[aprssig] APRS and RF data modules

[Jason Winningham]

On Apr 28, 2005, at 8:12 AM, J. Lance Cotton wrote:

> Why not just get a PocketTracker?
> http://byonics.com/pockettracker/

Because I need a DF locator beacon, not an APRS tracker (yeah, I sort 
of changed gears in the middle of that last message).  We usually fly a 
DF beacon on our balloons in case the APRS tracker fails.  We've been 
flying a backup tracker on an alternate frequency, so the locator 
beacon has become less important.  I don't know if we'll keep flying 
with the 2 tracker model and leave off the beacon, or use all 3 
transmitters (primary APRS, secondary APRS, DF beacon), or maybe even 
go back to the one tracker/one DF beacon once we get a reliable design 
simple enough for students to configure officially designated as the 
primary tracker (I want to use opentracker for this, but I'm not in 
charge).

If I did need the absolute smallest APRS tracker and didn't want to 
build my own transmitter, I would probably go with the pockettracker.

I vastly prefer the opentracker over the tinytrack, because it's open 
source (and I'm a bit prejudiced against the PIC because I can't get a 
free C compiler).

If I have a choice between an open product and a proprietary one the 
open one gets my money, all other things being equal.

-Jason
kg4wsv