Tag: APRS

Redeploying LoRa modules

After having ditched Meshtastic, for now at least, I had a fiddle with two of the LoRa modules with a view to repurposing them. And there they are. The first is a LoRa APRS r/o iGate, listening on 439.9125MHz, and the second is a receiver for radiosondes listening around 400MHz.

T-Beam LoRa module set up as a LoRa APRS iGate

Nestled under a 70cm ground plane in the shack is, of course a good way to ensure nothing is ever received unless it is very close! However, it is destined for greater things… although at the end of the day it’s just me fiddling. The LoRa APRS map is at https://lora.ham-radio-op.net/

TTGO device set up as a radiosonde receiver

The radiosonde one stands a better chance of actually receiving something, especially as it is currently connected to the 70cm big wheel antenna in the loft. See https://sondehub.org/

The plan is to connect these two along with the module running TinyGS to a common antenna currently in the loft. They will be connected using a Crosscountry Wireless multicoupler which is due to arrive in a day or so.

APRS fiddling

I’ve had a Yaesu FTM100DE for a while now and for all that while it has had a USB adapter plugged in and doing nothing. The adapter, SCU-20 came with the transceiver. Anyway, I wondered what it could be use for. The handbook discusses it being used to extract GPS data and packet data and a quick search found some software, APRSIS32 for Windows (see http://aprsisce.wikidot.com ) that talks to various transceivers.

So, software loaded, I needed a driver from Yaesu. Here’s where it begins to get a little tedious as those of you who have had to go looking for drivers will no doubt know. First port of call was the Yaesu site and a search for FTM100. Ok, found that. Now ‘files’ and … a driver for a SCU-19. Searches for SCU-20 found a PDF which contained the filename of the driver but not the source. I eventually found it… under the files for the FTM400.

And that was the hardest part. Driver in, USB lead connected, APRSIS32 loaded and a few parameters configured and there is it.

The software will also send messages etc. but apparently Yaesu do not allow their kit, or at least the kit I have send data out from sources that are not internally generated. (ref: https://groups.io/g/APRSISCE/topic/76092175 ) Oh well, I didn’t get the radio for APRS anyway but it’s a bit annoying.

Anyway it was a fruitful ‘have wire, must make it do something’ episode. The APRSIS32 software is neat and full of functionality, and quite intuitive. It also has a whole support group on groups.io.

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