[aprssig] Alinco DR-135TP

[Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU]

I reviewed the radio for QST back in 2001, so my memory does not remember, but here is what I wrote in the review that is pertinent:

APRS Tracking
Being APRS active, I was anxious to
test the transceiver?s APRS capabilities.
I connected my Macintosh laptop to the
DR-135TP installation that I had set up
in my car and ran MacAPRS software. No
problem! MacAPRS exchanged information
with the radio and the map on the
computer screen soon began filling up
with APRS icons.
I quit MacAPRS and connected a GPS
receiver to the DR-135TP?s front panel
DATA jack and fired up a plain vanilla terminal
program.
I invoked the RESET command to return
the internal TNC?s parameters to
their factory default settings. I then programmed
several parameters that are required
for APRS tracker operation. Those
parameters are:
AUTOLF OFF
ECHO OFF
FLOW OFF
GBAUD 4800 (match this setting to your
GPS?s data output rate)
GPSTEXT $GPRMC
LOCATION EVERY 6 (6 represents 60
seconds)
LPATH GPSMV VIA <your digipeater
path>
LTMHEAD OFF
MYCALL <your call sign and SSID>
LTMON 10
UNPROTO APRS VIA <your digipeater
path>
(My thanks to Jeff Reinhardt, AA6JR,
for confirming these settings.)
The other TNC parameters can remain
at their factory default values.
The DR-135TP will not operate properly
in the APRS tracker mode if you depend
on the directions presented in the
documentation. I recommend that you
keep these programming parameters
handy. These will save you considerable
frustration when setting up the DR-135TP
as an APRS tracker.
Those using an NMEA-0183 compatible
GPS receiver should set it for NMEA
output at 4800 baud. Incidentally, the
transceiver emits a low-volume, highpitched
buzz as it receives each packet
of data from the GPS receiver. This provides
a simple way to confirm that the
transceiver is actually receiving data
from the GPS receiver.
After disconnecting my laptop from
the DR-135TP, I headed back to my shack
and ran MacAPRS on the station computer.
I wanted to verify that I could track
my DR-135TP/GPS equipped vehicle. I
took a short drive around the neighborhood
and then headed home again. On my
return, I was very pleased to see that my
tracks did indeed appear on the station
computer?s map.
I continued to run the tracker during
my daily travels around town and back and
forth to work. What a difference 50 W
makes! Where my usual low-powered
tracker system (5 W) normally drops out
of sight in the shadow of the mountain
where my APRS digipeater is located, the
DR-135TP-based tracker consistently
marked its path.
 
On Monday, May 01, 2006, at 11:48AM, William McKeehan <mckeehan at mckeehan.homeip.net> wrote:

>This is some great information. I had overlooked the online manuals page on
>the Alinco website when I looked earlier. Thanks for making me look twice.
>
>If I'm reading things correctly, it looks like the DR-135TP only operates as a
>"dumb" tracker (GPS strings) without a computer connected. Am I missing
>anything?
>
>On Mon, May 1, 2006 10:36 am, Stan Horzepa, WA1LOU said:
>> http://www.eham.net/forums/APRS/27 might be helpful.
>>
>> The manual is available at http://www.alinco.com/usa.html
>>
>> 73,
>>
>> Stan, WA1LOU
>>
>
>-- 
>William McKeehan
>KI4HDU
>Internet: mckeehan at mckeehan.homeip.net
>http://mckeehan.homeip.net
>
>Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods.
>Every time you do so you will be certain to find something that you have never
>seen before.
>