My APRS stopped working...

WhiteH2O

Observer
I haven't been using my APRS for a few months, but last time I did, it was working fine (TM-D710G). Two weekends ago, I had it on and thought it was working, but got home and saw on APRS.fi that I only had one position report go through for the entire day. Playing with it going to and from work, I got one more report to go through despite having it on for a long time in an area where it has worked well in the past. I found the APRS tutorial on YouTube that I used to set it up before, and went through to make sure I had it all set up right. It seems like it should have been working, despite having changed a few minor things that were more personal preference, but it still isn't working.

Talking on the other side works fine still, so it shouldn't be an antenna problem. I still get position, speed, and elevation off the GPS, so that shouldn't be the problem.

I don't know where to look next. Anyone have any ideas?

Shaun
N1MEH
 

mjac

Adventurer
Can't help with your problem but as a new and very green TM-D710G owner I would appreciate a link to the APRS YouTube tutorial. I haven't used APRS yet.

Thanks
 

Airmapper

Inactive Member
How many watts are you pounding out the packet with? You set each sides power output separately, did you run it down to 5w for some reason and leave it on the APRS side?

The 2 packets you have gotten through in the last week were very close to the receiving stations, so that leads me to suspect low output. Now in certain conditions, on a good mobile antenna 5w would work pretty good, but it looks like you could be fighting all of Seattle to get a packet through, that is a pretty congested area. The sad thing is if you really want to get your packet out in congestion is you have to be a bully, FM signal, and the way the audio TNC decodes the packet, sort of focuses in on the strongest signal and ignores weaker ones.

It could be something else, if it is I'll keep thinking.
 

C-Fish

Adventurer
Did you switch APRS from the B side to the A side? I tried and it only works on the B side....

I had an issue a few years ago (same setup) and had to factory reset the radio and start from there with my settings.

HTH,
Mark
K2RBA
 

WhiteH2O

Observer
mjac, the video I used is this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_uHaf8CdFQ
It isn't great, but it got me set up so that it worked a year ago. I just wish he explained why he chose what he did.

Airmapper- I just went and checked-it's still transmitting on high. I started playing with my radio to see what else I could offer up, and I found that when I turn squelch down with the volume up, I can't hear anything. I tried other frequencies and same thing. Other side works normally (I hear the squelch). Odd thing is that when I have APRS up, I can hear other people's packets, and it looks like mine is trying to broadcast.

When I look back at my history on aprs.fi, it does seem that my range is getting worse. In the past few months, it seems that I would only get a few packets out, but if you look back greater than 6 months, I have data points very often. It does look like a low output, but it is on high. Could/would something else cause a low output? I've only used it for APRS and close in simplex in the past 6 months, so I don't know if my range has shrunk greatly. I have a big antenna on now, I could swap it out for my little whip antenna.

C-Fish- I have always had APRS on the right (B?) side. Haven't switched it. I'm afraid the factory reset could be not too far in my future; I didn't even think of that.
 
Maybe an antenna problem or cable? Can probably receive, albeit poorly with a coat hanger, but transmitting would require a good antenna/cable.
 

1Louder

Explorer
Mine has always been on the left and worked fine. Did you turn off beaconing maybe? Do you see a list of current stations by date/time when you look at the list of stations received?
 

Airmapper

Inactive Member
Sounds like a tough one.

I don't think any settings are off, sounds like when it gets out it works.
 

cruiseroutfit

Supporting Sponsor: Cruiser Outfitters
Hmmm, can you manually beacon and get a message out? Are you getting incoming station beacons on your list?

Mind you I have a D710 with the aftermarket gps module but I can run on A side. I do have a D710G awaiting install but I've spent zero time on programming.
 

aearles

Observer
Are you successfully decoding received packets? I'd try using it with the ignition off. In my installation I get a little bit of self-induced interference that sometimes makes decoding impossible while the engine is running. If you have a little ignition/alternator/computer noise in your TX signal, it may not be readable by the digipeater.
 

AaronK

Explorer
Have you checked swr on your antenna to see if there's a transmission issue?

Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk
 

WhiteH2O

Observer
I'm thinking it's an antenna or cabling problem. I seem to be receiving and decoding packets just fine, and since I can occasionally get a packet out, I don't think a setting is off.

Aaron, I don't have a way to check SWR, but that is probably what needs to happen next. First I'll do a hand over hand of the cable, and I'll try swapping the antenna out. I know I'm transmitting since I was talking to you during OATS, but I might not be transmitting very well. I think we had issues when we were further away, but we figured it was your radio. Guess it could have been a combination of both.
 

AaronK

Explorer
At that range an issue may not have been apparent. I have a meter you can use if you want to meet up sometime

Sent from my KFFOWI using Tapatalk
 

Orbital Debris

New member
You may need to turn your squelch up on the APRS side of the radio.
I believe the 710 has some settings on the packet side of the radio that waits for silence prior to transmitting. If the squelch (the noise floor) is set low, it will be picking up low level noise, so it will listen and not transmit. I would suspect with few and far between packets, your radio may be set so it will not transmit unless it is not receiving. You need to turn the squelch up far enough so that the S-meter is not registering anything in the background.

KE7KCK
 

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