KW D710A to laptop running Overland Navigator - how to get surrounding APRS display

[jomobco]

So today I purchased a D710A, antennae, etc. journeying into my first ham foray. I have a vision where I can use my laptop to run something like an Overland Navigator software and have it displaying/broadcast not only my APRS but show on the laptop screen all other signals around me in real time. I skipped buying the GPS unit as I'm not understanding the link between the radio and the laptop. The guys at the store were little help with this aspect of my goal. Would someone please explain the cabling and hardware requirements for me in layman's terms please? Is it Radio -->Laptop-->GPS? How is the laptop connected? By what type of cable from the radio and the GPS?

There will be other times however when I won't want the laptop - just the GPS/APRS broadcast function using only the radio and the GPS unit. That I think I understand. Hook the GPS to the radio using a NMEA? cable. I can then view the coordinates of nearby APRS items and it will broadcast my APRS signal.

Thanks!
John

 

[cruiserlarry]

I use a Kenwood TM-D710A, Overland Navigator, and a Toughbook laptop in my rig.

APRS requires a GPS along with a 2 meter radio (and an amateur license, of course) to function - no GPS, no position info for your station :Wow1:.

My laptop has an internal GPS that interfaces with on-board software including Overland Navigator. Because I, too, want to use APRS without the laptop on occasion, I installed a Green Labs GPS onto the 710. This unit is a direct plug-in for the 710, and works great. (No additional cables required).

Overland Navigator can display APRS stations, but no additional details of the stations are available. I love ON as a mapping program, but it still needs additional work to be more useful as a dedicated APRS program.

I use UI-View 32 with Precision Maps for APRS on the laptop. (UI-View 32 is available free to any licensed amateur, and Precision Maps are sold on-line.You can also import other maps, but only PM allows for a moving map display in UI View 32). The program is designed specifically for APRS, and provides more functions including messaging, status, tracking, etc., that are not available on ON. ON is a mapping program that can display APRS stations, while UI-View 32 is an APRS program that does mapping.

 

[jomobco]

If your laptop didn't have an internal GPS would the green light labs work for both your laptop and non-laptop sessions? I'd like to just have one GPS and my laptop won't have an internal GPS. It looks like the green light labs GPS has a pass through which you would then connect to your laptop? Thus giving you both GPS and APRS data read only streams?

Edit: Or would you use the com port on the back of the D710a to connect to the laptop?

 

[G_fresh]

If your laptop didn't have an internal GPS would the green light labs work for both your laptop and non-laptop sessions? I'd like to just have one GPS and my laptop won't have an internal GPS. It looks like the green light labs GPS has a pass through which you would then connect to your laptop? Thus giving you both GPS and APRS data read only streams?

Edit: Or would you use the com port on the back of the D710a to connect to the laptop?

Looking to do the same. Anyone know if the Green Light Labs GPS-710 will supply the GPS signal to the D710 AND to a laptop. I'm sure some kind of "adapter" to go from the GPS to Laptop will be required...

Thanks!

 

[cruiserlarry]

I run the Kenwood TM-D710A, Green Labs GPS, UI-View32, and a Toughbook CF-30 laptop. The GL GPS has an output on it, but I haven't been able to get it to work with a laptop - mine has internal GPS already.

The UI-View 32 software is a fantastic program to use with APRS; but, since it is freeware, and the original programmer is no longer with us, it hasn't evolved to work with Windows operating systems after XP...but there is a lot of user-group support, including add-ons, that makes it a very good program. Use in conjunction with Precision Maps 9.0 from Undertow software, and you'll have full moving map capacity, as well as access to all APRS functions, including messaging, etc, from your laptop. The GL GPS works great, but it won't provide separate data to use with other programs....