[aprssig] APRS-B?

[Stephen H. Smith]

On 6/24/2013 11:29 AM, Robert Bruninga wrote:
>>> I'm impressed with the 500 mw transceivers on 433 MHz costing
>>> $20 or so and operating at 9600 baud.
>
>> Can you summarize their availability?
>
> Scott has them:   Argent Data Systems:
> https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=157
> _______________________________________________
> aprssig mailing list
> aprssig at tapr.org
> http://www.tapr.org/mailman/listinfo/aprssig
>

I think the seemingly dirt-cheap device is a snare and a delusion.

As far as I can determine, a pair of these devices comprise essentially a 
cordless serial cable.

You are still going to need the functional equivalent of HALF a TNC at each end 
to provide the packet assembler/disassembler (PAD) functions (i.e. combining 
headers, payload, checksums, bit-stuffing, etc) and then "spoon-feed" one 8-bit 
byte at a time into the sending transceiver. (This is assuming you want these 
devices to present a "normal" TNC-like serial interface to existing APRS 
applications.)

Obviously this would not be too difficult for a PC or microcontroller to do, 
but it does increase the hardware and software complexity external to the 
device sharply.

I.e. are you going to use an entire second computer (Raspberry Pi, Arduino, 
Basic Stamp, etc) to glue a PC to a $20 gadget?