Vara FM, Digirig, & Kenwood TM-710G
Happy New Year all,
I can't get Winlink/Vara FM to work on my mobile rig.? I've been through the Digirig setup guide now 3 times.? I far as I can see everything is set up as recommended, but the Vara FM app is both deaf and dumb - The Vara FM Audio input display is not registering any input, though I have noticed that with the USB unplugged the display shows -96 db, and with the USB plugged in it's showing -75db, but whether I move the speaker control up/down via the? Win11 PC or using the pot on the rig (yes Squelch is off) the meter display doesn't budge,? In addition when I start a Vara FM Winlink session, it fails to trigger xmit on the rig.? Note also that the Digirig supplied interface cable is plugged into the back of the control head.
I've attached some screen shots here of the settings.? Anybody else here who has gotten Winlink to work with Vara FM on this radio?? I'm at a loss as to what to try next.
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Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
Larry, it's probably because the east coast has virtually no dedicated stations. And you guys have few hams compared to us in the west. We've tried time and time again to get more folks to join on the east coast, but no luck.?
Each station would typically cover up to ~500 miles during the day, and 500+ during night. So don't expect to see anything during the day until you guys step up your game. We have over 10 stations on the west from Colorado to the ocean, and from northern BC to Mexico. All full time IGates. Again, this provides us with reliability and coverage that is beyond incredible.?
East coast and midwest, step up your game!!!?
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Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
David, I am using a shark antenna. I use both the mini and full size one, with nearly identical results. WITH a good ground plane.
As for power level, I've have excellent results with 100mw even while mobile. Though nowhere as good as 40W that I typically run.
Most folks are running 50W or less mobile. It doesn't take a lot of power, it just takes a good antenna, and a better ground plane in my experience.
One caveat here is the second picture. It's not actually what you think.. It's me crossbanding my VHF HT to HF and HF to VHF. Using my own custom program for doing so. FTM-400 was the base station, IC-7100 as the HF Rig, and a program to bridge Direwolf and VARA together with some safety nets built into the program to prevent issues.
This was a 15 mile trip one way. With a PERFECT track from an extremely remote part of the Idaho canyons. No VHF for a hundred miles or more (literally). So I sent my traffic over HF as the backbone. 99% perfect.
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
It's near 1200 here in the Mid West and I was just 'gated' by a VE2 station at just 30W.
30 meters.-K0ION
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Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
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Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
Using like 5 and 10 watts mobile and a ham stick.?
It's really amazing to have virtually coverage anywhere when the band propagation works!?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
So how many are rx gating on 30m? I think the more there are the better chances of showing up online.?
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Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
Interesting PinPoint display photos.? I had parked my radio on 7083.5 USB for 5 hours Monday (30 December) afternoon and no icons appeared on my PinPoint display at all.? My station location is FM19mn.
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Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
NA7Q didn't have my week long track from Oregon to Colorado (looks like I didn't save it either).? It was beyond impressive though. Only a couple missed beacons that I could notice.
For mobile I run my old Yaesu FT900 at 20w through a regular sized SharkStick mounted to the hatch of my 4Runner. A lot of the tracks that NA7Q posted, though, were run with TruSDX transceivers, so just a couple watts!?
~Isaac
W7BSB
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Re: Most People Ever on New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel
I've just run my VARA APRS igate GM4HYG-2 on 40m for 24 hours. so that's why I'm not on your map.
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At night stations from the US, Canada and St Lucia were heard with my transmissions being igated in the US.
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Unfortunately during daytime the channel is occupied by strong European SSB stations so nothing can be heard and my VARA transmissions cause QRM.
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The reason we tend to use 30m for HF APRS is that it's a CW/data only band with no contests.
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I get the argument for the better daytime NVIS on 40m but if you have a few igates say 1000 miles away then you have adequate coverage running mobile with a typical mobile whip.
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Good to try out 40m but I'm going back to 30m!
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73, Chris GM4HYG
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Re: FT710: Enabling Internal Tuner w/ Auto-Connect
On Mon, Dec 30, 2024 at 03:36 PM, K2JJK wrote:
Is there a way to add the internal tuner feature for the FT 710?
Jim;
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This isn't relevant for the VAR-MODEM forum... any control of tuner operation on a HF radio would be managed through CAT control. Except for the "CAT PTT" option in VARA FM, neither the VARA HF nor the VARA FM software modem provide any CAT functionality.
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I see you've already made this feature request on the Google Winlink Developer Group forum. That's probably the best place to ask.
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Please note that for Winklink Express, CAT functionality is implemented only in the 'session' window that is opened when you choose one of the HF modes... VARA HF Winlink, Robust Packet Winlink, ARDOP Winlink (or corresponding P2P modes). Except for the CAT PTT functionality available in VARA FM, or as an add-on for Packet software modems such as SoundModem or DireWolf, no CAT control is available in Winlink Express 'session' that is opened when you choose Packet Winlink, VARA FM Winlink, or either of the corresponding P2P modes, normally used for VHF / UHF FM data communications.
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Mark - AD7EF
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Most People Ever on New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel
Latest screen cap from my 30-meter
APRS-over-VARA test setup -- less than 1 day before the main
WA8LMF 30-meters APRS igate and UIweb-server switches to the new
10.148.200 MHz channel at 0000 UTC New Years Day.?
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? --
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"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels
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Re: Need help interfacing VARA hf modem with Pinpoint
I finally found the problem. I was one digit off on the port number.? 127.0.0.1 port 8100 works fine .? Thanks for your patience. Bob, KN4HH
On Monday, December 30, 2024 at 11:03:57 AM EST, Michael - NA7Q via groups.io <mike.ph4@...> wrote:
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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FT710: Enabling Internal Tuner w/ Auto-Connect
Is there a way to add the internal tuner feature for the FT 710? Thanks, jim/K2JJK
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Re: 40M VARA APRS Rocks! (7.083.50 USB)
This is pretty cool! What antennas and power levels are you all using for those mobile tracks?
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
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The stations highlighted in green have Igated on 30m. The lone KF6NYM-10 was 40m. I suspect it was gating, simultaneously, 30 and 40 activity.
As far as stations performing gate functions, not are on the air fulltime. Mine, for example, is primarily daytime only and I don't Igate.
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Re: Switch to New 30M APRS-over-VARA Channel.
Yes! We see stations outside the PNW daily. From across the Ocean to the East coast. Here's a small list, just to name a few that we see.
KB7ITU
VE7BGP
AB2WZ
VE1NR
WY6Y-4
KK6DA-4
VE7WYC-5
AL0A-15
VE7NWC-4
VA7RBP-15
KJ5FA-9
KK6SVV-10
K0ION-15
KA9GAP-15
WA7FWC-7
AF9W
VE7HBI-1
W7BSB-1
BX2AI-1
VA7ASI-3
KF6NYM-10
VE7EPT-5
VA7PF-15
N7IDG-1
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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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Mark Davis
Bob Watson