Fwd: [aprssig] HF APRS igates on fldigi
Bill Vodall
APRS-Messenger disappear but the future is bright with the flexibility
and power of modern tools such as FLDIGI.
---------- Forwarded message ---------
On 5/10/2020 11:27 PM, Joe Bennett via aprssig wrote:
> I'm all for moving off of 60 Meters. Look, it's a great band and I'm set up
> there right now. The lack of automatic control makes it undesirable for a lot
> of the core functions of APRS. 40 or 30 meters would seem to be a better
> alternative..
>
> KA3NAM
>
30 meters has been used for over 3 decades for HF AX.25 packet APRS.
Approximately a dozen 30M igates scattered around North America (including mine
in central MI) monitor the channel 24/7. You can monitor and transmit 30M
300-baud packet APRS by setting your radio to 10.147.60 USB and setting a
hardware or software TNC (such as the UZ7HO Soundmodem) to use 1600/1800 Hz
"KAM" tones. TNC2s and clones (such as the MFJ-127x series) also use this tone
pair in the 300-baud HF mode. An alternative for a transmit-only "tracker" is
to use a TinyTrack 3 programmed to 300-baud HF mode (rather than the usual
1200-baud VHF mode). I have used a Yaesu FT-857 with a single-band 30M
"Hamstick" whip in the mobile with with great success for many years.
Long-Range APRS on 30 Meters HF
<http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/HF_APRS_Notes.htm>
For the last 11 years, the classic packet APRS was joined by
APRS-over-PSK63-and-MFSK16 courtesy of a single application "APRS Messenger". .
This program, written by G4HYG, combined a waterfall soundcard modem for
these modes, a split-screen send/receive terminal, a serial interface for a GPS
for tracker mode, and IP sockets that allowed it to function as an igate.
The performance of MFSK16 on HF was an ORDER-OF-MAGNITUDE better than classic
AX.25 packet on HF. For many years, my 30M HF receive/igate setup ran the
"UZ7HO Soundmodem" for 300-baud HF packet, and Messenger for PSK63/MFSK16
side-by-side.
The MFSK16 mode would allow flawless keyboard-keyboard APRS messaging at
times when the 30M band sounded totally dead; it would copy signals reliably
even when you could hear NOTHING in the speaker. I was living in Pasadena, CA
at the time, and could carry on APRS message conversations from my mobile in
Los Angeles or Las Vegas to stations in the MidWest almost any time of the day
or night.
Then quite abruptly, the author took down the website for the program and
stopped distributing it in December 2019. He claimed compatibility problems
with Windows 10, though I didn't have any problems when I tried it on a Win 10
setup. I suspect he just didn't want to spend the ever expanding amount of
time supporting configuration issues. (The author owns and runs "Cross Country
Wireless", a small mfr of radio accessories like active receive antennas,
filters, etc.)
My experimentation with FLdigi KISS is an attempt to bring back the
extraordinary capability of MFSK16 to APRS.
Shortly, I will add the FLdigi MFSK mode to my 30M igate setup.
As I explained in the long post at the beginning of this thread, I am
particularly interested in 60 meters because of it's NVIS (high-angle skywave
operation) propagation that allows 0-400 to 500 mile propagation without a skip
zone. 30 or 40 meters normally have a skip zone of 150-350 miles, meaning you
won't hear stations closer than that.
From my QTH in central Michigan, 60 meters means I can hear anything in
Michigan (including the remoter regions of the Upper Peninsula), Ohio, Indiana,
Illinois, Wisconsin and Western Ontario quite consistently. These areas are
inaudible for me on 30 meters - they are too close.
As I pointed out before, I have in mind not only the typical stand-alone
beacons, but also the Mic-E mode of sending position bursts each time you unkey
on a voice transmission. 60 is uniquely suited to this, since it's the only HF
band NOT segregated between voice and non-voice data modes. You can freely
intermix voice and data on any of the 60-meter channels.
__________________________________________________________
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/>
Bill Erhardt
Howdy from Bill K7MT,
I am on HF 300 and Robus Packet 30 meters for some time and seen the activity drop off on Messenger. I see a lot of HF packet show up on the Messenger TNC screen but little on the Messenger PSK63 side.
I will continue as is with HF and Robust Packet daylight hours as my small solar system cannot support HF 24/7. Solar power my 144.390 terrestrial APRS computer/radio/tnc and ISS SATE 24/7 with UISS Software only transmitting 5 times a minute apart when it hears a packet on 145.825. I then stops and waits for another packet before transmitting again as PSAT-1 does trigger it some time….
BTW, I am experimenting with Falcon Sat 9600 Baud APRS up on 145.840 and down on 435.103 with my new to me TM-D710GA. There are two Igates not including me but little traffic. I did my Kenwood Hand Held in the care and drove around Helena and beaconed 9600 baud on uplink and it heard my 5 watt hand held and gated me…
Love APRS Bill K7MT.
Sent from Mail for Windows 10
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