APRS with RASCAL

[KC2QYD]

I have a kenwood tm-231a and a Rascall mkv"f". I want to be able to use it with APRS. I dont know if I need a TNC or not. Please give any information you can!!

[ka7o]

You need a TNC - or something that does what a TNC does - to translate your 'information' to something that can go out via a radio. "Something" could be your sound card with the appropriate software. One of the more popular software packages to emulate TNC functions in a sound card is SV2AGW's software.

http://www.elcom.gr/sv2agw/

Now, if I'm remembering what a 'Rascal' is correctly, it's designed to connect your radio and sound card together for just such use.

Now, finding the correct software to talk to the SV2AGW TNC emulator is a tad more work. Most APRS clients want to talk to a Serial port. Since the TNC emulator is 'virtual' it provides a virtual port. Something that may be a challenge for some clients. A google search on "SV2AGW APRS" yields many hits. Maybe, as well, try the APRS Special Interest Group (SIG) hosted by TAPR.org

[AE6QE]

The software mentioned by KC7ZRU is known as "AGWPE". Several APRS clients will accept AGWPE; I used UI-View for years with AGWPE and the "RASCAL" until I bought a TM-D700.

Another thing to consider if you will be doing a lot of APRS (or any other mode) through the sound card, is to install a second sound card to your machine. That way, you can hear all the normal computer sounds/mp3s/videos etc. through one card, and route all your radio traffic through the other.

Good luck with APRS. Feel free to send me an APRS chat when you get things going!

73,
Rickey/AE6QE