K9WX APRS

I first experimented with APRS in the mid-1990’s, without much success. In fact, you could say I had no success at all.

In the spring of 2011 my interest was rekindled after discovering the www.aprs.fi web site. Before too long, I had purchase a couple of APRS capable radios and was leaving tracks wherever I went. See the real-time map at the bottom of this page for current APRS activity around my home QTH.

I did an APRS presentation to the Tippecanoe Amateur Radio Association on APRS in October, 2011. You can download a copy of the presentation here: www.k9wx.net/downloads/aprs.pdf

Here are some pictures of my APRS setup:

Base station, operating as K9WX-1. Equipment:

· TNC: Kantronics KPC3+

· Radio: TenTec #1220 FM 2M

· APRS Client: APRSIS32

· WX: Davis Vantage Pro2

· Antenna: Comet vertical, roof mounted with base about 20 feet off the ground

I struggled for months with the issue of how to install the radio in my 2005 Ford Escape. I finally settled on a Panavise mount and am please with the outcome. Panavise mounts are vehicle specific. The mount for the 2005 Escape was installed by first removing the bezel around the instrument cluster (2 screws), installing the mount with the 3 self-tapping screws provided (no need to drill pilot holes into the thick plastic on the right side of the instrument cluster) and then reinstalling the bezel. Whole thing took about 15 minutes and was very clean. More importantly, the screw holes for the mount were hidden behind the bezel and were invisible when it comes time to sell the car. I upgraded the vehicle to a 2012 Nissan Rogue in March 2012 and installed a similar mount from ProClip USA. This mount neatly fits between the cowl covering the instrument cluster and the heat/AC vents.

Mobile station, operating as K9WX-9. Equipment:

· Radio: Kenwood TM-D710

· GPS: Green Light Labs GPS-710

· Radio mount: Panavise or ProClip USA vehicle specific mounts

· Antenna: Diamond NR72BNMO, hole-mounted in the roof

The “old” car, a 2005 Ford Escape

The “new” car, a 2012 Nissan Rogue

Bicycle mobile station, operating as K9WX-7. Equipment:

· Radio: Kenwood TH-D72

· Radio mount: Lido motorcycle handlebar mount

· Antenna: Diamond NR770HB

· Bike: TREK 7200

· Rack: ToPeak MTX Beam Rack

My bicycle mobile setup is a great performer. At 5 watts, it does better than a lot of automobile installations running higher power. I attribute my success to three things:

· The use of a halfwave antenna

· A proper length cable between the radio and the antenna.

· Mounting the antenna on a “boom” that keeps my body from blocking the signal or detuning the antenna.

The best web site I found for bicycle mobile was:

http://www.gobahams.org/BikeMobile.htm

Check out the article referenced there by W8HI. As of September 2012 you could download it from the GOBA site. You can also find a copy here:

http://www.k9wx.net/downloads/how_to_wire_a_bike.pdf

K9WX uses the Kenwood D710 and D72 radios for APRS mobile.

K9WX Amateur Radio