Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) is used to transmit location and other real-time data over amateur radio frequencies. [Scott Miller]'s OpenTracker project is designed to encode the NMEA data from a serial GPS receiver for transmission. It doesn't have to be used for GPS telemetry though, you could hook up a weather station or any other remotely located project. Scott has boards, parts and even full kits available.
OpenTracker APRS encoder
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(Page 2)22. You don't need any freaking aprs radios... aprs isn't all that special, it's just packet radio and aprs is just how the gps nmea data packets are formated. If you knew the format, you could hook a packet modem up to a dumb terminal and type in dummy packets to make stuff show up on people's aprs terminals. aprs was originally just a program that ran in dos with a regular packet radio (pk12 anyone?). Geez. There's probably a winaprs program out now that can decode packet radio in software from soundcard input, albeit probably only 300 and 1200 baud versions, and display the received coords on a map.
Posted at 3:09PM on Sep 3rd 2006 by nullsmack
23. Ok, I had a lot more written up on this. But yeah, it's generally going to feed audio into a transmitter. You can do decoding with soundmodem under Linux or AGWPE in Windows using your soundcard. But as long as you're on 144.39 (again, need a ham license) in the US, chances are an Internet gateway station will do it for you and you'll show up at places like findu.com.
25. ok. so I got my ham liscence. but I'm confused on the recieving end. Does this thing recieve the data and convert it back to NEMA so it can be hooked into a computer for viewing ? And for the transmitting/recieving, it hooks into the mic jack ? or does my radio have to support ARPS on it's own ? There's a few pictures but they don't answer my questions. Does anybody have any experience with this project ?
Posted at 3:09PM on Sep 3rd 2006 by Quantis
26. Since we're building things from scratch... Anyone seen a site that tells you how to build a caller id box that will display on your tv? I've seen where you can buy them, but not for less than $50. Seems high...
Posted at 3:09PM on Sep 3rd 2006 by chris
27. Watch out though because anyone who intends to use this has to have a valid Amateur Radio callsign.
Posted at 3:09PM on Sep 3rd 2006 by Jeffrey2420
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21. sorry going back to poledit.exe dose any one know were to get it the mirosoft website doesn't have it.
Posted at 3:09PM on Sep 3rd 2006 by Matthew