[aprssig] Maemo Mapper APRS capability

[Tom Mandera]

On Sun, October 4, 2009 6:00 am, aprssig-request at tapr.org wrote:
> Message: 2
> Date: Sat, 03 Oct 2009 11:12:54 -0400
> From: Dick Repasky <dick.repasky at gmail.com>
> Subject: [aprssig] Maemo Mapper APRS capability
> To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at tapr.org>
> Message-ID: <4AC769F6.1070505 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
>
> I just upgraded upgraded Maemo Mapper on my Nokia 770 and was surprised
> to find that it is APRS capable. Does anyone have experience with it?
> Does it work well?

Dick,

I own a Nokia 770 and N810.  I bought the N810 planning to echo the GPSD
output to serial for use with a Tracker, but before I finished ironing out
the details, the new Maemo Mapper update with built-in APRS came along and
was much easier to implement.

I've been using it for a few months now, off and on.

MaemoMapper will connect to an IGATE AND/OR a TNC at the same time.  You
can send position reports either via the Internet or RF.  It plots
received stations as way points, and you can review the list of
known-stations for their comment, position, speed/heading, and so on.

It will display messages, but does not yet transmit them.

On my N810, I load up a PL2302 USB-to-Serial driver at kernel boot.

I then start Maemo Mapper, hook up my USB cable which is connected to an
OpenTracker+ in KISS mode, then through the MaemoMapper UI I 'turn on'
RF/TNC APRS.

I hear stations quite frequently in this manner, but seldom get picked up
by an IGATE via RF, primarily because I live in Montana, and a 5w
transmitter, even into a 1/4 wave antenna, is very seldom heard by a digi.

It works, and pretty well IMHO.

I'd like to find more N810s to buy.  A sub-$200 pocketable 800x480
touch-screen GPS with keyboard and APRS functionality that ALSO is a
pretty powerful little computer is pretty slick.

I'm holding back on doing all of this with my 770.  I have a bluetooth
GPS, so that part is covered, but the serial interface is problematic on
the Nokia 770 NIT since the USB port is not powered.  You either need to
get a powered USB hub, or opt for a bluetooth serial adapter (seems those
are nearly $100) to get serial-output for the radio/TNC.

On the other hand, with a BT GPS and an Internet connection, you'd be all
set with the 770 and IGATEs.

There's also a list of Points Of Interest out there for Maemo Mapper for
"all" (as many as known) 2m and 70cm repeaters in the US.

-Tom Mandera, KE7VUX
N810/MaemoMapper/APRS thread -
http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=203373