Transcript APRS - AL7YK

Automatic Packet Reporting System
APRS
What is it?
Designed in the late 1980’s. It was designed to marry RF
traffic with what, at the time, was the comparable
bandwidth available on the POTS (Plain Old Telephone
System).
With the expansion of the Internet and the capabilities
associated with it, the concepts have grown to
accommodate more, faster information exchange.
APRS
What is it?
• Automatic Packet Reporting System
• Original specification did not include GPS
• Original concept was primarily a way to show “objects”
and “messages” (text messaging before people knew what
text messaging was).
APRS
What is it?
• Tactical
• Reliable
• Consistent
For more info, contact Spencer Hamons via the BARK website at
http://al7yk.org or my personal blog at http://itpodcast.org/blog
APRS
Tactical
• Messages
• Maps
• Situational Awareness
23 DigiPeaters in Range
8 Active
Weather
2 Mobile
Radios
in Range
of
this
radio
7
Objects
31
Kenwood
Radios
in
Broadcast
of thisStations
radio in
RangeRange
of this radio
9
Messages from
to thisthis
7 Messages
user
received
6
Messages
have not
user
transmitted
been replied to yet
APRS
Tactical -Continued
• Nested Menus
12 APRSThe
Stations,
last time
their
theFrequency
station the station
frequencies and
was/ heard
or
was on
callsigns
What about maps?
• Today, abundance of bandwidth
•• •Internet
GPS Capabilities
Capabilities
Added
Increased
in
1992
Abundance
of processing
power
•• •Graphics
1992 Capabilities
Capabilities
were
Increased
“local” only and DOS
Real-time
global awareness
How is GeoTrackingTactical?
• Position tracking in itself is not “tactical”
• It is the combination of real-time information related
to tracked objects that provides the tactical information
important to operations.
APRS
Tactical -Continued
•• What
arecan
these
“objects”?
Objects
be defined
by any user on the network.
Common use of objects are:
• Rally Points for Search and Rescue Operations
• Real-time weather events such as tornadoes or
snowstorms
• Non HAM users on the network such as
marathon runners, bicycle racers, hot air
balloons, or even dog sleds.
• Meeting locations
APRS
Tactical -Continued
• Simple but effective bulletin board
operations
• Can be displayed on computer, or radio
display
• Potentially useful in our environment for:
• Mass dispensing exercise
• K-300 checkpoint times and health checks
• SAR
How is it reliable?
Digipeater
Internet
Multiple Hops
APRS
Consistency
• Standard Message Format
• Standard Beaconing
• Standard Packet Type (AX.25)
How to Use APRS
Option 1
Use any PC, even an old one (notice the picture above, I
meant it). Put a TNC and an old radio out there, install free
APRS software like UI-View, and start sending messages,
bulletin board information and even emails between your
computer and RF users around the world.
How to Use APRS
Option 2
Use a radio with a GPS attached to send your position data.
Some GPS units allow two-way communications between
the radio and GPS device, and will map other users and
objects on the GPS screen in real-time.
How to Use APRS
Option 3
Get a handheld transceiver with built in APRS capabilities.
Some even have built in GPS. With this option, all you need
is in one device that can utilize most of the APRS capabilities.
How to Use APRS
Option 4
You can even take that same old, nasty computer we used
in example 1, add a weather station to it, and transmit
weather data to the APRS network in addition to all the
other features that APRS offers
Advanced APRS Features
•
AVRS – Automatic Voice Relay System
• Uses IRLP and EchoLink to enable VoIP (Voice
over IP) conversations to occur.
• User can “call” another user by callsign
• AVRS engine acts as a connection agent,
automatically connecting the nodes along the
path to the called user
Advanced APRS Features
AVRS
Internet
IGate / AVRS agent looks
at APRS system and
finds where KL2RB is at
and what Echolink or
IRLP node is connected.
Agent automatically
opens link to that node.
User KL2RA
requests to talk
with KL2RB
Remote node passes
packet request for
conversation to KL2RB on
radio screen. Voice traffic
passes as a normal
EchoLink or IRLP call.
Advanced APRS Features
Email to Internet Address
Internet
Centralized email engine on the
APRS network will route
outbound messages to any
Internet valid email address.
Only works one-way because
unlicensed users cannot “key”
the transmitter and move
messages over RF network.