Bluetooth Module for Kenwood D710

[BagiMT]

Or you can put the Bluetooth module inside the head unit and avoid all the cables. Tight fit but works great.

Feature Request: Kenwood 710 COM port mode · Issue #154 · ge0rg/aprsdroid

I know about the Kenwood GPS port mode but the COM serial port on the back of the head of the D710 seems even better for our uses. When in APRS mode it outputs every received APRS packet. samples o...

github.com

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[dreadlocks]

oh ******** yeah, now thats worthy of building a board for.. thanks for that, now I got another project to work on.. when I uh did some mods to the main unit I'm sure there was enough room in there for one too.. then at least when I wanna chrip in a bunch of new repeaters before a trip I dont have to use the usb cable and do it all from the trunk.. then get some rig control and APRS stuff loaded up on laptop if I wanna do some field work.

 

[Airmapper]

Very, very cool. Not something I'll likely dive into right away, but on my radar. I'd love to have a map of APRS stations offline when traveling. It would be super cool if travelling with friends if we separate, but none of my friends are APRS nerds.

I've been trying to get my TX/RX iGate Digipeater going again but me and Direwolf and Raspi don't all speak the same language yet.....

 

[BagiMT]

oh **** yeah, now thats worthy of building a board for.. thanks for that, now I got another project to work on.. when I uh did some mods to the main unit I'm sure there was enough room in there for one too.. then at least when I wanna chrip in a bunch of new repeaters before a trip I dont have to use the usb cable and do it all from the trunk.. then get some rig control and APRS stuff loaded up on laptop if I wanna do some field work.

Here is the board. Has all the components you listed on a single board. De-solder the serial connector and solder on wires for power and serial and done. Was thinking of putting one in the main unit too but need to find 5V power in there. Should not be too hard. Now somebody just needs to develop a rig control app for Android!

RS232 Bluetooth Serial Adapter Communication Master-Slave Module 5v mini USB

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[kidphc]

Not sure if this will work for you. I already have all the cables, gender changer... etc... This is a solution for you. Pretty much what I will be doing with a FTM 400.

Still deciding if I will repurpose a Surface pro 2 with APRSI32 or go with Appdroid with an Samsung A7 I have lying around. Will be probably going to a 10" android tablet I have been eyeballing on Amazon. Only thing stopping me from having an roaming Igate is the lack of unlimited data. Well that is also stopping me from having a hotspot too.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Only thing stopping me from having an roaming Igate is the lack of unlimited data

For what purpose do you want a rover APRS Igate?

 

[kidphc]

Would be nice to spot fill in some areas while on the road. There are parts of Mid Eastern New York, particularly up 390 towards Attica without any digipeaters that I know of. Those trips are only once a year or so, so no biggie to me.

Honestly, a roving Igate doesn't really fit any of my needs or really any wants. Just a nice capability you can have since you would be abou 3/4 there with any similar setup.

 

[DaveInDenver]

Gotcha. A fill-in Igate/digipeater makes sense. I just like to ask because putting up random APRS-IS gateways usually has the opposite effect as the ham intends and leads to increasing duplicates and dropped packets in an area where there's already coverage. Whatever you do the Igate needs to be two-way, don't build it RX-only.

 

[kidphc]

Gotcha. A fill-in Igate/digipeater makes sense. I just like to ask because putting up random APRS-IS gateways usually has the opposite effect as the ham intends and leads to increasing duplicates and dropped packets in an area where there's already coverage. Whatever you do the Igate needs to be two-way, don't build it RX-only.

Agreed, with your statement.

I was told before you build a digipeater, that you really should talk to the APRS elmers in your area. To see if there is even a need. Since all you would be doing with a digipeater for the most part is saturating even further if it wasn't need in an area.

As far as the Igate goes, I was told don't do it unless you can make it duplex. Otherwise, you'll end up not helping apps like SMSGate. Gimping things a bit.

With an FTM400, the TNC not being fully exposed like a TH-D710GA. If it were I would seriously think about setting up a mobile iGate. Then running to APRSI32 would be the move.

 

[DaveInDenver]

@kidphc - excellent reply, we are completely in sync on the subject!

 

[dreadlocks]

I setup a mobile iGate because my tow vehicle has built in hotspot, then had some deep discussions elmers and the general consensus is that Mobile iGates are bad for the network.. kinda like a mobile W2 digi.. TX igate requires that you heard someone nearby before you TX, and then you've done and gone and moved.. APRSIS isint supposed to have key points of infrastructure there one min, and gone the next.. now temporary igates to fill in at events or something would be fine.. but one traveling across the country, gating packets at one position one min.. and then gone the next.. You are supposed to be able to drop into any location get a good picture of the network within 10-20mins, oh look theres an igate nearby.. let me change my path from W1,W2-2 to W1,W2-1, aaand the igates gone and I'm no longer making it to APRSIS..

At the very least, if you want to continue w/mobile iGate.. make it clear that its mobile/temporary and entirely opportunistic in your beacons so nobody tries to use you as a reliable route.

At home I deployed a TX iGate bout a year ago, sat around and watched the traffic and noticed I could hear a large area of town that none of the mountain top digis were hearing.. so I checked some coverage maps on AprsDirect/AprsFi of the local W2 repeaters and saw a big gaping hole that nearly covered all of Denver County.. they were so high they were shooting right over it, packets from the core of denver were being heard by me, but nothing else. So I converted my TX iGate into a iGate+Digi, made a geo fence that basically includes the i25->i70->i225 loop where I was seeing the poor coverage and put it back online.. Now, right in the heart of the Urban Canyonland, the APRS network is working far better than it was before I converted to a Digi... but if I take that GeoFence off, I could easily double the noise on the network because my RX sensitivity is very high and I can hear a ton of traffic for quite a ways, my TX can hitup over four 13k+ high W2 digi's consistently, from Fort Collins to Co Springs

 

[DaveInDenver]

I figure the only mobile Igate/digipeater that get the full A-OK are sitting in the sky and they for the most part aren't on the 144.390 network.

ASTARS: an APRS Satellite Tracking and Reporting System

 

[dreadlocks]

Exactly, if you had a balloon/radiosonde recovery vehicle or something I could see a mobile igate for taking a non 144.390 tracker and putting it on the APRS-IS network.. but then you really shouldn't have your igate advertising that capability over 144.390 since its not listening to it.

 

[tuzakey]

How are you feeding gps in to your d710? Or do you have a d710g* ?

 

[dreadlocks]

yeah its got built in gps