[aprssig] battery portable HF APRS?

[Lynn W Deffenbaugh (Mr)]

JS8Call has support for GRID (up to 12 character) transmissions and 
every suitably configured JS8Call receiver can convert these reports 
into APRS packets to the ARPS-IS.  I haven't seen any "portable" (read: 
micro-controller) encoding code for JS8Call, but I suspect it would be 
just as possible as the WSPR encoder code was.

Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32

On 11/24/2019 9:53 AM, Ron VE8RT wrote:
> GM Matthew,
>
>     I have a BITx40 I built, and was considering it, but either I messed
> up and can no longer find them online (haven't tried the auction sites
> though) or they're no longer available new.  As the QRP Labs monoband
> QCX line of very affordable and highly rated CW transceiver kits will
> also do WSPR I would have been very happy to have the (proprietary)
> code include APRS transmit and then add an external board for the
> decode transmitter control (or logic).  It has been suggested, maybe
> I'm too impatient, that I wait for the QSX SSB capable model and use an
> off the shelf TNC for HF.
>
>       Ron VE8RT
>
> On Sun, 24 Nov 2019 00:49:13 -0600
> Matthew Chambers <mchambers at mchambersradio.com> wrote:
>
>> Have you looked at any of the ubitx kits? Those come in multi and mono band
>> versions, and you can turn off the display to save some battery. Also they
>> don't come with a case so you can mount the board in whatever case you want
>> and even mount the TNC board along with the radio.
>>
>>> On Sun, Nov 24, 2019, 12:22 AM Ron VE8RT <ve8rt at yknwt.ca> wrote:
>>>
>>>> The FT817 or FT818 has been recommended, and I could see it working out
>>>> OK for some situations.  If the station were a bicycle mobile on the
>>>> annual Yellowknife to Hay River event the proposed FT817, and its
>>>> batteries would take up valuable space and add significant weight. (no
>>>> place to charge batteries, there is litterly nothing but wilderness for
>>>> long stretches of 150 miles or more).  For an event like this I'd
>>>> really like to have an APRS frequency on 60M where NVIS is possible.
>>>>
>>>> What I was hoping to find was a 5W or higher output transceiver, that
>>>> was lightweight, easier on batteries, and relatively inexpensive. Along
>>>> the lines of the no longer available PSK20 from Small Wonder Labs.  A
>>>> monoband transceiver would do to start with, along with a basic tracker
>>>> interface, just to experiment with.
>>>>
>>>> Maybe there are no suitable current production radios or kits.
>>>>
>>>>     Ron VE8RT
>>>>
>>>> On Sat, 23 Nov 2019 22:27:30 -0500
>>>> "wa4zko ." <wa4zko at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Ron,
>>>>>
>>>>> More than a few options out there, but I use:
>>>>>
>>>>> RADIO:  Yaesu FT-817ND/818ND
>>>>>
>>>>> TNC:  SCS Tracker DSP TNC - flexible (10-20v) voltage requirements,
>>>> draws
>>>>> next to no power (<100 mA), 5 packet modes in one small box well suited
>>>> to
>>>>> portable/mobile setups. It can run as a stand-alone tracker (no
>>>> PC/laptop
>>>>> required) or with a lot of the common APRS software programs.
>>>>>
>>>>> GPS - Garmin GPS76CSx, a 3-wire "hockey puck" GPS or tap into NMEA out
>>>> on
>>>>> some of my other gear. Many GPS options out there and the latest rev of
>>>> the
>>>>> SCS Tracker TNC's GPS port can even power some of them for you.
>>>>>
>>>>> POWER: Rig's internal power or an external power/battery pack. I've had
>>>>> great luck with the Bi0enno LiFePo battery packs.
>>>>>
>>>>> HF ANTENNA: Pick your poison, lots of options for portable HF antennas,
>>>>> some suck slightly less than others LOL. I do okay with just a $20
>>>> hamstick
>>>>> for mobile and a dipole or end-fed halfwave wire when camping/etc.
>>>>>
>>>>> Have taken the above on the road and into the backcountry as needed.
>>>> This
>>>>> provides me with my choice of:
>>>>> Robust Packet APRS (HF)
>>>>> 300 baud APRS (HF)
>>>>> 1200 baud APRS (2m and 6m)
>>>>> 9600 baud APRS (typically on 70cm) (FT-817/818 do 9600 just FB)
>>>>>
>>>>> Jerry VE6AB does some similar stuff and written a lot about his portable
>>>>> ops in QST and his blog. Check him out on QRZ.
>>>>>
>>>>> GL & 73
>>>>> Jeff
>>>>> WA4ZKO
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ron VE8RT <ve8rt at yknwt.ca>
>>>>
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>