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kieran83  



Joined: 19 Feb 2005
Posts: 1

PostPosted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:38 am    Post subject: Newby Reply with quote

Hi I new to this whole area of aprs and have only researching it for a couple of
days.

Already i'm interested in investing in equipment but am unsure on what to get. I
have no equipment at present except for a pc and laptop.

Being a student, value is the key!

My idea is to track a car in real time using radio communication.

From what I understand I need
In the car:
A gps receiver
A terminal node controller
A packet radio transmitter

At the base station:
A packet radio receiver
Cables to connect this to the computer

Software? WinAPRS

Like I said i'm a newby
Its been suggested to me to start off with a
TinyTrak & PocketTracker from http://www.byonics.com/

Any ideas.
Any help would be gratefully appreciated
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ka9vnv  
Site Admin


Joined: 08 Jun 2004
Posts: 152
Location: Woodstock, IL

PostPosted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 12:38 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

First, as a new user, I would suggest you spend some time reading through the documentation provided with the DOS version of APRS. The whole ZIP file is only about a megabyte or so, so grab a copy from TAPR.ORG (link on the Questionable Web Page). Or, you can read it online at dididahdahdidit.com, if you're more into that. All of the other APRS programs assume that you've read at least parts of the DOS documentation, because they leave out key facts in their own docs.

Next, I'd start with the base station side, first. Get familiar with the software, then start doing the more exotic stuff. What's the use of putting a tracker in your car if you can't see yourself roaming around? Smile

The Byonics tracker is nice if you're not wanting to receive in the car, but you might be better served with a Kenwood D700. It has a good interface, and lets you be interactive with APRS without putting a regular computer in the car.

If you're going with a TNC for mobile use, the Kantronics KPC-3 Plus is a good choice, because it can be configured to act as a stand-alone tracker AND interfaced to computers. Information on this is also on the Questionable web page.

And, the most important recommendation of all..... Have fun!

Signed
Jeff Brenton KA9VNV

---
"It is not at all simple to understand the simple." - Eric Hoffer
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