MB7UDX APRS Digi and IGate - Ashford
MB7UDX is now up and running as a Digi and Igate to support the local APRS activity. Up until now there has been a big "hole" in coverage between Dover/Folkestone and Maidstone. Hopefully MB7UDX will fill this gap and give better coverage locally. Initial tests prove that the coverage is good, the plan is to have the Digi/Igate running 24/7, nothwithstanding any technical difficulties that may occur from time to time.
Avmap G5e GPS
In case you're interested, I use a TM D710 and an AVMap G5 GPS in my car. The G5 has the capability of displaying all the APRS icons exactly as you see them on UI View. So a mobile station in a car, is displayed as a car on the G5 display, exactly as you would see it on UI View. Kenwood advertise this GPS in the US as a partner for its TM D710, as Avmap supports UI View map icons. But its not marketed as such in the UK for some reason, Avmap are an Italian company and there is a UK supplier.
The picture gives you an idea of what the display is like when populated with APRS stations. There are a couple of videos on YouTube which might interest you outlining the capability of the G5 when used with the TM-D710. It can also be used with the TM D700, but you don't get the UI View Map Icon support. which is the main attraction after all. The major Amateur Radio emporiums are now stocking this GPS unit with the required cable to connect the TM-D710 to the Avmap.
It works a treat, and is not a GPS you see in the UK that much, I only know of one other station in the UK who uses one. I'm sure there are others, but I haven't come across them yet. This is as fully featured as you can get for APRS Mobile work.
Mobile APRS Setup
This picture is a wider shot showing the cabin of my car, with both the TM D710, Avmap G5e, and my IC-E2820 D-Star radio. The one issue I don't like about the Avmap GPS is that you can't just take the screen down when you leave your car and leave the mount attached, you have to take the entire mount down. That said, probably not a bad thing considering the fact that I've had my car broken into recently at a radio club meeting. Although they didn't take anything from the car, in spite of the fact the Tom Tom I was using at the time was on its mount attached to the window, I guess they were disturbed, in more ways then one perhaps ;-)
Track me mobile here
More details on my mobile set-up here.
