[aprssig] Announcing the VARAtrack APRS-over-VARA APRS Tracker

[Stephen H Smith]

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.

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.

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!

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.

Full details on the VARAtrack setup are on  my website at:

<http://WA8LMF.net/VARA>

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.

I will demonstrating the VARAtrack at the Dayton Hamvention at my radio trailer 
aka "Studio B" in the Emergency Comms Vehicles Expo.\


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com

EchoLink:  Node #  14400  [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page: http://wa8lmf.net

Live APRS Mapping on HF & VHF
<http://WA8LMF.net/map>

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
<http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner>

-- APRS over VARA  --
<http://wa8lmf.net/VARA/APRSoverVARA>

HF    APRS-over-VARA
   40M   7.083.5  USB       30M   10.148.2  USB


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