APRS Radios

just wondering what everyones running for APRS. looking to setup a few sites in my area, and was looking to see what the cheapest radio you all have.

my current setup is an ft 8800 w/ soundcard tnc kb3kbr-1,-15 & -6 if on iss

an ftm350 in truck -9 and -13 w/ soundcard when needed

a vx8g in the other mobile and sometimes portable..

thanks, Greg

You may be sorry you asked.

I own two Kenwood TM-D710s, a Kenwood TH-D72, two Yaesu VX-8GRs, an Alinco DR-135T with an Argent Data T2-135 board, another Alinco DR-135T with an Argent Data T3-135 board, two Argent Data T2-301s in Pelican cases, and an Argent Data OT2m connected to an Icom IC-F1020.

By "sites" are you talking about putting up digipeaters or I-gates?

The cheapest in my opinion would be a Motorola Maxtrac. They are solid radios and you should be able to get them for less than $25/ea.

both digi's and Igates as I'm only 1 of 2 people interested in APRS in my area, the other guy is waiting for his new computer to come in, and my RACES/ARES group has no interest in it.

what I'm looking for is a 2m radio with the 6 pin mini din on it & wondering what the cheapest new radio is. If i could find a single channel radio w/ the din that'd be awesome.

KB3KBR said:

what I'm looking for is a 2m radio with the 6 pin mini din on it & wondering what the cheapest new radio is. If i could find a single channel radio w/ the din that'd be awesome.

Click to expand...

Just about every manufacturer forces you to buy a dual band to get the six pin packet port. Yaesu made the FT-1500 mono band with the packet port and they stopped making it:



They should have kept it in production. It was a perfect packet/APRS radio for about $150. You might find one used.

A current option would be the Alinco DR-135. With the internal TNC NOT installed, the rear DB9 becomes a packet port. It's an oddball pinout, so you have to make a cable specifically for it, but it does work. I have a couple of these. One with a Tracker2 installed inside and a second with a TNC-X tied to the external port.

For a digipeater, a used commercial radio (Motorola, Icom, Kenwood, etc.) along with a TNC such as the Argent Data OT3m would be a good choice. Many commercial radios have auxiliary ports on them that give you access to TX audio, RX audio, and PTT. Since many public safety and business users have had to buy new radios for narrow-banding, there are lots of used commercial radios on the market that will work perfectly well in the amateur 2m band.

The KO9F-10 digipeater in Danville, Indiana, is an Icom IC-F1020 with an optional cable to give access to the necessary ports so I can connect an Argent Data OT2m.

I'm using an old Maxtrac with an MFJ-1270 TNC for my digi.

Been on the air about 10 years now at a commercial site. I've got a stack of Maxtracs ready to go if this one ever fails.

Using a realistic 212 and Kam KPC 3 tnc for my Igate

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We are using a wide variaty of radios in Northern Alberta, CDM-750, M120, SM-50, Alinco DR-135 for wide area digipeaters and a bunch of different portable radios Puxing, radioshack, and even some old FT-2008's for what we call a fill-in Digi.

There are a number of ways to do APRS. Almost any 2 meter FM radio that will transmit/receive on 144.390 Mhz will work fine. Then it's just a matter of feeding that radio the information in the correct format for transmission, and naturally, being able to interpret the received information. There are stand-alone transmitters that are designed to do that, or you can use almost any 2 meter radio. It's just a matter of which is cheapest/easiest for you, what you may already have laying around.
Receiving and displaying APRS information can be simple. If you have a computer with a sound card, a receiver that can hear 144.390 and a cable to connect the receiver's output to that sound card, you've got the hardware part licked. (I used an old scanner for a lot of years.) There are a number of software programs that do the interpreting and displaying of the information, and they are free. Same for a sound card 'TNC' program.
There are quite a number of internet sites that deal with APRS, take a look at a few and you'll find a lot of the information you can use.
- 'Doc

LtDoc said:

There are a number of ways to do APRS. Almost any 2 meter FM radio that will transmit/receive on 144.390 Mhz will work fine. Then it's just a matter of feeding that radio the information in the correct format for transmission, and naturally, being able to interpret the received information. There are stand-alone transmitters that are designed to do that, or you can use almost any 2 meter radio. It's just a matter of which is cheapest/easiest for you, what you may already have laying around.
Receiving and displaying APRS information can be simple. If you have a computer with a sound card, a receiver that can hear 144.390 and a cable to connect the receiver's output to that sound card, you've got the hardware part licked. (I used an old scanner for a lot of years.) There are a number of software programs that do the interpreting and displaying of the information, and they are free. Same for a sound card 'TNC' program.
There are quite a number of internet sites that deal with APRS, take a look at a few and you'll find a lot of the information you can use.
- 'Doc

Click to expand...

I agree 100%. My packet setup uses an old Azden PCS-3000 2 meter FM radio. It's been modified to bring the necessary connections (mic audio, receiver audio, PTT, and Ground) out a connection in the back, but only because the Azden mic connector is something that isn't available. Total cost was under $10 since I only had to pay for the connector and matching cable. This allowed me to have a dedicated packet radio and keeps my dual band (with the mini-din packet connection built in) free for other uses. It also keeps my station from sending packets out over the SkyWarn repeater like others do when they forget to turn off their packet setup during the nets.

W9BU said:

For a digipeater, a used commercial radio (Motorola, Icom, Kenwood, etc.) along with a TNC such as the Argent Data OT3m would be a good choice. Many commercial radios have auxiliary ports on them that give you access to TX audio, RX audio, and PTT. Since many public safety and business users have had to buy new radios for narrow-banding, there are lots of used commercial radios on the market that will work perfectly well in the amateur 2m band.

The KO9F-10 digipeater in Danville, Indiana, is an Icom IC-F1020 with an optional cable to give access to the necessary ports so I can connect an Argent Data OT2m.

Click to expand...

That's a great idea!! I belong to a VFD who just replaced about 5 radios due to narrowbanding! Now to get my hands on them

I'm using a kenwood d710 as my primary APRS radio, and a Motorola Maxtrac with a 16 pin connecter hooked to an OT2 for back up

Howdy i'm a "trainer" so much so that GE Locomotive is across the street here in Erie County, Lawrence park Pa, i use a BCD996XT a BCD396XT (GPS attached, with 25,000 frequencies you need it.) an Icom 910AH an Icom IC7000 and a FT8900 and i am in the process of purchasing a Kenwood TMD710AD with GPS APRS ECHOLINK & Packet built in, I am Disabled and in a power Wheelchair to which i had a third battery added for Radio, on the chair i run the BCD396XT and the IC 7000, the scanner antenna is a $130.00 "Spectra",the IC 7000 uses a "Little Tarheels HP" $600.00 either the 35" whip or the 56" which gets 6 meters better and has an Auto tuner on it and UHF/VHF use a Diamond NR 770, and inline with the "Spectra" is a GRE COMM variable maximum of +20 db all use diamond K540 mounts,as well the TMD710A will be on a K540 with NR770 and will replace the Yaesu FT 8900. I also have an assortment of Baofeung ,Icom & Yaesu. I am also a shooter so i carry a Canon 5 D Mark III with Canon L glass with nothing slower than 2.8F and a Canon T3I which has been modified to have a "Non Stock" sensor so it will shoot UV/IR/ and visible spectrum , each is loaded with 256 GB of san disc professional SDXC & CFCARDS. You probably understand why my A.R.R.L E-mail is "rolling radio". i'm 45 a medically retired Firefighter and enjoy the hell out of my "free" time ,unfortunately i have a lot of Doctors appointments due to rare genetic diseases . well thats me !! how about you????

This was meant for KB3KBR in Pa

I use a Kenwood TM-D710 with a Green Light labs GPS unit. When I remember, I will dial in 14.825 and give it a go once in a while at home and mobile, otherwise it's on the 390, which can result in an interesting path during a fox hunt.

I use a Alinco DR-1200T with an Open Tracker TNC into a 5/8 wave antenna. Old setup was a Maxtrac into a Byonics TT3. Both work great!

I run the Kenwood in my truck, but home and Digi are both Maxtrac/GM300 Mobile radios. Being the frequency will never change that is a cheap way to get online. I have the TT2 on my mobile gear and a KPC3 at the tower site. Been running for 10 years with no issues.

Mobile: Kenwood TM-271A, YagTracker, Garmin 276C, and Larsen 1/4 wave.
Base: Kenwood TM-V71A, HamHUD II, ADS Tracker2, and homemade 3el yagi.
Portable: Kenwood TM-D72 (the one I mainly use when portable) and Kenwood TM-D7A (retired, looking for a new home).

The 271 didn't have a packet port from the factory, but did have solder pads inside the radio that allowed one to easily connect a cable, which was run through a hole that was made after knocking out a small rubber piece in the back of the radio. The Euro model of this radio has the cable (terminated in a PS/2 connector) from the factory.
Another radio to consider (if you can ever find one for sale) is a Yaesu FT-2600. This radio had a packet port on the rear panel, although I do not recall whether it was a PS/2 or DB-9.

Analog Spectra. They are so cheap now they may as well be free.