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I read your post and then tried to access the pinpoint aprs website and it seems to be down. (Forbidden message).

Am I missing something???

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Here is the url I am attempting:

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73... Rick KJ7ROX

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Hmm?? The PinPoint website seems to be missing in action.??? I've put a copy of the most recent PinPoint on MY web site at at:

??

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Can't get VARA to trigger the PTT of my Kenwood TS-890.... No matter what I do. It works fine in winlink but can't get it to function when connected to Pinpoint.

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1)??? Have you enabled the KISS mode in VARA????? WinLink and VarAC Chat use the "Command" and "Data" ports in VARA.?? APRS uses the "KISS" ports instead.?

2)??? Have you selected? KISS-over-TCP/IP? in PinPoint as the "TNC"?

3)??? Are the TCP/IP port numbers for KISS-over-IP in VARA and PinPoint the same?? VARA defaults to IP port # 8300, though it can be changed in VARA's "Setup", "VARA Setup..." dialog. ?? Ensure the port number in PinPoint is the same.?

4) ? Don't try to use Winlink at the same time as APRS-over-VARA. ?

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Hello everyone.

Been researching how to set up APRS through VARA and I cannot find in YouTube or the search how to do a detail setup to make it operational.?

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Basically, you enable the KISS mode in VARA's "Settings", "VARA Setup".? Then in an APRS application's setup choose "KISS-over-TCP/IP" in the app's TNC configuration page. If the APRS client doesn't offer KISS over IP and only does old-school serial COM ports (like UIview), you need a third piece of software. This is an IP<-->serial converter like VSPE (Virtual Serial Ports Emulator) or comOcom. ?

Link to my setup guide was in my post below.?? Notes on using VARA with APRS is at:?
??? ???

Note that you CAN'T be running WinLink, VarAC Chat, etc at the same time you are using APRS-over-VARA.? Besides being on totally different frequencies, you will have conflicts with different control interfaces within VARA.? You CAN install multiple copies of VARA-HF or VARA-VHF in different folders and use them simultaneously.

On Mon, Dec 2, 2024 at 2:26?PM WA8LMF via <wa8lmf3=[email protected]> wrote:

Due to frequency overlap with, and interference to/from, the "Robust Packet" channels used in Europe,? APRS-over-VARA is moving to a new channel ABOVE the present AX.25 APRS channel on 30 Meters.

Currently, APRS-over-VARA is operating with a radio "dial frequency" of 10.147.600, placing the center frequency of it's 500-Hz wide RF signal at 10.149.100 MHz.?

Starting January 1st 2025 at 0000 UTC, the new RF channel center will be 10.149.700? MHz .? To make the change, set your radio "dial frequency"? to:

???? 10.148.200 MHz USB

Until Jan 1st, I will be running the old channel as usual, and ALSO beaconing test signals (KJ4ERJ's Space Station Object) every two minutes on the new channel.

More info is on my web site at:

??? ????

This page is a gateway page to multiple posts on VARA and APRS-over-VARA that have previously been scattered rather haphazardly around my web site.??

Click on the link in the yellow box near the top of the page for the frequency change info.

---

Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at)
Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:?????????

APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters
??

"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
??

-- APRS over VARA? --
??

?

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Hello all - I cannot get VARA HF to trigger my rig’s transmitter.  The 5000 is not listed on the Radio drop down on the Vara HF Winlink Session window.  I tried several Yaesu rigs to see if that would work, but it didn’t.  Using Winlink Express ver 1.70.20.0 and VARA HF ver 4.7.6

I’m using the Yaesu SCU-17 modem.  It works fine with WSJT, but not on Winlink/VARA-HF.

Ideas?

TNX

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Unlike other "soundcard apps" like WSJT, mmSSTV, FLdigi, etc,? VARA ? DOES NOT? control your radio. ?VARA is just a soundcard audio modem.

It's the application being used with VARA (WinLink, VarAC Chat, etc) that controls the radio, both for CAT frequency control (if used) and for transmit PTT.???

In your case, it's the SCU-17 you need to address,? not the radio directly.? When plugged into a computer USB port, the SCU-17 shows up in Windows as THREE devices: 2 separate COM ports with individual COM #s (one virtual & one physical) and an audio codec (i.e. sound card) .

You need to set WinLink to control the virtual COM port in the SCU-17 for RTS-type? PTT ? --or--? set WinLink to use CAT PTT control using the actual COM port in the SCU-17.? (This would require connecting the actual serial port on the SCU-17 to the serial CAT port on the transceiver. And being able to tell WinLink exactly what radio you are using, since CAT control codes are highly radio-specific.? In your case, the simple classic serial port RTS PTT would be far simpler.) ??

[ The SCU-17 itself has EXACTLY the same circuitry (COM ports and sound card) as the built-in serial ports and sound card in the Yaesu FT-991.? ]

Finally, set VARA to use the virtual sound card in the SCU-17 which will show up as "USB audio codec" or something similar in the VARA "Settings", "Soundcard..." dialog.

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Hmmm. In USB-Data mode I can key the radio using DTR on COM3 but I see in Pinpoint:

WA8LMF-6>APU25N:>150213zThis is the new APRS-over-VARA Channel beginning 1 Jan
WA8LMF-6>APU25N:}KJ4ERJ-15>APZTLE,TCPIP,WA8LMF-6*:;ISS ? ? ?*213954h5045.75S\03104.32WSMsg4Pass }k1niNe`ZpLz<t3N<(L"Z,e<iN{!w1#!
WA8LMF-6>APU25N:}KJ4ERJ-15>APZTLE,TCPIP,WA8LMF-6*:;ISS ? ? ?*214153h4835.22S\02013.22WSMsg4Pass }k1njNfa[qLz;s2N;)L"[+f;jN{!wD{!
WA8LMF-6>APU25N:}KJ4ERJ-15>APZTLE,TCPIP,WA8LMF-6*:;ISS ? ? ?*214352h4523.80S\01029.94WSMsg4Pass }k1mlNga[qKz9q0N9+K"[+g;lN{!w\U!

I was seeing three lines of text at one time. I think was in USB-CW mode for that.

On most radios, the main difference between "USB" and "DATA-U" is that the audio input/output is from the front panel on USB and a rear-panel "data port" on "DATA-U".?? The receive tuning shouldn't be any different.?? USB-CW is again normal USB receive, but the input on transmit is the CW key jack, rather than any kind of audio from a soundcard program.

I am transmitting these on the new APRS-overVARA channel (10.148.200 USB) as WA8LMF-6 to give adopters something to receive and verify that they are on the right frequency.

You are seeing one line of APRS Bulletin transmission, and three lines of the KJ4ERJ space station object.??

APRS Bulletins are like APRS text messages, but addressed to everyone (not a specific station).? They require no ACKs (since they not sent to a specific station), and are repeated endlessly until disabled.? (Normal messages addressed to a specific station are repeated only a few time?if they receive no ACK, and then stop .)?

Bulletins are typically used to announce weather alerts, upcoming events, disaster info, etc.? Further, sending the same BLN # with new content will cause the like-numbered bulletin line at receive stations to be updated (overwritten) with the new content. ??

KJ4ERJ originates the space station objects every two minutes showing the current location of the space station itself (an APRS point object) and of it's radio footprint on the earth (APRS area object). He inserts them into the APRS Internet System.? I fish them out of the APRS-IS and re-transmit them over 30M RF.? [I am assuming that if someone is far enough out in the boonies to be using HF APRS rather than 2 meters, that they might also be interested in knowing when the ISS and it's VHF digipeater is overhead. ]?

Note that most APRS clients fail to decode and correctly display APRS area objects though they will display the point object directly under the ISS.? (UIview is one of the few APRS clients that WILL properly decode and display area objects on it's maps.? (You will periodically see the ISS "photo-bomb" my APRS screen caps from UIview.)

I just got this in USB-CW:

WA8LMF-5>APU25N::BLN07 ? ?:New 30M VARA Channel ? 1 Jan 2024

WA8LMF-5>APU25N::BLN09 ? ?:30M VARA Freq Info -

NS3X>APIN21:!3940.77N/07655.35Wy ? ?ns3x@... FM19mq 752 ft ASL

Wrong year I think.

Apparently you are switching between the new channel and the old channel.??

This is the old VARA-over-APRS channel (10.147.600 MHz). I have been using bulletins here to? announce/talk? up the new APRS-over-VARA frequency change to people still on the old VARA channel.????? Yes there was a typo on the year -- now fixed.??? After Jan 1st, I will leave a "night light" beacon, from a second transceiver,? on the old frequency for a couple of weeks announcing that the APRS-over-VARA frequency has changed.?

Yes, I've had VARA in KISS mode throughout, though it complains it isn't seeing anything on port 8300 it's connected to pinpoint on the default of 8100.

The two primary VARA ports 8300 (Command) and 8301 (Data) are used by WinLink, VARAchat and VarAC Chat.? They are NOT used by APRS over VARA - the single port 8100 (KISS) handles everything APRS-related.

2)?? Set the passband or DSP bandwidth tuning of the radio to allow the bandpass of around 1000 Hz to 2000 Hz.? (The VARA signal is about 500 Hz wide, centered on 1500 Hz.)

Depending on the nature of the slope of your passband filter edges, you may be able to screw down the bandwidth narrower. (Most filters start having phase shifts and ringing at the passband edges, limiting how narrow you can set the filters without mangling the complex multi-tone VARA signal.)

3)??? Enable the KISS-over-IP function in VARA under "Settings", "VARA Setup". Be sure to check the box "KISS interface".? This becomes a TCP/IP server.?

4)??? Select KISS-over-IP as a TNC source in PinPoint. This becomes a TCP/IP client connecting to VARA's server.? Note that the IP PORT # in both programs must match.? (Normally this will be the default VARA KISS-over-IP port number of 8100.)?? The IP address of both programs will be "localhost" a.k.a.? "127.0.0.1" meaning both the server and the client are on the same machine.?

Details on my web site at:

- APRS over VARA? --
??

??

---

? Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at)

Skype:??????? WA8LMF
EchoLink:? Node #? 14400? [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]
Home Page:?????????

30 Meter?? APRS-over VARA? Frequency Change
Coming 1 Jan 2025.?? Details Here:
???? <



"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
??

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?

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--
73 de K3FZT / Steve

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I'm listening. Trying to figure out how to get pinpoint 2.1, Vara and my FTdx-3000 to talk.

73 de K3FZT / Steve

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Steve Davidson K3FZT | GMRS: WRVS468

Winlink Gateway K3FZT-10@...?direct or via W3EOC-3

Supporting VARA FM Wide/1200bd Packet

WIRES-X Room #85218 "MARC-DARBY" 444.050 mHz

K3FZT@...?FN20ja

?

1)?? Forget all the CAT nonsense and hassle -- set the radio on 10.148.200 USB or "DATA-U" if it has that mode manually. ? ?

2)?? Set the passband or DSP bandwidth tuning of the radio to allow the bandpass of around 1000 Hz to 2000 Hz.? (The VARA signal is about 500 Hz wide, centered on 1500 Hz.)

Depending on the nature of the slope of your passband filter edges, you may be able to screw down the bandwidth narrower. (Most filters start having phase shifts and ringing at the passband edges, limiting how narrow you can set the filters without mangling the complex multi-tone VARA signal.)

3)??? Enable the KISS-over-IP function in VARA under "Settings", "VARA Setup". Be sure to check the box "KISS interface".? This becomes a TCP/IP server.?

4)??? Select KISS-over-IP as a TNC source in PinPoint. This becomes a TCP/IP client connecting to VARA's server.? Note that the IP PORT # in both programs must match.? (Normally this will be the default VARA KISS-over-IP port number of 8100.)?? The IP address of both programs will be "localhost" a.k.a.? "127.0.0.1" meaning both the server and the client are on the same machine.?

Details on my web site at:

- APRS over VARA? --
??

??

? Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com

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Experimenting with a new map layout -- comments and feedback requested. ? Screen capture of 30 meters APRS-over-VARA activity on the new 10.148.200 Mhz USB channel as of 3:16 PM Eastern US Time on 22 Dec 2024.???

Note that late at night and in the early morning hours, I am copying G4HYG from the UK on this channel nearly every day -- that's why I have expanded the map to stretch across the Atlantic to cover western Europe.

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The migration of 30 meters APRS-over-VARA activity to the new channel of? 10.148.20 MHz USB? "dial" frequency seems to be taking off --?- even before the announced? change-over on New Years eve.? As of 1 PM Eastern Standard time? 22 Dec 2024, this is what I am seeing on my UIview test receiver/igate in central Michigan, USA.???

This display and new frequency will replace the current? ? 10.147.600? Mhz? main APRS-over-VARA? UIview igate/mapping-webserver? display at midnight UTC on New Years Eve.? (The test setup on the new channel is currently also doing igate duty - the stations on the map below can be seen on findu.com, APRS.fi, etc.)

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Doug,

I just upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 on my shack laptop (HP Zbook) leaving all my devices/radio plugged in, and after all was done, I carefully checked my audio levels and audio/com port assignments, and NOTHING was touched, period.

I then proceeded to run my usual set of radio programs, Ham Radio Deluxe, WSJT-X, and Winlink with VARA HF, and EVERYTHING continued to work as before.? I made FT8 contacts, which were logged to HRD, and sent a Winlink message on 40M to a remote RMS.

So, I don't know what kind of weirdness you have going on your system(s), but every laptop in our household has now successfully upgraded to Windows 11 24H2, with NO issues whatsoever.? That includes two laptops heavily used for game playing by my daughter and grandson, my Photoshop/Lightroom laptop, and my XYL's work-from-home business laptop.