Updated 27/09/2006

Great APRS Setups for the TM-D700

Here are several suggestions and tips for getting the optimum use out of our Kenwood D-700 mobile (or D7 HT) for not only normal terrestrial APRS operations and satellites, but also voice and traffic reporting as well.

NORMAL APRS OPERATIONS:

BAND-B:

BAND-A:

VOICE ALERT:

This simply means that you do not turn the audio down on 144.900Mhz, but instead leave it at high volume and then simply set CTCSS tone 91.5Hz to mute the speaker.

This way, you don't hear any packets, but ANYONE can call you with VOICE on 144.900Mhz to alert you by using PL 91.5 Hz

You will rarely use this, and only use it to tell someone to QSY to another voice channel, but it is one way of assuring that ANYONE running APRS in simplex range of you can ALWAYS be contacted with a voice call... You wont hear any packets except maybe one or two when another VOICE- ALERT mobile is in range (about 6 kilometers or so). But even then, he is only beaconing once every 2 minutes and so it is not bothersome at all.. In fact, it is nice to hear when someone is nearby! Its like a free radar for other mobile APRS operators that are in simplex range AND listening.

KEYBOARD TEXT MESSAGING:

John Hansen has built an external interface box that allows the use of any PS-2 style keyboard as a message text entry device for the D700. It just plugs into the D700 mic jack and lets you send messages at normal typing speed.

See his web page: http://www.coastalchip.com/Kenkey.htm

 TRAFFIC REPORTING:

This feature allows you to place TRAFFIC objects on the APRS system to alert other drivers of traffic porblems, slowdowns and or other incidents with only two button presses. This works by changing your MYCALL temporarily to TRAFFIC (or other OBJECT name) and then sending a few packets to put it on the map. You put this configuration in one of the radio's Program Memories (PM5) as follows:

BAND-B: 146.500Mhz <to hear other locals in the same mess Voice Alert: OFF <in other words, do NOT set CTCSS 91.5Hz> By setting XMIT to Manual, you wont keep transmitting TRAFFIC objects if you forget to switch back to your other PM... Voice Alert is OFF, so that you will HEAR packets and be reminded that you are in PM5! Not only is Band B programmed with 146.500Mhz for ease of communicating direct with others in the same traffic mess, but you can also then use this PM5 as a quick QSY for "500" at any time.

Thus you get triple use out of this Program Memory PM5:

1. One button traffic reporting (push BCON button to actually XMIT it)

2. Quick QSY for 146.500Mhz operations

3. Quick ctcss disable on 144.800Mhz if I want to listen to APRS channel

4. Possible temporary DIM setting while you get out of the car

SATELLITE TRACKING:

If someone in your area is running an APRS data server, on your front panel, you will see an alert for any FM satellites that come into view. These alerts are transmitted on 144.800Mhz to all Kenwood Mobiles. They are also captured into your station list as satellite objects showing you the Frequency, Doppler Azimuth and distance to the bird. If your radio has been on for at least 10 minutes, it will also capture a schedule of all satellite passes for the next 80 minutes into your DX LIST.

For more info see http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/satinfo.html .

PCSAT:

PCsat acts just like a WIDE digi by responding to packets transmitted via RELAY, WIDE, ARISS and W3ADO-1. Thus the only thing you need to do is QSY from 144.800Mhz to 145.500Mhz during a pass and change your path to one of those aliases. This is easy to do with just a single memory channel on Band A. Passes are every 100 minutes and every day you will get 2 or 3, then none for 5 hours 10 minutes and then 2 or 3 more in the USA.

ISS:

ISS with the new Kenwood D700 on board (2004) uses similar path aliases of ARISS, WIDE, APRSAT also and requires Transmitting on 145.990Mhz and receiving on 145.800Mhz. These can be entered into an A channel memory as a split. But you still will have to enter the APRS menu to change the path each time. If you plan on doing this often, it is easier to put this configuration into a separate Program Memory (PM). Also, it is a good idea to add the wildcard "*" to your MSG GROUPS in this PM so that you can see some of the messages between other users.

SAPPHIRE:

This joint USNA and WashingtonU satellite uplinks at 1200 baud on 145.945Mhz and downlinks on 437.095Mhz +/- 10 KHz of Doppler. Just put them into separate memories on the A and B sides. But you have to remember to change the UNPROTO path to via KE6QMD to transmit via Sapphire. (Sapphire is not responding in 2003) UO-22: This satellite needs a separate PM because it needs to have Transmit Data on Band A 145.90 and RX data on Band B on 435.120 +/- 10 KHz fof Doppler and APRS baud rate set to 9600. It also needs to have its own VIA PATH of VIA UOSAT5. Also, it is a good idea to add the wildcard "*" to your MSG GROUPS so that you can see some of the messages from UO-22 or other users. [UO-22 is now unreliable]

AO-51, ECHO:

This FM *voice* satellite uses the same Band configuration as the UO-22 settings so just program a memory channel on band A for transmit on 145.975Mhz and band-B for receive on 435.070Mhz +/- 10 KHz of Doppler using the same PM as for UO22. Do NOT beacon any packet via AO-51. Its a NO-no for now. AO-27: This FM *voice* satellite is only on during the day but it is the same as AO-51 though a little weaker on the downlink. Put the band-A uplink in a memory channel as 145.85Mhz and the downlink in band-B on 436.800Mhz +/- 10 KHz of Doppler again, using the same PM as for UO-22. Do not use any packet via AO-27.

UHF DOWNLINKS:

The frequencies for all the satellites with downlinks on UHF are listed above as the centre frequency. You will have to tune 10 KHz higher at the start of the pass. This will shift down by 5 KHz 4 times during the pass, so if you use memories, you will have to program in several in sequences to follow the doppler.

In summary I would do it this way:

PM-off - Normal operations with 144.900Mhz in a memory on band A for terrestrial operations with CTCSS 91.5Hz. Then change channel memory to 146.500Mhz to operate PCSAT (No CTCSS). Band B is available for all other mobile operations. Also operate Sapphire by only changing your channel frequency and path.

PM1 - ISS operations with 145.800/145.990 in a memory on Band A for ISS split APRS digipeater operations. You can still use Band B for all normal mobile operations.

PM2 - Satellite operations with band-A memories holding the uplinks for UO-22 (packet), UO-14, and AO-27 and Sapphire. Band-B memories hold the downlinks. Actually, each satellite will probably need 5 memories (+10, +5, +0, -5 and -10 KHz).

PM3, PM4, PM5 Available for your other applications.

Original article written by WB4APR, Bob

Modified for VK3 by Richard VK3JFK