Various Questions, APRS/GPS/Yaesu and Kenwood

[Transponder]

Greetings RadioReference,

New Ham Radio Operator here and I had some questions about some various things so any comments, advice, links, information or anything would be appreciated!

I'm looking at a few radios, the Yaesu VX-8DR, FTM-350R, Kenwood D710, Icom-92AD.

What I'm interested in is setting up an iGate possibly even a mobile iGate (Run off cellular data) and was looking at these radios. Does anyone know if the VX-8DR can be run as an iGate if connected to a computer? Also, does the VX-8DR have serial output of APRS stations it receives? I've heard the GR does but I am unsure of the 8DR, I'm interested in connecting it to a GPS to map local APRS Stations. What about packet radio as well?

I'm trying to decide between the Kenwood D710 and the FTM-350. The only major difference I can see is that the Kenwood has APRS Digipeat which is really awesome. My idea is that while I'm hiking or out in the woods I can leave the radio on in the car to act as a higher power repeater. Thoughts?

Anyone have thought of any of these radios? Are my expectations too high? I'm in Washington state and thinking this would be great to talk to nearby hams while driving but do most people use 2m/70cm while driving? Lots of questions, Hope its not a bother. I'm really excited to get my first radio and would love to give back to the radio community by running an iGate and APRS digipeater.

Any and all comments, thoughts, ideas, links, anything would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks for your time, I look forward to hearing from you!

73,
- Transponder!

 

[LtDoc]

I'm a Kenwood fan so I'll bet you could guess which of those radios I would recommend! I don't have a '710 but I do have an older '700, which does that digipeating just fine. You should understand that it does 'tie-up' one 'side' of the radio when it's operated that way. Not a huge biggy, but be aware of it.
Almost any radio and computer combination can do an 'IGate'. I think it would be a matter of how easy/convenient hooking the two together would be rather than just if it's possible or not. That's another case of loosing the use of the radio, or one 'side' of it while that 'IGate' is running type thingy. Keep that in mind.
APRS is packet radio. So, it's certainly possible to do both. How easy that is is a different story, and varies with the particular brand and model of radio. I don't 'do' it so can't tell you anything about it.
Do people 'normally' use 2 meters and 70 cm when mobile? Sure, lots of us do. Even with repeaters it's a short range type of thing, definitely not HF. It depends a lot on how active either band is where you live or travel. Having a jillian memory channels available is nice! The only problem with that is keeping track of which are usable and which memory channel what is plugged into. Good luck with that!
- 'Doc


and, as everybody knows... If you ain't got Kenwood, you got squat! Right??

 

[JStemann]

I don't know much about the yaesu, other than it didn't have any way of breaking the 1,000 (total) channels down to a bank, object, group. Other than some sort of preferred list of 20 channels, I don't remember for sure. Anyway if you travel a lot like I do, I have about 700 channels filled in my kenwood, I don't want to have to scan ALL of those while traveling. This might not be a problem for you, though. It just wouldn't work out for me.

I really like my kenwood, especially the interface with the Avmap GPS. Kinda neat to see where other hams are beaconing with APRS around you. I did have a problem the radio though. I lost most of my receive sensitivity on the B side. It's a known problem with the receive filters, I just have to send the radio in to get it fixed. Mine broke after warranty, so I've been putting it off.

I see you also mentioned the ic-92ad. I don't know what you have in mind with it. It's a great radio, I mostly use it for standard 2m/70cm work. I have used it on the "local" (40miles away) dstar repeater a few times. I'm sure I could have gotten buy with a lesser radio, I really didn't need dstar. Anyway, I'm guessing you would like to use it for aprs? It doesn't work with it, at least not without adding an external tnc. The gps and packet data is sent through a d-star repeater and over the dstar network.

I will suggest joining the yahoo groups for both the kewoods and yaesu radios, also don't forget about the new HT from kenwood that competes with the vx-8's from yaesu. There are also APRS group(s) on yahoo.

jeff s.

 

[kb0nly]

For the iGate you can do it a LOT cheaper than any of those overpriced Kenwoods. All you need is UI-View running on the computer, FREE to download and register, and a cheap 2m mobile, i have a Yaesu FT-2800 that has been running as a digi/igate here for years now, and then a TNC. I currently use an old MFJ 1270C TNC for this. But there is so many options. I know a lot of guys using Argent Data's Opentracker+ loaded with the KISS firmware so it talks to the computer like a TNC. Kit cost is just over $30 on the OT+, put that together with a 2m radio, the FT-1900R is on sale again and i just replaced the tracker radio in the mobile with one for $130 after coupon, and you have a full digi and iGate running together with UI-View.

Now if you want a portable setup that shows stations then yes the newer Kenwood would do that, but i prefer to see stations on a map while mobile instead of just heading and packet info. I run a Opentracker 2 connected to a Garmin Nuvi 350 and Yaesu FT1900R in the mobile, this gives me tracking and real time display of stations on the map.

 

[LtDoc]

Your choice in radios is exactly that, your choice/preference. I think I would evaluate the features of each radio, determine how useful those features are for -you-, what they are worth to you, and then going from there.
I use UI-View, I like it. My eye sight isn't what it used to be and having information presented in a 'larger format' is a plus as far as I'm concerned. Don't have to do all that 'figuring' to figure out what the thing is telling me. Oh well, it ain't easy being this lazy...
- 'Doc

 

[K7TKR]

Morning,

I am also one of those Kenwood fans who started with D700A.

I just recently purchased the D710 after the 700 passed on to the great bench in the sky. Mostly I stayed with Kenwood because I am fairly confident with it, even with the new features now deployed. I also chose the Green Light Labs gps module over a more traditional gps device due to space considerations on my dash (trucker). I like this radio- for a strictly mobile user such as myself, this has it all- aprs, tnc packet, echolink- can't ask for more.

My view anyway

Mark

 

[LtDoc]

In the last two years I've also 'up-graded' to a '710 (and a '71). The old '700 is now doing it's job as a digipeater. At the risk of everything dropping 'dead' cuz I said something about it, the '700, '710 and '71 are all working just dandy! If I could get my hands on another '700 (cheap! ) I'd grab it in a heart beat. It's not new, but so what? It works...
- 'Doc

 

[KZ9G]

The TNC is accessable in the 710 and it is not in the 350. You can do other packet than aprs with the 710. Now on the igate subject. If you are setting up an igate look at the WX3in1+ Digipeater, I have one running and it is dead simple to set up and run and will not require a computer to put the packets on the net. And you can connect a weather station to it and broadcast those reports also.