A P R S

APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) is a transmission mode which allows to exchange position reports of amateur stations, being fixed or mobile, and formatted data (like weather reports).

Basically, the positions - normally determined by GPS - are exchanged by 'Packet Radio' over the air (VHF, UHF or HF), and decoded by appropriate software to be presented on a suitable map where all the stations are plotted. The transmissions are made on dedicated frequencies and relayed (digipeated) by participating stations in the APRS networks, this enables position reports on world-wide basis. Some satellites are as well able to act as digipeater (e.g. the International Space Station ISS)

Next to transmissions over radio, the information / positions are forwarded to a number of backbone servers on the Internet, so the data can be published world-wide.

The FIXED APRS station (ON7EQ and ON7EQ-5 as Weather Station)

This station is built around following components:

Transceiver Kenwood TM-201A / 25w VHF 144.800 MHz

Receiver on 430.5125 MHz (X-band feed on Internet)

Antenna GPA 2x 5/8 15 m AGL

Software UI-View32

TNC : Kantronics KPC-3 running in KISS mode

IGATE service and Web publishing service through ADSL line, permanently connected to the Internet.

DNS lookup via DyDNS

Weather Station : Davis Weather Monitor II + Visual Weather Software

Web publishing : see http://on7eq.shacknet.nu/ for online APRS info!

See my FTP site ftp://on7eq.shacknet.nu/ for download of APRS maps

Some usefull links .....

Online MET report at ON7EQ-5

Bob Bruninga's WB4APR APRS site

The very complete APRS glossary of France APRS (in French)

The MOBILE APRS Station (ON7EQ-9 and ON7EQ-6 via satellite)

This station is built around following components:

Transceiver ICOM IC-2725/ 50w VHF/UHF (one RTX reserved for APRS)

TinyTrack V3 APRS encoder

'Mouse' GPS or GARMIN GPS-III Pilot NMEA-183 out

Some usefull links .....

Latest known position report of ON7EQ-9

TinyTrack by BYONICS (see here my recommended settings)

The APRS Satellite Gateway Station (ON7EQ-1)

This station receives APRS frames from (micro)satellites (or the ISS) and forwards these on RF and to the APRS Worldwide Web Network.
In order to avoid any desensing from the other APRS activity at the station QTH, the receiver is located about 30kms away and connected through Internet with main station by serial to tcp/ip converters.

The station is built around following components:

Transceiver Kenwood portable Radio

Bandfilter

Kantronics TNC

Serial to tcp/ip converter LS-100

Quadrifiar Helix Antenna (QFH)

Special thanks to Claude ON7TK for hosting the receiver at his QTH !

Web publishing :

click on map below for online screen capture of ISS activity received by SATGATE station!

The Portable APRS Station (ON7EQ-12)

I wanted to assemble an ultra-compact (75 x 55 x 15mm) portable tracker, which can be connected to 'any' portable radio (Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom, ...). The result is the NANOTRACKER, a 'all-in-one' GPS + APRS encoder, which is self powered, and can be used for portable and/or mobile APRS reporting.
More details on the NANOTRACKER page.

The FIXED APRS station (ON7EQ and ON7EQ-5 as Weather Station)
This station is built around following components: Transceiver Kenwood TM-201A / 25w VHF 144.800 MHz Receiver on 430.5125 MHz (X-band feed on Internet) Antenna GPA 2x 5/8 15 m AGL Software UI-View32 TNC : Kantronics KPC-3 running in KISS mode IGATE service and Web publishing service through ADSL line, permanently connected to the Internet. DNS lookup via DyDNS Weather Station : Davis Weather Monitor II + Visual Weather Software Web publishing : see http://on7eq.shacknet.nu/ for online APRS info! See my FTP site ftp://on7eq.shacknet.nu/ for download of APRS maps Some usefull links ..... Online MET report at ON7EQ-5 Bob Bruninga's WB4APR APRS site The very complete APRS glossary of France APRS (in French)

The MOBILE APRS Station (ON7EQ-9 and ON7EQ-6 via satellite)
This station is built around following components: Transceiver ICOM IC-2725/ 50w VHF/UHF (one RTX reserved for APRS) TinyTrack V3 APRS encoder 'Mouse' GPS or GARMIN GPS-III Pilot NMEA-183 out Some usefull links ..... Latest known position report of ON7EQ-9 TinyTrack by BYONICS (see here my recommended settings)

The APRS Satellite Gateway Station (ON7EQ-1)
This station receives APRS frames from (micro)satellites (or the ISS) and forwards these on RF and to the APRS Worldwide Web Network. In order to avoid any desensing from the other APRS activity at the station QTH, the receiver is located about 30kms away and connected through Internet with main station by serial to tcp/ip converters. The station is built around following components: Transceiver Kenwood portable Radio Bandfilter Kantronics TNC Serial to tcp/ip converter LS-100 Quadrifiar Helix Antenna (QFH) Special thanks to Claude ON7TK for hosting the receiver at his QTH ! Web publishing : click on map below for online screen capture of ISS activity received by SATGATE station!


The Portable APRS Station (ON7EQ-12)
I wanted to assemble an ultra-compact (75 x 55 x 15mm) portable tracker, which can be connected to 'any' portable radio (Kenwood, Yaesu, Icom, ...). The result is the NANOTRACKER, a 'all-in-one' GPS + APRS encoder, which is self powered, and can be used for portable and/or mobile APRS reporting. More details on the NANOTRACKER page.