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1-10 of 13 messages
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Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KI4SGG on February 12, 2007
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Hi all, new to the site, ham radio, and aprs. My goal is to have aprs on my motorcycle. I picked up a THD7AG this weekend, and already have a 2610 on the bike, but cant seem to find anything about hooking the two together. The 2610 has a USB port on it, and I suspect that might be the problem.
The other thing I am confused about is, do I NEED aprs software running on my computer? Or is that just for a home station relaying aprs data to the internet.
Thanks!
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KC0VCU on February 14, 2007
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First things first. The interface on the TH-D7 radio is a serial interface. This is not directly compatible with the USB interface on the Garmin. The two ways of solving the problem are to put a computer between the two devices, or exchange the Garmin with a GPS receiver that has a serial interface on it.
The USB-Serial interfaces that you see on the market are designed as a client to a device that acts as the host for the USB interface. This is actually the same mode that the USB port on the Garmin functions as, and you can not connect two clients together without a host of some sort between them.
If you are very happy with the Garmin 2610 for it's feature set, you may elect to use a GPS puck to connect to the TH-D7. It will need it's own supply for power, but may be less expensive than replacing the Garmin, or building something to interact between the Garmin and the TH-D7. If you have other reasons to add a computer to your bike's equipment, you could use this as one more feature for it as well. One advantage could be that you could then use the uplink feature of the radio to forward waypoints and messages to the GPS to be displayed there.
What you decide to do APRS wise with a computer at home is pretty much limited only by your imagination. You could gateway the APRS traffic to the internet, act as a Digipeater, host a weather station, send and receive text messages to other aprs users, and potentially a lot more. Not all of this requires a computer (digipeaters are often just a radio and a TNC attached to each other, or in the case of the tm-d700 and th-d7 the radio on it's own can be a digipeater) and none of it really requires that said computer be at a fixed location (set it up to look for wifi hot-spots to the internet or use a g3 cell phone interface and act as a mobile gateway) etc.
You can start small, and expand, or set up an overall plan and built directly to that.
73,
-Rusty - kc0vcu
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KI4SGG on February 25, 2007
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Thanks Rusty. I went ahead and ordered a GPS puck, with the appropriate cabling, now I just have to get it all run nice and neat. The more I read about the THD7 the happier I am that someone guided me towards it.
Supposed to be raining in the morning, perfect time to tinker in the shop!
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KI4SGG on March 10, 2007
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ARGHH!! This is frustrating. I have everything hooked up, but still cant find myself on FIndu. The GPS is working, as I can see my location on the radio. I am recieving APRS data from all over the place, mobile and stationary stations. Called a local ham who came over to help, he can see me on HIS rig, we can find him on findu, his rig is set up to relay, and I STILL dont show up anywhere.
I have some ignition noise when the bike is running, and the local ham suggested relocating my antenna for a bit better signal, but I can reach 2 local repeaters from about 20 miles, and talk to others on 2 meters, and each repeater is also the APRS tower in the same location.
THD7AG, call sign programmed, set for relay,wide, tried wide 1-1,wide2-1, Deluos GPS mouse. Battery power only right now, planning on running a 12volt supply line, but still, I should be visible, shouldnt I?
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KC0VCU on March 11, 2007
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Not sure if this will help. Try wide2-2 rather than wide2-1. The second number is decremented by any system digipeting the packet, and when it hits some number (0?) it is no longer forwarded, including I think by the repeater that hits 0 with. I.e. if you set it to wide2-1 the first repeater it hits makes it wide2-0 and drops the packet. (I think, and I could be wrong.)
I think that may be sufficient. Let us know if that solves your problem.
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KI6LO on March 13, 2007
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Some things to check:
1) How is the other guy getting into the APRS system. He may be able ot hear you and the APRS gateway but not be able to RELAY your information to the gateway and on to FINDU.COM. I have seen this sort of condition locally at my QTH and had to raise the external antenna up a few more feet and viola! it all worked then.
2) I'm assuming that if he's seeing you then your actually transmitting packets. The XMIT can be turned off on the THD7A(G) and you'll only RX packets then. Another bump in the road :)
3) If you aren't getting into a GATEWAY (either direct or via digi) then you'll never show up on the FINDU.COM website. The ONLY digi I can hit (or see) from my QTH is right at the top of a mtn but on the backside from me so I have to ensure I have enough antenna height and power to hit it or I get real lonely here in the desert, hihi :) When I first set up my system I was using a THD7A and I had the same problems you describe. A bit more antenna height & gain and everything fell into place.
Hope these ideas help.
Good Luck,
Gene KI6LO
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KI4SGG on March 14, 2007
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The other guy had a D700 in his van ( along with about 12 other radios, lol). He could see my position report with call sign on his GPS screen. HIs radio was set up to relay, but wasnt getting out from where we were parked.
The two tall tower aprs stations are K4KSC , and K4EOC, if you want to look those up to see the area. KSC is of course kennedy space center. Since this is florida there are no mountains, and with the radio on the bike raising the antenna more is not really an option.
Talking to another local ham, I am thinking of upgrading to the D700 for more power, this would also reroute some power and antenna cables and should reduce noise generated by the motorcycle. If I cant reliably be seen around here, with multiple stations in a 20 mile area, what chance would I have riding around the country?
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KI6LO on March 14, 2007
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Sounds like you should have been into the system given the 'flatlands'. Nothing is flat around here for too far (So CAL). Not that you'll see to much of it in FLA, but out west there are sections of the country that have no APRS coverage save an occasional RVer squawking down the road. I traveled from CA to PA a couple of years ago and when I checked the trip log on FINDU, there was almost no coverage the entire state of Arizona. Once I hit NM, I had coverage all the remainder of the trip and then blank again going back thru AZ. APRS can be a strange system sometimes it appears.
Good Luck on the proj. I just got a new Yamaha Royal Star and will be putting APRS on it soon. Post your results so we all can share.
Gene KI6LO
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RE: Thd7ag and Garmin 2610
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by KS4XN on March 16, 2007
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>>THD7AG, call sign programmed, set for relay,wide, tried wide 1-1,wide2-1, Deluos GPS mouse. Battery power only right now, planning on running a 12volt supply line, but still, I should be visible, shouldnt I?<<
A couple of yrs ago the format changed here in Gainesville and AFAIK elsewhere. This may already what you're doing but just in case here are the new instructions we received then:
"If you are mobile use the following UNPROTO Path:
APRS,WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2 <= WIDE1-1 now replaces RELAY
or APRS,WIDE1-1,WIDE3-3 <= To be used in very remote areas.
Never use WIDE4-4 unless you're traveling West of the Mississippi River.
Depending on APRS software you use APRS may have to be first in the string for the UNPROTO Path. Some software versions do this automatically such as WinAPRS, UI-View requires APRS in the string.
Read your software manual.
Hardware APRS devices such as Kenwood's TH-700 (Mobile) and TH-7 (HT) refer to your manuals for proper setup using WIDEn-N parameters. Please do NOT turn the DIGI Beacon. If you are parked for any length of time
set the BEACON rate to at least 10 to 30 minute intervals before exiting the vehicle. Not doing this and having BEACON rate at 1 minute is just
as bad as sending RELAY,WIDE,WIDE because it is creating unnecessary QRM on the channel when stationary.
This would also apply to other devices such as TinyTrak, Pocket Tracker, and Open Tracker. Use the MIC-E setting in these devices unless you are
part of an SAR Team (Search And Rescue) then turn on the Smart Beaconing feature for these devices."
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