COPYRIGHT 1993,94,95,96,97: The APRS formats originated for use in the amateur radio service. Anyone is encouraged to apply the APRS formats in the TRANSMISSION of position, weather, and status packets. However, the author reserves the ownership of these protocols for exclusive commercial application and for all reception and plotting applications. Other software engineers desiring to include APRS RECEPTION in their software for sale within or outside of the amateur community will require a license from the author. (very reasonably priced)

COMMERCIAL VERSIONS OF APRS ARE AVAILABLE and we can engineer specific needs and applications. Pricing is $295 for the first dispatcher copy of APRS which includes up to 10 mobiles. Additional copies of APRS are deeply discounted. $195 for the second copy and $95 for the third. Additional mobiles begin at $25 and are similarly discounted for large quantities. Additional copies of APRS for mobiles with PC's are significantly less. Two significant enhancements for the dispatcher are the OPTIONAL data interfaces so that APRS CAN SEND POSITS TO OTHER SOFTWARE PACKAGES. Some of these other packages can zoom into the individual street address and access other data bases for dispatching of fleet vehicles. There are currently two such interfaces:

GPS OUTPUT

For other maping and data base programs that accept a NMEA input on a serial port, APRS can output NMEA data via its second serial port to simulate the output of a GPS. In this scenario, APRS CAN MAKE AN IDEAL FRONT END PACKET COMMUNICATIONS PROCESSOR FOR ANY OTHER DATA BASE SYSTEM! Note, that this arrangement requires TWO COMPUTERS connected via a serial cable. One simple DOS computer (with 2 serial ports) runs the APRS front end, and the other PC runs whatever GPS maping program is preferred.

The second computer running its GPS software does not even know APRS is there. It simply thinks it is seeing a position report from an attached GPS. APRS outputs a GGA/VTG data format as if it was a navigation device. A GPS string is sent from APRS to the other computer under the following conditions:

1. Whenever a station is "hooked" on the map or P-list
   
2. Every time the +/- keys are hit to cycle through all stations
   
3. Everytime a new posit is received from a station that is marked for tracking on the P-list (Hook and then select T)

To activate this interface, bring up APRS from scratch as APRSxx/new. Then when it asks about your second COMM port, answer with the OUTGGA command. After you complete all of the remaining configuration items, press alt-S and SAVE this configuration. Saving it with the config file extension of OUT will make it easy to remember for use in the future. Once you save the CONFIG file using your normal APRS validation number you will see the word G-OUT show in upper case on your control panel. In this case, only hooked posits noted above will be passed over. If you toggle on the alt-S-MODES-OUTnewGGA, then G-NEW will show on the control panel and EVERY new posit received will be output automatically.

STREETS-ON-DISK:

With this option, APRS writes all positions to a file so that the other program such as STREETS-ON-DISK, can display all object positions from that file (you run both APRS and STREETS in a multi-tasking environment) The STREETS program is sold by KLYNAS Engineering 805 583-1133 for about $225 but costs an additional $95 per county. The APRS interface to STREETS is available from the author or PACCOMM at an introductory rate of $95. (Less for amateur use). For more info contact Jim Carter, 2029 W. Hall Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92704-5508 who has written a detail interface document.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Bob Bruninga 410-293-4380 days
115 Old Farm Ct, Glen Burnie, MD 21060
wb4apr@amsat.org

PacComm 813 874-2980 BUSINESS
4413 N. Hesperides St 813 875-6417 TECH
Tampa, Fla 33614-7618