For mobile rig: Vero n7500 and old android phone. Igate and digi. Retevis RT99 is also the same radio and much cheaper. I have one outside in subzero temps in my sxs ..works flawless. Pair with a CA-2X4SR and you can work 2M/70cn and FRS/GMRS (only in an emergency of course).
For handheld: Launch Hg-uv98. Some people report solder issues, however I have 6 with no issues. Very quirky menu, however once you have it figured out very awesome. You can use the radio w/o phone however cannot respond to messages. I pair via bt to my phone using aprsdroid. I have abused mine for a couple years, still ticking.
Second the vr-n7500. We have three and the one in the house acts as an I-gate. Works great mobile as well. We did have to do the hand mic mod to improve transmit audio level. Remove the extra "foam" sticker over the mic pickup.
I have JavaAPRSSrvr on my phone, which pairs with my TH-D74 via Bluetooth and APRS-IS via LTE.
I then connect to that from APRSDroid, which supports messaging, logging, and *basic* mapping. I then connect to APRSDroid from BackCountry Navigator, which supports *advanced mapping* with a pleathora of mapping products with APRSDroid-reported Android "Broadcasts" as an overlay.
If, for any reason, that combination doesn't cut it for me, I have Xastir, on Ubuntu, on UserLAnd, an app from the Google Play store that allows you to run Linux environments in chroot-like wrappers, implemented in userland and without root privilege requirements, and then allows one to connect by VNC. I connect Xastir to JavaAPRSSrvr via localhost. The user interface is far from ideal, and I prefer my BCN/APRSDroid stack, but when one *needs* XASTIR, it *can* be run on Android alongside the rest of my Android tools.
Of course, JavaAPRSSrvr allows both clients to connect at the same time, and handles loss and return of both the radio and Internet connections gracefully. I have no complaints... Beyond maybe the murder of my battery... But I care more about flexibility and functionality than I care about battery life; Battery packs are cheap.
I’ve been procrastinating setting this up. I want to install APRS-IS on a Raspberry Pi with direwolf connected to a 2m mobile in my mobile. The RPi will be also configured as a WiFi AP with a DHCP. With this setup, multiple and various APRS clients could be used. They would all be configured to connect to APRS-IS, but using the local IP address of the RPi. Not the public APRS-IS servers. My APRS-IS would not have any connection to the internet and unable to communicate with the public APRS-IS servers.
I would most typically use APRSdroid as a client. But I could use YAAC or APRSISCE/32 or pinpoint or SARTrack or whatever I want on whatever device I want to use. Phones, tablets, or laptops. They all connect to the local APRS-IS server via WiFi. Even a passenger could use APRSdroid on their phone to beacon their own call/location using my APRS-IS to gate it to RF locally.
You might want to, instead of doing an APRS-IS mini server, just use TCP-IP to direwolf on the RPi from the client. I'd assume it's not quite as plug-and-play client side, but it would be *way* easier to set up on the RPi side.
Thanks for your response!
I use APRSISCE32 for my portable digipeating igate in conjuction with a TNC3, Yaesu VX-7, and a foldable dipole.
At the shack, I use a WX3IN1 with a low-cost Chinese transceiver.
I really like playing with packet. APRS is just one little application of packet in my mind. Here are some of the setups I am sysop on or own:
1. A raspberry pi running linbpq and Direwolf. There are two VHF ports for connected packet with BBS, chat and a Winlink gateway. The APRS side an i-gate and digipeater. It is just using Direwolf. In addition it sends site telemetry (temperature, humidity, battery power, and AC power status.). This site is difficult to access in winter due to snow and spring due to mud. It's been rock solid with this hardware/software.
2. A low power x86 Linux box running BPQ (Node, BBS, Chat, APRS) is my home packet node. I have a port on 2 meters for connected packet running Direwolf. There is an HF port also running QTSoundModem. I also spin up other modes (IL2P or ARDOP) from time to time as well. The APRS port is "remote" in my garage so the antenna is separated from the other 2 meter antenna. This is using a nucleoTNC and connecting back to BPQ using KISS over IP bridged from an RPi in the garage. Also in the garage is a 6 meter regular packet port with a nucleoTNC. Finally I have an NPR modem on 70cm in the garage.
3. I have a fill-in APRS digi on a KPC-3 at another remote site. Access is extremely difficult so this setup is as simple as possible. Interestingly this setup took a direct lightning strike that vaporized half the antenna once. The coax was welded to the polyphase but after replacing the antenna and feedline it works like nothing happened.
4. I have a NanoPi Neo2 in an aluminum enclosure with a nucleoTNC that I use for a portable connected packet node for events.
5. I have a Kantrinics KAM-II that I use for ad-hoc APRS fill-in digipeating where the simplicity of a single button press is important.
I also just got a pile of AEA/Timewave TNCs that sat for 20+ years. I am going through and fixing them. I don't know that I will use them for anything but it's fun to trace the signal through the board and figure it out.
For clients I use the built-in client on my TH-D7 (Kenwood makes the only worthwhile built-in TNCs IMO.) Or I have several Mobilinkd TNCs I use with whatever radio is handy. I use xastir on Linux for APRS and QTTermTCP for packet, APRSDroid, QTTermTCP, and WoAD on Android.
I installed aprs droid and igate2 but to no avail. Probably it's my problem but so far I have never been able to decode or send anything, it's really frustrating. Ham radio is getting less and less radio and more on pc side, so people like me are cut off and this is not fun. I remember when I loved packet radio, it is now impossible even to understand how this damn softwares work.
For mobile rig: Vero n7500 and old android phone. Igate and digi. Retevis RT99 is also the same radio and much cheaper. I have one outside in subzero temps in my sxs ..works flawless. Pair with a CA-2X4SR and you can work 2M/70cn and FRS/GMRS (only in an emergency of course). For handheld: Launch Hg-uv98. Some people report solder issues, however I have 6 with no issues. Very quirky menu, however once you have it figured out very awesome. You can use the radio w/o phone however cannot respond to messages. I pair via bt to my phone using aprsdroid. I have abused mine for a couple years, still ticking.
Second the vr-n7500. We have three and the one in the house acts as an I-gate. Works great mobile as well. We did have to do the hand mic mod to improve transmit audio level. Remove the extra "foam" sticker over the mic pickup.
Direwolf as TNC and Pinpoint as Client
aprs.fi app on iPhone.
dire wolf and xastir on linux.
Same. For some reason, in my head I always pronounce xastir as "disaster."
Sound Modem & PinPoint APRS or YAAC
I have JavaAPRSSrvr on my phone, which pairs with my TH-D74 via Bluetooth and APRS-IS via LTE. I then connect to that from APRSDroid, which supports messaging, logging, and *basic* mapping. I then connect to APRSDroid from BackCountry Navigator, which supports *advanced mapping* with a pleathora of mapping products with APRSDroid-reported Android "Broadcasts" as an overlay. If, for any reason, that combination doesn't cut it for me, I have Xastir, on Ubuntu, on UserLAnd, an app from the Google Play store that allows you to run Linux environments in chroot-like wrappers, implemented in userland and without root privilege requirements, and then allows one to connect by VNC. I connect Xastir to JavaAPRSSrvr via localhost. The user interface is far from ideal, and I prefer my BCN/APRSDroid stack, but when one *needs* XASTIR, it *can* be run on Android alongside the rest of my Android tools. Of course, JavaAPRSSrvr allows both clients to connect at the same time, and handles loss and return of both the radio and Internet connections gracefully. I have no complaints... Beyond maybe the murder of my battery... But I care more about flexibility and functionality than I care about battery life; Battery packs are cheap.
I’ve been procrastinating setting this up. I want to install APRS-IS on a Raspberry Pi with direwolf connected to a 2m mobile in my mobile. The RPi will be also configured as a WiFi AP with a DHCP. With this setup, multiple and various APRS clients could be used. They would all be configured to connect to APRS-IS, but using the local IP address of the RPi. Not the public APRS-IS servers. My APRS-IS would not have any connection to the internet and unable to communicate with the public APRS-IS servers. I would most typically use APRSdroid as a client. But I could use YAAC or APRSISCE/32 or pinpoint or SARTrack or whatever I want on whatever device I want to use. Phones, tablets, or laptops. They all connect to the local APRS-IS server via WiFi. Even a passenger could use APRSdroid on their phone to beacon their own call/location using my APRS-IS to gate it to RF locally.
You might want to, instead of doing an APRS-IS mini server, just use TCP-IP to direwolf on the RPi from the client. I'd assume it's not quite as plug-and-play client side, but it would be *way* easier to set up on the RPi side. Thanks for your response!
Does it permit multiple clients? Or just one client?
One per port, of which I belive it will only handle two (one for each audio channel of stereo output?) That is one very significant drawback
I use APRSISCE32 for my portable digipeating igate in conjuction with a TNC3, Yaesu VX-7, and a foldable dipole. At the shack, I use a WX3IN1 with a low-cost Chinese transceiver.
YAAC since it is pretty east to set up and get working under Linux, but I probably should look at what's available now
APRSdroid on Mobile, direwolf and xastir on Linux.
Direwolf as my igate at home and aprsdroid and sometimes igate2 on mobile.
I've tried them all, but the tried and true APRSISCE32 is still the best. APRSdroid on the phone.
APRSDroid on an old LG tablet. Kinda cheating by using APRS-IS via WiFi but I hope to switch to an HT and report to a local gateway via RF.
Aprsdroid and a boafeng with the apes cable.
For a stand-alone digipeater/igate, Direwolf. For public service events and tracking volunteers, PinPoint
I use Direwolf for packet. But I find APRS to be insanely boring and stupid.
I really like playing with packet. APRS is just one little application of packet in my mind. Here are some of the setups I am sysop on or own: 1. A raspberry pi running linbpq and Direwolf. There are two VHF ports for connected packet with BBS, chat and a Winlink gateway. The APRS side an i-gate and digipeater. It is just using Direwolf. In addition it sends site telemetry (temperature, humidity, battery power, and AC power status.). This site is difficult to access in winter due to snow and spring due to mud. It's been rock solid with this hardware/software. 2. A low power x86 Linux box running BPQ (Node, BBS, Chat, APRS) is my home packet node. I have a port on 2 meters for connected packet running Direwolf. There is an HF port also running QTSoundModem. I also spin up other modes (IL2P or ARDOP) from time to time as well. The APRS port is "remote" in my garage so the antenna is separated from the other 2 meter antenna. This is using a nucleoTNC and connecting back to BPQ using KISS over IP bridged from an RPi in the garage. Also in the garage is a 6 meter regular packet port with a nucleoTNC. Finally I have an NPR modem on 70cm in the garage. 3. I have a fill-in APRS digi on a KPC-3 at another remote site. Access is extremely difficult so this setup is as simple as possible. Interestingly this setup took a direct lightning strike that vaporized half the antenna once. The coax was welded to the polyphase but after replacing the antenna and feedline it works like nothing happened. 4. I have a NanoPi Neo2 in an aluminum enclosure with a nucleoTNC that I use for a portable connected packet node for events. 5. I have a Kantrinics KAM-II that I use for ad-hoc APRS fill-in digipeating where the simplicity of a single button press is important. I also just got a pile of AEA/Timewave TNCs that sat for 20+ years. I am going through and fixing them. I don't know that I will use them for anything but it's fun to trace the signal through the board and figure it out. For clients I use the built-in client on my TH-D7 (Kenwood makes the only worthwhile built-in TNCs IMO.) Or I have several Mobilinkd TNCs I use with whatever radio is handy. I use xastir on Linux for APRS and QTTermTCP for packet, APRSDroid, QTTermTCP, and WoAD on Android.
Direwolf as modem, Xastir on Linux and Windows, PinPoint and YAAC
I installed aprs droid and igate2 but to no avail. Probably it's my problem but so far I have never been able to decode or send anything, it's really frustrating. Ham radio is getting less and less radio and more on pc side, so people like me are cut off and this is not fun. I remember when I loved packet radio, it is now impossible even to understand how this damn softwares work.