Yeah, I suspect that was the problem. Entirely possible I mis-typed something. I guess, when the configuration is happening via a web page and the hardware running it has not a lot of memory, something has to give…
When you’ve entered everything for the seventh (or seventeenth, or…) time I guess it becomes easier.
I wish there was an easy way to save it all, though.
I’ve ordered 2 of these from CPC. There’s always a few other bits and pieces I want so I never find it hard to get free delivery.
I tested the Heltec stub antenna with my nanoVNA - its minimum SWR was at about 480MHz. At 439MHz it was around 5:1. The new antennas should make a huge difference.
Now I’m a little curious what’s actually in one. I have at least a couple that’ll never see use…
I’ve been puzzling over the configuration issues with the HelTek iGate, having been a few times round the loop now. The APRS filter option puzzled me particularly, so I went looking for an explanation of the incantation suggested in the documentation and found Server-side Filter Commands
My understanding of the filter suggested on 02. WebUI iGate Configuration · richonguzman/LoRa_APRS_iGate Wiki · GitHub is that it aims to limit the distance over which stations may be tracked. While that might be desirable in a well covered area, for SOTA purposes it’s probably counter-productive.
What APRS filters have folk been putting into their iGate configurations?
APRS FILTERS. That’s probably what crashed your igate. It was with mine. Leave that setting alone. It’s to do with APRS messaging and stops the network being flooded with messages for distant stations. The default is fine. I don’t think many (or any?) are using messaging.
I plan to. I use it almost daily on 2m APRS.
I think frequency or WiFi typos were the culprits for me. One crash was certainty just after I saved a frequency change, and another after I tried changing the WiFi network.
It seems to have been working fine with the suggested filter rather than the default, but I’ll save myself the trouble and not bother changing it next time I end up re-flashing the beast.
I’m hoping to be able to use it with APRS2SOTA.
It will be interesting to see how many igates are configured for messaging.
I’ve been talking with Dave @M0JKS about setting up a digipeater on ridge of G/LD-025. I will either do this with a cobbled-together solution involving an off-the-shelf solar charge controller board and 18650s, or using a board that Dave has offered to make available which neatly provides a header to piggyback the Heltec board onto a buck converter.
My plan is to set up an igate at home to pass the signals from the digipeater onto the internet.
I’m a bit cautious about doing it, as part of me doesn’t like the idea of littering the hillside with junk. But provided I can visit at least once every month, I reckon its just about okay. If I can’t keep that visit scheme up, I will relocate to a smaller hill above what the locals refer to as “The Cold Fell Road”.
Thew new licence conditions appear to permit to do this provided I can demonstrate I can shut-off the device within 2 hours…which is just about do-able from home (including the cycle ride to the foot of the hill).
The relevant conditions from the new licence are:
which I think means I don’t need any other permission - no NOV or anything. Presumably I just use my own call for the digipeater.
Just posting this message in case anyone has any comments on whether my interpretation of the licence conditions looks sound.
Correct. Yes, use your own call.
The hardest part of the conditions is being able to shut it off within 2 hours. It would have been nice if at very low powers, such as 20dBm, this rule didn’t apply. If it was operated in the ISM or LPD bands (i.e. licence free) this condition wouldn’t apply.
I would make it so that the repeater needs to hear something you control to enable a 30min timer. i.e. you send out a packet with your call in it from home and if the repeater hears it then it enables repeating for 30mins. After every packet of yours it hears, the timeout is set to 30mins. To disable the repeater, stop sending the trigger packets.
That’s a good idea! I can also set it to listen our for Radio 4 and launch a MAD if it fails.
My understanding is that the filter in the iGate is to limit which APRS packets are received from the internet. This means that for an RX only iGate it is irrelevant. For an iGate that transmits it’s limiting which packets will be retransmitted - after all you wouldn’t want to transmit every single APRS packet from around the world! The recommended filter of t/mo/AB1CDE-10/10 is saying to get messages and objects from within 10km of AB1CDE-10 where that is the callsign of the iGate i.e. only to transmit local messages.
On the tracker the default path is WIDE1-1. This is saying what path the transmitted packets can take. This means that the packets can be digipeated just once. If all digipeaters are within range of at least one iGate then there is no need for any other setting. However, I wonder if trackers can be set to digipeat in which case a path that allowed more hops might be needed. The aim of the path is to prevent too many packets clogging up the single APRS channel.
For the moment these should be left at their default settings and probably shouldn’t be changed without careful thought.
I’m curious about how people are actually doing APRS messaging via LoRa. Is there an app that connects to the trackers via BT or WiFi that allows this or is there something else?
[quote=“G3CWI, post:35, topic:35690”]i
I’m curious about how people are actually doing APRS messaging via LoRa. Is there an app that connects to the trackers via BT or WiFi that allows thi
[/quote]
This is how Meshtastic works - the Meshtastic app connects to the Hetlec V3 board (EU868 version) over BT and then one can send messages on either Long-Fast (multicast) or direct to other Meshtastic LoRA nodes. Something similar for APRS using LoRA would be a great bit of kit. Is there such a thing in development ?
Dave
I’ve got a Heltec tracker and Heltec v3 wireless stick lite which I’ve been using with Meshtastic for a couple of weeks. Easy to set up and messaging works well, unfortunately there’s not many nodes around on 433Mhz 
Received a new Heltec V3 board yesterday and used Richard’s excellent web flasher for APRS, will utilize the tracker for APRS too and give it a go.
The APRS.fi iPhone app might have this functionality. I can’t find anything that explains it.
I suspect APRSDroid can do this also but haven’t ventured to try it
Rick
I think one problem with this for the amateur bands is that the messages sent by Meshtastic are encrypted which would contravene our license conditions.
