[Xastir] Help with TH-D72

[Kurt Savegnago]

The D7A(g) works the same way except in APRS mode one had to plug in a
serial enabled GPS with NMEA output.  With the TNC in PACKET mode there is no GPS data available at the TNC level except for the data coming in over Rf in the form of position packets from other stations to be processed
displayed by a control program. (ie. control program= Xastir, UI-View
APRSIS32)

Hear ye! Hear ye! the D72A doesn't have GPS information available from 
it's internal GPS WHEN IN "PACKET" mode only period.  That's the way it is designed.  One is actually just using the rig as a TNC/transmit/receive device.  The internal GPS is not functional in that mode.  If one plugs in a laptop to control the TNC, you'll have to put the position in the control program manually or use a USB/GPS receiver plugged into the laptop accessed directly by your control program. Again, the D72 is just acting as a dumb TNC transmit/receive device that is controlled by your external program when in that "PACKET" mode. (Just like the D7A and (g) versions)

When in "APRS" mode with the 72 one can use the internal GPS or leave it off and plugin an external GPS if desired in the 2.5mm jack.  In this mode, the unit is totally self contained and the rig is controlled by the parameters you put in, not by the parameters in the external comtrol program one uses in "PACKET" mode. "APRS" mode think of it as not being controlled by an external device.

Would it have been nice to have the GPS be accessible to at least maybe the
2.5mm jack while in "PACKET" mode too?  Sure, but it's not a deal breaker to me..  The rig essentially operates like the old D7 except that in "APRS" mode one has the internal GPS to rely on if they want to.  In "PACKET" mode it's like on old D7.  Now of course, there are all of those new options in the 72 that the D7 didnt' have when operating in "APRS" mode.  Don't get me wrong there, I think the 72 is the better rig and one can't connect anything Yaesu to Xastir without an extermal TNC. Sort of defeats the purpose of an APRS H/T if one wishes to have a graphical option to track. The GR one can see position reports but none of the control amd messaging functions are useable.  Yaesu rigs are "talkie
trackers" whereas the 72 is an "APRS Solution".

Sure, the rigs can message but APRS messaging from an H/T is more excruciating than a 5 wpm Morse exchange.  Not very practical.  Good to have if you have to get an announcement out for others to see in a pinch but really NG for a two-way exchange.  For that a keyboard helps.:-)

                                Kurt KC9LDH


--- On Wed, 1/19/11, Harry Bloomberg <hbloomb at gmail.com> wrote:

> From: Harry Bloomberg <hbloomb at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [Xastir] Help with TH-D72
> To: kb8uih at charter.net, "Xastir - APRS client software discussion" <xastir at lists.xastir.org>
> Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2011, 3:34 PM
> On Wed, Jan 19, 2011 at 4:29 PM,
> <kb8uih at charter.net>
> wrote:
> 
> > My opinion is that in packet mode, the radio is
> looking for gps data either
> > from an outside source(external gps) or you have to
> tell the HT to get gps
> > data through whatever packet program you are running.
> Have you done this?
> >
> 
> I believe I have programmed the TH-D72 to deliver GPS data,
> but it does not
> do so in Packet mode.
> 
> I am not familiar with the TH-D7.  Did this work the
> same was as the
> TH-D72?  Did it also have to *not* be in packet mode
> to obtain GPS data?
> 
> 73,
> Harry Bloomberg W3YJ
> hbloomb at gmail.com
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