APRS with Xastir...

WUZombies

Adventurist
APRS via a Raspberry Pi running Xastir with a nice 7" LCD using a Rigblaster Plug&Play for the TNC to my FT-7900r. Back in the late 90s/early 00s I was a Linux guy with a number of boxes running and an admin of a BSD server, but holy **** my Linux-Fu is rusty.

I'm slowly putting everything together, with the final goal of being able to run the setup on a FT-857D being able to switch from VHF to HF when the terrain makes VHF non-functional (also studying to test up on the next exam session so I can do that), but stay on VHF for most ops.

I think I'm going to end up 3D printing a custom case to house it all so it's a contained unit that'll fit in a Ram Mount X-Mount on my dash next to the iPad mini I use for general GPS navigation/topo maps while using a keyboard with built in touchpad on an X-Mount coming off the center console for messaging and functionality.

The cost of this sort of setup is stupid cheap (compared to what it would cost to use a dedicated laptop).

Anyone else? Any advice?
 
I keep almost making the APRS leap, as every year things get a little "smoother" from a DIY standpoint. Then someone on another forum pointed to this:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00Y27XVG2

Which is very nearly a turnkey APRS solution. Obviously not as full-featured as what you've described, but it does draw a line below which it's not worth mucking about. Now that thing is only 1W, so for our purposes, probably not "there yet", but I will keep an eye on things as who knows what comes next.

The HF option you've described is nice, though.
 
I keep almost making the APRS leap, as every year things get a little "smoother" from a DIY standpoint. Then someone on another forum pointed to this:
https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00Y27XVG2

Which is very nearly a turnkey APRS solution. Obviously not as full-featured as what you've described, but it does draw a line below which it's not worth mucking about. Now that thing is only 1W, so for our purposes, probably not "there yet", but I will keep an eye on things as who knows what comes next.

The HF option you've described is nice, though.


Well for that there's an option to run APRS Pro on an iPad with a TNC for a Baofeng, which makes an 8w handheld dual band (I have one it's nice even if the power smokes the battery). The GNE last month with a lack of repeater support in the areas we were in brought about this idea for group communications and connectivity. So in the last few weeks I've jumped into the deep in, as it were. If I can get this figured out and it works like I want it to then I think adventurists would have a solid commo option. Part of the problem with HF voice communications is that unless you're getting vertical bounce or ground wave, propagation can easily skip your target if they're too close but blocked by mountains/whatever. APRS on HF runs on 30M, pair a good HF mobile rig with a 30M Hamstick and I think we have a good solution that is survivable with tree strikes (speaking of which I have a new "trucker" antenna for my Wilson cellphone repeater sitting my my garage to replace the one that broke from a tree strike last week that I still need to put on).
 
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