NWAPRS serves: Alberta, British Columbia, Northwest Territories,
Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana

BEST MOBILE SOLUTION:
Kenwood TM-D710A and AvMap GeoSat G5 GPS
(still pictured is last year's GeoSat G4T)

 

 

The new AvMap GeoSat 5 has a 5.0" color touch-screen display, voice directions, built in GPS antenna, built-in battery and speaker, remote control, and all of USA and Canada maps pre-loaded onto a 2GB SD card. It includes the cable to connect it to Kenwood's APRS-ready radios including the TM-D700/D710 and TH-D&A(G). The GeoSat G5 has been released for sale in the USA at $600.

For APRS operation the included cable connects between the Kenwood TH-D7A or TM-D700/D710 GPS port and into the GeoSat TMC port. This means you can not use the bi-directional GPS support for APRS and also the traffic management center to get updates with the optional TMC receiver that are available in major cities across the USA. But what you do get, when hooked to the Kenwood radios, are the APRS stations plotted on your color map screen on the GeoSat.

The GeoSat 5 navigator has an external video input. This will appeal to those with backup cameras, e.g. RV owners, by allowing them to connect the camera and see the color video on the navigator screen.

This is the aviation GPS called the EKP-4. It does bi-directional WPL data now, so it can display APRS posits from the TM-D700A now. 

You can read more about products from AvMap from their web site: http://www.avmapnavigation.com, or from Don Arnold/W6GPS web site: http://www.geosat.us.

  

SETUP INSTRUCTIONS: AVMAP GeoSat 5 GPS AND THE KENWOOD TH-D7A(G) AND TM-D700/D710 RADIOS

  Before connecting the Kenwood-AvMap cable to either the radio or GPS, make the necessary changes to the GPS and radio settings. After the settings are entered, turn both the radio and GPS off, then connect the cable.

  Insert the 4-pole connector in the GPS TMC port on the back of the GPS.

  Insert the 3-pole connector in the GPS port on the Kenwood radio.

  On the TM-D700 and TH-D7A(G), check and set these menu items (besides other settings):
NMEA96
9 DIGITS NMEA
AMBIGUITY OFF

The Geosat 5 is APRS-ready right out of the box.

  A successful programming of the GPS and radio for APRS use is indicated by a blinking GPS on the D700 main screen, or a blinking degrees, minutes, seconds symbols on the D7A(G) and appearance of symbols and callsigns on the GPS screen.

  Note that the GPS will NOT work with the 1st generation Kenwood TH-D7A, only the updated TH-D7A(G).