APRS functions Manual
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Indice I. Introduction II. Quick Set-up III. Activating the APRS mode IV. Finding APRS Contacts V. Managing APRS contacts IV. Messaging to APRS contacts VII. Setting an APRS contact as Target VIII.APRS Options IX. Compatibility X.
I. Introduction APRS is a method for sending and receiving position and other information over a radio transceiver. The Geosat 6 APRS is ready to accept APRS inputs from a radio transceiver and to provide fix position output data to the transceiver in order to transmit its current position. Geosat 6 APRS provides GPS location information for your transmitted APRS beacons, and it shows received APRS information on its map display.
II. Quick Set-up How to set-up your transceiver: • Enter your call sign • BAUD Rate=9600 • Waypoint=ALL • Waypoint size=9 character (this as also called waypoint length) • Beacon method = Smartbeaconing (if your device supports this) • Waypoint output=ALL • If you are using a Kenwood D72 turn off F-1 Internal GPS Connecting the devices: Your Geosat 6 APRS is supplied with an APRS cable: the 3 pole end (the one with 2 black rings) goes into the 2.5mm socket of your radio or TNC device.
III. Activating the APRS mode To enter in the APRS mode, open the main navigation menu and press the APRS Functions button. To enable or to disable the APRS mode, press the Enable/disable APRS Button in the APRS Functions Menu. Push this button to enabled or disable the other buttons.
IV. Finding APRS Contacts APRS icons on the map: As soon as you connect Geosat 6 APRS to your transceiver you will start receiving APRS positions called “APRS contacts”. Geosat 6 can store up 1000 APRS contacts and display them on the map. You can watch APRS activity right on the screen and you can distinguish between fixed and mobile APRS stations. Static positions are represented by blue bulls-eye icons along with the associated call sign.
APRS Functions sort them or delete them by entering the APRS contacts Menu. To enter in the APRS Contacts Menu, press the APRS Contacts button in the APRS Functions menu. The APRS contacts folder shows all APRS contacts received from the connected radio. Touch one APRS contact on the list to open the Full info page. Full info on APRS contacts: You have detailed info on stationary and moving APRS contacts as Geosat 6 APRS fully takes advantage of the Kenwood format sentence.
APRS functions • Delete: Touch this button to delete the selected APRS contact from the APRS contact list. • Save as contact: touch this button to save the selected APRS contact as a normal Contact. This may be useful to save the Call Sign, telephone number and address (for fixed stations), if you need to reach them even when the APRS functions are disabled. Contacts can be accessed from the Main Menu / My Data page. • Show on Map: touch this button to see the position of the contact on the map.
V. Managing APRS contacts Geosat 6 APRS can auto-delete the received APRS contacts’ positions after a set timeout. You can also sort your APRS contacts by alphabetical order or receiving time. Touch the Options button in the APSR menu. Contacts sorting: Touch Contact sorting, and then choose to sort the APRS Folder on call sign or on date-time. Contacts Timeout: Touch Contacts timeout and can choose to delete automatically contacts from the APRS Contacts Folder after the indicated time period.
IV. Messaging to APRS contacts The Messages function when a Geosat 6 APRS is connected to compatible radio transceiver or modem supporting the Messaging function. Find the list of Geosat 6 APRS compatible radio transceivers and modems supporting messaging on line www.avmap.us or/and www.avmap.it. Once the Geosat 6 APRS has connected to a modem, the messaging menu will remain available to read received messages also when the modem is not connected anymore.
APRS Functions • • • • • and the special symbol virtual keyboard will be displayed. To go back to the normal keyboard touch ABC. To change the characters from small to CAPITAL, use the buttons on the right: “A” for the Capital keyboard or “a” to go back to the small keyboard. Once the text has been completed, touch enter. Insert the recipient’s by touching Edit Recipient. Now you can select one or more recipients from the APRS contact list. Touch “accept”. Touch send message.
VII. Setting an APRS contact as Target On the full info page of the APRS contact, you can set the APRS contact as Target, by touching the Set as Target button. This allows you tracking a moving APRS contact: you will have a shortcut on the map to display the position of the target, and you will be able to monitor info relative to the target in the data boxes in the left side of the map.
right corner of the screen. Tracking the position of the target: Once you have set the APRS contact as target, the Target button with a target icon and the target CALL SIGN is displayed in the lower right corner of the map. By default the map is centered on your position, touch the target button to centre the map on the target. Screenshot To go back to view your own position on the map, touch the car button in the lower right corner of the map.
VIII. APRS Options In the APRS options menu you can edit settings for the contacts management: Contacts sorting (Chap V), Contacts Timeout (Chap V), for Messages display (Chap VI), and for the Serial Port (Chap II).
IX. Compatibility The Geosat 6 APRS comes with an APRS bidirectional RS-232 APRS interface compatible with all APRS Kenwood amateur radios models and with all the TNC (Terminal Node Controllers) that support NMEA format sentence.
APRS functions Type of radio transceiver Geosat 6 APRS functions/ Kenwood sentence compatible NMEA sentence only All standard icons Only fixed / moving APRS contact Time Stamp Yes No Contact time out sorting Yes No APRS icons AvMap - 17
X. Technical Specifications Hardware • Dimensions and weight: 133.6 x 83.4 x 21 mm; 270 g • Memory Support: Secure Digital • Display: touch screen LCD 4.
APRS functions • Intercept to target function • Tactical mode • Store up to 1000 APRS contacts • APRS contacts auto-delete • APRS contacts sorting • Standard APRS icons AvMap - 19
Appendix: Units setup Set up instructions for: Geosat 6 APRS APRS with the following devices: • • • • Kenwood TM-D710 A/E Kenwood TM-D700 A/E Kenwood TH-D7 A/E Kenwood TH-D72 A/E Introduction APRS is a method for sending and receiving position and other information over a radio transceiver. The Geosat 6 APRS is ready to accept APRS inputs from a radio transceiver, and to provide fix position output data to the transceiver in order to transmit your current position.
APRS functions Set-up for the Kenwood TH-D72A/E with the AvMap Geosat 6 APRS These instructions provide the essential information necessary to configure your AvMap Geosat 6 APRS and your Kenwood TH-D72A/E HT for basic APRS operation. After you have achieved basic operation and have some experience with the system, you will want to adjust various parameters to more closely meet your particular environment and operating requirements.
• Press the VFO button and adjust the frequency to your standard APRS frequency (144.39MHz in the US). • If necessary, press F-Shift to remove + and – from the display. • If necessary, press Tone to remove the T, CT, DCS, and D/O icons from the display. The icon position should be blank. • Press Menu button and set or verify the menu settings below. Leave all other settings at default, for now. Note: only important default settings are included here. • Press the Menu button again to close the Menu.
APRS functions Menu Number Description Setting 311 Data Speed 1200 bps 330 Baud Rate 9600 bps 331 Input On 332 Output On 340 Format KENWOOD 341 Length 9-Character 342 Output All (during setup) 370 Speed On (during setup) 371 Altitude On (during setup) 372 Pos.
APRS Functions Menu Number Description Setting 3E1 Prop. Pathing Off (during setup) 3H0 Type New-N 3H1 WIDE1-1 On 3H2 Total Hops 2 (during setup) 3J0 TX Off 3K0 Digipeat (MyCall) Off 3T0 RX Beep All (during setup) 3T1 TX Beep (Beacon) On (during setup) Making it all work! The Kenwood TH-D72A/E is now ready to interface with the Geosat 6 APRS. Now that the configuration is complete, it’s time to 24 - AvMap see if it will work. 1. Turn off the Geosat 6 APRS and the TH-D72A/E. 2.
APRS functions conductor plug, with three black insulating rings, into the I/O port on the Geosat 6 APRS. This is the top jack on the right side of the Geosat 6 APRS. Make sure the plug is firmly seated in the jack. Open the COM cover on the TH-D72A/E and plug the three-conductor plug (two black insulating rings) into the COM port. Again, make sure it is firmly seated. A common problem with operation failure is not having the plugs firmly inserted in the units, or having the connections reversed.
or correctly seated. 1. Remove one plug and assure that it is the correct plug for that unit and is plugged into the correct port, according to the description in the previous section of these instructions. Return the plug to the proper port and firmly push it in. 2. Check that the cord at the other end is in the correct port and firmly press on the plug to assure it is properly seated. 3.Check the cord for continuity and no shorts, using an ohmmeter, especially if it is a home brewed data cable. 4.
APRS functions Set-up for Kenwood TM-D710 A/E with the AvMap Geosat 6 APRS NOTE: These instructions assume you have basic familiarity with operation of both the TM-D710 A/E and the AvMap Geosat 6 APRS . a. Turn the radio ON. b. Press the “F” key to access the Setup Menu. c. Press the MHZ knob. d. Turn knob to select APRS. e. Press the MHZ knob again enter the menu selection mode Basic Setting Menu #600 a. Enter your call sign. b. Set Beacon Type to APRS. c. Turn the MHZ knob to scroll through menus.
APRS Functions Beacon TX Algorithm Menu # 611 a. Set the Method to “Auto” b. Press ESC to return to the main page c. Change the APRS Frequency to: 144.390 d. Select TNC and press to turn on APRS 12 e. Press “BCON” to turn on -- BCON will appear in the upper right corner The Kenwood Radio is now ready to interface with the Geosat 6 APRS . Making it all work! a. Make sure both the Kenwood TM-D710 and AvMap Geosat 6 APRS are turned OFF! b. Connect the four pole 2.
APRS functions map, or translate the map to a different location in order to see them. You can also verify this in the APRS Contacts folder. The Geosat 6 APRS will detect whether a station is moving based on the data received from that station. Screen # Item Select/Enter 3-1 CALL SIGN {your call sign} 3-2 GPS UNIT- NEMA FORMAT {NEMA96} 3-3 WAYPOINT {9 DIGITS NEMA} 3-5 POS AMBIGUITY {OFF} 3-7 POS LIMIT {OFF} 3-B PACKET PATH {WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2} 3-C PACKET TRANSMIT METHOD {3 MIN.
APRS Functions Set-up for Kenwood TM-D700 A/E with the AvMap Geosat 6 APRS NOTE: These instructions assume you have basic familiarity with operation of both the TH-D700 A/E and the AvMap Geosat 6 APRS . a. While programming the Kenwood TM-D700 and/or the AvMap Geosat 6 APRS , the communication cable should be disconnected. Strange and/or bad things can occur if you fail to head this warning! b. Starting with the Kenwood TM-D700.
APRS functions Screen # Item Select/Enter 2-1 CALL SIGN {your call sign} 2-2 GPS UNIT {NEMA96} 2-3 WAYPOINT {9 DIGITS NEMA} 2-5 POS AMBIGUITY {OFF} 2-7 POS LIMIT {OFF} 2-B PACKET PATH {WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2} 2-C DATA TX {AUTO} 2-D PACKET TRANSFER INTERVAL {3 MIN.} NOTE: Smaller times (<5min) are for mobile units while stationary stations will use longer times (~10 min. and up) 2-N PACKET SPEED {1200 bps} Making it all work! a.
APRS Functions c. NOW POWER UP BOTH UNITS! d. Make sure the D7A is on the two meter band and the channel is set to 144.390. e. OK here we go! Press the [TNC] button on the D7A. This will open the {TNC} of your D7A and communications between the Geosat 6 APRS and D7A should now begin. NOTE: Make sure that the radio isn’t in [TNC PACKET] mode. f. DOES IT WORK?? Press the [POS] button. This will bring up the coordinates screen.
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