What to use for APRS on the road?

[herbsells]

We are full-time RV'ers and I recently was exposed to APRS by a ham I met in an RV park. I am currently using Android APRS on my cell phone to send position, but it uses cell and/or wifi to send the beacon.
I'd like to have a VHF radio installed in the rig send the beacon as we move down the road.
Do I have to buy a NEW VHF GPS APRS enabled radio? Or is there an add-on I can buy and install on my present VHF/UHF dual-band mobile radio.
Can anyone tell me where to go look and learn

Thanks,

[Ranger Smith]

Some require a computer hooked to a TNC to do what you want to do. Do a search for a MIC E device or a tiny track. I have been using the Iphone app for years and wouldn't go the other way. There are areas where no one will hear your APRS signal . . . KK9W

[Mzbrandi]

Originally Posted by herbsells

We are full-time RV'ers and I recently was exposed to APRS by a ham I met in an RV park. I am currently using Android APRS on my cell phone to send position, but it uses cell and/or wifi to send the beacon.

I'd like to have a VHF radio installed in the rig send the beacon as we move down the road.

Do I have to buy a NEW VHF GPS APRS enabled radio? Or is there an add-on I can buy and install on my present VHF/UHF dual-band mobile radio.

Can anyone tell me where to go look and learn



Thanks,

First thing I would say is get your ham license. You can't transmit without one. Tech license isn't that difficult.

Brandi W6FPT

[tconn54]

Brandi he is a ham, has his call sign in the signature line

Tim
KC3AZA

[cruzbill]

APRS; Acronyms; Please spell out first use.
No, I'm not a ham, maybe you can tell...................

[1bigmess]

Automatic Packet Reporting System

[coupevilleDF]

Originally Posted by herbsells

We are full-time RV'ers and I recently was exposed to APRS by a ham I met in an RV park. I am currently using Android APRS on my cell phone to send position, but it uses cell and/or wifi to send the beacon.
I'd like to have a VHF radio installed in the rig send the beacon as we move down the road.
Do I have to buy a NEW VHF GPS APRS enabled radio? Or is there an add-on I can buy and install on my present VHF/UHF dual-band mobile radio.
Can anyone tell me where to go look and learn

Thanks,

Are there add ones that will let your current VHF radio send APRS location info? Yes. I don't have the details but I have friends that have done it.

Do you need a new radio? Of course. I have an FTM400XDR that I monitor VHF/UHF on the A side and send/monitor APRS on the B side. By monitor, I receive packet reports from fixed or mobile stations with their direction and distance.

It is interesting and could be critical info in an emergency. I tracked a friend at night using APRS.FI during a storm event up in the Cascade foothills on some logging and utility roads, just to make sure he made it back safely.

[Mzbrandi]

Originally Posted by tconn54

Brandi he is a ham, has his call sign in the signature line

Tim
KC3AZA

Sorry Tim but on my IPad, I don't get a signature line.

[1bigmess]

I don't either on my Android devices. You can click on the username or icon and see it though.

[herbsells]

Thanks all. For the time being think I'll just continue to use the Android APRS app and remember to turn it off BEFORE we pull into the park and our site. Tnx again for all your input

[wa8yxm]

I use the APRS app on my phone. One of the problems with APRS is that I have seen many areas where there is no APRS repeater station, those areas are Shrinking but so long as I have cell servicem the app on my phone works it can process Messages or just give location (though I have to actually look at it for messages). And I do have to remember to activate it when I re-start the phone. You can see how it works by looking for me at APRS.FI.. Hopefully you know how to do that.

[1bigmess]

Originally Posted by herbsells

For the time being think I'll just continue to use the Android APRS app and remember to turn it off BEFORE we pull into the park and our site.

I use the built in feature of position ambiguity to protect my privacy. Go to Settings > Position privacy and change the setting under Position ambiguity so that it is less detailed by removing decimal places in the position reports. Someone might be able to track you down to your RV park, but if they don't know what your rig looks like, they can't find you.

[paddykern]

Not sure I would want to us a hacked together system.
A friend uses a simple APRS tracking device and so can't do anything but beacon his location.
I use a Kenwood TM-D710A and you have lots of usability.
Text messages to other APRS radios which I get a few a month.
I once texted from Michigan to Arizona.
Simple e-mail from your radio to anyone.
List of people in your general area.
Location, distance and compass heading of people beaconing in your area.
Ability to run APRS and monitor another vhf/uhf channel at the same time.

[dons2346]

Take a look at some APRS stuff here Byonics