Author Topic: APRS Functionality (Read 7368 times)

Vegas Runner · « **on:** April 14, 2007, 04:54:56 PM »

APRS is an increasingly popular technology that allows real time reporting of your position by using a GPS unit in conjunction with a HAM radio. There are very limited software tools available now in this fast growing hobby.

An example of a way it is used. Several mountain bikers are on a ride but they are separated by some distance. With an APRS enabled small handheld radio and a GPS unit the position of each person can be tracked by the others. This information can also be transmitted to the Internet via gateways (right from the HAM radio) so other persons viewing on their home computers can view this information.

Imagine you are in the field sitting in your car. You have a HAM radio, A GPS unit, and a Laptop with Topofusion. You want to watch the progress of all your friends who are out in the field on their bikes. You open Topofusion and you can see their position right on the maps.

You are a search and rescue team and want to coordinate the locations of all your field agents. Send them out with a small handheld HAM radio and a GPS unit and you can track all their locations on Topofusion.

As I said there are limited software and hardware options available now in this fast growing field. One very cool hardware option is the Kenwood TM-D700A Mobile or the Kenwood TH-D7A Handheld hooked up to a GPS unit that shows your location and the location of your friends. Â
Here is an example of the Setup:
APRS HAM with GPS

One piece of software that is pretty cool is the DMAPPER software:
DMAPPER

Search and rescue teams, Fire departments, Emergency response teams, Outdoor sports organizers, Off Roaders, And Individual users of all types can benefit from this exciting new technology.

Bob Bruninga is the developer of the APRS software:
The APRS Webpage

Ed

Vegas Runner · « **Reply #1 on:** April 15, 2007, 06:35:46 PM »

APRSPoint is another piece of software that I just found that does exactly what I am talking about but it dosent have all the great maps your software has:

APRSPoint

Vegas Runner · « **Reply #2 on:** May 13, 2007, 11:15:22 AM »

Any thoughts on the possibilty to adding APRS functionality to Topofusion?

BTW-another great piece of software for APRS tracking is APRSPoint.

wayne · « **Reply #3 on:** May 13, 2007, 11:32:52 AM »

DeLorme Street Atlas used to have this capability, and 3rd party programmers built up around it.

Then DeLorme removed it. People still hold onto (or search for) the older, compatible hardware/software.

I know this is way out of what TopoFusion is aimed at, but I wouldn't mind seeing it added, either.

Vegas Runner · « **Reply #4 on:** January 01, 2008, 09:17:12 PM »

Any news on the possibility of APRS functionality being added to future versions of Topofusion? HAM operators everywhere would love you.

Krein · « **Reply #5 on:** January 02, 2008, 09:15:45 AM »

Well, we do love being loved!

I'll follow up with my SAR contact who had offered to provide equipment for testing. That's the biggest holdup so far - no APRS to test/develop with. Though it may be possible to develop with out equipment, it'd sure be more fun with it.

Thanks.

Vegas Runner · « **Reply #6 on:** January 18, 2008, 08:59:39 PM »

The Kenwood TM-D710A (mobile) and TH-D7A(G) handheld HAM radios are probably the hardware of choice for serious APRS users. This is the hardware that I would reccomend you use for development. The Kenwood website is: http://www.kenwoodusa.com/Communications/Amateur_Radio/
Who knows you might be able to get Kenwood to provide you one considering how well your software would compliment there hardware.

Bob Bruninga is the "father" of the APRS standard and he would be your best bet for a first place to go regarding the APRS standard. His web site is: http://web.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs.html

More useful information about aprs can be found at: http://wiki.ampr2.net/nwaprs/FrontPage

It may also be desirable to be compatible with Garmin Rhino (I do not know if this conforms to the APRS standard or not)however this would be secondary to the primary goal of interfacing with APRS standard devices. The Rhino is a low powered GMRS radio available to the general public however it is not the radio of choice for SAR operations or for coordination of large events requiring the coordination of many parties over large distances.

Vegas Runner · « **Reply #7 on:** April 09, 2008, 01:30:32 PM »

I found another peice of software from a small developer that features APRS functionality. It is called USAPhotoMaps, it uses terraserver imagry and has some neat features. Anyway it might be of interest to you. who know maybe you can convince him (the developer Doug Cox) to help you out with the APRS portion. Doug the developer seems pretty cool.

http://jdmcox.com/