Ham radios. What is everyone using
- Thread starter srch4me
- Start date
HenryJ
Expedition Leader
http://www.aprs.org/
I am ashamed to say I just use it for vehicle tracking.
Works great though Check it out: http://aprs.fi/#!lat=44.08610&lng=-117.01880
HenryJ
Expedition Leader
No. Only those set up as an APRS gateway.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Are you asking if every repeater is capable of acting like a gateway to APRS.fi? No, there's usually only a couple of IGates in an area, although there are likely many digipeaters (digital repeaters) capable of retransmitting APRS packets. So even if your location packet does not make it to the Internet it will get bounced around a couple of times locally.
DaveInDenver
Middle Income Semi-Redneck
Two VHF radios operating in fairly close frequency into one antenna will only work with a switch or a very deep notch duplexer like you'd find in a repeater. Some radios are able to run simultaneous VHF TX/RX by using a quasi-smart switch/duplexer. For example the FTM-350 can autonomously transmit an APRS packet but before doing this it blanks the other side to avoid harming it. Others like the FT-8800 have a built-in duplexer but the secondary (non-TX selected) side cannot transmit on its own. If you want to run both a voice and packet radio at the same time you need two radios & antennas or a radio that is designed for this (FTM-350, TM-D710 are the two most common) to take care of the multiplexing duties for you. Realize that with the FTM-350 (and I assume the TM-D710) when the APRS radio is TX'ing, the other side is quiet. It's smart enough to skip the packet TX if you are talking on the other side, but if you are listening the RX will go quiet for a second or two.
1911
Expedition Leader
No; 99.8% of APRS (in the U.S.) is done on 144.390 MHz simplex. 2m repeaters have their own locally-unique frequency pairs so that they don't interfere with each other or with the APRS frequency. APRS beacons are propagated by other APRS stations acting as digipeaters, until the digipeated beacon reaches an IGate (internet gateway). However, there are a fair number of digipeaters and IGates installed on towers along with ordinary repeaters. One thing I like about my APRS setup is that it shows me all the IGates and digipeaters as unique icons on my GPS screen, so I can always tell how far away and how high the nearest one is.
08BrickFJC
Observer
FTM-350 w/the GPS module installed and a Diamond Tri-band antenna on a pivoting mount. Still learning the radio/APRS...amazing functionality
wheelerdh
K4WHE
I once had a ft-8800 and it was a great radio, only reason I sold it was to vet the ftm-350r for the APRS functionality. It does great as well and the GPS portion runs through a Garmin Nuvi so I can see stations on the map. Also running a ft-857 with an ATAS-120 antenna. Got the bases covered
BulletHead
Adventurer
Do handheld units (or non-handheld) exist that would be for HF, VHF and UHF? I'm trying to see if I can buy just 1 for use with the CB as well as Ham.
Cb is am radio band. Ham is FM. generally its best to have a separate radio for each.
KF7ZSK