Excellent video! I was looking for more info on this unit. One question: You can set the APRS channel to work full time. But can you still use the other channel for normal simplex/repeater chat or do you have to disable the APRS first?
The APRS channel is monitored in the background and it doesn't matter what active channel you set on the interface, if an APRS Channel is set in the General Settings it will actively be monitored and messages/positions sent out on the APRS channel.
Thank you for this helpful guide! But won’t APRS generally work better with pre-emphasis/de-emphasis toggled on? Aren’t most other APRS stations applying the same pre-emphasis/de-emphasis to their APRS Tx/Rx that they apply to their phone Tx/Rx? Or am I missing something?
Typically on a packet station you don’t use pre/de emphasis. Pre/de emphasis is a speech specific function designed to increase intelligibility by boosting specific parts of the audio to help improve the SnR. It’s useless in a packet situation.
That certainly makes sense for digital modes and between radios that aren’t set up for voice on 2 meters. But aren’t most of the other 2 meter radios receiving and transmitting with pre and de-emphasis on (some even using it for voice alert)? I’ve done a little research since I asked the above question, and others seem to recommend using pre and de-emphasis for APRS for this reason. Perhaps it varies by area, and I understand that some radios use flat audio, but with acoustic tone AFSK1200 there does seem to be a strong argument for it when other stations are using it. So far, what I’ve seen seems to describe pre and de-emphasis for 2 meter 1200AFSK/AX.25 APRS as standard or compliant (though there is also mention of variation in its use and lack of standards). And, anecdotally, I seem to receive packets a bit better with it turned on, but I haven’t made a careful study, yet. YMMV (and mine is TBD). Anyway, thank you, again, for the guide-it was very helpful!
@jonathangrose I think it’s one of those things. If the radios doing the digipeating and IGating are setup properly, and using the data/fsk ports on the radios themselves, those ports usually bypass all the pre/de emphasis. Radios that have a built in TNC, Yaesu 200/300/400 etc will also bypass any pre/deemphasis for the digital processing. If you’re running an external TNC then it really depends how the user has hooked it up/ That said modern TNCs like Direwolf don’t actually care about it. I have it turned off on mine but I think these days it’s much of a muchness.
I don’t believe so. Although the TNC is in the radio it’s self, if the phone isn’t connected then the message won’t make it to the phone. Much like a serial TNC, if it’s missed in the stream then it’s missed.
This was exactly the tutorial I needed, thank you.
Glad it was of help
Thank you -- Very helpful, and this is very close to the same on the Android version of the HT app.
Glad I could be of help!
Thank you very much, from three amateurs in Östersund, middle of Sweden. SA3MSA :)
No probs.
Very helpful info. Many thanks. Brian
No problem happy to help
Excellent video! I was looking for more info on this unit. One question: You can set the APRS channel to work full time. But can you still use the other channel for normal simplex/repeater chat or do you have to disable the APRS first?
The APRS channel is monitored in the background and it doesn't matter what active channel you set on the interface, if an APRS Channel is set in the General Settings it will actively be monitored and messages/positions sent out on the APRS channel.
@@rubitherubicon22 Fantastic! Looks like my wallet just got a little lighter! Thanks for the quick reply, look forward to seeing what else you post.
Thank you for this helpful guide! But won’t APRS generally work better with pre-emphasis/de-emphasis toggled on? Aren’t most other APRS stations applying the same pre-emphasis/de-emphasis to their APRS Tx/Rx that they apply to their phone Tx/Rx? Or am I missing something?
Typically on a packet station you don’t use pre/de emphasis.
Pre/de emphasis is a speech specific function designed to increase intelligibility by boosting specific parts of the audio to help improve the SnR.
It’s useless in a packet situation.
That certainly makes sense for digital modes and between radios that aren’t set up for voice on 2 meters. But aren’t most of the other 2 meter radios receiving and transmitting with pre and de-emphasis on (some even using it for voice alert)? I’ve done a little research since I asked the above question, and others seem to recommend using pre and de-emphasis for APRS for this reason. Perhaps it varies by area, and I understand that some radios use flat audio, but with acoustic tone AFSK1200 there does seem to be a strong argument for it when other stations are using it. So far, what I’ve seen seems to describe pre and de-emphasis for 2 meter 1200AFSK/AX.25 APRS as standard or compliant (though there is also mention of variation in its use and lack of standards). And, anecdotally, I seem to receive packets a bit better with it turned on, but I haven’t made a careful study, yet. YMMV (and mine is TBD). Anyway, thank you, again, for the guide-it was very helpful!
@jonathangrose I think it’s one of those things.
If the radios doing the digipeating and IGating are setup properly, and using the data/fsk ports on the radios themselves, those ports usually bypass all the pre/de emphasis.
Radios that have a built in TNC, Yaesu 200/300/400 etc will also bypass any pre/deemphasis for the digital processing. If you’re running an external TNC then it really depends how the user has hooked it up/
That said modern TNCs like Direwolf don’t actually care about it. I have it turned off on mine but I think these days it’s much of a muchness.
Hi, does the radio save received messages / APRS data if your phone isn’t connected? Can they be seen once you re-connect your phone for example?
I don’t believe so. Although the TNC is in the radio it’s self, if the phone isn’t connected then the message won’t make it to the phone. Much like a serial TNC, if it’s missed in the stream then it’s missed.
@@rubitherubicon22 Thanks