APRS computer programs

[ke7vvt]

I'm looking for something that might be easier to operate than XASTIR. I need to teach someone how to run a D710 with computer interface and there is too much hacking in the terminal for it to be very feasible.

The software only needs to plot APRS packet GPS coordinates from a Kenwood D710 TNC on a map. I am thinking of getting a GPS Green Light Labs GPS-710 for the D710 and if the software could grab it that would be great too. Other features like smart beaconing, digipeating, and iGating would be really helpful but are not critical. I do have about 16 gb of maps in various formats that XASTIR seems to be OK using, I imagine other programs are pretty smart at figuring out what to do with maps.

Any operating system will do.

Thanks for any help.

jm

 

[W5LZ]

JM,
I've had very good luck using 'UI-View', the 'AGW' soundcard program, a laptop, and a TM-D700 (and a TM-D708).
'UI-View' isn't exactly the easiest program to set up with maps, but it isn't all that bad if it's done correctly. There are several sites that explain all of it. You can do the beaconing, through either the 'UI-View' program or just through the '710, same for the digipeating. The 'I-Gate' is possible with 'UI-View' also (haven't tried that, no idea about how difficult it would be).
My intent with all this is a stand-alone APRS with no internet access, strictly an RF input source. If used only for monitoring, a small scanner as the signal source, and a very nice antenna will produce a very large reporting area. Some 'filtering' is necessary to reduce the 'cluttering' to something manageable. It depends on propagation of course, but APRS mobiles, through digipeaters too, over 200 miles away on 2 meters is very common. (Wish that antenna were mine! It's on a 150 foot tower, and not a 2 meter antenna at all.)
I set up the TM-D700 for digipeating local stuff only using a 'J'-pole at maybe 10 feet above ground, works amazingly (to me) well. The TM-D700 and TMD710 will do all of this by themselves, but the 'display' of information is sort of 'limited'. Using the laptop and 'UI-View' with an appropriate mapping program just makes seeing the information a LOT easier for me. I sort of figure you knew all this anyway.
I'm also toying with the idea of using a cell phone connection/modem with the laptop to remotely do all this monitoring. A sort of mobile command post thingy for the local EOC. That's a "depends" sort of thing, sometimes that cell coverage wouldn't be possible. [Just got one of those cell-modems so not enough experience with it to really know how useful it would be, (AT&T lost a costumer, which is a completely different story I won't go into).]
The biggies with all of the above is that neither the laptop or the mapping programs are free. If you can get around that part, it's a sort of cheap-n-dirty solution.
Have fun.
- 'Doc

 

[ke7vvt]

Thanks Doc. I've sent word to the group that we should try out UI-VIEW.

 

[Moleculo]

Can you just use one of the online applications like OpenAPRS?

 

[ke7vvt]

Ya those work great, but we hang out around here duchesne ut - Google Maps and cell coverage is missing in parts. One of the big problems was drving around with a Macbook running a ported version of XASTIR connected to a D710 just to get APRS GPS coords plotted on a map AND using another laptop running TOPO! map program to find roads to drive on. Too many laptops and different programs, I'm trying to simplify things.

 

[g4ilo]

You should check out APRSISCE/32. Since you mentioned Xastir, you might be using Linux. This is a Windows program, however it seems to run pretty well under wine.