9600 BAUD UHF APRS
This page provides details of the 9600 baud UHF APRS experimentation ongoing in the NWAPRS region, primarily in the Puget Sound area. There are several people involved, but much of the credit goes to Bob King, K7OFT in Seattle for getting things off the ground, and to Scott, N7FSP for implementing the first ever mountain top 9600 baud APRS digipeater on Baldi Mt., SE of Seattle at 4,000' ASL, and appropriately named UBALDI. Several others have added similarly configured digipeaters around the Puget Sound region, and the success has been phenominal. Range is incredible, and there's plenty of room at 9600 baud, especially when the location packets are transmitted so much faster. Many dead spots we've experienced in the VHF APRS environment are well covered by the UHF APRS infrastructure.
We first looked at using the Kenwood TM-D700 as a 9600 UHF APRS digipeater in TNC PKT mode. This provided some similar digipeating characteristics of the Kantronics TNCs used for APRS digipeating on 144.39 MHz and at 1200 baud AX.25. This took a bit of a paradigm shift, using a perfectly great dual-band radio, the premier APRS radio, and delegating it to APRS digipeating, effectively disregarding the other, non-used radio band. When you consider the cost comparison of a D700, at $479 USD, to the two separate components available, the Kantronics KPC-9612 dual 1200/9600 baud TNC, at $340 USD, along with any name brand UHF radio (and there aren't many out there just UHF; most are VHF/UHF combos), at $300, or $640 total.
1. This first section of settings is for the Kenwood TM-D700 configured as 9600 baud UHF APRS digipeater.
First, enter the UHF frequency 440.875 mhz, simplex operation, into the radio using the mic keypad or MCP or LINK700 software. Set up the DATA BAND B at 9600 baud. When done, put the radio into TNC PKT mode on the B side. Next, using a computer's HyperTerminal program, connect to the radio and program the following settings (adapted to your own location and name, of course):
ASYRXOVR 0
AUTOLF ON
AXDELAY 0
AXHANG 0
BEACON EVERY 90 (The default setting is 0, each increment is 10 seconds)
BBFAIED 0
BTEXT !4741.70NU11739.20W#PHG6120
CHECK 30
CMSG OFF
CMSGDISC OFF
CPACTIME OFF
CR ON
CONOK ON
CONMODE CONVERSE
CONSTAMP OFF
DAYSTAMP OFF
DAYUSA ON
DWAIT 30
DIGIPEAT ON
DIGISENT 0
ECHO ON
EPATH
FLOVER 0
FLOW ON
FRACK 3
FULLDUP OFF
GBAUD 4800
GPSFILT1
GPSFILT2
GPSFILT3
GPSFILT4
GPSTEXT $GPRMC
HBAUD 9600
HEALLED OFF
HID OFF
HOVRERR 6041
HUNDRERR 0
KISS OFF
KILL ON
LCSTREAM ON
LOCATION EVERY 0
LPATH GPS
LTEXT $
LTMON 0 (The default setting was 5)
MONITOR OFF
MBOD OFF
MAIL OFF
MALL ON
MCON OFF
MRPT ON
MSTAMP OFF
MYCALL USPOKN (Kenwood put some limitation what can go into this field. Gotta
play around. First letter should be a U, for UHF)
MYALIAS K7GPS
MYMCALL
MAXFRAME 4
MCOM OFF
NEWMODE OFF
NOMODE OFF
NPATH
NTSGRP
NTSMRK $00
NTSMSG
OVERKILL 0
PACLEN 0 (The default setting was 128)
PASSALL OFF
PACTIME AFTER 10
PERSIST 255 (The default setting was 128)
PPERSIST ON
RCVDFRMR 0
RCVDIFRA 0
RCVDREJ 0
RCVDSABM 0
RETRY 10
RESPTIME 5
ROUTE ON
RXCOUNT 402 (The default setting was 0)
RXERRORS 1612 (The default setting was 539)
SENDPAC $0D
SENTFRMR 0
SENTIFRA 0
SENTREJ 0
SLOTTIME 3
SOFTDCD OFF
SPATH
STREAMSW $01
STREAMCA ON
STREAMDB OFF
TOUT 30
TRIES 0
TRACE OFF
TXCOUNT 0 (The default setting was 4)
TXDELAY 20 (The default setting was 50)
TXTMO 0
UNPROTO APNK01 VIA WIDE2-2 (The default setting for a D700 as a WIDE digi is
APNK01)
USERS 1
UIDIGI ON WIDE,WA,EWA (The default setting was OFF,WIDE1-1)
UICHECK 28
UIDWAIT OFF
UIFLOOD WIDE,ID (The default setting is ,NOID)
UISSID OFF
UITRACE WIDE (The default setting was blank)
WPATH
XFLOW OFF
It's important to get these settings right the first time, because one disadvantage of using a D700 as a remote digipeater is there is no remote access typical of the Kantronics TNCs.
The Kenwood TM-D700 is UHF digipeater mode will process and decrement all WIDEn-N packets received. It will not trap any packets like the Kantronics KPC-3+ VHF digipeater will when programmed as an S overlay digi, trapping WIDE4-4, WIDE5-5, and WIDE6-6 signals. Remember, Kenwood didn't make this cool radio with the intention of using it as a full blown UHF APRS digipeater, we're "forcing" it to act like a Kantronics KPC-3+ as best we can.
2. This section is for the Kenwood TM-D700 configured as a 9600 baud UHF APRS tracker in your vehicle.
We're taking into account you already know how to set up your Kenwood TM-D700 as a 1200 baud VHF APRS tracker in your vehicle. Make sure you have the UHF frequency programmed into your radio. It's 440.875, simplex, at least that's what we're using in the Puget Sound region, and making attempts for it to be the national UHF APRS frequency. If you haven't experimented with the PM (Program Memory) settings in your radio, you should look at this feature because it will make it a breeze, not a pain, switching between 1200 baud VHF and 9600 baud UHF operations. Otherwise, it's a pain in the ass. In the APRS function menu, change the DATA BAND to B, and the BAUD RATE from 1200 to 9600 bps. Now cycle the Function-TNC key until the radio says TNC APRS. Your outgoing path, transmission and status text, call sign, etc, will remain the same, so no need to change anything else. I recommend saving these changes in the PM 2 bank. This will make it easy to change between VHF and UHF APRS operations. Unfortunately you cannot gain access to VHF and UHF APRS on the A data band at the same time.
3. This section is for the Kenwood TM-D700 configured as 9600 baud UHF APRS home station.
We're just trying to cover all aspects of using a Kenwood TM-D700. First as a digi, second as a mobile tracker, and now in a fixed station environment with a PC attached. Make sure you have the UHF frequency 440.875 MHz, simplex, programmed into your radio. Using the APRS menu, change the DATA BAND to B, and the BAUD RATE to 9600 bps. Cycle the Function-TNC key until the radio says TNC PKT. You don't have to make any other changes, as your APRS application will handle those details. The computer to radio baud rate should be at least 9600 bps. Whatever it is, remember it because you will need that setting when you start the APRS application. If you are using UI-View, enter the COMMS SETUP and select KISS mode, then next to that appears another SETUP button, and you select D700. You now have the radio in KISS mode, which UI-View likes best. Your screen will show just the 9600 baud UHF APRS activity, unless someone in your area is running a VHF to UHF and/or UHF to VHF gateway, using a Kantronics KPC-9612 TNC.
4. This section is for configuring a Kantronics KPC-9612 as a dual 1200 baud VHF and/or 9600 baud UHF WIDEn-N digipeater.
Again, the primary reason why we don't just tell everybody to use a Kantronics TNC and UHF radio for the 9600 baud UHF APRS digipeater is because of the increased cost, above and beyond what you'd pay for a plain old Kenwood TM-D700 with built in TNC. The "BEST" solution is still a Kantronics KPC-9612 which offers both 1200 baud VHF and 9600 baud UHF digipeater capability. If cost is not a concern, find yourself a good 440 radio that will support 9600 baud packet, and go buy a KPC-9612. Sometimes these are available on eBay. I just picked one up (Sep 06) for $250, with a new v9.0 eeprom.
I won't discuss the 1200 baud VHF WIDEn-N digipeater settings here because those settings are adequately discussed on their own web page. For the most part, there's no difference to programming the UHF side in a KPC-9612.
Remember when you first buy and power up a Kantronics TNC it is set for INT NEWUSER. You have only a few selections, use DISP to display these in a terminal program (free PacTerm or HyperTerminal). When powered up, the TNC asks you to enter an asterisk (*) to set the baud rate to what you have chosen in your terminal program. I usually use 9600 baud. The TNC then asks for your CALLSIGN which is entered into the MYCALL data field. From there you can go on to configure the mailbox, set the TNC date and time, and some other settings while in NEWUSER mode.
After entering the basic data, change INT from NEWUSER to TERMINAL. The opens the entire data fields contained in the TNC. Since you are programming both sides at the same time, most entries you just enter once, and the TNC puts the entry into both fields. If you want different settings for a particular data field, enter the 1200 baud VHF data first, followed by a slash (/), then the 9600 baud UHF data second. Thus if you wanted to program your TNC with two different callsigns, you would enter MYCALL BALDI/UBALDI and that make the VHF side callsign BALDI and the UHF side callsign UBALDI. From a quick look, the other settings used in a 1200 baud KPC-3 APRS digipeater are the same in the KPC-9612. Piece of cake. Don't forget to set the MYREMOTE and RTEXT entries so you can logon remotely to make any necessary changes.
5. This section is for configuring a Kantronics KPC-9612 as a dual 1200 baud VHF and 9600 baud UHF home or fixed station.
Follow some of the basic startup commands included in the paragraph above when the TNC is just out of the box, and being configured in the NEWUSER mode. APRS will handle all the other configuration commands. This means you will have a VHF radio connected to PORT 1, and a UHF radio connected to PORT 2 of the TNC. In addition, you will need to set MYGATE to GATE, and HBAUD 1200/9600, HEA OFF, HID OFF, MCOM OFF, MCON OFF, and CD SOFTWARE/INTERNAL. Most of the commands needed are software derived from whichever APRS application you choose, like UI-View. In UI-View, when you choose COMMS SETUP and choose KISS mode, then the SETUP checkbox will take you to another menu where you check KANTRONICS and also DUAL PORT.
6. This section is for configuring an Icom F221 UHF radio for use with a
home station using a KPC-9612 VHF/UHF TNC.
To hookup the Icom F221 UHF radio to the KPC-9612, you will need the accessory
cable OPC-617 from Icom. The cable costs about $50. To connect the OPC-617 to
the Kantronics 9612, you will need to make a small cable with a DB-9M for the
radio side, and a DB-15M for the TNC side. Here's the pinout:
OPC-617 DB-9M-------KPC-9612 TNC
Pin 3 Det. AF output-----RXA Pin 2
Pin 4 Mod input----------TXA Pin 3
Pin 5 PTT----------------PTT Pin 1
Pin 8 Det. AF ground----Ground Pin 9,10, or 11
In programming the radio, besides setting the UHF frequency and name,
you will need to set external PTT by choosing EPTT instead of the default FTSW.
Get your soldering iron hot and sold BEAD F on the F221, near the OPC-617
connector, which allows data flow.
7. This section is for configuring a Kantronics KPC-9612 as a dual 1200 baud VHF and 9600 baud UHF tracker for your vehicle.
C'mon. Give me a break. Go buy a Kenwood TM-D700 and one of those AvMap G4T GPSs and just be happy.
8. This section is for modifying UI-View32 to uplink RF and internet to the UHF environment from a home station:
Note: This should only be done by one station in a regional coverage area, to avoid duplication on the UHF frequency.
Under the APRS digipeater setup menu, where port 1 is VHF, and port 2 is UHF:
1=2
2=2
Nothing gets ported to the VHF side. Ports 1 and 2 gets ported to Port 2.
Now port everything from the internet server within 100km of your location to
the UHF Port 2.
On the APRS Server setup menu, in the Extra log on text window enter FILTER
M/400
At the toolbar on top "FILE", Edit "I Gate.INI"
Setup Ports(s) 2 (your UHF port)
Path(s) WIDE2-2 or check "use default" if not checked
Max digis = 2
Gate LAN to INET Leave this unchecked. No LAN
Gate ALL RF to INET check this box
Under the INET to RF tab enter:
A*
K*
N*
V*
W*
and use ALL in the packet type box
Review the help files via F1 key
9. This section is for what's soon to come to the 9600 baud UHF APRS environment.
You are likely familiar with the Byonics TinyTrakIII and III+ "tracker" TNCs that were designed for the 1200 baud APRS environment. These are great little project kits or built-up tracker devices and you really should have a couple of these in your APRS arsenal.
At the 2006 Digital Communications Conference (DCC) concluded in Tucson, Byon introduced the new TinyTrak4 tracker which will, amongst other improvements, work on 300 baud HF, 1200 baud VHF, or 9600 baud UHF environments. Yippee! Like it's little brother the TinyTrakIII+, the addition of a voltage regulator now provides 5vdc to PIN 4 on the GPS/COMPUTER DB-9 connector so you can power the Garmin GPS-18 or Deluo serial GPS devices. That's the good news. In the VHF environment, there are many trackers using a HTX-202 and TT3. That radio is OK for 1200 baud packet, but unfortunately the HTX-404 UHF radio will not work in a 9600 baud environment.
If you're following the OpenTracker project development, this is way cool stuff about to be introduced to the APRS market and will take these small tracker devices to new heights. The OT1 and 2 will support smart-beaconing, WIDEn-N digipeating, and everything else cool, but at this time it is for 1200 baud VHF APRS only, not 9600 baud UHF APRS. I'll bet the next version does support 9600 baud UHF, as the TinyTrakIV will as soon as it's released.