[Xastir] Light weight APRS client with smart beaconing support for Raspberry PIs

[Liz]

On Mon, 02 Sep 2013 20:37:28 -0700
David Ranch <xastir at trinnet.net> wrote:

> 
> Hello Everyone,
> 
> Since the list has been pretty quiet, I thought I'd send this out
> tothe group.  I have a Raspberry Pi and a TNC-Pi which it works
> pretty wellbut I'd like to turn it into a an APRS tracker and digi.
> For the tracker side, I have a working USB GPS unit that's spitting
> out the expected NEMA sentences but I'd like something that supports
> SmartBeaconing and not just periodic beacons. Looking at the very
> comprehensive table at http://wetnet.net/~we7u/aprs_capabilities.html
> (it's missing digi_ned though which is rather comprehensive
> otherwise), only Xastir and YACC seemto have smart beaconing but both
> are GUI *only* applications.  I'm really looking for something that
> doesn't require Xwindowsand is lightweight(Java doesn't strike me as
> very light).
> 
> So.. does this exist?  Maybe there are tricks to make either of these 
> programs NOT require to run a GUI what so ever?  Other alternatives?
> 
> --David
> KI6ZHD

I've got the Pi partly set up to be the car-Pi, and decided on a
display from Lilliput which runs through the USB interface.
I've got xastir installed but not set up, and need a beefy 12V > 5V
converter to run the gear.
My intention is to interface it into a HF set and have APRS on 40m
The screen says its power consumption is 8.5V, which I presume is
Chinese for 8.5A.