[Xastir] New user to xastir program

[David Ranch]

Hello Russell,

> Well David, What I was doing on my Windows 7, Cross County Wireless 
> (CCW) APRS Messager it would APRS signal from HF ( PSK 63-MFSK 16 and 
> others) and with the program it would send it to the internet. Also I 
> was doing ProPNet on the HF as well....Messager has it TNC , Now along 
> with messager I was using UZ7HO program for AX25 in the same way, and 
> when Message would tx, so would UZ7HO would to, using Kiss port 4000 
> between the two.

Ok, I've heard of Cross Country Wireless but I've never used it.  I read 
up on "Messager" program and it seems to be an all in one digital modes 
+ AX.25 + APRS program in one


> Now that I can get messager to run wine, but I can get UZ7HO to work 
> in wine to 300 buad on HF.  ? will xastir key the Radio using vox.. 
> and do APRS Beacon using my location and then,  I have other question 
> about Mint18 because I am a newbie on this OS, S I can use all the 
> help I can get.
>
> All of my APRS and ProPNet work has been on the HF bands mostly on 30m.

I encourage you to try running native programs and NOT run Wine. Giving 
comparables:

Windows7 : Mint 18
UZ7HO using TCP-KISS : Direwolf using TCP-KISS
CCW Messenger : DIrewolf APRS (sending objects and being an iGate only)
CCW Messenger : Xastir APRS (GUI to show icons on maps, send messages, etc)

Beyond that, no one Linux program supports all the modes that CCW 
Messenger *but* you CAN get very close if you run Fldigi for the digital 
modes, link it into Linux's AX.25 stack, and then run programs like 
Xastir.  I've done this very thing and it's written up here: 
http://www.trinityos.com/HAM/CentosDigitalModes/hampacketizing-centos.html#16b.hf-ax25 
.  It's a complex path to get all that going but once done, your setup 
will be able to do what you want and a whole lot more too.

To your other questions:

    - Direwolf DOES support 300BAUD AFSK packet and supports some PSK 
modes but it doesn't support PSK63
      - It does support other modes too: 
https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/raw/dev/doc/2400-4800-PSK-for-APRS-Packet-Radio.pdf
    - Fldigi does support PSK63 and many many other modes

    - Xastir doesn't work with the radio, the software TNC does
       - Yes, Direwolf can use VOX but it's best to use serial port 
controlled PTT - page 64 - 
https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf/raw/dev/doc/User-Guide.pdf

--David
KI6ZHD