Re: [amsat-bb] APRS portable without PC ?

[Bob Bruninga <bruninga@xxxxxxxx>]

> The only thing you need to unnderstand about APRS is the following:
> There are 3 main types of packets...
>    a) Your Position (if you transmit it)
>    b) Your status   (if you transmit it)
>    c) Any and all APRS messages that you send.

I have been asked in a private message to elaborate a bit on some of the
additional APRS formats that are used.  But there really aren't any, just
minor variations of what additional data can be added.  For example,
APRS weather data is just WX data added into the comment portion of a
normal position report.

THere is, however, one other useful format which is sort of a combination
of the STATUS and a GRID Square report in one packet.  It was invented so
that a simple grid square report could have the ICON type included in the
packet.  It begins with the ">" which makes it a STATUS packet.

  >GG##gg/$ comments.....   A Grid format that includes your map ICON.
                            Just replace the "$" key with any other key
                            to get any of almost 90 different Icons.
                               s Boat, b Bike, - House, Y sailboat
                               > Car,  ` Dish, [ human, 8 8ball, = Train

As reported before, the other basic formats are

   [GG##gg] comments.....       A position report in Grid Format
   >status text up to 63 characters
   :BLN1.....:this is a bulletin to everyone
   :BLN2.....:this is the second line of a bulletin to everyone
   :ALL......:this is a message to everyone which expects no acks...
   :WB4APR-15:This is the first line of a message only to WB4APR-15 }1
   :WB4APR-15:and you will see the line number on the end of each }2
   :WB4APR-15:line.  If the line number is there, then the other }3
   :WB4APR-15:will send back an ACK# to confirm receipt. }4

> Oh yes, one other thing, the AX.25 TOCALL for your packets should be one
> for the generic APRS TOCALLS:  CQ, BEACON, QST, ALL, or APxxxx so that
> other receive software knows it is an APRS packet...
>
> de WB4APR, Bob

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