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ZL3AI > APRDIG 28.05.04 11:21l 232 Lines 9337 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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From: ZL3AI@ZL3VML.#80.NZL.OC
To : APRDIG@WW
TAPR APRS Special Interest Group Digest for Wednesday, May 26, 2004.
1. Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
2. Re: APRS Gas prices
3. Re: Double packet use of D700
4. OFF-TOPIC: Re: APRS Gas prices
5. Re: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
6. Re: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
7. Re: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
8. Re: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
9. Re: APRSdos Traffic Speed Posts
10. APRS gas prices off topic? What about the VIAGRA Post? WTFO?
11. Recodring aprs on a digital voice recorder
12. Re: APRSdos Traffic Speed Posts
13. Re: Recodring aprs on a digital voice recorder
14. tiger maps from census.gov
15. APRS VOX Question
16. RE: APRS VOX Question
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Subject: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@3xf.com>
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 00:25:53 -0700
X-Message-Number: 1
Just finished assembling this and thought I'd share it with the sig. I'm
working on a surface mount version of the OpenTracker suitable for building
into battery packs and such. Here's a picture of my first prototype (if
you don't count the TK-790 variant I've been working on):
http://n1vg.net/opentracker/images/ot-smt.jpg
The board is half the size of the OpenTracker or TinyTrak3 (without
connectors), about 2/3 the size of the surface mount TT3 in the Pocket
Tracker, and about as thick overall as a DIP socket alone. You can solder
wires directly to the pads, or install a right-angle pin header and plug it
into another circuit board. Actually, with a little more effort I could
probably squeeze it all into the footprint of a 28-pin DIP.
I hope to make not more than one more hand-built prototype before sending
it off to the board house for a small run. Dealing with vias under ICs
that have to be perfectly flush is a major pain without through plating.
And without a solder mask, the pots have to have tiny slices of insulation
slid under them to keep the bottom of the wiper from shorting out on
traces.
The only thing this version's missing as compared to the full size board is
the pair of diodes that handle the mic input. I might put them back in if
there's any demand for that feature.
The size could be further reduced by using a ceramic resonator, but then
it'd require manual calibration like the TT3. Also, Maxim makes an RS-232
receiver that'd be perfect for this thing, but you can't buy less than 2500
at a time. Oh well.
Anyway, I'm not too keen on packaging, selling, and supporting kits with
tiny SMT parts, but cramming trackers into places they were never intended
to go seems to be a popular passtime around here, so I guess there's a
demand. Maybe I'll introduce them on a limited basis and see how it goes.
Scott
N1VG
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Subject: Re: APRS Gas prices
From: n2iph@comcast.net
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 11:11:58 +0000
X-Message-Number: 2
Here's the URL to PEI (Petroleum Equipment Institute) web site with the
straight dope on the subject;
http://www.pei.org/static/index.htm
http://www.pei.org/news/static.htm
73, Bob
N2IPH
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Subject: Re: Double packet use of D700
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga@usna.edu>
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 08:46:19 -0400
X-Message-Number: 3
>Has anyone tried using the D700 internal TNC for VHF
>packet _AND_ the data port for UHF packet at the
>same time?
Yes, I use an external KPC-9612 and get 3 simultaneous TNC's listening to
the PCsat downlink. Just hook the 9612 to the external TNC/Data port to
the appropriate 1200/9600 baud connections and that's all there is to it.
Since the 9612 can monitor both of its ports at the same time and then I
simply diode-OR the output with the radios' internal TNC and I see the
outputs of all three TNC's simultaneously. I usually use the D700's
internal TNC monitoring 9600 baud, and then the external TNC on the other
band monitors both 1200 and 9600.
Of course I switch off the diode-OR when doing anything other than just
monitoring so that I can use them separately.
Remember, the external TNC, however, will only listen and TX on the "PTT"
band, so you cannot use it "crossband". But the internal TNC can be
configured for crossband, so that is what we use on Mode J and mode B
satelites...
de WB4APR, Bob
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Subject: OFF-TOPIC: Re: APRS Gas prices
From: stanzepa@earthlink.net
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 08:55:33 -0400 (GMT-04:00)
X-Message-Number: 4
Yesterday, I asked that this discussion be taken off the SIG because it is
off-topic. Today, I ask for your cooperation again.
Thank-you,
Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU, APRSSIG administrator
-----Original Message-----
Subject: [aprssig] Re: APRS Gas prices
Here's the URL to PEI (Petroleum Equipment Institute) web site with the
straight dope on the subject...
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Subject: Re: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
From: "Curt, WE7U" <archer@eskimo.com>
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 08:51:04 -0700 (PDT)
X-Message-Number: 5
On Wed, 26 May 2004, Scott Miller wrote:
>Anyway, I'm not too keen on packaging, selling, and supporting kits with
>tiny SMT parts, but cramming trackers into places they were never intended
>to go seems to be a popular passtime around here, so I guess there's a
>demand. Maybe I'll introduce them on a limited basis and see how it goes.
I've been wanting something small enough to go inside a microphone or
inside the rig itself on all my mobile rigs. I wouldn't mind mounting a
connector through a hole in the case if the TNC would mount inside, plus
I'd know that the deviation was set properly because the TNC would be
permanently linked to the radio. The number of cables I'd need for a
working system would drop to just a GPS cable.
If you can do roughly the same thing, but make it have KISS TNC
capabilities as well, then I'd be even happier. Then I'd have the
capability of going with dumb tracker mode or with a connected PDA/Laptop.
I know you're working on that project as well. If it is also open-source,
I'll buy some. I don't care if it's a through-hole or S/M kit, I can build
those. If it's fine-pitch stuff I'll find someone skilled in it to do that
part for me.
Before anyone responds with "Why don't you just buy a Kenwood?", I'm not
interested in those for a variety of reasons. They don't suit my purposes.
--
Curt, WE7U http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
"Lotto: A tax on people who are bad at math." -- unknown
"Windows: Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates." -- WE7U
"The world DOES revolve around me: I picked the coordinate system!"
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Subject: Re: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
From: "Scott Miller" <scott@opentrac.org>
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 09:06:18 -0700
X-Message-Number: 6
>If you can do roughly the same thing, but make it have KISS TNC
>capabilities as well, then I'd be even happier. Then I'd have the
>capability of going with dumb tracker mode or with a connected
>PDA/Laptop. I know you're working on that project as well. If it
>is also open-source, I'll buy some. I don't care if it's a
>through-hole or S/M kit, I can build those. If it's fine-pitch
>stuff I'll find someone skilled in it to do that part for me.
The KISS project I'm working on (at the moment, just getting the MCU to talk
to the modem chip) will be SMT but much larger overall. But that'd be an
interesting project, too. I think I could do a TNC on a board this size,
but I'd probably have to use the XR-2211 decoder rather than something like
the MX-614. Hmm. Might be a fun interim project. It'd also need either a
microcontroller with more RAM, or an external serial FRAM like John Hansen's
PIC TNC.
Scott
N1VG
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Subject: Re: Surface mount OpenTracker prototype
From: "Curt, WE7U" <archer@eskimo.com>
Date: Wed, 26 May 2004 09:10:06 -0700 (PDT)
X-Message-Number: 7
On Wed, 26 May 2004, Scott Miller wrote:
>The KISS project I'm working on (at the moment, just getting the MCU to talk
>to the modem chip) will be SMT but much larger overall. But that'd be an
>interesting project, too. I think I could do a TNC on a board this size,
>but I'd probably have to use the XR-2211 decoder rather than something like
>the MX-614. Hmm. Might be a fun interim project. It'd also need either a
>microcontroller with more RAM, or an external serial FRAM like John Hansen's
>PIC TNC.
If you'd switch to the Atmel processors I could help on that project. I've
already gotten LCD and interrupt-driven serial stuff functioning nicely.
Just haven't integrated a modem chip into the works yet, but that was to be
the next step. I've done AX.25 before at that level, it's just finding
time to do it again.
--
Curt, WE7U http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
"Lotto: A tax on people who are bad at math." -- unknown
"Windows: Microsoft's tax on computer illiterates." -- WE7U
"The world DOES revolve around me: I picked the coordinate system!"
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