[aprssig] T3-9670 1-watt 70cm 9600 baud data radio - $72 pre-order price

[Scott Miller]

Hi all,

In recent years a ton of low-cost high-speed radio modules have hit the 
market, but until now there haven't been any that were compatible with 
existing amateur modulation standards.  I recently got my hands on some 
new modules that I was able to get to work with standard 9600 baud G3RUH 
gear.  It took a bit of hacking, but the trickery is handled by a 
modified Tracker3 processor that hides the details from the host and 
works as a standard USB KISS TNC.

Right now we're at the prototype stage and there's still tuning and 
polishing to be done, but everything's looking very good.  My bench test 
unit is happily talking to a TH-D7A at 9600 baud and if parts arrive in 
time I'm hoping to fly a 9600 baud balloon payload by the end of the week.

It's a very small and simple device - just a USB connection, SMA jack 
for an antenna, and a DC jack for optional external power if you want to 
run it as a standalone digipeater.  The prototype pictured looks a 
little rough because the end panels are 3D printed.  The final product 
should have machined or stamped end panels.

I'm not sure how much interest there is in such a device, so I'm putting 
it out there as a pre-order item so we can gauge how many we need to 
produce in the first batch, whether it'll be worth stamping the parts, 
and so on.  Final price is likely to be a bit higher than the pre-order 
price of $72.  We should be shipping by the end of November, and maybe 
even a bit sooner than that.

I'm planning to make this the first in a series of products that I'm 
hoping will kick-start some higher speed, more advanced APRS networks.

You can place your pre-order here:

https://www.argentdata.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=171

And if anyone has any ham gear that does higher than 9600 baud that 
they'd like to lend me for compatibility testing, I'd be happy to try it 
out.  The modules will do at least 128 kbps talking to each other in 
their native format, but G3RUH compatibility imposes some restrictions 
and I'm not sure yet exactly how fast I'll be able to crank them up and 
still stay compatible.

Thanks and 73,

Scott, N1VG
Argent Data Systems