Dead Mouse puts m0xpd on the map

More fun and games with the (nearly) new FT817 and the "Dead Mouse" data interface...

I needed to learn something about packet (for an up-coming project, of which more later) and so I decided to give APRS a try.

Warning: I know less-than-nothing about APRS at the moment - so the story below isn't intended as a "How-to" description. Follow it at your peril!

I downloaded the AGW Packet Engine and UI-View32, got registered on UI-View and set everything rolling...

The AGW "packet Engine" provides an interface between a PC and a Terminal Node Controller or - more importantly - uses the soundcard of the PC to emulate a TNC. Here's the AGW Packet Engine Icons in the system tray (highlighted)...



UI-View is an APRS client, which generates valid APRS "messages" to send, via the Packet engine, to the Data input of the radio. Here's the UI-View interface, with m0xpd shown on the map (this fix of my qth is achieved locally - there is, at this stage, no need to be transmitting RF, as UI-View recognizes the message being generated by itself)...



The message I'm generating is seen below (captured by UI-View's "Terminal" window)...



It includes (as I understand it)...

• the (system clock) time
  
• my call
  
• an "Unproto" destination address ("APU25N") which specifies APRS as the destination for my message AND the fact that it was generated by UI-View
  
• some specification of the routing which (may) be used to get my message to APRS ("WIDE3-3")
  
• The Unproto "Port" ("1")
  
• My QTH lat/long ("5326.45N/00223.44W")
  
• and a message ("Paul @ home")
  

Joyfully, once the modulation levels were set right, this message was indeed received and transmitted to APRS, such that I could see myself on APRS.fi...



Even more joyfully, my transmission was relayed by MB7UWC, my own club's APRS iGate...



...which (according to APRS.fi) is 7.7 miles from my QTH. Funny - it seems further than that when I drive to club meetings!

...-.- de m0xpd