Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

If you have an attic. You can put a wire antenna in that. For 20 and 40 meters. And other bands. Do a internet search. Wire antennas are cheap to build.

 

So many variables. What TNC are you using? Was it working before?

 

I've messed around with both the live and OSM version of aprsdroid and had both working but I was using the builtin TNC and using a home made cord to my transmitter.

If it was working with the standard build but not the OSM version and all the same settings I would try to back track aprsdroid to an earlier version and see if that changes anything.

 

Im mostly interested in rtty and psk31. Qrp is the idea i had. Want to be able to take it all moboile too

 

I know this is going to sound simple but with the HT are you sure you're within range of the IGATE? The RX aborted packets are incomplete packets received by your radio.

 

In the digital world doing packet switching has higher tolerances for success than FM voice. If any part of the packet is lost the entire transmission will fail. However using 50 Watts to TX should get to you in no problem... Is your cable from the TNC to the radio in good shape? Any chance of EMI causing dropped packets?

 

Do you have a ferrite bead on the cable that's going from TNC to radio? If not, I think you need one.

 

It looks like the cable you're using with the HT came from moblinked? What about the one in the truck, the wiring for the 3.5mm audio jack is specific to the TNC and you can't use a normal off the shelf cable.

I know that when I played around with APRSdroid I had to have the volume on the phone at a certain level or else it would be too much and the built in TNC couldn't understand it. Have you tried turning down the volume on the radio some?

 

Can you key the digipeater and get a squelch return? Issue could be with it. Anyone else around that can come test their APRS at your location?

Just trying to rule out every possible thing.

 

Did you ever solve your RFI issue with the fridge?

Yes. Inside the ARB the compressor is grounded and bonded to the fridge chassis. What I did was extend a wire from the fridge chasis to truck frame and placed 5-6 ferite cable clips on the power leads immediately at the DC input at the fridge.

 

Thanks! I haven't gotten to it. I co-own the fridge with my parents and they just got back from a few week trip with it to CA. So now I'll have a chance to play with it.

 

What's the best website to go to find repeaters?

 

https://www.repeaterbook.com/ i use the app all the time when traveling

 

https://www.repeaterbook.com/ is a good one that I use. About once a year I export my whole state and print it out 70cm and 2m by location, and freq.

 

Thanks guys!. Finally got my radio figured all out. Was able to listen to the local NOAA repeater.

 

What he means is can you reach the tower the iGate is on. He's working on the assumption that the location of the iGate also has a 2m or 70cm repeater installed and working at the same location which I agree would be a safe bet.

 

This happened July 14ish. After coming home from Philippines.



it was a really bad cell storm. I believe it was a down burst

 

Are you sure you're reaching an iGate and not just a digipeater? If there is an APRS station setup just to repeat the transmission it won't relay the packet to the aprs servers.

Sorry if that was a stupid question but could be something to look into.

 

I just made it into a local iGate using the latest build of APRSdroind with OSM maps. So I don't think it's the application. I'd bet your packets are being heard by the iGate but not understood. Mess around with your TNC settings and volume of the radio itself.

 

No I mean the volume knob on your HT radio. If it's too loud (when you receive a packet) the packet will be distorted and your TNC won't be able to translate it and show a good received packet. As far as why you aren't TXing to your iGate I have no idea.