Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
Great pics! Such a cool mode for aprs!?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
Definitely valid points regarding the antennas and radiation on 30m. I have not had any issues with my 40m hamstick tuning and tracking 100 percent around the area with 10w. Perhaps more rx igates are needed on 30m??
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
Sorry I should have mentioned my vara callsign is VA7PF. How many are actually IGATING on 30m? I guess I would have shown up on aprs.fi if all stations were at least RX GATES.?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
Saw you on 40m yesterday and sent you a message. Nice to see ya.?
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If you have Facebook, please join our VARA APRS group!
There are a lot of discussions on which bands and frequencies are best for reliability and coverage for your region.
If you're in the US and the especially the PNW, we operate on 7.083.50 USB! With 99% coverage across the BC, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, and other outlying areas.
When there's no extreme sun activity of course. It's not often 40M doesn't work for us.
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
I tried 30m today and saw about 5 stations but never got IGATE'd once. Very different from NVIS 40m 7.083.500 USB where I get IGATE'd all day long. Was interesting to try it but no luck from here. I'll stick to 40m where coverage seems stable out on the west
coast. Anyone else is welcomed to try it to see how it compares! Such a cool mode for HF aprs!!!?
?
73 all
?
Devan
VE7LSE
FWIW, I checked my log and heard PNW stations VA7PF, VA7RBP, and NA7Q, but no VE7LSE.? just saying.
WA7GMX
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
30M is more for DXing than it is anything else. It doesn't offer reliable NVIS or even reliable skip day to day like 40M. This is why we use 40M, because it offers NVIS during the day up to 500 and less miles for a single station, typically. At night it's 500+ for a single stations coverage. It's fantastic.
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Re: Need help interfacing VARA hf modem with Pinpoint
That is the correct address to use. Make sure you are matching the KISS port of VARA with PinPoint. Make sure you have PinPoint set to "network KISS mode" and not something else. That's basically it.?
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Need help interfacing VARA hf modem with Pinpoint
I have been using my licensed VARA hf modem with VarAC for some time. ?I have not been able to get the VARA modem to talk to Pinpoint. ?I have followed the set up instructions. ?Pinpoint works fine for showing stations via internet. ?However, no luck with radio positions. ?Both pinpoint and VARA kiss ports are set to 8100. ?When I click on “Connect TNC”, I get an error message saying unable to connect. ?I suspect I am using the wrong up address. ?I used the default ip
127.0.0.1 and get the no connect message. ?I tried the ip of the PC that both VARA and Pinpoint are running on and still no connection. ?
I would appreciate any assistance.
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Bob, KN4HH
?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
To test APRS over VARA on 7083.5 kHz USB in Europe I've tuned my APRS over VARA igate GM4HYG-2 to the 40m channel.
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From northern Scotland I can hear strong LSB SSB traffic on this frequency as it's part of the band frequented by French and Dutch stations.
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After a quick test on FT8 to check conditions at present I can see that on FT8 I'm getting into the eastern states with some stations receiving me in the PNW.
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I'll leave my igate running on 40m today but due to the heavy QRM it's unlikely that I will hear many stations.
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I'll put my mobile station GM4HYG-10 on the 30m channel 10.148.2 kHz USB to continue the tests on 30m.
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Regards,
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Chris GM4HYG
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
Have been testing 40m VARA APRS from our club station VE7NWC in CN89 / VE7 land up here in the PNW.?
Started today around 21:30 UTC and this is what we have RX'd so far;
Regards,
Hi all,
?
I tried 30m today and saw about 5 stations but never got IGATE'd once. Very different from NVIS 40m 7.083.500 USB where I get IGATE'd all day long. Was interesting to try it but no luck from here. I'll stick to 40m where coverage seems stable out on the west coast. Anyone else is welcomed to try it to see how it compares! Such a cool mode for HF aprs!!!?
?
73 all
?
Devan
VE7LSE
?
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40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
On 12/29/2024 6:55 PM, Devan Banman via
groups.io wrote:
Hi all,
?
I tried 30m today and saw about 5 stations but never got
IGATE'd once. Very different from NVIS 40m 7.083.500 USB where I
get IGATE'd all day long. Was interesting to try it but no luck
from here. I'll stick to 40m where coverage seems stable out on
the west coast. Anyone else is welcomed to try it to see how it
compares! Such a cool mode for HF aprs!!!?
?
73 all
?
Devan
VE7LSE
?
I tried 30m today and saw about 5
stations but never got IGATE'd once. Very different from
NVIS 40m 7.083.500 USB where I get IGATE'd all day long. Was
interesting to try it but no luck from here. I'll stick to
40m where coverage seems stable out on the west coast.
Anyone else is welcomed to try it to see how it compares!
Such a cool mode for HF aprs!!!
Here is what I am seeing from central Michigan using G5RV and
TS-2000 on the new 10.148.200 USB? 30M frequency at 9:10
Eastern / 02100 UTC . ? Not seeing anything anymore on the old
APRS-over-VARA channel.?
This is from my test setup monitoring (and beaconing on) the new
APRS-over-VARA channel.? This map will start showing on my main
UIwebserver at?? ??
starting at 19:00 Eastern New Years eve / 0000 UTC New Years Day,
after the frequency and configuration change on my main HF APRS
setup.
?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
? Pre-dawn, I, K0ION, was being I-gated by a VE2 station on 30m. I have yet, here, to see its beacon. Distance, and my attic antenna, may be that deciding factor.
toggle quoted message
Show quoted text
From: [email protected] <[email protected]> On Behalf Of Devan Banman via groups.io
Sent: Sunday, December 29, 2024 5:55 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [VARA-MODEM] Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.? I tried 30m today and saw about 5 stations but never got IGATE'd once. Very different from NVIS 40m 7.083.500 USB where I get IGATE'd all day long. Was interesting to try it but no luck from here. I'll stick to 40m where coverage seems stable out on the west coast. Anyone else is welcomed to try it to see how it compares! Such a cool mode for HF aprs!!!?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
Hi all,
?
I tried 30m today and saw about 5 stations but never got IGATE'd once. Very different from NVIS 40m 7.083.500 USB where I get IGATE'd all day long. Was interesting to try it but no luck from here. I'll stick to 40m where coverage seems stable out on the west coast. Anyone else is welcomed to try it to see how it compares! Such a cool mode for HF aprs!!!?
?
73 all
?
Devan
VE7LSE
?
?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
On 12/29/2024 1:52 PM, Michael - NA7Q
via groups.io wrote:
And for the rest of us who have been doing VARA APRS for over
a year, we're on 40m. 7.083.50 USB.
Way better performance than 30m!
I will hop on 30m and see how it looks, but not expecting much
of anything good out of it.
_._,_._,_
?Do you see any activity on 40M outside the Pacific Northwest?
How many stations are active in your 40M group?
30 has some significant advantages over 40. ? Most of the time,
30 meters combines the regional coverage of 40 meters with the DX
capabilities of 20 meters.? For mobile operation, 30 has a
significant advantage because a 30 meter 1/4-wave vertical loaded
down to the size of a 8-foot whip is much less horribly
inefficient than a mobile antenna for 40 meters.? I.e. the natural
full-size 1/4-wavelength of a 30 m ant is less than one on 40.?
Further, the mass of the vehicle body capacitively coupling to
earth ground beneath the whip will show a lower reactance than at
lower frequencies, making the mobile antenna easier to match.
Here is what I am seeing right now, from central Michigan, on the
new 30-meter APRS-over-VARA channel at 10.148.200
USB
Stephen H. Smith??? wa8lmf (at) aol.com
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:
????
- APRS over VARA? --
??
"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
??
-
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
And for the rest of us who have been doing VARA APRS for over a year, we're on 40m. 7.083.50 USB.
Way better performance than 30m!
I will hop on 30m and see how it looks, but not expecting much of anything good out of it.
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Re: Please explain APRS related
I run VARA APRS on HF with my IC-9100.
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73, K0ION
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Re: Please explain APRS related
On 12/28/2024 9:56 PM, Todd AL7PX via
groups.io wrote:
Hello Steve:
Ok, your explanation was very good and have Pinpoint
configured I think. VaraHF modem SW is of course working ok. My
GPS shows up on Pinpoint too.
Where else would the GPS show up? ?? If you are not operating
mobile (i.e. not changing position), you don't really need a GPS
connected anyway - just hand-enter your latitude and longitude
into PinPoint or other APRS client.?
Now I need to get pinpoint to interface with the Icom 9100.
What piece of software is used? "UZ7HO
Soundmodem"?
NO!? The Soundmodem is a conventional packet TNC in software -
completely irrelevant to operations with VARA.? [NOTE that you
might want to use the Soundmodem instead of VARA on 2M VHF to take
part in conventional packet APRS on 144.39 since the IC-9100 is a
"DC-to-light" HF/VHF/UHF radio.]
VARA is your software modem.? It uses a sound card (either
internal to the computer, or an external one connected by USB) to
generate data tones on TX and to decode data tones on RX.? You
need to connect the soundcard output and input on the computer,?
to the radio's rear panel "DATA" port.? The IC-9100 appears to
have two such ports - the industry-standard 6-pin mini-DIN port
-and-? a full-size 13-pin DIN port that is proprietary to Icom.
??? You will need to make up (or acquire) an appropriate cable to
connect the interface to one of these radio ports.?
You will also need a USB cable to connect a USB port on the
computer to the USB port on the Icom,? for PTT keying.??
????????? -or-
skip the hassle of dealing with virtual com ports created by
USB-to-serial drivers.? Use a tone-activated interface like a
Tigertronics SignaLink USB.? This device has it's own built-in
soundcard and a VOX-type circuit that automatically keys the
transmitter whenever VARA or other soundcard digi-mode generates a
transmit tone.?
I'm going to need to direction about this part.?
Thanks,
AL7PX
Todd
?
_.
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Re: Please explain APRS related
Hello Steve:
Ok, your explanation was very good and have Pinpoint configured I think. VaraHF modem SW is of course working ok. My GPS shows up on Pinpoint too.
Now I need to get pinpoint to interface with the Icom 9100. What piece of software is used? "UZ7HO Soundmodem"? ?
Thanks,
AL7PX
Todd
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Bob Watson