[aprssig] HF APRS igates on fldigi

Joe Bennett aprs at ka3nam.com
Wed May 13 11:09:48 EDT 2020


Stephen --

I think we need to break this down a bit.

The question is, was the data not sent to my APRS client (which is Xastir) because the position sent was not in a KISS frame? In your testing you mention below, are you sending a KISS frame between your first and second radio/soundcard/computer test set up or are you sending ASCII characters (or both)? It looks to me (and I can be wrong) that Joe, N3HGB is sending an ASCII version of an APRS frame. My initial thought is that FLDigi did not send this to my APRS client because it thinks it just copied something that that could have been typed in via a keyboard. If it was formatted as a KISS frame, FLDigi may have made a different decision and sent that out the KISS interface...???

If I get some time and have all the parts, I'll attempt to mock up a Tx/Rx path and test my theory.. It'll probably just be back to back sound cards for this type of test.




-- Joe 
KA3NAM

May 13, 2020, 12:04 AM by wa8lmf2 at aol.com:

> 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>
>

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