

I've looked into it a bit for TF -- seems like it would be a good fit with the display engine and other features.  Seems like it shouldn't be that complicated.

What hardware to you use to connect the radio to the computer?

[Vegas Runner]

Quote (ScottMorris @ Nov. 21 2008,9:33)

Cool stuff -- nice video.  It's been a while since I've looked at USAPhotomaps.  I'll have to check out the APRS support. I've looked into it a bit for TF -- seems like it would be a good fit with the display engine and other features.  Seems like it shouldn't be that complicated. What hardware to you use to connect the radio to the computer?

Scott,

The hardware is generally connected to the computer via a serial port. Since many computers don’t have serial ports anymore a serial to USB converter is often used. I don’t understand why the HAM community is still using serial ports instead of USB but they are. It should be pretty easy to get some APRS data logs that you could feed into Topofusion through  serial port terminal software for testing your code.

I put together some links that will help you to quickly get up to speed with APRS. There is much more info out there but this should answer many of your questions.

I am really excited about the idea of Topofusion supporting APRS.

An overview of APRS
PowerPoint Slideshow


The APRS Protocol
The APRS Specification (v 1.0)  
Addendum to the spec (v 1.1.)
Proposed addendums to the spec (v 1.2)


The Author of the APRS protocol
Bob Bruninga’s website


Software (My favorites)
USAPhotoMaps Download
USAPhotoMaps Yahoo Group
APRSPoint


Hardware - Tranceivers with built in (internal) TNCs and APRS firmware
Yaesu VX-8R Handheld Tranceiver
Kenwood D710 Mobile Tranceiver


Hardware – External Terminal Node Controllers (TNCs) and APRS firmware – Connect these TNCs to many 2M Tranceivers to create an APRS Station
Argent Data Systems Tracker2 TNC
Byonics TinyTrak4 TNC

[Vegas Runner]

Scott,

Any progress on the APRS front? Did you have a chance to review the protocol?

Ed

[ScottMorris]

Thanks for checking back in, Ed.  I really want to take a close look at this soon.  I had a quick scan through and it doesn't look to bad.

It's a busy time of year, though, so feel free to post again in another week, if I haven't gotten to it yet.

[ScottMorris]

Started looking.  The protocol spec is a HUGE document.

Do you have any data logs I can test with?  (Or know where to get some?).

The info relevant to TF should be easy to extract (at least initially... if things go well we might get into getting more data).

Thanks.

[Vegas Runner]

Quote (ScottMorris @ Dec. 30 2008,12:55)

Started looking.  The protocol spec is a HUGE document. Do you have any data logs I can test with?  (Or know where to get some?). The info relevant to TF should be easy to extract (at least initially... if things go well we might get into getting more data). Thanks.

I will see what I can get you.

[Vegas Runner]

Here are some of the logs from USAPhotoMaps:

My call sign is KE7MWY:

APRS log96.txt

APRS log98.txt

APRS log99.txt

If you need more logs or if you need more information let me know.

Ed

[Vegas Runner]

Here is some raw packet data I pulled off the APRS-IS servers. The APRS servers log all data received from all APRS users everywhere. Here is a link to where I pulled the data from:

APRS-IS Servers


Here is a link to the data I pulled:

APRS-IS Data Log

[ScottMorris]

Thanks.  I had a look but it's still not clear what actually comes over the serial wire.  I think the raw packet data is processed by the hardware before being sent to the computer, so I should look at the logs from USAPhotomaps, right?

Or have the logs from USAPhotomaps been altered by the program (other than being created by it?).

Thanks.  It shouldn't be too hard to add an "APRS tracking mode".  Basic function = show call sign and position, right?  Not sure where the java based tracker gets its icons from, but I assume just having callsign and position will be very useful.

Thanks.

[Vegas Runner]

Two basic functions would be neccessary.

One: show call sign and position of received stations (and hopefully track)

Two: Topofusion sends instructions to TNC (terminal node controller) to transmit location
-----------------------------

The logs from USAPhotoMaps include:

1.) Instructions to TNC:

These look like this and this may not be a complete set of instructions I just copied and pasted a group I recognized (not sure what they all do but it is probably in the APRS Protocol):

cmd:BEACON EVERY 15
BEACON   was EVERY 0
cmd:MMONITOR  was ON
cmd:ECHO ON
ECHO     was ON
cmd:HID OFF
HID      was OFF
cmd:MYCALL KE7MWY
MYCALL   was TEST
cmd:UNPROTO APZUSA VIA WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1
UNPROTO  was APO422 VIA WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1
cmd:BTEXT =3600.75N/11505.10W-270/000
BTEXT    was =3506.84N/-11546.71Wk270/016
cmd:MONITOR ON
MONITOR  was OFF
cmd:BEACON EVERY 15
BEACON   was EVERY 15

2.) GPS Location information - these look like this

$GPRMC,192714,A,3506.7533,N,11448.8119,W,17.8,269.6,120908,13.0,E,D*0ABTEXT =3506.75N/-11548.82Wk186/020


3.) APRS Packets received - THese look like this

AD6NH>APU25N,ONYX,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2:@121929z3350.99N/11752.79W_207/003g005t068r000p000P000h76b10120/PHG61604/Anaheim WX {UIV32}
N6BG-9>SVQTTT,N7ZEV-3,WIDE1,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2:`+,gm{u>/";q}
N6BG-9>SVQTTT,VEGAS,WIDE1*,WIDE2-1:`+,gm{u>/";q}
K7YMA-6>STUSVU,W7DXJ-1,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2:`*?s ?iv/]"5B}=
K1GGS-9>S6QQQY,N7ZEV-3,WIDE1,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2:`+`ZnIpR/]":P}=
N5UIS-9>S6PXWS,N7ZEV-2,N7ZEV-3,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE3:`+ap*:k/"3r}TinyTrak3
W7DXJ-2>APTW01,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2-1:_09130032c225s002g000t087r000p000P000h29b09769tU2k
N7ZEV-3>APN383,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2-1:!3619.06NS11534.32W#PHG3962/W3,NV3 Angel Peak north of Las Vegas, NV.
W7DXJ-2>APTW01,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2-1:!3429.56N/11416.35W_WXTrak
K1GGS-9>S6QPXS,N7ZEV-3,WIDE1,WA7RAT-12*,WIDE2:`+`eo^0R/]":]}=


------------------

I will try to dig down and learn more about TNC Commands. Not sure what I will be able to come up with as I really dont know much about software commands.

Hope this helps.  Ed.

[Ed]

Hi Scott,

Just thought I would check in to see how development on the APRS front is coming (or not).

Ed

[ScottMorris]

I did sit down and take a good look at it.  I would really like to see it added, but it's a lot more complicated than I first thought.

I haven't been able to distill it into the very small details I need to develop the app, nor have I found a suitable description elsewhere on the web.

I also found a post from the author of USAPhotomaps saying you and a couple other users were the only ones using it.  I know it'd be great for the SAR folks that use TopoFusion, but it didn't inspire me much. 

I will plan to take another (web based) look for better / easier documentation.

[Ed]

I don't know why Doug would say that. There is a good number of HAMS out there who are interested in APRS and there are not very many good software programs. Packet radio is one of the growing areas of interet amoung HAMS. Your program has a lot going for it and if it had a good APRS implementation it would be popular amoung HAMS (IMHO).

I continue to encourage you to consider development in this area. Allen at VHS Products might be able to give you some guidance or Byon at Byonics, or Greg at Big Red Bee. These three guys have hardware solutions that a software package could compliment nicely.

Ed

[jeremy_c]

APRS is a very popular protocol among ham radio operators and has only continued to grow, BTW... It would be fantastic to see support for it in TopoFusion.

de KB8LFA