APRS Tracker wish list

[VHS]

Originally Posted by grenwis

Allen,
These little airplanes we fly are hard to find if you're meeting in the air. I routinely hook up with Ron Lee from the Colorado Springs area and we spend lots of time and transmissions finding each other. If you're not within two miles, these airplanes are invisible.
What about the ability to filter incoming APRS transmissions based on a call sign (or other) and show me range, bearing, and delta altitude from my current location? The little 4x16 LCD display could handle that. Of course we'd want faster rate transmissions for that mode and that would require a switch to enable, but this might be useful. The display could normally show nearest airborne APRS and when you see the one you want, you could select and have it track only that one til reset. How tough would that be? To the community, how useful would something like that be?

My intuition is that it is beyond the processing power of our processor. It will be possible with the TT4 to "poll" other stations (ask where they are and have them respond) but I think you can do this now; Set your GPS screen to cover an area (zoom in or out) that you anticipate is within your scheduled rendezvous range (say 3 miles) in the secondary setting of your Micro-Traks configuration screen, use an alternate picture ( the big jet, or a horse or something recognizable) When you both show up in the screen, you can see your relative positions. Hopefully, in a 2 mile grid square, you won't have dozens of horses flying around.....

I like your idea! The weapons system guy within me loves the idea of providing targeting info: Range, bearing, relative velocity...


Allen
VHS

[zkvii]

I'm not an APRS user yet and probably has limited use in NZ as not many others are doing likewise.

However I can see a real value for a 'group' that wants to know where each other is and want to get together in the air. The key would be to generate TIS type RS232 data stream from the local APRS signals - probably with a range function being calculated from the relative GPS positions. Most of the EFIS/Nav system can (or will be able) to take TIS type feeds, and I asusme it is open standard. Would be really cool to be able to highlight your 'known buddies' on the NAV screen and go find

Just some thoughts....

Carl

PS: Now if I could understand the principles (electronics) of listerning to transponder replies (or find someone that does) I'd be keen to work on a microprocessor / coding to generate quadrant info as TIS too.
PPS: If there was a complete simple package that could be wrapped up / installed - for sensible money - interesting 'gift' for other pilot mates....... Battery powered, just throw in the flight bag.

[VHS]

Originally Posted by zkvii

I'm not an APRS user yet and probably has limited use in NZ as not many others are doing likewise.

However I can see a real value for a 'group' that wants to know where each other is and want to get together in the air. The key would be to generate TIS type RS232 data stream from the local APRS signals - probably with a range function being calculated from the relative GPS positions. Most of the EFIS/Nav system can (or will be able) to take TIS type feeds, and I asusme it is open standard. Would be really cool to be able to highlight your 'known buddies' on the NAV screen and go find

Just some thoughts....

Carl

PS: Now if I could understand the principles (electronics) of listerning to transponder replies (or find someone that does) I'd be keen to work on a microprocessor / coding to generate quadrant info as TIS too.
PPS: If there was a complete simple package that could be wrapped up / installed - for sensible money - interesting 'gift' for other pilot mates....... Battery powered, just throw in the flight bag.

Oooooh, you are making my brain hurt!

Allen
VHS

[MacNab]

Originally Posted by VHS

Oooooh, you are making my brain hurt!

Allen
VHS

LOL! Well, you asked. I'm sure that given time we'll be able to tie some more knots in your synapses.

[VHS]

I have no objection to developing new stuff directly for aviation ( where else am I going to find customers that are so used to getting hosed by vendors!) I am just not as familiar with avionics as I should be. ( I have a GROL with Radar, but little experience under the hood of aircraft) Byon, our software guru seems amenable to interfacing your black mystery boxes to to our transmitters. I am sure that our TT4 will be the platform of choice for this, since it is an APRS transceiver. The APRS network lets you send E-Mail, interrogate other APRS stations, send telemetry, and lots features with very interesting applications for aircraft! I am guessing that you guys won't leave me wanting for beta testers as we find new things to do!

Allen
VHS

[Davepar]

I found a spec for the data format the GDL-90 outputs. If an APRS product could emulate the traffic reporting messages of that format, many of the GPS screens we have in our cockpit could display the APRS traffic. That would enable the "find my buddy" feature discussed above.

Here's the spec:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...c_ICD_RevA.PDF

[MacNab]

If you can find a way to make the TT4 display APRS targets on the Garmin X96 you'll sell a whole bunch of em'.

I also like the idea of sending precanned messaging like for instance 'unplanned fuel stop because of winds', '$100 burger stop', etc. I could also see the possibility of voice recognition combined with a simple interface replacing a keyboard for text messaging. A small cockpit display could also multitask for text messaging, checklists, weather, and other types of info you generally wouldn't want to have taking up space on an EFIS.

[mburch]

Originally Posted by Davepar

I found a spec for the data format the GDL-90 outputs. If an APRS product could emulate the traffic reporting messages of that format, many of the GPS screens we have in our cockpit could display the APRS traffic. That would enable the "find my buddy" feature discussed above.

Here's the spec:
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/...c_ICD_RevA.PDF

I'm pretty sure that the Garmin handhelds won't accept that format, unfortunately. The GDL 90 also has an output format that emulates the TIS data spit out by a GTX 330 mode S transponder, and that's what the 396/496 can accept.

mcb

[zkvii]

I would have thought the EFIS guys should be able to help with a 'standard' format definition. Especially as we RV builders are commonly using the MGL/Dynon/AFS/GRT/BMA screens. I really like the idea of being able to find buddies in the air...... (obviously doesn't help with the rest of the GA population.....)

Carl

[RV8RIVETER]

Allen

I am definitely going to join the APRS crowd, but this thread has me thinking maybe I should wait a bit.

I have seen your comments and website and have some questions. Are you working on a new aviation product? If so, I guess I should wait. Or, are you thinking about new software/code for the TT4 , so buying now and upgrading later is not such an issue?

If I go the TT4 route what transmitter do I need?


As for wishes, I think the "traffic" location output to an EFIS display that already accepts it would be a tremendous selling point. A "poor mans" ADSB. ANd the capability to send a few premade messages would be great as well.


Thanks for joining our group and being available for questions.