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Micro-Trak TT4

V

VHS

Well Known Member
Well, I expect to ship Byonics the very first production TT4 transceivers units next week (no custom enclosures yet, they are still in production) I am kind of interested to see what an airborne APRS digipeater will do....Right now, we just have the "regular" TT4 software for it, to allow tracking, digipeating, and KISS terminal operations. I will be pushing Byon to develop firmware for you guys with things like range and bearing to other aircraft, and Keyboard support for E-mail and terminal to terminal communications. Maybe I can convince Sam B. to test fly a prototype to see what it will do.

Allen
VHS
KG6HXO
 
MT-TT4 in production

The Micro-Trak TT4 is out and available on the Byonics website. http://www.byonics.com/microtrak/mt-tt4.php Initially, we are offering it as an assembled and tested board, with custom cases avaiable in the next few weeks. it weighs less than 3 ounces, measures about 3 X 3 inches, and will operate as a tracker, digipeater, etc. Let me know what you think.

Allen
VHS
 
Ron,

Thanks. That's what I wanted to see, I'd like to make a single package with the LCD incorporated into the enclosure.

--
Michael
 
Allen, I am still trying to digest the info on this unit but am I correct that the ability to display range and direction to other APRS equipped aircraft is not yet implemented in the software/firmware?
 
MT-TT4

Michael and Ron,

The TT4 enclosure is not large enough to hold the LCD module, which is nearly as large as the MT-TT4 board. We wil be offering an enclosure with an RJ-45 ( telephone type 8 pin connector) to remote mount the LCD module. Since we are selling the MT-TT4 units as boards, you could just build your own box to hold both.

The range and bearing function is not yet implemented. One very cool thing about the TT4 is that you will be able to update the firmaware from a terminal program as new or special version are made. Right now the display shows the call sign, comments and positions of other units. It seems to me that we would want to be able to designate that we are interested only in airborne transmitters for the range/bearing data, yes?

Allen
VHS
 
Personally, I would like to be able to pick up the coordinates of a downed aircraft as well. SAR folks may scoff at the notion but one reality of APRS is that it may someday aid in a SAR event. Ideally it won't but....

What I don't know if it this creates problems. My original intent was to find other airborne APRS units. If it also picks up cars, trucks, boats, then does it overwhelm the unit? Is the airplane signal masked by a car with a more powerful signal?
 
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Range and Bearing

The firmware now decodes everything it can "hear". I was thinking for your application, we would like to have a filter to screen only units with the Aircraft symbol for display as R&B readings. (on the ground or not, although I guess an altitude filter is possible-but probably not practical) I would not think that you would want to eliminate all the others, so these would still be decoded as messages and positions. Of course, any packets could still be displayed on your NMEA GPS display receiver as uploaded waypoints too. What do you think?

I do not scoff at the SAR potential! I think APRS is actyually superior to the existing technologies in some ways, since it provides a post-facto evidence chain that would point us SAR guys in the right direction.

Allen
VHS
 
Allen, my understanding of the full picture is limited. If APRS-equipped aircraft set up something in their transmission to be an airplane icon, then that is probably the best solution. I am not sure altitude is a workable filter given the extremes from near/below sea level to over 9000' runway elevations.
 
This may be a question for Sam. I am looking at the MT-TT4 and pondering how to mount it such that the LEDs are visible and the PS/2 port is accessible BUT there is not a long VISIBLE wire connecting the LCD port with the LCD.

Currently I am assuming that the LCD would be best in front of the pilot and the rest of the unit can be elsewhere. I don't have to monitor LEDs constantly. It would also be desirable to have the LCD be flush with the panel.

The location of that LCD port seems to make this difficult. What am I missing?
 
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LED's

Ron,

I don't know too much about mounting your gear in the plane, but you don't really need to see the LED's if you use the LCD display; anything you could learn from the LED's, the LCD will tell you. I would like to see how you mount the LCD module, so please send photos when you are done!

Allen
VHS
 
I think I have stumbled on the solution

I suspect that the main unit will be mounted wherever with extensions of the PS/2 and parallel ports somewhere in the panel or perhaps in a subpanel on the bottom edge for easy access. The RJ45 port obviously goes to the LCD which ideally would be panel mounted. The antenna connector goes to the antenna. No wires/cables showing. At least not across the front of the instrument panel.

Actually The GPS wire may be showing if I put it on the glare shield.
 
Looking for Allen

Hi Guys,
I gladfully passed the IQ test to join the forum. Which was not too easy for a non aviation guy.
I urgently looking for Allen (VHS) as I need to talk to him about the MT TT4 product. Is there a chance you could help me to ping him?
As you might noticed I was unable to get a response via email.

many thanks from Bavaria
Thomas
 
Update on the MT-TT4

Yesterday I installed the experimental firmware for the MT-TT4 and plugged in a mini PS/2 keyboard and the LCD display. I was able to send e-mails from the keyboard and actually have them show up on the internet! This made me a very happy panda! A number of airborne operators have asked me about sending text messages via APRS, and I thought you might like to know it works, and you don't have to use a tiny little cell phone while operating your AC. If I can find someone else with APRS messaging, I will try keyboard-to-keyboard communications next.

Allen
VHS
AF60F
 
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