1. Introduction to APRS Ben Townsend AK2X Steve Piotrowski KC2QZF Major Credit to Bob Bruninga WB4APR the inventor!

2. Automatic P_ Reporting System So Whats the P_? Position? The P is for Packet because: APRS IS FOR MORE THAN POSITION! Position IS what we use the most and its pretty easy to get started Introduction to APRS

3. The S is for System What are the components and what do they do? There are transmitters and receivers There are repeaters but it works simplex There are internet gateways In North America, its all on the same frequency Introduction to APRS

4. The transmit end is pretty simple A 2M radio on 144.390 (unless you want to run a private network, which you can) A TNC (terminal node controller) A GPS if you want to send live position updates You can use a PC for a fixed station A TNC like a KPC3+ can work without a PC Introduction to APRS

5. On the Receive end A 2M radio A TNC A PC to display the data OR you can view it on the internet as long as there is an internet gateway in the area of the transmitter Introduction to APRS

8. Digipeaters Traditional Packet you had to know the callsign of the digipeater and then connect or use via With APRS and current guidelines, make it a LOT easier. Whether you are in Albany, Anaheim, or Ann Arbor, your path can be the same Introduction to APRS

9. Wide1 Wide2 Wide3 Wider than that? Be careful with your tracker and digipeater programming Follow published standards to avoid becoming a QRM factory! Introduction to APRS

10. So if the Digipeaters all have the same call sign, why dont packets go on FOREVER? Packet aging! We all get older and so do APRS packets. Wide1-1 wide2-1 Wide2-2 Wide3-3? Responsibilities of the digi owner! Introduction to APRS

11. Internet Gateways (iGates) Need Antenna, Radio, TNC and PC. Automatic Packet Reporting System-Internet Service Relays local RF APRS traffic to APRS-IS network,Some relay APRS-IS Data to local RF. Not all Digis are iGates Append string to APRS packet qAR,iGateCall Introduction to APRS

12. Many websites store/display APRS-IS Data. Different features and abilities on each site. I prefer openaprs.net and aprs.fi. See all activity on local map. Track specific call signs. View log of packets and historic data. Introduction to APRS

18. New York QSO Party Mobile Contest Station Other Stations can track progress, new counties. Status Messages, Operating Frequency Digi Coverage? www.nyqp.com Third Saturday in October Introduction to APRS

19. Useful Links http://aprs.org/ http://aprs.fi http://www.db0anf.de/ http://www.ui-view.org/ http://aprs.net/ http://findu.com/ http://openaprs.net http://aprs-is.net http://ak2x.bentownsend.com Email Me: ak2x@bentownsend.com Introduction to APRS