Decided to get into something a little 'new' (at least for me), APRS. Being able to look at the computer and tell where I'm at seemed like a sort of 'neat' thing to be able to do, right? I'm finding out LOTS of things I didn't really know (or remember) and having LOTS of @#$ 'fun'!
Why the @#$$ doesn't someone make a list of things you really need to do all that with rather than having to dig through all that 'stuff' trying to figure this @#$% out? Maybe another list to show how all that @#$% goes together? (No, it really isn't that hard, I'm just that lazy.)
Found out that putting that APRS transmitter together and programming it at the computer can tell you things you never needed/wanted to know. My computer makes really, really nasty noises when the APRS thingy transmits next to it. That does tell me the thing is transmitting, so it ain't all bad, right? The other 'fun' part is figuring where to put the @#$ thing in the truck. The whole thing is smaller than an average sized brick, so shouldn't be that big'a deal.
To be able to 'sees' things on my computer rather than the internet I need a mapping program and then a program that combines those maps and the received signal to show it on the screen. Hmm, got one of them mapping programs around here somewhere. Found a sort of easy program to 'combine' all that stuff. Hot @#$! I'm roll'n now! Uh-oh, says the map program doesn't work, too old, wrong format. Okay, get a new one. Wait a minute, I need a receiver and antenna to get that signal? No sweat, scanner and sound card will do that. What the @#$$ did I do with that @#$ scanner? Got that ol'"J"-pole, that'll work. Oh sh@#! No feed line, no sweat, go buy some.
Wonder what else I'm forgetting? Oh well...
- 'Doc
[The thingy for the truck is no problem, neither is the receiving part for the computer. It's the learning curve, and being out-dated with what I think I know, sort of. Lots of fun even if I complain about it! (If I ain't complaining, there's something wrong. I like complaining!)]
Why the @#$$ doesn't someone make a list of things you really need to do all that with rather than having to dig through all that 'stuff' trying to figure this @#$% out? Maybe another list to show how all that @#$% goes together? (No, it really isn't that hard, I'm just that lazy.)
Found out that putting that APRS transmitter together and programming it at the computer can tell you things you never needed/wanted to know. My computer makes really, really nasty noises when the APRS thingy transmits next to it. That does tell me the thing is transmitting, so it ain't all bad, right? The other 'fun' part is figuring where to put the @#$ thing in the truck. The whole thing is smaller than an average sized brick, so shouldn't be that big'a deal.
To be able to 'sees' things on my computer rather than the internet I need a mapping program and then a program that combines those maps and the received signal to show it on the screen. Hmm, got one of them mapping programs around here somewhere. Found a sort of easy program to 'combine' all that stuff. Hot @#$! I'm roll'n now! Uh-oh, says the map program doesn't work, too old, wrong format. Okay, get a new one. Wait a minute, I need a receiver and antenna to get that signal? No sweat, scanner and sound card will do that. What the @#$$ did I do with that @#$ scanner? Got that ol'"J"-pole, that'll work. Oh sh@#! No feed line, no sweat, go buy some.
Wonder what else I'm forgetting? Oh well...
- 'Doc
[The thingy for the truck is no problem, neither is the receiving part for the computer. It's the learning curve, and being out-dated with what I think I know, sort of. Lots of fun even if I complain about it! (If I ain't complaining, there's something wrong. I like complaining!)]
