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ZL3AI > APRDIG 17.02.04 13:18l 211 Lines 9269 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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To : APRDIG@WW
TAPR APRS Special Interest Group Digest for Sunday, February 15, 2004.
1. New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
2. HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b is a couple of years behind TM1+ on this !!!!
3. Re: Can someone enlighten me
4. Re: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
5. Re: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
6. Re: Can someone enlighten me
7. Re: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
8. Problem with PK-232 and APRS
9. RE: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
10. RE: HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b is a couple of years behind TM1+ on this
!!!!
11. Re: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
12. RE: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
13. RE: Problem with PK-232 and APRS
14. Re: Problem with PK-232 and APRS
15. Re: Problem with PK-232 and APRS
16. Dayton APRS Events
17. RE: HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b is a couple of years behind TM1+ on this
!!!!
18. Re: Dayton APRS Events
19. RE: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
20. Re: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
21. Oncore UT
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Subject: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
From: "Stephen H. Smith" <WA8LMF2@aol.com>
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 03:50:38 -0800
X-Message-Number: 1
For the last several days, I have been beta-testing the next-generation
firmware for the Byonics TinyTrak 3. The major enhancements in this next
version are support for raw NMEA strings, and support for
300-baud/200-Hz-shift HF operation. Only the contents of the PIC chip have
changed; the new version can be inserted as an upgrade into even the oldest
TinyTrak board. [ I did my testing on an original board from a TinyTrak
I! ]
When the new version is released publicly (in the next week or two) we will
have, for the first time, a device that can do Mic-E compressed-format
Smart-Beaconed transmissions on 300 baud HF! The new version firmware
also now provides for separate position and status reports. (Previous
versions only transmitted a combined posit and status report.)
The HF tones used by the TinyTrak are, at my suggestion, the same 1600/1800
Hz pair used by the KAM and TNC2 so the same radio frequency settings used
with these devices will apply; i.e. for normal 30-meter operation on
10.149.200/10.149.400, set the SSB radio to EXACTLY 10.151.00 MHz LSB or
to 10.147.60 MHz USB . As expected, these tones pass easily through
even very narrow (1.8KHz bandwidth) SSB IF filters in the center of their
passbands, where the group delay and phase shift characteristics are
flattest-- something that can't be said for the much higher tones used by
the PK-232 TNC and AGW Packet Engine softmodem.
The short Mic-E format bursts are a huge improvement over the (much longer)
plain text strings the TigerTrak, dumb trackers implemented with TNCs, and
programs on computers send. [ TigerTrak transmits the standard APRS
"compressed" format that is plain-text ASCII and about 4 times as long!] If
your GPS device outputs the GPGGA sentence, a check-box option on the setup
screen will cause the TinyTrak to encode altitude in the basic Mic-E burst.
On the constantly noisy, QRM-riddled HF freqs, the very short Mic-E bursts
have a much higher probability of getting thru intact than the longer
strings sent by other HF devices.
By checking the "Status, Send Separate" box, the actual posit can be a VERY
short true Mic-E that has a very high probability of success, followed by a
separate longer "expendable" human-readable text status transmission.
The new TinyTrak is now, as far as I know, the ONLY APRS device that can
send an actual Mic-E burst on HF. This will yield a major improvment in
reliability and throughput on HF APRS, by addressing the noise/QRM problem,
and the limited throughput of the 300 baud channel.
The TinyTrak supports two completely different switch-selectable sets of
parameters and settings. These variables include radio baud rate/tone pair,
path, APRS symbol, beacon frequency, status message, encoding format (APRS,
Mic-E or raw NMEA), and an number of other variables. These variables are
set into the PIC's flash memory with a stand-alone single .EXE Windows
program; i.e. TinyTrak3Config.exe doesn't need to be "installed" and
could be carried around in, and executed from, a flash-memory keychain
drive.
You could configure the primary set for 1200 baud VHF and the secondary set
for 300 baud HF. With a "DC-to-light" radio like an Icom 706, Yaesu
FT-100 mobile or 817 porta-luggie, you could operate either 144.39 or 30
meters HF as you travel with just a flip of the switch. Or how about a new
concept -- Mic-E operation on HF SSB phone?
A final note: The TinyTrak radio interface uses EXACTLY the same DB9
connector with the same pinout as Kantronics KPC3 and 9612 TNCs, so any
radio interface cables you have for these devices will work as-is on the
Tiny Trak.
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Home Page: http://wa8lmf.com
Ham Radio/Mobile SSTV page: http://members.aol.com/wa8lmf/ham
APRS Stuff
http://members.aol.com/wa8lmf/aprs
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Subject: HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b is a couple of years behind TM1+ on this
!!!!
From: "Sadowski, Allan" <allan.sadowski@ncshp.org>
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 08:29:08 -0500
X-Message-Number: 2
NYET, NADA, NAY, NON, Nope ;)
If you look at the TigerTronics TM1+, you'll see that it has had this
capability for YEARS (both 1200 VHF and 300 HF - in Mic-E, or if you want
Plain text strings... not to mention beacon mode, and telemetry mode - not
to mention multiple instances of each...
The best part, it's AVR based and is a sweet little package. It uses
surface mount technology... and has lots of power (in and out) options ....
you can power your GPS from the TM1+... and the input power is diode
protected for those who are not color blind but still reverse polarity
(accidentally of course ;).
You don't see a lot of publicity on this device... but it has a lot going
for it in telemetry applications. I even think with off board data
collection processor... it'd work with OPENTRAC in tracking and telemetry
mode... hmmm wonder if TigerTronics knows they have the first commercially
available product that can send OPENTRAC data !?!?!?!
All this said with a smile -> ;)... The Tiny Trak is a nice piece of
work, I do not want to downplay its role in the UIFrame Tracking arena.
However, if you want a similar device (good bit more $$$ I admit) - that
has way better packaging - much easier to configure and reprogram - and
lots more flexible in it's abilities... and it's had 300 HF for years...
long before the TT3b... take a look at he AVR based TM1+.
ALOHA
AH6LS
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Subject: Re: Can someone enlighten me
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga@usna.edu>
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 12:12:20 -0500
X-Message-Number: 3
>>>Steve Dimse <k4hg@tapr.org> 2/14/04 3:39:41 PM >>>
>>Back in those days we followed the proper SSID symbols of the times.
>Anything does indeed go!
COMMENT: except that these days it is preferred to stick to convention:
1) Mobiles usually use -9 for quick recognition
2) TH-D7 owners typically use -7
3) Truckers typically use -14
4) Balloons typically use -11
de Wb4APR
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Subject: Re: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga@usna.edu>
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 12:29:49 -0500
X-Message-Number: 4
>>>"Stephen H. Smith" <WA8LMF2@aol.com> 2/15/04 6:50:38 AM >>>
>... we will have, for the first time, a device that can do
>Mic-E compressed-format... on 300 baud HF!
And this is the hardest half of what I have dreamed of since 1994. Imagine
combining that with a 100W HF transmitter that fits in a crackerjax box
under your seat and hooked to a modified CB whip on the roof.
Rememeber, it only take 5 transistors to make a FSK 100 Watt HF transmitter
and it needs NO heatsink because the 100W dutycycle is less than 1%. This
can fit a relatively tiny box.
And it only needs to be on 10.149.3 MHz, and no tuning required. Thus, a
blackbox, go anywhere in-the-world tracker...
This is great news... Now, who has the time to build the Transmitter?
de WB4APR, Bob
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Subject: Re: New option for HF 30M APRS -- TinyTrak 3b (Review)
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga@usna.edu>
Date: Sun, 15 Feb 2004 12:37:48 -0500
X-Message-Number: 5
>>>"Robert Bruninga" <bruninga@usna.edu> 2/15/04 12:29:49 PM >>>
And this is the hardest half of what I have dreamed of since 1994. Imagine
combining that with a 100W HF transmitter that fits in a crackerjax box
under your seat and hooked to a modified CB whip on the roof.
Further comment: Actually QST published a 2 tansistor 300W class E
amplifier that would work well for FSK too... Bob
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