INTRODUCING APRS Automatic Packet Reporting System 2009 APRS

INTRODUCING APRS Automatic Packet Reporting System 2009

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: //al 7 yk. org or my personal blog at http: //itpodcast. org/blog

TACTICAL

APRS Tactical • Messages • Maps • Situational Awareness 23 Digi. Peaters in Range 8 Active Weather 2 Mobile Radios in Range of this radio 7 Objects 31 Kenwood Radios in Broadcast of this. Stations radio in Range of this radio 9 Messages from to this 7 Messages user received 6 Messages have not user transmitted been replied to yet

APRS Tactical - Continued • Nested Menus 12 APRSThe Stations, their last time the. Frequency station the station frequencies and or was/ heard was on callsigns

What about maps? • Today, abundance of bandwidth • • • Internet GPS Capabilities Added Increased in 1992 Abundance of processing power • • • Graphics 1992 Capabilities were Increased “local” only and DOS Real-time global awareness

How is Geo. Tracking Tactical? • 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

RELIABILITY

How is it reliable? Digipeater Internet Multiple Hops

Redundancy in Transmissions Packet Design Reliability Decay Algorithm User Density

CONSISTENCY

APRS Consistency • Standard Message Format • Standard Beaconing • Standard Packet Type (AX. 25)

HOW TO DO IT

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 Echo. Link to enable Vo. IP (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 KL 2 RB is at and what Echolink or IRLP node is connected. Agent automatically opens link to that node. User KL 2 RA requests to talk with KL 2 RB Remote node passes packet request for conversation to KL 2 RB on radio screen. Voice traffic passes as a normal Echo. Link 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.

QUESTIONS