[aprssig] Remote APRS

[Stephen H. Smith]

On 3/14/2011 2:31 PM, Andrew Rich wrote:
> Hello
> Has anyone done this ?
> 1. Place a PC on the internet in a remote location.
> 2. Place a TNC and radio on the serial port
> 3. Somehow "access" the remote PC TNC and radio
> 4. At the same time supprt packets into the APRS -IS
> Remote satellite ground station supporting packeta and APRS-IS
> - Andrew -
>

If you are have Internet access at the remote site,  this can be done with just 
a copy of UIview running on a very minimal PC (I do it with a low-powered 
Intel-Atom-based netbook).  The remote site copy of UIview can act as an 
igate.  In addition,  UIview's "local server" feature allows any number of 
other APRS apps, either locally or over the Internet via router port 
forwarding, to use the radio/TNC combo connected to the first copy of UIview.

The netbook only draws about 15 watts and is very adequate to run UIview or 
similar apps, especially if you don't need fancy map servers or map displays at 
the remote location.      I have essentially done this with my TH-D7 handheld 
connected to the Acer Aspire netbook which then connected to the Internet via 
the Wi-Fi of a nearby McDonalds.

In a similar approach, I have connected the "tape recording output" of a 
Uniden/Bearcat BC-760 scanner  to the mic input of the netbook and used AGWpe 
with UIview to do an instant receive-only igate.


A completely different approach would be to use the available APRS igate 
firmware for a Linksys WRT-54GL router.  The router is actually a single-board 
Linux-powered computer that has serial ports -- they just aren't brought off 
the board to the rear panel in a stock Linksys.   With the firmware load, and a 
little hardware hacking to bring out the serial ports, you have a low-power 
12-VDC-powered "black box" that will go directly from a TNC's serial port to 
IP, either local or Internet.

Note that you have to have the WRT54 with the -L suffix that is the Linux-based 
version of this device.   The vast majority of WRT-54s in retail channels are 
the non -L versions that use a proprietary operating system that fits in half 
as much flash memory for cost-reduction purposes.  These units are not 
adaptable to the APRS usage.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node:      WA8LMF  or 14400    [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Skype:        WA8LMF
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.net

=====  Vista & Win7 Install Issues for UI-View and Precision Mapping =====
     http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/UIview_Notes.htm#VistaWin7

*** HF APRS over PSK63 ***
    http://wa8lmf.net/APRS_PSK63/index.htm

"APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
   http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths





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