[aprssig] Quick APRS hardware survey (APRS Hotspot)

[Greg Trasuk]

Working on it…

https://github.com/trasukg/local-aprs

As it stands now, I’m running a Pi in my house that has a connection to a TNC and 2M radio.  The tnc is shared out using my share-tnc utility (https://github.com/trasukg/share-tnc) and can actually be used as a full , shared TNC by APRSIS32 or YAAC (yes, multiple clients on the shared TNC works just fine, so long as they have different call signs/SSIDs).  You could also run APRX as a digipeater if you wanted, I suppose.  I’m working on a portable setup with the Pi, a sound-card interface, and a Motorola GM300 in one box.

In addition, any plain old web browser can access a web page that has a running log of packets (updated continuously over a web-socket connection).  I’m in the process of writing a web-based APRS client that could be used by everyone in LAN range.  The goal is to let anyone use a read-only version, and then let authorized users (who have a call-sign and SSID) use it in two-way mode to exchange messages and status.

If anybody wants to help out, give me a shout.  It’s all in JavaScript using Node.js, which is reasonably accessible to today’s developers.  The web client side is AngularJS, again in JavaScript.

Cheers,

Greg Trasuk, VA3TSK

> On Jun 22, 2017, at 1:41 PM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> 
> Does this already exist?
> 
> A Raspberry Pi WiFi hotspot connected to a local APRS radio.  The Pi is a
> server delivering WEB pages to everyone in 1000 feet showing the APRS
> tactical situation that the radio is monitoring.
> 
> This is for ALL people in the field with hand held devices to be able to see
> the tactical situation on their handheld device.  No internet anywhere is
> needed.
> 
> I am really impressed with what the OUTERNET people did.  The difference is
> that their "radio" montors the INMARSAT downlinks (anywhere on earth) and
> serve up the content (which includes an APRS channel).
> See http://aprs.org/outnet.html
> 
> The stock WiFi antenna is only good for a few hundred feet range, but
> soldering on a 1.5" piece of wire as the WiFi antenna high and in the clear
> easily  got to 1000' radius.  Enough to cover things like Dayton Hamvention
> for example.
> 
> Bob, WB4APR
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: aprssig [mailto:aprssig-bounces at tapr.org] On Behalf Of Scott Miller
> Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2017 1:30 AM
> To: aprssig at tapr.org
> Subject: [aprssig] Quick APRS hardware survey
> 
> As some of you know, I haven't been very active in the ham world for the
> last three years or so.  That's mostly because a sideline project building
> LED hula hoops (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn-AP8DP254)
> really took off. We've moved to a larger shop, hired more people, and
> acquired some cool new production equipment, but the
> OpenTracker/Tracker3 line has been basically in maintenance mode.
> 
> The ADS-SR2 project, that started out as a dual-port successor to the
> ADS-SR1 simplex repeater, is my main development focus now. It's snowballed
> into a multi-function thing with simplex, cross-band, and duplex voice
> repeater support, and I'm merging all of the major functions of the Tracker3
> into it.  It has a full-fledged BASIC interpreter with a high-level command
> for manipulating voice traffic and APRS packet and support for Modbus RTU
> (and yes, I'll probably add
> 1-wire) for sensors and relays. I've got a partially-working Echolink client
> running on it.  It has Wi-Fi support and is web configurable, does IGating,
> has a telnet server and client, and can work in access point mode so you
> could use your mobile phone to access your VHF-connected mobile hotspot and
> do APRS text messaging, and maybe even gate mail from a standard mobile
> email client through Winlink eventually.
> 
> I keep growing in different directions with it, but I really need to nail
> down specs for a hardware version or two and the initial software release.
> I'm curious what everyone's most interested in. The full-size Tracker3, the
> OT3m, has really slacked off in sales. The embeddable T3-Mini sells
> considerably more.  I think the market for a device like the T3 without
> network connectivity is pretty well saturated already.
> There's a lot to be done in the network-connected device arena, and there
> could be a much smaller version, potentially with a built-in 1-watt
> transceiver.
> 
> What would *you* be most interested in, in terms of new embedded APRS
> hardware?  What do you want to accomplish that's too much hassle or expense
> with the existing options?
> 
> 73,
> 
> Scott
> N1VG
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