I am in the same boat as you… as you may be aware, I like to tackle quite long days on the tops of mountains in all wx conditions. In this case, Mrs BML always wants to know where I am being on my own most of the time! So, I have two hand-helds which have built in APRS, the Yaesu FT2D and the Yaesu FT5D. In my opinion, they both eat battery power like mad when the APRS is enabled. So you won’t get a full 5w out when operating on summit, unless you carry spare batteries like me! Not a great deal of difference between both radio’s except the FT5D has a scope and is water proof! I’m not trying to sell these to you because I’m not overly impressed with Yaesu’s newer models, my FT-65e would eat them both alive, but it hasn’t got APRS. If I was going to buy again, I would most probably take Matthews @M0MZB advice above and go for the older model with APRS, like the VX8. Although there is many more makes out there for you to consider… I’m just a Yaesu man
In terms of letting relatives know your whereabouts, i set an email alert to their inbox using HamAlert
This sends an email whenever a sota spot us raised (perhaps it can also use the RBN too).
Hi Ben,
I am good thanks. I do try and tell Mrs Vaz where I am / which hill but sometimes mobile coverage is not good and Mrs Vaz is not interested in radios.
I have listed the ones mentioned so far but I am sure there are more out there.
I do also like Yausu radios (SOTA/Mobile) - FT857) and also my Kenwood TS-2000 for home use.
I have recently purchased an FT3D to access Yaesu’s Fusion Digital Mode, but still have to get my head round programming it for APRS, it even has a separate manual dedicated to setting up APRS?
@G1JPV Hi Tony, if it’s anything like the FT5D (they are practically exactly the same) here’s how to get it all up and running for APRS:
Hold ‘F MENU’ button down for 2 seconds, touch the red ‘APRS’ button on the screen. This will take you to the APRS menu.
Select number 1 by pressing the ‘F MENU’ button once (APRS AF DUAL) - make sure this is ‘ON’, then press back.
Then select number 4 (APRS MODEM) - make sure this is set to 1200bps, then press back.
Then select number 20 (GPS POWER) - make sure this is ‘ON’, then press back.
Select number 23 (CALLSIGN (APRS)) - Make sure you put your call-sign in here, and then whatever number you are doing after it. e.g, I’m hiking, so mine is set as ‘GW4BML-7’, then press back.
Make sure you are on 144.800 using ‘VFO B’ only, and that should get you all up and running. Fingers crossed!!
Wow Thanks Ben, the APRS manual is 63 pages long , Excellent if this is all I need to do, will try it out on Longridge Fell on Sunday during the Backpackers! WX permitting??!!
To my mind smart beaconing does not work well when hiking. At least not, if you do not tweak the parameters accordingly. The typical parameters preset are optimized for driving by car or at least bike. When hiking you do not have the dynamics of movement to make use of smart beaconing.
Also the idea of smart beaconing does not consider a significant amount of position beacons are lost. With less than 5 W and a rubber duck antenna you have to expect this.
Therefore I have configured all my APRS hand helds for dumb beaconing every 60 s.
I’m on Sky mobile so I have the worst possible signal! So Data often does not work away from a wifi signal so hence being able to spot myself via APRS2SOTA would be a great alternative,
You need to send an email to G0LGS (contact form on the web page linked below) to get access to the system. Its easy and just to keep unwanted folks out.
Sorry for the dumb question but who is listening to these APRS transmissions? Do you have to be in range of someone with an internet connected APRS rig? Do APRS handhelds repeat any signal they receive so as long as there is someone else nearby with an APRS rig it will eventually find its way to the internet?
Not an expert but check out APRS.fi on the web. As long as your msg gets to an Igate and onto the web you can be tracked by anyone as far as I can see.
Expect someone more knowledgable can do a better job of explaining it.
, Excellent if this is all I need to do, will try it out on Longridge Fell on Sunday during the Backpackers! WX permitting??!!