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<p><font face="Arial">Several years and 15,000 miles of road-trip
drive-testing, using the VARA high-performance HF modem
alongside traditional AX.25 HF packet, has shown VARA to be
orders of magnitude superior for reliably transmitting APRS
position reports on HF. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">VARA exists exclusively as a Windows-based
sound-card "soft modem" - the only way to do APRS-over-VARA has
been to use a mobile laptop or Windows tablet in the vehicle. No
simple hardware-only solution analogous to the Byonics TinyTrack
for classic packet exists. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Recently, very inexpensive (starting at USD
$139) tiny Windows-based ultra-compact computers known as "stick
PCs" have become available. These devices are very small
fully-functional 64-bit Intel-based quad-core PCs. They include
4 USB-C ports, 1GB Ethernet port, WiFi 5, Bluetooth 5, a Realtek
HD sound system, and 4K-capable HDMI video. Further, these
devices run directly from 12 VDC, making them ideal for mobile
applications! </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">These devices are widely used to drive the 42"
monitors displaying menus over the counter at fast-food places,
and in airports for displaying incoming and outgoing flights. I
have now one setup one to operate as a stand-alone
APRS-over-VARA tracker. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Full details on the VARAtrack setup are on my
website at:</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/VARA"><http://WA8LMF.net/VARA></a> </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Scroll down the page and follow the link on
that page for "The VARAtrack". Near the bottom of the
VARAtrack page is a link to download a backup image file of my
entire setup that can be used to restore the entire setup to
another similar stick PC. </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">I will demonstrating the VARAtrack at the
Dayton Hamvention at my radio trailer aka "Studio B" in the
Emergency Comms Vehicles Expo.\</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"><img src="cid:part1.msjZuzCB.RB0xTCYp@aol.com"
alt="" width="475" height="389"></font></p>
<hr width="100%" size="2">
<p><font face="Arial">Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com <br>
<br>
EchoLink: Node # 14400 [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]<br>
Home Page: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wa8lmf.net">http://wa8lmf.net</a><br>
<br>
Live APRS Mapping on HF & VHF<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/map"><http://WA8LMF.net/map></a><br>
<br>
"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner"><http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner></a><br>
<br>
-- APRS over VARA --<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://wa8lmf.net/VARA/APRSoverVARA"><http://wa8lmf.net/VARA/APRSoverVARA></a><br>
<br>
HF APRS-over-VARA<br>
40M 7.083.5 USB 30M 10.148.2 USB <br>
<br>
<br>
-<br>
</font></p>
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