[aprssig] Using an Android Device as an Igate

[Dallas]

Lee, Cross County Wireless (crosscountrywireless.net) has a Bluetooth TNC that meets your stated specifications. I have not used it personally, but their website says, "with the new Bluetooth version you can download a free Android app Digi Tracker Android from Google Play so that you can use your Android phone or tablet with the APRS TNC Digi Tracker as a heads-up display and also to Igate local APRS traffic to the the APRS-IS."  I haven't tried their TNC due to the cost. That TNC is sold in Great Britain and with the conversion rate, the current cost in US dollars is $192.75. To keep the costs reasonable for a Bluetooth device, I went with a Mobilinkd TNC for both the Igate at my house and my in car solution (the latter using APRSdroid for the visual piece on an old, deactivated smartphone). The Bluetooth TNC from Mobilinkd (http://www.mobilinkd.com) is $64.95. I have been using Mobilinkd TNCs for about a year and I'm very happy with them.  If the Cross County Wireless solution is too much for you, I can tell you more about my current Igate setup as it meets some but not all of the points that you mentioned. I have the Mobilinkd TNC connected wirelessly to a 10 year old laptop running APRSISCE to take care of the RF-IS piece, among other features. This laptop is wired to my home network. However, if you were looking for something that would run off a cellular data plan like the phone you mentioned, you could add a USB cellular data device to an old laptop gathering dust somewhere. As for the radio, I went with an inexpensive HT so I could run off AC without having to procure another power supply. The HT is connected in turn to a J-pole to improve reception.  I hope this helps. If you want more information on this setup, I wrote an article on it for our local ARES earlier this year at http://www.wcares.org/?page_id=3365.  I look forward to seeing expanded offerings for APRS on the Android operating system. I love APRSdroid as it works great running on my dash and when I'm on foot. Hopefully, it will continue to be developed to do things like Igate in the future. Dallas ClementsK7DCC
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 To: aprssig at tapr.org 
 Sent: Monday, December 22, 2014 12:00 PM
 Subject: aprssig Digest, Vol 126, Issue 15
   
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Today's Topics:

  1. Using an Android Device as an Igate (Leon Ciereszko)
 Greetings,         I am trying to throw together an igate for the CU-Boulder satellite ground station for high altitude balloon tracking.  To make it very portable and flexible I want to use a Bluetooth connected TNC/radio paired to an Android phone with a data connection.  The primary mission is to gate from RF to IS but more features are welcome.  Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Lee  N4TCW
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