APRS functions Manual
Your journey, Our technology
Table of contents
I. Introduction 4
II. Quick Set-up 5
III. Activating the APRS mode 6
IV. Finding APRS Contacts 7
V. Managing APRS contacts 10
VI. Setting an APRS contact as Target 11
VII. Messaging to APRS contacts 13
VIII. APRS Options 15
IX. Compatibility 16
X. TechnicalSpecications 18
Appendix: Units setup 20
AvMap - 3
I. Introduction
APRS is a method for sending and receiving position and
other information over a radio transceiver.
The Geosat 6 APRS is ready to accept APRS inputs from a
radio transceiver and to provide x position output data
to the transceiver in order to transmit its current position.
Geosat 6 APRS provides GPS location information for your
transmitted APRS beacons, and it shows received APRS
information on its map display.
The Geosat 6 APRS comes with an APRS cable for use with
designated Kenwood transceivers
The input/output port used for APRS is the serial port on
the right side of the Geosat 6.
APRS© was developed by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR
4 - AvMap
II. Quick Set-up
How to set-up your transceiver:
Enter your call sign •
BAUD Rate=9600 •
Waypoint=ALL •
Waypoint size=9 character (this as also called •
waypoint length)
Beacon method = Smartbeaconing •
(if your device supports this)
Waypoint output=ALL •
If you are using a Kenwood D72 turn off F-1 •
Internal GPS
How to set-up your Geosat 6 APRS:
The Geosat 6 APRS is defaulted to 9600 BAUD rate. If
your radio device supports 4800 BAUD rate you can
change this setting also on your Geosat 6 APRS in the
APRS options page (Chap VIII). Touch the Options
button in the APSR menu, touch Serial Port and then
choose your option.
Connecting the devices:
Your Geosat 6 APRS is supplied with an APRS cable: the
3 pole end (the one with 2 black rings) goes into the
2.5mm socket of your radio or TNC device.
The 4 pole end (the one with 3 black rings) goes in the
top 2.5 mm I/O socket of the Geosat 6 APRS; make
sure they are really snug in the socket.
For a detailed set-up explanation of the Kenwood THD7, TM-D700, TM-D710 and TH-D72 read Appendix.
AvMap - 5
III. Activating the APRS mode
To enter in the APRS mode, open the main navigation
menu and press the APRS Functions button. To enable or
to disable the APRS mode, press the Enable/disable APRS
Button in the APRS Functions Menu. Push this button to
enabled or disable the other buttons.
The APRS Functions menu includes four buttons:
Disable/Enable APRS•
APRS contacts•
Messages•
Options (APRS Settings)•
The Messages button is available when Geosat 6 APRS is
connected to a compatible radio transceiver or modem
supporting the Messaging functions. Find the list of Geosat
6 APRS messaging compatible radio transceivers and
modems on line www.avmap.us or/and www.avmap.it.
6 - AvMap
IV. Finding APRS Contacts
APRS icons on the map:
As soon as you connect Geosat 6 APRS to your transceiver
you will start receiving APRS positions called “APRS
contacts”. Geosat 6 can store up 1000 APRS contacts and
display them on the map.
You can watch APRS activity right on the screen and you
can distinguish between xed and mobile APRS stations.
Static positions are represented by blue bulls-eye icons
along with the associated call sign. If the Geosat 6 APRS
is used with a Kenwood D710A/E or TH-72A/E (enabling
Kenwood sentence format on the radio) the standard APRS
icons set will be used to represent APRS stations.
To get more info on an APRS contact on the map, zoom in
and touch it, the Call sign will appear in the info bar at
the bottom of the screen, Touch it to view the Full info
page.
APRS contacts list:
You can also see the list of received contacts; you can
AvMap - 7
APRS Functions
sort them or delete them by entering the APRS contacts
Menu. To enter in the APRS Contacts Menu, press the APRS
Contacts button in the APRS Functions menu. The APRS
contacts folder shows all APRS contacts received from the
connected radio. Touch one APRS contact on the list to
open the Full info page.
Full info on APRS contacts:
You have detailed info on stationary and moving APRS
contacts as Geosat 6 APRS fully takes advantage of the
Kenwood format sentence.
This ‘Tactical mode’ allows you to select an APRS contact
from the APRS contact list, or from the map to see on the
full info page: call sign and position, time stamp of its last
report as well as (for moving APRS contacts) its speed,
course and altitude.
The Full info page show the info about the APRS contact
and 6 buttons (4 on the right and 2 at the bottom):
8 - AvMap
APRS functions
Delete• : Touch this button to delete the selected
APRS contact from the APRS contact list.
Save as contact• : touch this button to save the
selected APRS contact as a standard Contact.
This may be useful to save the Call Sign position
so to change icon or to add telephone number; in
this way the contact is available even if the APRS
functions are disabled. Contacts can be accessed
from the Main Menu / My Data page.
Show on Map• : touch this button to see the position
of the contact on the map.
Send Message• : Select this button to send a message
to the selected APRS contact. (This function is only
available when a compatible radio transceiver or
modem supporting Messaging is connected to the
Geosat 6 APRS).
Set as Target• : touch this button to set the selected
APRS contact target to be tracked. (Read Chap.VI)
Go To• : touch this button to set the selected APRS
contact as destination. The navigator will calculate
the route to drive from your current position to the
selected APRS contact. If APRS contact changes his
position, route is automatically recalculated.
AvMap - 9
V. Managing APRS contacts
Geosat 6 APRS can auto-delete the received APRS
contacts positions based on a user dened timeout. You
can also sort your APRS contacts based on alphabetical
order or received time. Touch the Options button in the
APRS menu.
Contacts sorting:
Touch Contact sorting, and then choose to sort the APRS
Folder based on call sign or date-time.
Contacts Timeout:
Touch Contacts timeout and choose to automatically
delete contacts from the APRS Contacts Folder based
on selected time period. It is important to have your
time correctly set on your TNC/Radio and on your AvMap
Geosat 6 APRS
10 - AvMap
VI. Setting an APRS contact as Target
On the full info page of the APRS contact, you can set the
APRS contact as Target, by touching the Set as Target button.
This allows you tracking a moving APRS contact: you will have
a shortcut on the map to display the position of the target,
and you will be able to monitor info relative to the target in
the data boxes in the left side of the map.
Intercepting the target:
After you set the APRS contact as Target, a pop-up window
asks you if you want to set this target as your destination
too.
If you touch “Yes”: the map will be displayed and Geosat
6 APRS will calculate the route to intercept the target.
This way, not only you will be able to monitor the target
but you will also navigate towards it getting rerouting
instructions when its new position is reported.
If you touch “No” the APRS contact is set as target to be
tracked even if no destination or another destination is
set. To display the map touch the Map button in the upper
AvMap - 11
Loading...