| APRS Automatic Packet Reporting System
APRS system requires a location sensor (GPS
- Satellite Receiver), a Packet radio transmission system on one end and
a packet radio receiver and a computer on the other end of the system.
It receives by satellite and transmits by
radio the current location and encodes it in a standardized format as a
beaconed digital transmission for all listening stations to hear and
interpret the stations position on a map. See example maps below. |
 APRS
Frequency 144.390 |
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Map of Greater Buffalo
using Google maps through
aprs.fi
web site
Call signs or names show
location of beaconing APRS stations
Red line is a traveling
vehicle with APRS
Lake freighters with APRS
are also shown |
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Shows the location of the
W2SO 147.255
two meter repeater |
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The components required
for APRS are fairly simple and one can equip their car, boat, horse,
etc with APRS for under a couple hundred dollars.
As shown in the photo, a GPS receiver
determines its position based on differences in timing signals from
several of the satellites in the GPS constellation. This data is fed
into a tiny computer (TinyTracker3 in the photo) that that
processes this data into the format required
by the APRS network. It then periodically generates an audio signal
(radio modem tones) and passes it to the VHF radio attached. Once its on
the air, another station receives the signal and passes it into the
global APRS network. |
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APRS
GPS position encoder which, when connected to a
serial GPS and a radio, will transmit its location at an adjustable
rate
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GPS2- Satellite Receiver
has a female DB-9 connector to connect directly to
the TinyTrak3Plus |
Null Modem - Needed
to program setting to the Tiny Trak
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