[Xastir] Xastir and GPS

[Andrew Errington]

On Wed, 27 Apr 2011 23:04:59 Jason KG4WSV wrote:
> On Wed, Apr 27, 2011 at 8:13 AM, Andrew Errington
>
> <a.errington at lancaster.ac.uk> wrote:
> > (instructions seem to assume you have a GPS connected to a radio or TNC).
>
> Not exactly.  Most GPS interfaces are of the "this is a standard NMEA
> GPS variety".
>
> You see special instructions for the cases where the NMEA data from
> the GPS is somehow interleaved or multiplexed with the APRS data.
> Those scenarios require more explanation.
>
> > I have a Linux laptop with a USB soundcard and a USB GPS.  I have Xastir
> > and soundmodem.  I want to configure Xastir to periodically send my
> > current position (reported from the GPS) as an APRS packet via
> > soundmodem.  How can I do this?
>
> First, configure soundmodem so you can send and receive.  This, in my
> experience, is non-trivial.

Ok.  Actually, it was trivial.  I recompiled soundmodem because I added a 
feature to use the GPIO on the USB sound chip as PTT.

> Next, make sure your GPS can speak NMEA over a serial port.  Find the
> name of that serial port (e.g. /dev/ttyUSB0 for a typical USB/RS232
> adapter) and create a GPS interface in xastir.

Thanks!  I created a new interface using gpsd.  Xastir chirped a few times, 
which seemed to be it sending a location packet[1].  Success!

Incidentally, with gpsd the "View|GPS Status" menu option always tells me I 
have no satellites or that the GPS data is more than 30 seconds old.  Does 
this menu option only support directly connected GPS receivers?  Or should it 
work with gpsd-connected GPS?

73,

Andrew

[1] I am monitoring the sound card output.  I am not yet in a position to 
connect to another receiving statio.