What exactly can I do with packet radio?

[Zontar]

I picked up a local packet station repeater (N3FJA) with TrueTTY using AX.25 1200 mode.

On my display is a list of items resembling this:

N3FJA-3>APRS,N3FJA-1,WIDE1,KB3EJM-11,WIDE2*,qAR,WF2O042253z4106.12N/07559.55W_000/000g001t075r000p038P001h64b10140.DsVP

I think it's pretty cool that I've been able to recieve these...but what are they exactly? Are these meant to be used with something other than a simple AX.25 decoder? When I get a ham license, is this something I can use myself?

 

[LtDoc]

What you've found is an APRS digipeater. It picks up then retransmits a signal from an APRS station. That transmission identifies the station sending the position report, gives it's coordinates and several possible other facts about the station (speed/direction of travel/who knows). Or, it could have been the station sending the position report, not a digipeater.
Try googling 'APRS' to see what it's all about. Can you do this APRS thingy with an amateur license? Sure, there are a bunch of us doing it. The APRS frequency in the USA is 144.390 Mhz, different frequency in Europe. It's just packet with reports in a standardized format.
- 'Doc

 

[Spud]

APRS info

The text you posted is a packet of weather information from a Davis Vantage Pro weather station.
Probably located on Alberdeen road in Mountain Top, PA.
It includes the station location (Lat / Lon) as well as information regarding temperature, humidity, barometric pressure and rainfall.
If you download the application called "UIView" and have a map of your area, it will place a market on the map with the decoded weather information shown for that weather station.

You should get with someone in the ham community that can show you how to set it up to display weather as well as other packet information that can be monitored on the local "digipeater".


73,


The Spud

 

[hockeyshrink]

Go down to the dialogue box on this site and put in his call, and you can see where he has been. In addition to the weather station, he runs APRS on his mobile as n3fja-7.

www.aprs.fi

Let me guess...you are from Venus?
(that was my fav movie when I was a kid, lol!!)

 

[Spud]

APRS info

Try this link on your web browser:

Weather Conditions At n3fja

It shows the data that has been received from that WX station over time.


73,

The Spud

 

[K4APR]

If you download the application called "UIView" and have a map of your area, it will place a market on the map with the decoded weather information shown for that weather station.

Better yet, go to aprsisce : APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32 and download the Windows version in the download sections. At one time UI View was the leader, but once the developer died and the source code was destroyed, that was it. APRSISCE is actively developed and far superior at this point.

Give it a shot! APRS is my favorite mode/function.

 

[GROCKSHD]

I love me some APRS too. Jason definitely knows how to work it, I see his objects all up and down the Eastern Shore.

 

[hockeyshrink]

Better yet, go to aprsisce : APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32 and download the Windows version in the download sections. At one time UI View was the leader, but once the developer died and the source code was destroyed, that was it. APRSISCE is actively developed and far superior at this point.

Give it a shot! APRS is my favorite mode/function.

Thanks!!