APRS??
- Thread starter craigp
- Start date
JimBiram
Adventurer
APRS can be a very helpful tool off-roading, but it takes a thorough understanding of how it works. Certain handheld radios, such as the Yaesu Ft-5 and a few others from Yaesu can transmit and receive APRS packets. Kenwood also makes one, and there are some DMR radios that will send APRS packets. If those packets can eventually reach a digipeater, the location information can make it to the APRS.FI servers, making the location data available to be viewed on certain websites such as www.APRS.fi.
Now APRS gets more useful if you can get it to display on a tablet in your vehicle. But there are limited apps to do so. I use an Android tablet with APRSDroid. My tablet connects to my Yaesu FTM-300 via a Bluetooth adapter made by MobilinkD. My tablet uses Backcountry Navigator Pro, which will read the data from APRSDroid and display location data from other people on the map. That app also has downloadable maps for when there is no cell service.
There are many YouTube videos on APRS, and it requires your ham call sign to use it and get the data to the servers. There are many ways to set things up. You can also check out www.APRS.org to learn more.
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Now APRS gets more useful if you can get it to display on a tablet in your vehicle. But there are limited apps to do so. I use an Android tablet with APRSDroid. My tablet connects to my Yaesu FTM-300 via a Bluetooth adapter made by MobilinkD. My tablet uses Backcountry Navigator Pro, which will read the data from APRSDroid and display location data from other people on the map. That app also has downloadable maps for when there is no cell service.
There are many YouTube videos on APRS, and it requires your ham call sign to use it and get the data to the servers. There are many ways to set things up. You can also check out www.APRS.org to learn more.
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WanderingBison
Active member
To add to Jim’s answer, I use the APRS.fi app on my iPad and iPhones, using a Mobilink as well.
So, you can do iOS but unfortunately the availability of offline maps is non-existent.
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So, you can do iOS but unfortunately the availability of offline maps is non-existent.
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Bill Ruttan
Member
Now that GMRS Radios will be allowed to transmit location data, will we soon have another way to display relative location of other users on a screen, similar to the old Garmin Rhino?
nwoods
Expedition Leader
I dunno. Midland just launched a 50 Watt GMRS unit with stand alone antenna
JimBiram
Adventurer
True that…I was thinking of hand held radios like Garmin’s Rhino.
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Bill Ruttan
Member
And, in fairness , the original poster was referring to “handheld” radios.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
For iOS the only option is a Mobilinkd TNC3 (the TNC2 does not work) and the aprs.fi app. For offline use (e.g. backcountry) you'd have to make sure to cache Apple Maps but the app itself works fine without data. So positions would still be sent and received over RF, messages and weather could be accessed, etc. Just that heard stations might display on a blank map if you aren't in cell range or have the tiles cached.
But Android isn't a ton better. The app for that is APRSdroid and works with Google Maps or you can link it into Backcountry Navigator as mentioned. There's a way to preload maps on APRSdroid but it's kind of involved and clunky. So caching tiles from online is better if you can do that. The advantage to Android is the TNC2 or TNC3 will work or you can use a few different Bluetooth adapters potentially to communicate with the TNC. Bluetooth on Apple is more restrictive for security reasons, basically.
TNC in this case means Terminal Node Controller and you can think of it like computer modem. It's the device that translates your computer to the communication network. On modems we are linking over phone lines, cable or satellite links. For APRS we're using an RF channel. You need either a physical box or software on the phone to do this. It's easier to buy a Mobilinkd since there's a lot of support you can lean on and they can be adapted to just about every radio out there.
The Mobilinkd devices are literally just modems. Some TNCs (like Tinytrack, Argent or others) have more smarts in them and can operate on their own to large extent. You would still need a phone, tablet or computer to fully use APRS via what's called a client (e.g. APRSdroid but for Windows, macOS or Linux there more programs). This goes down a rabbithole about needing a GPS source, it gets even more technical. Suffice to say start simple and get a Mobilinkd.
But Android isn't a ton better. The app for that is APRSdroid and works with Google Maps or you can link it into Backcountry Navigator as mentioned. There's a way to preload maps on APRSdroid but it's kind of involved and clunky. So caching tiles from online is better if you can do that. The advantage to Android is the TNC2 or TNC3 will work or you can use a few different Bluetooth adapters potentially to communicate with the TNC. Bluetooth on Apple is more restrictive for security reasons, basically.
TNC in this case means Terminal Node Controller and you can think of it like computer modem. It's the device that translates your computer to the communication network. On modems we are linking over phone lines, cable or satellite links. For APRS we're using an RF channel. You need either a physical box or software on the phone to do this. It's easier to buy a Mobilinkd since there's a lot of support you can lean on and they can be adapted to just about every radio out there.
The Mobilinkd devices are literally just modems. Some TNCs (like Tinytrack, Argent or others) have more smarts in them and can operate on their own to large extent. You would still need a phone, tablet or computer to fully use APRS via what's called a client (e.g. APRSdroid but for Windows, macOS or Linux there more programs). This goes down a rabbithole about needing a GPS source, it gets even more technical. Suffice to say start simple and get a Mobilinkd.
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I recommend you stay away from "cheap" hand held radios if you're meaning the sub-$50 Chinese variety. Yes, they are cheap but they are so inferior to a Yaesu, Icom, Kenwood, or Alinco in every way,. I wonder how many people decided to get into ham radio with a Chinese hand held and were so discouraged by the pour quality and horrible user experience that they abandoned the hobby. In my experience you need more power and antenna gain for APRS then for voice communication thru repeaters. I have much better luck getting my beacons received from a mobile rig then a hand held. Really, a hand held is a poor choice for a first ham radio. They have poor range, small buttons, small displays, etc. They seem like a perfect way to have a radio in your home, car, and portable all in one. In reality their range is extremely limited in a car so you add an external antenna. Then the battery dies from running it on high power so you get a 12 volt adapter. Then the radio keeps getting hot in your hand so you get a speaker mic. Now you have an octopus of wires in your vehicle and you still have a small display, small buttons, and only 5 watts. A mobile rig is better and often less expensive.
There are several Kenwood radios that have APRS built in. I'm more familiar with Yaesu; their FT1XD, FT2DR, FT3DR, and FT5DR all have APRS built in. So do several mobile rigs: FTM-100, FTM-300, and FTM-400. I personally have the FT1XD and FTM-400DR. The '400 is nice because it has a touch screen with a full keyboard so it's much easier to send messages over APRS. When I am not in cell phone range I can use my FTM-400 to send messages to my wife's phone via the APRS SMS gateway. She can then reply back from her phone. This usually works but there are apparently some rather misinformed but well meaning hams who have installed "receive only" digipeaters. When my APRS path from my radio to the SMS gateway goes thru a receive only digi then my wife's reply doesn't make it back to me.
You can also use APRS to send short email thru the APRS email gateway. I have done it to try it but I don't use it very often.
I also have the Mobillinkd TNC and a cable to connect it to my Icom IC2720 or Yaesu FT-7800. Both of these radios are just "regular" dual band radios but they have a DIN plug on the back to plug in the TNC. With the TNC plugged in I can connect to it with Bluetooth from my phone. This works really well too.
If you really need extra range you can do APRS on HF as well, usually 30 meters. And, you can digipeat APRS thru some amateur radio satellites too.
There are several Kenwood radios that have APRS built in. I'm more familiar with Yaesu; their FT1XD, FT2DR, FT3DR, and FT5DR all have APRS built in. So do several mobile rigs: FTM-100, FTM-300, and FTM-400. I personally have the FT1XD and FTM-400DR. The '400 is nice because it has a touch screen with a full keyboard so it's much easier to send messages over APRS. When I am not in cell phone range I can use my FTM-400 to send messages to my wife's phone via the APRS SMS gateway. She can then reply back from her phone. This usually works but there are apparently some rather misinformed but well meaning hams who have installed "receive only" digipeaters. When my APRS path from my radio to the SMS gateway goes thru a receive only digi then my wife's reply doesn't make it back to me.
You can also use APRS to send short email thru the APRS email gateway. I have done it to try it but I don't use it very often.
I also have the Mobillinkd TNC and a cable to connect it to my Icom IC2720 or Yaesu FT-7800. Both of these radios are just "regular" dual band radios but they have a DIN plug on the back to plug in the TNC. With the TNC plugged in I can connect to it with Bluetooth from my phone. This works really well too.
If you really need extra range you can do APRS on HF as well, usually 30 meters. And, you can digipeat APRS thru some amateur radio satellites too.
No, the phone doesn't need to be active. APRS.fi uses Google Maps so if you want to see where you are, or where people are then you need wifi. Since it's a webpage, I don't know if you can download maps for it to use. But APRSDroid doesn't need a connection, as far as I know. The phone just acts like a modem.