[aprssig] HF APRS igates on fldigi

[Stephen H. Smith]

On 5/12/2020 11:46 PM, Joe Bennett via aprssig wrote:
> Here is what I got. I never gated it. I'm guessing that its because it was not 
> a KISS frame???? I'm not sure what FLDigi needs to see to forward it over the 
> KISS interface. I'll have to work on setting up some sort of test bed so I can 
> test it end to end.
> 
> 

What APRS client are you using?

As of Monday  11 May, a new version of YAAC was released that now includes the 
manual beacon-on-demand feature.  It places a BCN button on the toolbar at the 
upper-left of the main window.
    Note that, in YAAC, you WILL have to go into "File, Configure, Expert 
Mode". Then click the "Beacon" tab.  Set Digipeatd Path to --direct-- and then 
set "Initial repeat rate" to 0. then click the "Save Changes" button 
counter-intuitively at the top of the screen instead of the bottom.

I would strongly recommend updating to it if you haven't done so already.  Go 
here to download the version:

     <http://www.ka2ddo.org/ka2ddo/YAAC.html#install>

Direct link to the zip file:

     <http://www.ka2ddo.org/ka2ddo/YAAC.zip>

After FLDigi decodes the transmission, are you seeing it in the local monitor 
windows of the APRS client?  If so, then you are making it over the KISS link 
between FLdigi and the APRS client.

Note that you WILL have create a new "port" for a KISS-over-IP link in either 
YAAC or APRS-is32. You have to specify the correct IP address and port # before 
anything happens beyond FLdigi.  Note that YAAC offers two kinds of KISS ports: 
plain KISS and "simple KISS.   The conventional KISS mode sends the 
initialization commands to command a conventional TNC2 or equivalent from 
default command line mode into KISS mode.
    "simple KISS" mode assumes you have one of the newer minimal TNCs that are 
always in KISS mode, and that don't need initialization.   This is the mode you 
want with FLdigi, so you don't fill FLdigi's transmit buffer with init string 
trash.

I have a test setup with a second radio/soundcard interface/computer with the 
radio running into a dummy load.  I have successfully transmitted beacons 
between this second radio and my primary monitor/mapping/igate radio and 
computer.  I'm actually using radio-to-radio RF transmission over a distance of 
about 4 feet. The net result is a valid APRS posit the plots correctly on local 
mapping apps -and- igates correctly to the APRS-IS system.

It works with all combinations of YAAC via direct KISS connection to FLdigi, 
and UIview32 via the Com0com serial<-->IP bridge to FLdigi;  i.e. YAAC-to-YAAC, 
UIview-to-UIview, or one of each in either direction. I hav ealso sent APRS 
messages between the two setups
    I can only conclude that the KISS link between the client and FLdigi on 
each end is not "mangling" the APRS string in any way.

Important to all these setups is that you MUST start FLdigi (it's the TCP/IP 
server) first.  Else the TCP client socket on the APRS client will have nothing 
to connect to, and will fail on startup.

________________________________________________________
Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:        WA8LMF
EchoLink:  Node #  14400  [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.net

-----   NEW!    60-Meter APRS!   HF NVIS APRS Igate Now Operating  ------
    <http://wa8lmf.ddns.net:14447/>



Live Off-The-Air APRS Activity Maps
    <http://wa8lmf.net/map>

Long-Range APRS on 30 Meters HF
    <http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/HF_APRS_Notes.htm>