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Kenwood TM-255E User's Manual

1. 45 8 3 2 2 Transmitting with an EchoLink Memory 46 8 4 Using EchoLink only with a Computer 47 8 4 1 Downloading EchoLink Software 47 8 4 2 Installing EchoLink Software 48 8 4 3 Starting EchoLink Software 48 8 4 4 Validation of EchoLink User s Callsign 50 8 4 4 1 Scan and Upload 52 8 4 4 2 Fax 52 8 4 5 Startup in Single User Mode 52 8 4 6 Setting Audio Levels 53 8 4 6 1 Adjusting Receive Volume 54 8 4 6 2 Adjusting Transmit Level 54 8 4 7 Connecting with a Station 55 8 4 8 Port Forwarding Router Configuration 55 8 4 9 Firewalls 55 8 4 9 1 Windows Firewall 55 8 4 9 2 Security Software Firewall 55 8 5 Setting Up a Node Station Link Station with TM D710A E 56 8 5 1 Connecting a PC 56 8 5 2 Configuring EchoLink Software for a Link Station 57 8 5 2 1 Finding your Position Latitude Longitude Coordinates 64 8 5 3 Configuring a TM D710A E for a Link Station 64 8 5 3 1 What is TM D710A
2. 75 9 5 3 6 Transceiver Menu gt RC D710 75 CONTENTS TM D710A E III 9 5 3 7 Transceiver Menu gt Variable Level of Data Terminal 75 9 5 3 8 Transceiver Menu gt SQC Output Logic 75 9 5 4 Unique Functions 76 9 5 4 1 Importing TravelPlus for Repeaters Files 76 9 5 4 2 Importing hmk Files 76 9 5 4 3 Exporting hmk Files 76 9 5 4 4 Exporting html Files 76 9 5 4 5 Splash Window 76 9 5 5 Useful Functions 77 9 5 5 1 Verifying Firmware Versions 77 9 5 5 2 Increasing Size of Characters 77 9 5 5 3 Configuring the Names for PM or Memory Groups 77 9 5 5 4 Configuring User Names with MCP 2A 77 9 5 5 5 Configuring How Memory Channels Display 77 9 5 5 6 Memory Channel Shortcut 78 9 5 5 7 COM Port Shortcut 78 10 HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE 79 10 1 Firmware 79 10 2 Verifying Necessary Equipment 79 10 3 How to Verify Firmware Version 80 10 3 1 Checking the Transceiver Operation Panel 80 10 3 2 Checking
3. 11 3 2 4 1 Activating Your Mobile GPS Position 11 3 2 4 2 Entering Your Position Manually 11 3 2 5 Setting the APRS Channel 12 4 GPS 13 4 1 What is GPS 13 4 1 1 Position Determination Principle 13 4 1 2 Datum Geodetic Survey System 14 4 1 2 1 GPS and APRS Position Format 14 4 2 GPS Receivers 15 4 2 1 Garmin GPS18PC 15 4 2 2 AvMap G5 15 4 2 3 Other GPS Receivers 15 4 2 4 Settings for Geodetic Survey System 15 5 APRS SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC 16 5 1 UI View 16 5 1 1 Introduction to UI View 16 5 1 2 Connecting a PC 17 5 1 3 Creating a CMD File for TM D710A E 17 5 2 Available APRS related Software 18 6 APRS IN ACTION 19 6 1 Let s Go Mobile 19 6 1 1 Summary 19 6 1 1 1 Automatic Reply Function19
4. Pentium is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation All other product names referenced herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective manufacturers This page is intentionally left blank TM D710A E I CONTENTS 1 DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT 1 1 1 Strategy for the Design 1 1 2 Evolving Development 2 1 3 Affinity with VoIP 2 2 APRS OPERATIONS WRITTEN BY BOB BRUNINGA WB4APR 3 2 1 APRS Overview 3 2 1 1 History 3 2 1 2 Local Information Exchange 3 2 1 3 Mobile Information Resource 4 2 1 4 Situational Awareness 4 2 1 5 Participation 4 2 2 Ubiquitous Operations 5 2 3 APRS Global Internet System 5 2 4 Kenwood Contributions 6 2 5 APRS in the Field 7 2 6 Other Data Entry Stations 8 3 PREPARATIONS FOR USING APRS 9 3 1 What Do I Need to Configure 9 3 2 Configuration 9 3 2 1 Built in Clock 9 3 2 2 MY CALLSIGN 10 3 2 3 BEACON TYPE 10 3 2 4 My Position
5. Do not check the Invert Sense check box for the TM D710A E and TM V71A E transceivers This is to set the Output Logic of Squelch Control from the transceiver to Active High Refer to Step 3 of Parameter Settings in Section 8 5 4 Using MCP 2A to Configure TM D710A E It is not necessary to check the Squelch Crash Anti Trip check box either Next click the TX Ctrl tab Figure 8 38 Sysop Setup Window TX Ctrl Tab Select the RTS radio button in the PTT Activation frame The Serial Port will be the same port as configured in the RX Ctrl tab It is not necessary to check the 9600bps or Key PTT on Local Transmit checkbox Next click the DTMF tab 8 EchoLink 62 CONTENTS TM D710A E Figure 8 39 Sysop Setup Window DTMF Tab Select the Internal radio button in the DTMF Decoder frame In order for you to administer your link station we recommend that you input a DTMF command for LinkDown and LinkUp for the EchoLink server Keep these commands private to prevent any unauthorized person other than the link station manager from gaining administrative control of the station Click the Ident tab Figure 8 40 Sysop Setup Window Ident Tab Configure in the Station Identification frame the type of station ID that will be automatically transmitted for identification purposes Choose the correct form of over the air legal ID for your local area The callsign entered here does not necessarily need to match the callsign used for your EchoLink lo
6. 7 5 2 RELAY Paradigm This is one of the digipeat types used in Europe The old backwards compatible RELAY technique was included for some areas that have still not updated to the universal New N Paradigm using traceable WIDEn N It allows the first hop to be via the RELAY path and then uses TRACEn N for subsequent hops Most of the USA is using the New N Paradigm But Europe has not yet fully coalesced into a single common system as of this writing 7 5 3 STATE SECTION REGION In contrast to WIDEn N which generates packets equally in all directions you can use STATE SECTION REGION to restrict packets to only be relayed within the specified boundary Abbreviations such as two letter AZ for Arizona or three or four letter abbreviations such as NCA for Northern California are used to specify the boundary Using these limited regions it is possible for stations to set up special nets under special circumstances to communicate over large distances without adding interference to other areas not involved For example using WIDE5 5 from the middle of Maryland would generate hundreds of packets of interference in 13 surrounding states This is why nothing larger than WIDE2 2 is recommended However using MD5 5 from anywhere within the state of Maryland will get from any corner to every other corner of Maryland maybe 13 digipeaters total and with no duplications Thus a special Maryland APRS net in support of disaster training can be held without
7. Figure 11 2 Connecting RC D710 to TM D700A E TM V708A Note Excluding the situation of using the RC D710 as the operating panel for TM V71A E or TM D710A E the RC D710 cannot operate transceivers Be sure to connect the control panel of the transceiver to the transceiver itself 11 1 1 3 DATA Terminal Pins PG 5J Table 11 1 DATA Terminal Pins PG 5J Table No Name Input Output Function 1 PKD Output TNC data output 2Vp p 10k 9600 bps 40mVp p 10k 1200 bps 2 GND GND 3 PKS Output Data standby control signal output Open collector TX Low level RX High impedance 4 PR9 Input TNC data input both for 1200 bps and 9600 bps 350mVp p to 600mVp p 10k 5 NC No connection 6 SQC Input Squelch control signal input 5V CMOS level SQL Open High level SQL Close Low level RC D710 Modular plug cable PG 5J Black cable Red cable DC power cable 6 pin mini DIN cable DATA terminal Panel jack Panel jack To 13 8 V DC power supply or 12 V vehicle battery DATA terminal Transceiver Line filter Line filter NC PKS PKD GND SQC PR9 11 MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS 84 CONTENTS TM D710A E 11 2 Adjusting Input and Output Levels When a transceiver other than those that have been verified to operate correctly is connected there are times when adjustment of input output levels may become necessary for RC D710 and the transceiver to function properly Even
8. Figure 6 6 Status Text 5 Figure 6 7 Status Text 2 Input Example 6 APRS IN ACTION TM D710A E CONTENTS 27 6 1 6 2 Receiving QSY Information The TM D710A E receives QSY information not only from another TM D710A E but also location information from other software as well as QSY information and repeater frequency object information embedded in status text You can confirm the QSY information that is received as embedded data by checking the voice frequency at the beginning of the status text on the Station List screen To immediately select the frequency press DETAIL switch on the List Detail screen and press TUNE The transceiver will change quickly to the non data band frequency Also on the Station List screen information that already is embedded in the QSY information will appear on the right side of the screen and can be easily confirmed You can quickly switch over to the non data band frequency by pressing TUNE Wide Narrow Tone CTCSS DCS and Shift Offset configuration information can be received as status text with firmware version 2 0 or later Pressing TUNE allows you to modify the voice frequency and also to configure Wide Narrow Tone CTCSS DCS and Shift Offset Figure 6 8 QSY Station List Screen 6 1 6 3 QSY Functions and EchoLink EchoLink system operators can configure their nodes to generate APRS objects that contain their QSY Frequency information These beacons can either be transmitted locally on the AP
9. at the end of each of the repeater s transmissions You may also want to enable EchoLink s Squelch Crash Anti Trip feature to prevent incidental sounds such as courtesy tones from tripping the VOX See the EchoLink Help file for details on this feature An even better solution is to configure the repeater itself so that it transmits a sub audible CTCSS tone only during the time that a signal is being received on its input With this arrangement you can set the TM D710A E for tone squelch instead of carrier squelch and the rig will open up only during the time a station is speaking This prevents the repeater s tail courtesy tone and other incidental sounds from being heard at the other end of the link without affecting the repeater s operation for local users 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 43 8 3 Using EchoLink only with Amateur Radio Equipment If there is an EchoLink node within range of your transceiver it is possible for you to access the node and communicate via your transceiver with distant stations using the node You can search for nearby nodes at the EchoLink site at http www echolink org Access the EchoLink site and click on Link Status in the menu on the left side of the screen Figure 8 2 EchoLink Home Page Input your current location information or the location where you would like to search for a node Figure 8 3 EchoLink Link Status Page Input the longitude and latitude data or the g
10. But if you set W6DJY the transceiver will reply only to W6DJY Configuring W6 will trigger a reply only to senders with W6 as their callsign prefix Figure 6 9 Automatic Reply Message Configuration Screen 6 1 7 2 Message Speech Synthesis While in Voice Announcement mode any message text beginning with will be read aloud including callsigns provided the VGS 1 is installed and configured Menu 624 APRS VOICE must be configured On Example I am QRX Will return at 12 35 The callsign and message will be read out loud letter by letter not word by word when a message like this is received Figure 6 10 Voice Announcement Mode 6 1 7 3 TX Beep Beacon Select Menu 624 SOUND TX BEEP BEACON and select ON to sound a beep everytime the TM D710A E transmits a beacon It is convenient for monitoring the beacon transmissions when SmartBeaconing or Decay Algorithm is used If OFF is selected the transceiver does not beep even if a beacon is transmitted 6 APRS IN ACTION TM D710A E CONTENTS 29 6 2 Base Station Weather Station Weather observation equipment intended for use at home is becoming more common Using this equipment you can observe and measure wind direction wind velocity air temperature humidity rainfall atmospheric pressure etc This information can be useful to others when the data is gathered and transmitted in real time via APRS beacon transmissions These kinds of
11. EchoLink IRLP and WinLink Frequencies In addition to all other stations information and objects the new TM D710A E can automatically tune to nearby EchoLink IRLP or WinLink frequencies with the push of a single button If the packets for these local objects contain the frequency of these nodes then the TM D710A E TUNE button will QSY instantly if needed Voice Alert Voice alert is like a 3rd simultaneous radio channel on the Kenwood APRS transceivers It acts like an intercom channel for all APRS operators to be able to quickly raise another nearby APRS voice alert station by a simple direct voice call Although this 3rd intercom channel appears to be independent of the data channel and voice channel it is simply the sharing of the data channel for data and seldomly made voice calls by separating them with CTCSS tones All network data on the APRS channel is transmitted without CTCSS tones and so the TONE squelch can be used to silence the speaker of all packet noise yet still provide a voice simplex calling channel between APRS operators if needed The APRS CTCSS tone is 100 Hz Refer to section 6 1 6 2 Receiving QSY Information 2 5 APRS in the Field The photo below shows the typical APRS set up in the field at an event This station can be used to not only show other personnel at the checkpoint the tactical situation but it keeps the APRS operator at this site informed Figure 2 3 Field Setup for APRS 2 APRS OPERATIONS w
12. message Email is transmitted via the IGate and the APRS server is connected to the Internet Figure 7 4 Transmission Flow for Email Note You cannot send email from a personal computer to a mobile station Internet APRS Server TM D710A E APRS software Email software From IGate to Server Server to Internet Digipeater Digipeater Digipeater Email transmission Email has been received 7 APRS NETWORKS 34 CONTENTS TM D710A E 7 4 Digipeaters Digital Repeaters The greatest feature of APRS is the network that is spreading around the world The heart of the network is made up of many digital repeaters commonly referred to as digipeaters Of course digipeaters are well known among those who have used packet radio for years Digipeaters receive data over the air via radio signal and repeat or relay it onward For a voice repeater two different frequencies are used simultaneously to accomplish this repeater function However a digipeater first receives and stores data and then transmits when the channel clears In the earlier times of packet radio and digipeaters it was required to specify the callsign of each digipeater station But it was difficult to know which digipeater station to use If moving in a vehicle you had to constantly consider changing digipeaters Now APRS uses a common generic callsign for all digipeaters referred to as WIDEn N where N is the number of hops desired through the network typic
13. 13 72 minutes West In the RF Info tab in the Sysop Setup window enter as follows Lat 33 50 43 North Lon 118 13 72 West Up to this point basic settings for configuring a link station when using a TM D710A E have been discussed For more detailed configuration information refer to the Help files in the EchoLink software Furthermore adapt the specified configurations for your environment so you can enjoy comfortably operating a link station 8 5 3 Configuring a TM D710A E for a Link Station 8 5 3 1 What is TM D710A E EchoLink Sysop Mode EchoLink Sysop mode is the mode used when connecting the TM D710A E with a personal computer and operating as a base station at an EchoLink relay station link station In EchoLink Sysop mode the computer interfaces its RTS and CTS hardware flow control signals to the PKS transmit control signal input from the computer and SQC squelch control signal output to the computer terminals respectively on the TM D710A E The operation band is the data band as selected via Menu 517 regardless which band you transmit on by pressing the PTT switch or currently have selected Use a PG 5H cable kit to connect a personal computer installed with EchoLink software to the TM D710A E as shown in Figure 8 43 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 65 Figure 8 43 Computer to TM D710A E Connections 1 Turn the power OFF 2 Hold PF2 down and turn the power ON Whenever Steps 1 and 2 are done the EchoLi
14. 3 3 Figure 3 3 Menu 600 MY CALLSIGN 3 2 3 BEACON TYPE Select Menu 600 APRS BASIC SETTINGS BEACON TYPE and configure the beacon type Select APRS format to send APRS Note Weather information and messages will be sent by APRS format regardless of beacon type setting Example Configure the beacon type as APRS Refer to Figure 3 4 Figure 3 4 Menu 600 BEACON TYPE 3 PREPARATIONS FOR USING APRS TM D710A E CONTENTS 11 3 2 4 My Position 3 2 4 1 Activating Your Mobile GPS Position Select Menu 602 APRS GPS PORT and configure the GPS terminal settings Baud Rate 4800 bps same as GPS receiver Input GPS for the GPS receiver Output OFF when WAYPOINT DGPS are not used Figure 3 5 Menu 602 GPS PORT with GPS Receiver 3 2 4 2 Entering Your Position Manually Select Menu 602 APRS GPS PORT and configure the GPS terminal settings Input OFF Figure 3 6 Menu 602 GPS PORT without GPS Receiver Select Menu 605 APRS MY POSITION and configure your own station s position Name Enter a familiar name for your location HOME or etc Latitude Enter the latitude value Longitude Enter the longitude value Example Configure a latitude of N 39 49 31 and a longitude of W 84 15 39 Refer to Figure 3 7 Figure 3 7 Menu 605 MY POSITION 3 PREPARATIONS FOR USING APRS 12 CONTENTS TM D710A E 3 2 5 Setting the APRS Channel Exam
15. CTCSS or DCS has matched whereas only those signals that match CTCSS or DCS are output from the data terminal Figure 8 45 MCP 2A Transmit Receive Window EchoLink RX Monitor 4 Select Data Terminal from the Edit pulldown menu Configure SQC Output Logic for High in the dropdown list so that a false Busy state is never detected even when the transceiver is turned OFF Figure 8 46 MCP 2A Data Terminal Window SQC Output Logic Note In the Sysop Setup window in EchoLink software do not check the Invert Sense checkbox in the RX Ctrl tab Refer to 8 5 2 Configuring EchoLink Software for a Link Station 5 Select Data Terminal from the Edit pulldown menu If the audio level adjustment range on your computer is not sufficient configure PR1 Pin Output Level to adjust the AF output level to the computer Also configure PKD Pin Input Level to adjust AF input sensitivity that will vary the AF signal level fed into the transceiver These levels can be varied using steps of approximately 6 dB Figure 8 47 MCP 2A Data Terminal Window AF Level Adjustments 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 67 Note Steps 3 through 5 above can only be done using MCP 2A Older versions of MCP 2A may not have menu items described above In this case upgrade your MCP 2A to version 3 10 or newer 8 5 5 Checking your Link Station Here are the steps to follow to check out your link station Connect a dummy load to
16. D710A E 7 4 Digipeaters Digital Repeaters 34 7 4 1 UIDIGI 34 7 4 2 UIFLOOD 35 7 4 3 UITRACE 35 7 4 4 Configuration Examples U S A 36 7 4 5 Proper Configuration written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR 37 7 5 Packet Path 38 7 5 1 New N Paradigm 38 7 5 2 RELAY Paradigm 38 7 5 3 STATE SECTION REGION 38 7 6 Using APRS and EchoLink Simultaneously 39 7 6 1 Transmitting Node Information 39 8 ECHOLINK 40 8 1 What is EchoLink 40 8 2 EchoLink and the TM D710A E written by Jonathan Taylor K1RFD 41 8 2 1 Sysop Mode 41 8 2 2 Making the Connections 41 8 2 3 Transceiver Set Up 41 8 2 4 Audio Adjustment 42 8 2 5 COS versus VOX 42 8 3 Using EchoLink only with Amateur Radio Equipment 43 8 3 1 Basic Commands used for EchoLink 45 8 3 2 EchoLink Memory Function of TM D710A E 45 8 3 2 1 Storing to an EchoLink Memory
17. E was popular for use with APRS because the transceiver supported data communications on a separate band from voice communications But the Internet personal computers and electronic mapping technologies were all in their infancies compared to now It has taken a great deal of research for us to create the current TM D710A E and the environment has changed over the years Besides the basic technology maturing it is now possible to use EchoLink over VoIP This means you can plot stations from the other side of the planet on a map while sending mail and communicating with them by voice These are exciting new activities that didn t exist in 1992 II CONTENTS TM D710A E New Technology Expands Amateur Radio Versatility Using HF radio to call CQ and contact hams around the world will never lose its appeal But there is elegance in being able to communicate with only an FM transceiver and by adopting the latest technology The global network will only get more interesting as it evolves with new ideas as a result of those like you becoming involved Already APRS plots locations of amateur radio satellites and presents weather information such as hurricane data on screen APRS accurately tracks your traveling amateur radio friends You can send email directly to them or take advantage of EchoLink node numbers to make direct voice contact Combining the different technologies will add to your communications versatility and make you a part of the communi
18. MCP 2A It is possible to configure the user s name or callsign with Callsign Setting in the Setup pulldown menu The character string that is input is shown in the About MCP 2A window in the Title bar and in the Splash window when the software starts In addition when the Start sending the Morse code checkbox is checked the character string configured will be played back using Morse code when the software starts Note Depending on your particular computer used it may not be possible to play back Morse code 9 5 5 5 Configuring How Memory Channels Display Using Range of Standard Memory Channel in the Setup pulldown menu it can be configured whether memory channels are displayed for configuration in groups of 100 or whether all memory channels are displayed in one window 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 78 CONTENTS TM D710A E 9 5 5 6 Memory Channel Shortcut The memory channel shortcut can be used as follows Double click Free Memory Channel xxxx 1000 on the Status bar see Figure 9 8 The Memory Channel window will appear The memory channel shortcut can be used as follows Furthermore if the following action is done the configuration window will open to allow configurations to be entered Double click Offset Tx Freq Plus Minus Shift Split T CT DCS sections on the Status bar see Figure 9 8 to edit the channel configurati
19. Ubiquitous Operation 2 4 Kenwood Contributions 3 1 What Do I Need to Configure 3 2 1 Built in Clock 3 2 3 BEACON TYPE 4 1 What is GPS 5 1 3 Creating a CMD File for TM D710A E 6 1 6 1 Transmitting QSY Information 7 4 Digipeaters Digital Repeaters 7 5 1 New N Paradigm 7 6 Using APRS and EchoLink Simultaneously 8 1 What is EchoLink 9 1 Downloading and Installing MCP 2A 9 5 5 6 Memory Channel Shortcut 10 2 Firmware 10 2 Verifying Necessary Equipment 10 3 3 Firmware Update for SmartBeaconing and other enhancements 10 5 How to Update 11 1 1 2 Connection Example 2 Connecting RC D710 to TM D700A E and 11 4 AvMap 5 Revised Figure 3 2 Figure 6 8 Figure 6 9 Figure 6 10 Figure 7 3 Figure 7 5 and Figure 7 8 We would like to extend our thanks to the following people who helped compile this booklet WB4APR Mr Bob Bruninga K1RFD Mr Jonathan Taylor KA9MVA Mr Steve Bragg and W6GPS Mr Don Arnold Also we would like to thank all hams who support and maintain the APRS and EchoLink network in the world Revision 1 01 May 16 2008
20. be used with TM D710A E or RC D710 WeatherLink for Vantage Pro2 Windows Serial Port Davis Part 06510SER or WeatherLink for APRS with Streaming Data Logger Davis Part 06540 is required for TM D710A E and RC D710 Install the adaptor that comes with the above accessories to work with TM D710A E or RC D710 To communicate with Vantage Pro2 configure the communication baud rate of Vantage Pro2 for 9600 bps using the panel keys and then configure the TM D710A E communication baud rate Menu 602 to 9600 bps as well Note 4800 bps 06540 06510SER or 2400 bps 06510SER may work with TM D710A E but we recommend using 9600 bps for stable operation 6 APRS IN ACTION 30 CONTENTS TM D710A E 6 2 1 2 Peet Bros Company Inc The weather station ULTIMETER 2100 from Peet Bros Company http www peetbros com shop item aspx itemid 2 can also be used with TM D710A E or RC D710 To communicate with ULTIMETER 2100 configure the TM D710A E communication baud rate Menu 602 to 2400 bps Note Because the GPS receiver and the weather observation equipment use the same connector combined use is not possible 5 to 10 minutes after powering up the transceiver you will begin to acquire meteorological data from the weather observation equipment Meteorological data that is received from other stations is displayed in the Station List details on the second page As shown below the information is easy to understand
21. bothering surrounding states 7 APRS NETWORKS TM D710A E CONTENTS 39 7 6 Using APRS and EchoLink Simultaneously Both EchoLink Sysop mode and APRS Packet mode using the internal TNC can be used at the same time This means that a single TM D710A E transceiver can serve as an EchoLink node station and APRS Packet station to transmit beacons or work as a digipeater simultaneously To operate in EchoLink Sysop mode and use the APRS Packet station with a single TM D710A E transceiver assign a different band for the external data band Menu 517 for EchoLink and the internal data band for Packet Menu 529 or for APRS Menu 601 For example if B band is assigned for EchoLink assign A band for APRS Packet mode Since TM D710A E cannot transmit on 2 frequencies at the same time the transceiver transmits on the band on which a transmission request comes first If you wish to communicate between the internal TNC and a PC for Packet mode operation you will need another PG 5H programming cable kit in addition to the PG 5H cable kit that is used for EchoLink Sysop mode Figure 7 9 Using APRS and EchoLink 7 6 1 Transmitting Node Information Configure the EchoLink frequency in the transmit data for the QSY function Configure the APRS icon for EchoLink Since data is transmitted using APRS with a beacon transmission this will send the EchoLink information Internet PG 5H Cable Kit PG 5G To PC audio terminal Pink To microphone i
22. card and the green plug goes to the sound card s line out or speaker out The black 9 pin connector goes to the computer s serial port Many modern computers have USB ports but no serial ports If your computer has no serial port you will need to use either a serial to USB adapter cable or a serial port option card Either can be purchased from stores that sell computer accessories 8 2 3 Transceiver Set Up You will need to put the transceiver into EchoLink Sysop mode To set up the transceiver hold down PF2 while pressing the power button Set up the link frequency on the data band normally the left hand side of the transceiver and be sure it is enabled for PTT and CTRL 8 EchoLink 42 CONTENTS TM D710A E 8 2 4 Audio Adjustment Proper adjustment of the audio levels is important for a good quality link You will need to adjust both the local transmit audio from the computer to the transceiver and the local receive audio from the transceiver to the computer First connect EchoLink to the Audio Test Server by choosing Connect to Test Server from the Station menu Then choose Adjust Sound Device gt Recording from the Tools menu Tune the TM D710A E to a local signal or generate an on air signal yourself using another rig Watch the audio level meter at the bottom center of the EchoLink screen and adjust the computer s Microphone level until audio peaks just begin to go into the red area You might find
23. entered This is the mechanism used for automatically transmitting the frequency information The format of the transmitted frequency is FFF FFF MHz So for example if at the time of a beacon transmission the non data band has a frequency of 446 100 MHz selected then the frequency of 446 100MHz gets embedded to the beginning of the status text If you configure in any of Statuses 1 through 4 the frequency of 446 100MHz at the beginning of the status text messages then this fixed frequency will be transmitted as QSY information along with the beacon transmission In addition to frequencies there are fields where you can send other settings such as Wide Narrow Tone CTCSS DCS Shift and Offset frequency simply by leaving one space between each value Therefore other information besides just a frequency can be sent QSY Information Format Insert one space after the frequency before entering Wide Narrow Tone CTCSS DCS and Shift Offset T079 An upper case T indicates Wide Tone frequency of 79 7 Hz Encoding t079 A lower case t indicates Narrow Tone frequency of 79 7 Hz Encoding tOFF A lower case t indicates Narrow Tone OFF Without any tone Encoding or Decoding C079 An upper case C indicates Wide CTCSS frequency of 79 7 Hz Encoding Decoding c079 A lower case c indicates Narrow CTCSS frequency of 79 7 Hz Encod
24. for command prompt M cmd 5 Repeating the first two commands is not an error ECHO OFF BEACON EVERY 0 ECHO OFF BEACON EVERY 0 PG 5G To PC 9 pin D SUB terminal 5 APRS SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC 18 CONTENTS TM D710A E 5 2 Available APRS related Software The APRS program currently runs on a number of platforms These programs are constantly being updated and can be downloaded from the Internet Most programs are shareware and the latest versions are available at the TAPR Tucson Amateur Packet Radio FTP site ftp ftp tapr org aprssig APRSdos ftp ftp tapr org aprssig dosstuff APRSdos Written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR the Father of APRS Runs on MS DOS MacAPRS ftp ftp tapr org aprssig macstuff MacAPRS Written by Mark Sproul KB2ICI and Keith Sproul WU2Z Runs on Macintosh computers using Operating System 7 or higher WinAPRS ftp ftp tapr org aprssig winstuff WinAPRS Written by Mark Sproul KB2ICI and Keith Sproul WU2Z Runs on Windows 95 or higher or on Windows 3 1 Win32s javAPRS ftp ftp tapr org aprssig javastuff Written by Steve Dimse K4HG Runs on JAVA APRSplus ftp ftp tapr org aprssig winstuff APRSPLUS Written by Brent Hildebrand KH2Z Runs on Windows 95 or higher or on Windows 3 1 Win32s UI View ftp ftp tapr org aprssig winstuff UI View Written by Roger Barker G4IDE SK AGWTracker http www agwtracker com Written by George Rossopulos SV2AGW Note The above URL links are sub
25. gt APK102 W5DJY MD3 1 Test MD stands for Maryland MYCALL W4DJY UITRACE ON ALIAS WIDE WB4APR 9 gt APK102 WIDE3 3 Test WB4APR 9 gt APK102 W4DJY WIDE3 2 Test MYCALL W5DJY UITRACE ON ALIAS WIDE WB4APR 9 gt APK102 W4DJY W5DJY WIDE3 1 Test 7 APRS NETWORKS 36 CONTENTS TM D710A E Although UITRACE using the normal APRS network path of WIDEn N can be a problem if mobiles activate their digipeater at the wrong time it is also so powerful that it is a shame not to be able to use it easily if required For this reason all APRS mobiles are encouraged to activate the UITRACE permanently BUT using the alias of TEMP instead of WIDE This makes the mobile always possible to use as a TEMPn N digipeater while avoiding the problem of adding interference to the normal use of WIDEn N Figure 7 8 7 4 4 Configuration Examples U S A Two configuration examples are shown below Example 1 This example shows configuration for a typical TM D710A E mobile installation for general use in routine operation UIDIGI UIDIGI OFF ALIAS WIDE1 1 This allows this mobile to become a first hop digipeater by simply configuring UIDIGI to On UIFLOOD UIFLOOD OFF ALIAS NONE SUBSTITUTION ID This is not used If this mobile is needed as a temporary digipeater then this field can be used in support of SSn N But if WIDEn N temporary support is needed then the UITRACE command can be used UITR
26. minutes 32 minutes 32 minutes Transmits every 1 minute Transmits every 1 minute Transmits every 1 minute Transmits every 1 minute Transmits every 1 minute Transmits every 1 minute Transmits every 1 minute DIRECT No hop DIRECT No hop DIRECT No hop DIRECT No hop WIDE1 1 1 hop WIDE1 1 1 hop WIDE1 1 WIDE2 1 2 hops WIDE1 1 WIDE2 2 3 hops 6 APRS IN ACTION TM D710A E CONTENTS 21 6 1 4 Simultaneously using Decay Algorithm and Proportional Pathing Refer to the diagram below to understand what occurs when both Decay Algorithm and Proportional Pathing are used at the same time Figure 6 3 Switching between Decay Algorithm and Proportional Pathing when Stopped 1 knot Moving 3 knots As the example above shows when the mobile s speed exceeds 3 knots Decay Algorithm stops and Proportional Pathing begins Similarly when the mobile s speed drops below 1 knot then Proportional Pathing stops and Decay Algorithm begins Note The Stopped value cannot be configured higher than the Moving value and the Moving value cannot be configured lower than the Stopped value 6 1 5 SmartBeaconing Written by Steve Bragg KA9MVA SmartBeaconing was added beginning with operation panel firmware version 2 00 for the TM D710A E and RC D710 SmartBeaconing was developed by Mr Steve Bragg KA9MVA and Mr Tony Arnerich KD7TA in 1998 SmartBeaconing uses the traveling direction and speed information that is r
27. one station is connected disconnects only the most recently connected station Disconnect All Disconnects all stations Reconnect Re connects to the station that most recently disconnected 09 Status Announces the callsign of each station currently connected 08 Play Info Plays a brief ID message Query by Call Looks up a station by its callsign and reads back its node number and status 07 call Query by Node Looks up a station by its node number and reads back its callsign and status 06 num 8 EchoLink 46 CONTENTS TM D710A E 8 3 2 2 Transmitting with an EchoLink Memory 1 Press the PTT switch to transmit 2 Press the Tuning Control while transmitting The transceiver enters the EchoLink memory channel selection mode 3 Turn the Tuning Control while the PTT switch is pressed to select the EchoLink memory channel on which you want to transmit 4 Press the Tuning Control while the PTT switch is pressed Until transmission of the EchoLink code ends the transceiver remains in transmit mode even if you stop pressing the PTT switch Useful Tips In Step 2 above if before pressing the Tuning Control the C key on the microphone is pressed then the DTMF code for the EchoLink Connect by Call function is transmitted For example in the case of JA1YKX C 51 21 10 93 52 92 will be added at the end automatically In Step 2 above if before pr
28. simply install APRS software on a personal computer configure the necessary station information and connect to an APRS server via the Internet With this arrangement you can enjoy the basic features of APRS such as transmitting your own station position exchanging messages and dispatch or receipt of weather information Using TM D710A E or RC D710 you can transmit your own packet signals via amateur radio and use APRS IS to access IGate IGate acts as a two way interface between the Internet and amateur radio packet signals The IGate function is obtained through various releases of APRS software and IGate is commonly available as a result of many volunteer amateur radio operators IGate connects directly to Core servers and Tier 2 servers Information received by amateur radio packet transmissions is transferred to the servers and server information can be passed via packet radio transmissions back to amateur radio operators New IGate stations in areas where IGate access is already available are added as necessary as traffic warrants Traffic from IGate to amateur radio stations increases air traffic which can undesirably overload frequencies Therefore you must be familiar with operational configurations Various filtering functions exist so you should be knowledgeable about your local existing IGate station It is best to minimize traffic as much as possible In the case of packet messaging bidirectional data transfers are used To use TM D
29. that you are unable to get enough audio level even with the Microphone level set to maximum If that s the case the audio output level from TM D710A E can be adjusted using the MCP 2A software downloadable from the Kenwood Support Web site Once you have the MCP 2A program up and running go to the Data Terminal Adjustment section and increase the PR1 Output Level EchoLink Mode from 3 to a higher value such as 6 or 7 After writing the new setting back to the transceiver check and adjust the input Recording microphone level as before The next step is to adjust the audio from the PC to the rig Adjust the Playback level so that your node s locally transmitted audio sounds clean Disconnect from the Test server then choose Tone Generator from EchoLink s Tools menu to produce a zero level tone into the TM D710A E Choose Adjust Sound Device gt Playback from the Tools menu While listening on a nearby receiver adjust the Playback Wave level so that the tone sounds full but not distorted 8 2 5 COS versus VOX If you are running your node as a simplex link the settings on the RX Ctrl tab described above should be fine EchoLink will detect an incoming signal whenever the transceiver s squelch opens However if the transceiver is tuned to the frequency pair of a local repeater you might get better results by using EchoLink s VOX for carrier detect When properly adjusted this will avoid the extra delay imposed by the tail
30. when you cannot adjust the input and output levels on the transceiver side that is connected it is possible to adjust input and output levels on the RC D710 side using 3dB steps by using MCP 2A 11 2 1 How to Configure Input Output Levels of RC D710 1 Turn the power of RC D710 OFF 2 Connect the PG 5G programming cable serial communication cable between the COM terminal on the rear side of RC D710 and a personal computer 3 Start MCP 2A Click the button on MCP 2A and read the data from RC D710 4 Select Data Terminal from the Edit pulldown menu The configuration window for input output levels will open Figure 11 3 Data Terminal Window PKD PIN 1200bps 1200 bps output level PR9 PIN 1200bps 1200 bps input level PKD PIN 9600bps 9600 bps output level PR9 PIN 9600bps 9600 bps input level Input output terminals for 1200 bps and 9600 bps are the same However levels have to be set individually Refer to the Help file for MCP 2A for details 5 Click the button on MCP 2A and write the data to RC D710 6 Turn the power of RC D710 OFF and disconnect the programming cable from PG 5G Note In some transceivers other than those that have been verified to operate correctly the TNC data input output line which is connected to PKD PR9 has not disconnected the DC voltage inside the transceiver Therefore there are situations where the transceiver will not function properly even if in
31. with MCP 2A 80 10 3 3 Firmware Update for SmartBeaconing and Other Enhancements 81 10 4 How to Get Newest Firmware Software 81 10 5 How to Update 81 11 MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS 82 11 1 RC D710 Operation Panel APRS ready Standalone TNC 82 11 1 1 Models Supported for use with RC D710 82 11 1 1 1 Connection Example 1 Connecting RC D710 to TM V7A E 82 11 1 1 2 Connection Example 2 Connecting RC D710 to TM D700A E TM V708A 83 11 1 1 3 DATA Terminal Pins PG 5J 83 11 2 Adjusting Input and Output Levels 84 11 2 1 How to Configure Input Output Levels of RC D710 84 11 3 Schematic Diagram of the Optional PG 5J Interface Kit 85 11 4 AvMap written by Don Arnold W6GPS 85 12 APPENDIX 88 This page is intentionally left blank TM D710A E CONTENTS I PROLOGUE Amateurs Building the New Global Communications Network Hams have enjoyed using FM transceivers for years for SSTV ATV packet satellite EME GPS and other communications modes A fundamental reason for this has been that FM transceivers are easy to use Recently personal computers and the Interne
32. 46 100 MHz Narrow CTCSS of 100 Hz Simplex 446 100MHz D023 Voice frequency configured for 446 100 MHz Wide DCS 023 Simplex 446 100MHz d023 Voice frequency configured for 446 100 MHz Narrow DCS 023 Simplex 446 100MHz tOFF Voice frequency configured for 446 100 MHz Narrow Tone None Simplex 146 850MHz Voice frequency configured for 146 850 MHz Wide Tone None Minus Shift 600kHz Offset TM D710A s Auto Repeater Offset may work 444 750MHz TOFF Voice frequency configured for 444 750 MHz Wide Tone None Shift Offset default on UHF band 5MHz 146 850MHz T131 060 Voice frequency configured for 146 850 MHz Wide Tone 131 8Hz Shift 600kHz offset 146 850MHz T131 0600kHz Voice frequency configured for 146 850 MHz Wide Tone 131 8Hz Shift 600kHz offset 0600kHz 600kHz offset The last digit 0kHz is ignored by the TM D710A it s just for easier understanding for operators 444 7625MHz tOFF Voice frequency configured for 444 7625 MHz Narrow Tone None Shift Offset 5 MHz Default value on UHF band 444 7625MHz t131 4MHz Voice frequency configured for 444 7625 MHz Narrow Tone 131 8Hz Shift Offset 5 MHz Default offset on UHF band 4MHz is not allowed and it results in a syntax error for TM D710A so that the default offset 5 MHz K type is applied instead
33. 6 1 1 2 Voice Announcement Mode19 6 1 1 3 Entering Characters19 6 1 2 Decay Algorithm Function 20 6 1 3 Proportional Pathing Function 20 6 1 4 Simultaneously using Decay Algorithm and Proportional Pathing 21 6 1 5 SmartBeaconing Written by Steve Bragg KA9MVA 21 6 1 5 1 Variable Rate Beaconing Transmission Interval Changes with Speed 21 6 1 5 2 Corner Pegging Transmission after Heading Change 23 6 1 5 3 Operation Example 24 6 1 6 QSY Function 25 6 1 6 1 Transmitting QSY Information 25 6 1 6 2 Receiving QSY Information 27 6 1 6 3 QSY Functions and EchoLink 27 6 1 7 Message Function 27 6 1 7 1 Automatic Reply Message 28 6 1 7 2 Message Speech Synthesis 28 6 1 7 3 TX Beep Beacon 28 6 2 Base Station Weather Station 29 6 2 1 Using Meteorological Equipment 29 6 2 1 1 Davis Instruments Corp 29 6 2 1 2 Peet Bros Company Inc 30 7 APRS NETWORKS 31 7 1 Servers 31 7 2 IGate 31 7 3 Let s Send Email 33 7 3 1 Sending Email with TM D710A E and RC D710 33 CONTENTS II TM
34. 7 5 1 2 Connecting a PC Use the optional PG 5G programming cable to connect the COM port on the rear of the TM D710A E operation panel to the serial port on your personal computer Figure 5 2 5 1 3 Creating a CMD File for TM D710A E To use TM D710A E with UI View32 you must create an initialization file Look in the UI View32 CMD folder and you will find an initialization file called TM D700 CMD This file was required to connect to the earlier TM D700A E transceiver You need to edit this file as shown below and create a new file for the TM D710A E TM D710A E Initialization File Save the newly created initialization file as TM 710 CMD in the CMD folder under UI View32 You can then select TM 710 as the TNC type in the Comms Setup screen of UI View32 and start operating Note TM D700 CMD initialization file cannot be used for TM D710A E due to the incompatibility of the PC commands Modify the TM D700 CMD file using a text editor as above and save it as TM D710 CMD This is a sample TNC initialization file for use with the Kenwood TM D710A E SETUP DON T alter anything in this section unless you are sure you know what you are doing COMMAND_PROMPT cmd COMMAND_CHARACTER_CODE 3 ESCAPE_CHARACTER_CODE CONV_COMMAND CONV MYCALL_COMMAND MYCALL UNPROTO_COMMAND UNPROTO NO_BEACON_COMMAND BEACON EVERY 0 INIT_COMMANDS C C C Control mode on TC 1 TS 1 Select TNC PKT mode on A band TN 2 0 TN 2 0 Waiting
35. 710A E or RC D710 efficiently at a fixed station includes configuring the callsign and the packet path to your local IGate station In cases of mobile stations you can similarly initially configure the packet path but it is good to follow local rules of each new area where you may operate 7 APRS NETWORKS 32 CONTENTS TM D710A E Figure 7 1 APRS Network Conceptual Drawing IGate IGate IGate Client IGate IGate IGate Client IGate IGate IGate Tier 2 Server Tier 2 Server Tier 2 Server Tier 2 Server Core Server Core Server Core Server Tier 2 Server 7 APRS NETWORKS TM D710A E CONTENTS 33 7 3 Let s Send Email With TM D710A E and RC D710 it is possible to transmit email by using the Message function 7 3 1 Sending Email with TM D710A E and RC D710 First press MSG to show the Message List on the screen Next press NEW to create a message on the screen Enter EMAIL to TO field using the Tuning Control on the panel or the numeric keypad on the microphone Figure 7 2 Using Email Function Next enter the email address to which you wish to send email Leave one space blank after the address and begin entering the message text See an example below Figure 7 3 Entering Email Address and Message The message can be entered using the Tuning Control on the panel or the numeric keypad on the microphone When the message is completely entered it will be transmitted in an APRS
36. A E Click Password The page shown in Figure 8 34 appears Figure 8 34 Password Entry Page Select the new link station enter the password you configured during the first validation process and click the Continue button Verifying password will display and then Password verified will display within 1 minute Figure 8 35 Password Verification Page This is the completion of the Validation procedure of a callsign for a link station Re start the EchoLink software Figure 8 36 EchoLink Startup Window Your link station callsign will be displayed at the top of the screen in the Title bar and stations connected to EchoLink are shown The software will already be connected as a link station Next select Sysop Settings from the Tools pulldown menu and open the Sysop Setup window Click the RX Ctrl tab 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 61 Figure 8 37 Sysop Setup Window RX Ctrl Tab Select the Serial CTS radio button in the Carrier Detect frame Configure the Serial Port dropdown list for the port used for EchoLink Confirm the correct serial port to use by examining your computer configuration the correct port depends on your particular computer If MCP 2A is installed usually this software uses the same port as EchoLink software When there is only one COM port on a computer it is usually COM1 If a USB serial conversion cable is being used the correct COM port number may be COM2 or larger
37. ACE UITRACE ON ALIAS TEMP This allows TM D700A E TM D710A E or RC D710 to always be a temporary digipeater at any time and anywhere in support of the TEMPn N path Example 2 This is a general recommendation for permanent digipeaters installed at a high location W4DJY W5DJY WB4APR 9 gt APK102 TEMP1 1 WIDE2 2 Test All mobiles can act as TEMPn N digis all the time if needed for emergency WB4APR 9 gt APK102 TEMP1 WIDE2 2 Test WB4APR 9 gt APK102 TEMP1 W4DJY WIDE2 1 Test WB4APR 9 gt APK102 TEMP1 W4DJY W5DJY WIDE2 Test Not working 7 APRS NETWORKS TM D710A E CONTENTS 37 UIDIGI UIDIGI ON ALIAS SAR other local paths can be defined here Note SAR stands for Search and Rescue UIFLOOD UIFLOOD ON ALIAS SS or SSS SUBSTITUTION ID where SS or SSS is the abbreviation of state or ARRL section UITRACE UITRACE ON ALIAS WIDE 7 4 5 Proper Configuration written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR New N Paradigm recommends three major routing paths The most important is the National Standard of WIDEn N usually 2 2 It should always be used for routine operations However there are two other possible network arrangements for special situations SSn N and TEMPn N SSn N is for state or ARRL section communication special nets These nets are called up for drills or for emergencies During these periods it is desirable to have all APRS participants over the st
38. E 2 Turn the power OFF 3 Hold and PF1 down and turn the power ON 4 Verify the following is displayed Number on left side of display Indicates the firmware version of the transceiver itself Number on right side of display Indicates the firmware version of the operation panel Number at upper right side of display Indicates the firmware version of the TNC Figure 10 1 Verifying Firmware Versions Note The firmware version number appears on left side of the display for TM V71A E The firmware version of the operation panel must be 1 12 or later to display the firmware version of the TNC microprocessor on the operation panel display 10 3 2 Checking with MCP 2A 1 Press TNC on TM D710A E or RC D710 to display APRSxx Skip this step for TM V71A E 2 Turn the power OFF For TM D710A E connect the communication cable to the transceiver itself For RC D710 connect the communication cable to the front panel 3 Turn the power of the transceiver or RC D710 ON 4 Start MCP 2A and select Product Information from the Model pulldown menu Figure 10 2 Verifying Firmware Versions Note The firmware version of the operation panel must be 2 00 or later to use MCP 2A to display the firmware version of the TNC microprocessor 10 HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE TM D710A E CONTENTS 81 10 3 3 Firmware Update for SmartBeaconing and Other Enhancements New firmware is required to use th
39. E EchoLink Sysop Mode 64 8 5 4 Using MCP 2A to Configure TM D710A E 65 8 5 5 Checking your Link Station 67 9 MCP 2A MEMORY CONTROL PROGRAM FOR USE WITH TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 68 9 1 Downloading and Installing MCP 2A 68 9 2 Main Functions of MCP 2A 71 9 2 1 Main New Functions Added 71 9 2 2 Useful Functions of MCP 2A 71 9 2 3 Functions Only Configurable by MCP 2A 71 9 3 Importing Other MCP Files into MCP 2A 72 9 4 Importing hmk Files Created by Another MCP 2A 73 9 5 Other Functions 74 9 5 1 Basic Functions 74 9 5 2 Memory Channels 74 9 5 2 1 Memory Channels 74 9 5 2 2 Weather Train Channels 74 9 5 2 3 EchoLink Memory Channels 74 9 5 3 Menu Settings 75 9 5 3 1 Transceiver Menu gt EchoLink RX Monitor 75 9 5 3 2 Transceiver Menu gt Repeater Mode K type only 75 9 5 3 3 Transceiver Menu gt Password 75 9 5 3 4 Transceiver Menu gt 10MHz Mode 75 9 5 3 5 Transceiver Menu gt TM D710A E
40. Figure 6 12 Meteorological Data Display TM D710A E CONTENTS 31 7 APRS NETWORKS 7 1 Servers In the beginning APRS networks consisted only of general packet transmissions through digital repeaters To expand network coverage much further HF gateway stations that were interfaced with the VHF stations were added This arrangement evolved still further when it became common for personal computers to be connected with the Internet Internet gateways provided another way to expand APRS coverage APRServe developed by Mr Steve Dimse K4HG allows information that is gathered from the Internet to be transferred to client computers The worldwide APRS network was completed The service is called APRS IS APRS Internet Service At present there are several basic servers that are called Core servers Approximately 40 local servers called Tier 2 servers are located worldwide in each participating country and work under the Core servers Later Pete Loveall AE5PL developed javAPRSSrvr to establish a Tier 2 distribution system to better handle regional APRS IS feeds The Internet part of the APRS system is called APRS IS APRS Internet Service 7 2 IGate There are basically two ways to use APRS IS effectively when operating APRS a client personal computer connected directly to Core Tier 2 servers and using amateur radio with IGate Internet gateway For client use a callsign is required but amateur radio equipment is not necessary You
41. L A file from TravelPlus for Repeaters has a different file extension and format depending on the year it was created MCP 2A requires the tpe extension 2005 2006 edition version 9 0 But if it is acceptable to you to be able to read only a portion of the file then the file can be read if a csv extension is applied Refer to the MCP 2A Help file for details of how to read this type of file Note The method of storing the On Off status and frequency for Tone CTCSS was modified at the time of MCP 2A Version 3 00 In the case that 100 0 is displayed in the CTCSS column in the file Up to Version 2 01 Turn CTCSS On and configure CTCSS frequency for 100 0 Hz Version 3 00 and later Turn Tone On and configure Tone frequency for 100 0 Hz In the case that 67 0 100 0 is displayed in the CTCSS column in the file Up to Version 2 01 CTCSS status and CTCSS frequency are set at initial values Version 3 00 and later Turn Tone On and configure Tone frequency for 67 0 Hz 9 5 4 2 Importing hmk Files It is possible to import a file that was created using Kenwood hmk format 9 5 4 3 Exporting hmk Files It is possible to export a file that was created using Kenwood hmk format Refer to the MCP 2A Help file for details as to how to use a hmk file that was imported as explained in Section 9 4 Importing hmk Files Created by Another MCP 2A 9 5 4 4 Exporting html Files It is possible to export a fi
42. Now there is only one recommended PATH everywhere and it is VIA WIDEn N for fixed stations where N is usually 2 in most metropolitan areas and no more than 3 in very remote or isolated areas far from cities Mobiles can use a path VIA WIDE1 1 WIDE2 1 in those 2 hop areas to gain help from nearby WIDE1 1 fill in digipeaters See the high density areas in the map below This data from Steve Dimse s FINDU is plotted on APRSdos to show the user density in the USA in February 05 Although it appears that most of the USA is low density remember that a WIDE5 5 launched anywhere in the remotest area will still get to the cities and add to the QRM there And there are 100 times more low density users surrounding these cities on all sides that really adds up to heavy QRM We recommend WIDE2 2 in the 8 per degree or more and surrounding areas 3 3 should be used only in the 5 per degree or less areas The grid size is 30 miles and each is averaged with all 8 of its surrounding adjacent grids The file is over 11 000 stations But the great news is that the New n N Paradigm is the right approach It encourages WIDEn N everywhere while letting the high density areas trap large values of N to prevent overload in their areas only Figure 2 2 APRS User Density 2 3 APRS Global Internet System Although APRS is a local tactical real time two way communications system the enormous free bandwidth of the Internet was added in the mid 1990s to allow global monitori
43. RS channel or generated directly to the APRS IS for dissemination back to RF via the local IGate station It is important for nearby travelling mobiles to see these QSY Frequency objects on their maps and the front panel of their TM D710A E transceivers when traveling in new areas 6 1 7 Message Function The Message function closely resembles other amateur radio modes since it consists of exchanging messages with hams You can send a message by entering a callsign of the message recipient You ll receive an acknowledgement ACK message back when the targeted station receives the message You can also enjoy group messaging by using a group name instead of a callsign A group name can be configured via Menu 623 In addition there is a bulletin function Using bulletins you can report on upcoming events or other information to a large collection of users over a broad region 6 APRS IN ACTION 28 CONTENTS TM D710A E 6 1 7 1 Automatic Reply Message The Automatic Reply Message function replies to messages that you receive while you are driving You can pre configure a message response such as I am QRX Will return at 12 35 When using TH D7A E or TM D700A E a response message was returned to all message senders But beginning with TM D710A E an individual can be selected to receive a reply You can configure callsigns to which you want to reply When the wildcard is used the transceiver will respond to all message senders
44. Remarks MCP G707 707 TM G707A Only for U S A and Canada models Unable to use other than K type U S A and Canada of TM G707 due to command specification differences DTSS is ignored MCP V7 v7 TM V7A Only for U S A and Canada models Unable to use other than K type U S A and Canada of TM V7 due to command specification differences DTSS is ignored MCP G71 71 TH G71A Only for U S A and Canada models Unable to use other than K type U S A and Canada of TH G71 due to command specification differences 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 74 CONTENTS TM D710A E 9 5 Other Functions 9 5 1 Basic Functions Using MCP 2A it is possible to configure almost all transceiver functions as were configured with MCP 1A And too there are unique functions that can only be configured with MCP 2A Table 9 4 MCP 2A Basic Functions Table Note Train channels are available only for J type Japan and Weather channels are available only for K type U S A and Canada 9 5 2 Memory Channels 9 5 2 1 Memory Channels It is possible with TM V71A E and TM D710A E to configure even those memory channels created with MCP In addition for the usual memory channels arranging the order of channels via a sorting feature can be done 9 5 2 2 Weather Train Channels It is possible to program train channels if using a J type Japan transceiver model or you can program weather c
45. Server as follows Select Connect to Test Server from the Station pulldown menu Select the ECHOTEST conference and click the Connect button upper left corner of screen Connecting to ECHOTEST will appear Once connected you will hear an announcement from the test server that begins Welcome to the EchoLink Test Server 8 EchoLink 54 CONTENTS TM D710A E 8 4 6 1 Adjusting Receive Volume Adjust the receive volume of the announcement audio from the test server Select Adjust Sound Device gt Playback from the Tools pulldown menu Figure 8 22 Receive Volume Menu Selection Adjust the appropriate volume control using the test server announcement 8 4 6 2 Adjusting Transmit Level Adjust the level of the transmit audio that is sent from the microphone to the test server Select Adjust Sound Device gt Recording from the Tools pulldown menu Figure 8 23 Transmit Level Menu Selection To transmit use the Transmit button on the EchoLink software screen or the Space key on your computer keyboard Press the Transmit button or Space key once to activate the transmit mode press it again to return to receive mode Figure 8 24 Adjusting Transmit Level While transmitting speak into the microphone using a normal level of voice After returning to receive your spoken audio will be repeated back by the test server Adjust the microphone level c
46. TM D710A E Multi communicator VHF UHF FM Dual Bander Getting Acquainted with APRS and EchoLink Cover 2 TM D710A E About this Manual This document was created for the product having the following design specifications TM D710A E RC D710 MCP 2A Version 3 10 3rd party external GPS unit and Weather Station TM D710A E and RC D710 with firmware version 2 00 Software License Notice Users are required to obtain approval from Kenwood in writing prior to redistributing this document on a personal web page or via packet communication Users are prohibited from assigning renting leasing or reselling the document Users are prohibited from revising changing translating merging de compiling or reverse engineering the software Kenwood shall own all copyrights and other intellectual properties for the software and all manuals and documents attached to the software The user shall be allowed to use not to resell the software by obtaining a license from Kenwood While the media on which the software is stored is possessed by the user the ownership of the software itself shall be reserved for Kenwood Kenwood does not warrant that quality and functions described in this document comply with each user s purpose of use of this document and unless specifically described in this document Kenwood shall be free from any responsibility for any defects and indemnities for any damages or losses Th
47. a multi functional model therefore it was easy to update the design However it was difficult to cut costs while developing the standard model This time there was a plan to develop two types a standard model and a multi functional model We discussed which type we should develop first and slowly the following plan evolved 1 First develop the standard model 2 Next create a multi functional model only by switching the front panel 3 Lastly develop a standalone front panel Nobody could imagine how this development would proceed especially to progress from Step 2 to Step 3 On the basis of sharing functions between the multi function model and the standard model transceiver the research to combine the TNC modem and APRS application program all in the front panel was completed At this stage our goal to have a TNC with APRS functionality was realized We merchandised the standalone front panel with the underlying concept of allowing existing Kenwood customers to enjoy the benefits of APRS 1 DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT 2 CONTENTS TM D710A E 1 2 Evolving Development In order to develop an APRS model following the TM D700 series we discussed face to face directly with Mr Bob Bruninga developer of APRS an operation specification to better implement the flexibility of the APRS protocol We were going to kick it up a notch and make APRS still more powerful We enhanced capability with several new important APRS functi
48. ack 9 pin connector goes to the computer s serial port Many modern computers have USB ports but no serial ports If your computer has no serial port you will need to use either a USB to serial adapter cable or a serial port option card Either can be purchased from stores that sell computer accessories Figure 8 26 Connecting a TM D710A E and a PC Data communications cable To PC audio terminal Pink To microphone input terminal Green To line out terminal To PC 9 pin D SUB terminal PG 5H Cable Kit 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 57 8 5 2 Configuring EchoLink Software for a Link Station If your computer is already configured for use in Single User mode of EchoLink you can easily set up a link station Select Setup from the Tools pulldown menu to open the System Setup window Figure 8 27 System Setup Window In the My Station tab change the configuration in the Mode frame from Single User to Sysop That is select the Sysop radio button Click the Change Callsign button Figure 8 28 Callsign Change Confirmation A confirmation message appears that asks you to confirm that you want to change callsign Click the Yes button 8 EchoLink 58 CONTENTS TM D710A E Figure 8 29 Changing Callsign to be a Link Station Enter in the Callsign edit box your callsign with L at the end such as W6DJY L Click the OK button Figure 8 30 Validation Required Message A server messa
49. acket from the Kenwood TM D710A E in Kenwood waypoint format is processed by the AvMap G5 operating system When the mark is made on the screen it now can be one of over 100 standardized APRS icons along with the callsign Setup of the Kenwood transceiver with AvMap is very simple Using the defaults of the Kenwood transceiver only a few menu configurations are needed to set up the TM D710A E Menu 600 BASIC SETTINGS MY CALLSIGN Your callsign and 9 such as W6GPS 9 Menu 602 GPS PORT BAUD RATE 9600 INPUT GPS OUTPUT WAYPOINT Menu 603 WAYPOINT FORMAT KENWOOD NAME 9 CHAR Menu 611 BEACON TX ALGORITHM METHOD AUTO or SmartBeaconing 11 MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS TM D710A E CONTENTS 87 Press TNC on the operation panel of transceiver APRS12 should appear on the display Note For a more detailed setup of APRS and the options available see section 3 PREPARATIONS FOR USING APRS of AvMap G5 owner s manual With the AvMap G5 the only thing needed is to verify in the setup menu that the interface is 9600 APRS The 3 pin plug is inserted into the TM D710A E GPS port of the operation panel and the 4 pin connection to the TMC port of the AvMap G5 In no time you will see APRS activity on your AvMap screen APRS activity is stored in the APRS subfolder of the contacts folder for easy reference so you can navigate to it or monitor a particular APRS callsign in Tactical Mode With the K
50. ailable for validation will appear Figure 8 16 Callsigns Available Page When the software was configured via the Setup Wizard as a Computer User only your callsign without L or R at end of callsign is shown to represent a single user Confirm the callsign is selected small black circle to left of callsign This callsign becomes the validation object Enter your email address and click the Request Validation button Figure 8 17 Confirmation of Sending the Validation Procedure The message in Figure 8 15 will appear and the URL that has the Validation procedure for your callsign will be sent to the email address you enter Click the URL in the email that you receive Figure 8 18 License Submission Page Click the method that you want to use to validate your callsign A valid amateur radio license is mandatory to complete the validation 8 EchoLink 52 CONTENTS TM D710A E 8 4 4 1 Scan and Upload Use a digital camera or scanner to create a graphics file of your license Click Scan and Upload Enter the necessary information and upload the license file Note Be sure to follow the tips below File must be jpg gif png or tiff format Size of file must be less than 5 MB Callsign and other information on the license image must be legible When upload completes a screen indicating Validation Upload appears Another message appears Processing Your validation request will now t
51. ally 2 The WIDE terminology lets you know the digipeater is in a good location for repeating signals A mobile station anywhere only has to specify WIDE1 1 without needing to know a specific callsign of a digipeater in order to digipeat their beacon transmission APRS evolved over many years beginning in 1992 and there were many inefficient older network concepts that were still being used in some areas You still may see references to these obsolete techniques RELAY WIDE TRACE and TRACEn N By 2004 it was decided it was time to abandon those many older inefficient paths and concentrate on only the fully traceable WIDEn N algorithm This universal upgrade of the APRS network to just the one simple and traceable WIDEn N concept was called the New N Paradigm Since its adoption most areas have seen many improvements in local area APRS reliability In most areas of the country the number of hops should be no more than WIDE2 2 because additional hops just add too much network load and too much interference from stations far away The following sections explain configuration of the TM D710A E for use with digipeaters 7 4 1 UIDIGI With UIDIGI activated On when a digipeater receives a UI frame with a character string for alias such as RELAY WIDE1 1 etc that matches the alias character string in the digipeater the digipeater repeats the packet substituting the callsign from the digipeater s MY CALLSIGN configuration and adding a comple
52. an connect the transceiver directly to the sound card and serial port of your PC to have it operate as an EchoLink node 8 2 1 Sysop Mode With the optional PG 5H cable kit the TM D710A E can be connected directly to a PC to run the EchoLink software in Sysop mode In Sysop mode EchoLink forms a gateway between the Internet and a local RF channel such as a simplex frequency or a nearby repeater This allows other nodes on the EchoLink system to communicate with mobile or portable users in your area Other EchoLink users can connect to your node or local mobile and portable users can use the DTMF pad on their rigs to connect your EchoLink node to other nodes on the system For details refer to 8 5 Setting Up a Node Station Link Station with TM D710A E The TM D710A E connects to the sound card and serial port of your PC The sound card connection handles the transmitted and received audio and the serial port connection takes care of PTT control and carrier detect This allows the EchoLink software to key and un key the TM D710A E s transmitter and to detect the presence of a signal received by the TM D710A E 8 2 2 Making the Connections The Kenwood PG 5H is a package of two different cables Following the instructions in the TM D710A E Instruction Manual connect the cables to the two jacks in the back of the transceiver and to the serial port and sound card jacks of your computer The pink plug goes to the microphone input of the sound
53. ate or section area to be able to communicate among each other In some states this may take more than a 2 hop path But using more than 2 hops also causes many packets to go outside of the state and to add QRM in adjacent areas which is poor operating practice To allow longer hops within the state or section for these events the SSn N routing mechanism can be used For example using WIDE3 3 from the middle of Maryland would reach all digipeaters in Maryland but someone in the far west or far southeast would need 5 hops But such a 5 hop path would cause QRM over 13 states However by using the state routing path of MD5 5 the sender s packets will go a full 5 hops in Maryland but will not go into any adjoining states In fact for the user in the center that only needs 3 hops it does not make any difference to use MD5 5 or MD3 3 because in either case his packets will hit all the digipeaters in Maryland So for state wide drills the recommended path is MD5 5 for all participants anywhere in the state The TEMPn N system is an emergency backup system that is inherent in all TM D700A E and TM D710A E mobile transceivers These transceivers can all be used as backup emergency digipeaters in support of special needs All mobiles should be programmed to act as digipeaters for TEMPn N packets In this way these mobiles are always ready and enabled to act as digipeaters for this special path but on the other hand they do not digipeat any other pac
54. by repeater it is a good idea to try to contact the node owner or someone else familiar with the node to see if there are any special operational rules 8 3 2 EchoLink Memory Function of TM D710A E You use this function for accessing nearby relay stations by using DTMF codes from a TM D710A E or by transmitting a control command to the relay station It is possible to register a DTMF code up to a maximum of 8 digits in an EchoLink private DTMF memory 10 channels all together 8 3 2 1 Storing to an EchoLink Memory 1 Select Menu 204 2 Turn the Tuning Control to select an EchoLink memory channel from EL0 to EL9 3 Press the Tuning Control The name input screen will appear 4 Enter the EchoLink memory name Enter the callsign of the target station that you want to call via EchoLink and the name of the conference or the control command Conference rooms allow you to have roundtable QSOs 5 Press the Tuning Control The code input screen will appear 6 Enter the EchoLink code Enter the target station that you want to call via EchoLink and the node number of the conference or the DTMF code such as a control command Command Description Default Connect Connects to a station on the Internet based on its node number num Connect by Call Connects to a station on the Internet based on its callsign C call Disconnect Disconnects the station that is currently connected If more than
55. cating world TM D710A E CONTENTS 1 1 DEVELOPMENT CONCEPT The concept of developing the TM V71A E TM D710A E and RC D710 is as stated below To have common functionality between the basic model TM V71A E and the multi function model TM D710A E transceivers To add the capability for customers themselves to be able to update the version of APRS on their own To create an affinity with VolP systems In order to understand customer requirements we did surveys at various ham shows such as the Dayton Hamvention ARRL and TAPR Digital Communications Conference DCC JARL Ham Fair Japan Ham Radio in Friedrichshafen Germany etc and analyzed our customers needs The many ideas gathered coalesced into the development concept above as the Product Planning group and Development group virtually merged during the conception phase to come up with the present development program 1 1 Strategy for the Design First we looked back at the makeup of the earlier TM D700 model series The TM D700 series has built in TNC modems in the transceivers themselves for packet communication The embedded microcomputer supports not only amateur radio functions but also data communication application programs such as APRS After the multi function TM D700 model was marketed we eliminated hardware parts related to packet communication and introduced the TM V708 as a standard model From the beginning this model was developed as
56. d the VGS 1 is installed The VGS 1 can speak a few common ham radio words but can spell any words by letter too 6 1 1 3 Entering Characters Characters can be entered using the DTMF keypad on the microphone as you would when texting from a cell phone Additional details of important functions follow 6 APRS IN ACTION 20 CONTENTS TM D710A E 6 1 2 Decay Algorithm Function The position beacon for a mobile station is usually transmitted at a fixed time interval to provide consistency in vehicle tracking and station participation However when traffic is slow moving it would be inefficient use of air time to continue transmitting at this fixed interval Therefore while parked or moving slowly the beacon transmission interval gradually increases by using a decay algorithm This cleverly reduces air time used by the station without reducing the quality of station information being made available to the system Figure 6 1 Decay Algorithm Decay Algorithm steps the transmission interval of the beacon down from 1 to 2 to 4 to 8 to 16 to 32 minutes when the mobile station is not moving The speed at which Decay Algorithm decides that the car is parked can be set using the Stopped dropdown list in the Page 7 tab of the APRS NAVITRA window of the MCP 2A programming software If the mobile station s speed is less than this setting then Decay Algorithm will start 6 1 3 Proportional Pathing Function Proportional pathing recognizes that t
57. e SmartBeaconing function in the following cases If transceiver and controller version is older than Version 2 00 10 4 How to Get Newest Firmware Software Download the newest version of update software from the Kenwood web site URL shown below URL is subject to change http www kenwood com i products info amateur software_download html 10 5 How to Update Carefully read the update instructions provided when you download the software Begin the procedure only after you understand the provided instructions Table 10 2 Firmware Update Summary Table Note During a routine update there are times when automatic resets are executed Therefore ensure you back up all values and channel data prior to beginning the firmware update To restore the backup data confirm all data is correct using on MCP 2A prior to writing data back to the transceiver Item to Update Files Required Remarks Transceiver TM V71_TM D710_Main_VxxxE exe The updater file can also be used for TM V71A E Operation Panel TM D710_RC D710_OpPanel_VxxxE exe The updater file can also be used for RC D710 TNC TM D710_RC D710_Tnc_VxxxE exe Operation panel s firmware must be Ver 1 12 or newer The updater file can also be used for RC D710 82 CONTENTS TM D710A E 11 MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS 11 1 RC D710 Operation Panel APRS ready Standalone TNC It is possible to replace the TM V71A E s front panel with RC D710 and upgrade your TM V71A E t
58. e selection and introduction of the document as well as the results therefrom shall be solely a liability of the user Firmware Copyrights The title to and ownership of copyrights for firmware embedded in Kenwood product memories are reserved for Kenwood Corporation Any modifying reverse engineering copying reproducing or disclosing on an Internet website of the firmware is strictly prohibited without prior written consent of Kenwood Corporation Furthermore any reselling assigning or transferring of the firmware is also strictly prohibited without embedding the firmware in Kenwood product memories TM D710A E Cover 3 About Copyright Windows 2000 Windows XP Windows Vista and Windows logo are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries NET Framework is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and other countries NAVITRA is a registered trademark of Kenwood Corporation Kenwood is a licensed user of the APRS trademark and protocols from APRS Engineering LLC APRS is a registered trademark of WB4APR Bob Bruninga TravelPlus for Repeaters is a registered trademark of American Radio Relay League Inc EchoLink is a registered trademark of Synergenics LLC SmartBeaconing is a trademark of HamHUD Nichetronix LLC Dayton Hamvention is a registered trademark of DARA Incorporation
59. eacb 4362 4b0d 8edd aab15c5e04f5 amp displaylang en Use the following procedure to determine if Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later is installed on your computer The example shown is for Windows XP Click Start gt Control Panel gt Add or Remove Programs You should see Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later in the list of installed software While updating the firmware the transceiver or panel may be fully reset If you do not wish to lose the memory contents and configurations save the current configuration data to a file prior to updating the firmware Depending on the type of computer there may not be any equipped COM ports In this case you will need a USB to serial port conversion cable Personal Computer Required Specification Operating System Windows 2000 SP4 or later Windows XP SP2 or later Windows Vista 32 bit version CPU CPU recommended by OS or faster Memory Larger than OS recommended capacity Run time Environment NET Framework 2 0 or later see Notes below Communication Port Serial port available COM1 to COM20 see Notes below 10 HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE 80 CONTENTS TM D710A E 10 3 How to Verify Firmware Version You can verify the firmware version by the procedure below Use one of the following two ways of verifying 10 3 1 Checking the Transceiver Operation Panel 1 Press TNC on TM D710A E or RC D710 to display APRSxx Skip this step for TM V71A
60. eater with the external remote function is not possible The cross band repeater function is only available on a K type U S A and Canada model 9 5 3 3 Transceiver Menu gt Password It is possible to configure the character string for the password This function is only possible to configure with the MCP 2A 9 5 3 4 Transceiver Menu gt 10MHz Mode Configure whether you will use the 10 MHz step variable function 9 5 3 5 Transceiver Menu gt TM D710A E This item can only be configured with TM D710A E 9 5 3 6 Transceiver Menu gt RC D710 This item can only be configured with RC D710 9 5 3 7 Transceiver Menu gt Variable Level of Data Terminal It is possible to configure the input sensitivity of the external equipment terminal for data communications and the output level The settings are differentiated between TM V71A E TM D710A E and RC D710 9 5 3 8 Transceiver Menu gt SQC Output Logic It is possible to configure the output logic of the external output terminal active level that is used for data communications etc Normally EchoLink Sysop mode uses the High configuration For details refer to 8 5 4 Using MCP 2A to Connect TM D710A E 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 76 CONTENTS TM D710A E 9 5 4 Unique Functions 9 5 4 1 Importing TravelPlus for Repeaters Files It is possible to read a file that was exported from TravelPlus for Repeaters sold by ARR
61. eceived from the GPS receiver to efficiently transmit the beacon There are two factors that come into play when determining how SmartBeaconing functions distance traveled since last beacon transmission addressed by using Variable Rate Beaconing to change the transmission interval with speed and heading change since last beacon transmission referred to as Corner Pegging 6 1 5 1 Variable Rate Beaconing Transmission Interval Changes with Speed When your mobile station is moving at a speed less than LOW SPEED as set in the menu the position beacon repeatedly transmits at the interval of SLOW RATE as set in the menu When your mobile station is moving faster than HIGH SPEED as set in the menu the position beacon repeatedly transmits at the interval of FAST RATE as set in the menu And if your mobile is traveling at any speed between LOW SPEED and HIGH SPEED then the beacon transmits at an interval that varies linearly according to the speed traveled The transmission interval extends longer as the speed becomes slower and the interval becomes shorter as the speed gets faster Table 6 1 Relationship between Speed and Beacon Transmission Interval Speed Transmission Interval Over HIGH SPEED FAST RATE Under HIGH SPEED Over LOW SPEED Only when HIGH SPEED LOW SPEED Calculate using the formula below FAST RATE x HIGH SPEED current speed transmission interval time Under LOW SPEED SLOW RATE Now Proportional Pathing Re
62. enwood TM D710A E and AvMap G5 there is no need to mess around with USB to serial converters nor is there need for a cumbersome computer Also the serial input to the TM D710A E is on the operation panel so it is close to the GPS receiver for a neater installation 88 CONTENTS TM D710A E 12 Appendix Revision History Date Remarks May 1 2008 Initial release only for printing purposes May 16 2008 Revision 1 01 is released for web download 1 Added revision number and date on the back cover 2 Added Revision History 3 Fixed typos in 1 2 Evolving Development 1 3 Affinity with VoIP 2 1 3 Mobile Information Resource 2 2 Ubiquitous Operations 4 1 2 1 GPS and APRS Position Format 5 1 3 Creating a CMD File for TM D710A E 3 1 What Do I Need to Configure 3 2 3 BEACON TYPE 6 1 1 1 Automatic Reply Function 6 1 2 Decay Algorithm Function 6 1 3 Proportional Pathing Function 6 1 5 3 Operation Example 6 1 6 1 Transmitting QSY Information 6 1 6 2 Receiving QSY Information 7 3 1 Sending Email with TM D710A E and RC D710 7 4 Digipeaters Digital Repeaters 7 4 1 UIDIGI 7 4 2 UIFLOOD 7 4 3 UITRACE 7 5 3 STATE SECTION REGION 8 1 What is EchoLink 9 2 2 Useful Functions of MCP 2A 9 3 Importing Other MCP Files into MCP 2A 10 1 Firmware 10 2 Verifying Necessary Equipment 11 1 1 Models Supported for use with RC D710 and 11 4 AvMap 4 Revised the descriptions in Amateurs Building the New Global Communications Network 2 2
63. es large while at a high speed the threshold becomes small To prevent the Corner Pegging beacon from transmitting too often and causing QRM there is a timer value called TURN TIME The Corner Pegging position beacon is not transmitted until TURN TIME seconds have elapsed since the previous beacon transmission regardless of which method Corner Pegging or Variable Rate Beaconing caused the previous beacon Table 6 4 Conditions for Corner Pegging Operation Table 6 5 Configuration Example Speed Corner Pegging Over HIGH SPEED Yes Under HIGH SPEED Over LOW SPEED Only when HIGH SPEED LOW SPEED Yes Under LOW SPEED No Menu Item Configured Value LOW SPEED 5 TURN ANGLE 28 degrees TURN SLOPE 26 x10 deg speed TURN TIME 30 seconds 6 APRS IN ACTION 24 CONTENTS TM D710A E Table 6 6 Corner Pegging Operation Example with TURN ANGLE 28 TURN SLOPE 26 Note When TURN THRESHOLD exceeds 120 degrees the value will be corrected to 120 degrees Figure 6 5 Speed vs Turn Threshold 6 1 5 3 Operation Example Here are the TM D710A E default settings for position beacon transmissions using the SmartBeaconing configuration as shown below Table 6 7 SmartBeaconing Configuration Values Note If SmartBeaconing does not result in appropriate beacon transmissions then you must re configure individual parameters so as to more closely match driving conditions Speed TURN SLOPE TURN SLOPE Speed Cut
64. essing the Tuning Control the 0 and 7 keys on the microphone are pressed then the DTMF code for the EchoLink Query by Call function is transmitted For example in the case of JA1YKX 0 7 51 21 10 93 52 92 will be added at the end automatically When only the EchoLink memory name is stored the DTMF code for the EchoLink Connect by Call function is transmitted For example in the case of JA1YKX C 51 21 10 93 52 92 C will be added at the beginning and will be added at the end automatically Note When converting a callsign to a DTMF code when a character is encountered other than the alphanumeric characters in Table 8 1 such as etc the DTMF conversion halts at the letter prior to the character not found in the table Table 8 1 Callsign DTMF Code Conversion Table Speed of DTMF transmission from an EchoLink memory can be changed between FAST and SLOW using Menu 520 The default is FAST When a node does not decode your DTMF signal correctly configure the SLOW setting to increase chances of the node correctly decoding your DTMF signal 1st 2nd 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 Q A D G J M P T Y 2 Z B E H K N R U X 3 C F I L O S V Y 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 47 8 4 Using EchoLink only with a Computer If the EchoLink software is installed on your personal comp
65. ference is the compass heading of the present direction of travel in degrees subtracted from the compass heading transmitted in the previous position beacon Technical note only the absolute value of the heading difference normalized to the first and second quadrants is used The threshold value called TURN THRESHOLD combines a fixed angle threshold called TURN ANGLE with a constant called TURN SLOPE times ten divided by the present speed You can use the formula below to calculate TURN THRESHOLD By changing the value of TURN SLOPE you can adjust how Corner Pegging responds as the mobile station executes curves When the value of TURN SLOPE is increased a large heading angle change is necessary to cause a position beacon transmission especially at low speeds When the value of TURN SLOPE is reduced the effect of speed on Corner Pegging is reduced as the constant TURN ANGLE becomes the controlling term in the equation A value for TURN SLOPE of 110 in units of 10 degrees per mph has been experimentally determined to be a good value for vehicles on typical roads Corner Pegging Formula TURN THRESHOLD TURN ANGLE 10 x TURN SLOPE SPEED The above formula is based on the reality of how a mobile station executes turns when traveling at slow speed it can turn acute angles but when traveling at high speeds it turns only shallow angles In other words TURN THRESHOLD varies inversely with speed at a low speed the threshold becom
66. ge will display that indicates the new callsign must be validated You must close the EchoLink software and validate this new callsign as a link station Note As shown in the example below the link station callsign is treated as a different station even if the same callsign without the L has been validated previously In the case of W6DJY the EchoLink software differentiates between W6DJY single user W6DJY L link station and W6DJY R repeater station and different node numbers will be assigned Because of this you must validate a link station or repeater station callsign by going to http www echolink org validation and following the validation procedure 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 59 Figure 8 31 EchoLink Validation Page Enter your callsign and click the Continue button The callsigns available for validation will appear Figure 8 32 Callsigns Available Page Confirm the callsign is selected small black circle to left of callsign This callsign becomes the validation object Enter your email address and click the Request Validation button In the same way as the validation you did for Single User mode the URL that has the Validation procedure for your callsign will be sent to the email address you enter Click the URL in the email that you receive The License Submission Page shown in Figure 8 33 will appear Figure 8 33 License Submission Page 8 EchoLink 60 CONTENTS TM D710
67. gin If the Spoken Voice radio button is selected the EchoLink software uses speech synthesis to announce the station callsign If the Morse radio button is selected an ID will be sent by Morse code Check the While Active checkbox and configure the ID interval for sending the ID If the Wait for clear frequency checkbox is checked the ID will only be transmitted after the frequency becomes clear Next click the Options tab 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 63 Figure 8 41 Sysop Setup Window Options Tab The initial settings are fine to use No changes are necessary Finally click the RF Info tab Figure 8 42 Sysop Setup Window RF Info Tab At this point you must enter your link station information While initially experimenting and setting up your station it s best not to enter this information This information is sent to the EchoLink server After you disconnect from the EchoLink server this information will continue to be public via the server for some time Heed this warning This is the information that you can enter Lat Enter latitude Lon Enter longitude Freq Enter operational frequency PL if any Enter Tone frequency for access e g the CTCSS frequency configured in a TM D710A E Power W Select from the dropdown list the power closest to your transmit power HAAT ft Select from the dropdown list the height closest to your antenna height Antenna Gain dB Select from the dropdown list the ga
68. h to APRS by implementing a rich and full feature set that includes most of the original APRS features that enhance this local information distribution concept The Kenwood transceivers are not just Vehicle Tracking Systems but are designed to be Real Time Information Distribution Systems for mobile operators with these features Position Entry The transceivers are not dependent on GPS for their value since manual position entry and 5 common positions can be saved Map Displays on attached GPS Although these transceivers provide Map plotting via attached NMEA GPS units with map displays the radios are fully functional without maps and can display on their front panel all aspects of bulletins messages weather as well as information on the direction and distance to others including their antenna heights and gain APRS Network Fundamentals Kenwood fully implemented the more subtle aspects of the APRS fundamentals that assure optimum network efficiency and channel sharing among all users The new TM D710A E transceiver supports the decay algorithms and proportional pathing These two techniques provide good refresh rates for new and local information while minimizing the network impact of old and distant data Objects The Kenwood transceivers fully appreciate the value of APRS objects and display them prominently The object location is shown just like other stations either on the attached map display or on the front panel wi
69. hannels if using a K type U S A and Canada transceiver model 9 5 2 3 EchoLink Memory Channels It is possible with TM V71A E and TM D710A E to configure even those EchoLink channels created with MCP Category Summary of Functions Memory Frequencies Memory channels Program Memory channels Call channels Train channels Weather channels VFO frequencies DTMF Memories DTMF EchoLink memories Menu Settings Transceiver menu Band mask Variable levels for data terminal SQC logic and others Unique Functions Import Export increasing character size verifying radio states indicating user s name callsign 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 TM D710A E CONTENTS 75 9 5 3 Menu Settings 9 5 3 1 Transceiver Menu gt EchoLink RX Monitor When using the transceiver in EchoLink Sysop mode output from the speaker and output to the data terminal can be configured This function is only possible to configure with the MCP 2A 9 5 3 2 Transceiver Menu gt Repeater Mode K type only It is possible to configure the transceiver as a cross band repeater When the transceiver is configured to be a repeater there is a function that transmits the repeater s own ID You can configure the ID transmission method and choose between Off Morse code or Voice When Voice is selected it is necessary to install the optional VGS 1 Voice Guidance and Storage unit The combined use of cross band rep
70. hat indicates the request for validation has been accepted The process for validation is done by a support team of volunteers When the validation process is completed you will receive an email that contains the notice of approval of validation The email will indicate Validation approved for Typically the validation process usually completes within 24 hours 8 4 4 2 Fax Click Fax Send your amateur radio license by fax to the telephone number presented on the page In this case you will not receive a reply by fax When the validation process is completed you will receive an email that contains the notice of approval of validation from the support team After receiving validation the list of callsigns should appear on the EchoLink screen within a few minutes 8 4 5 Startup in Single User Mode Connect a PC headset or microphone and speaker to your computer and start the EchoLink software The Tip of the Day window will appear Figure 8 19 EchoLink Tip of the Day Window 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 53 Stations that are currently connected to EchoLink will appear on the screen This screen will automatically update as changes occur Figure 8 20 EchoLink Startup Window 8 4 6 Setting Audio Levels Before starting to make QSOs first connect to the Test Server and configure the correct receive volume Figure 8 21 Connecting to EchoLink Test Server There are two ways to connect to the Test
71. he value and timeliness of local information is more important close to the sender and of less importance farther out in the network To minimize loading on the network from distant stations the TM D710A E implements Proportional Pathing to maintain a high update rate for local packets but divides that rate by two at each additional hop through the network as shown in the diagram below If the transmit rate is set to 1 minute then locally the packet will be seen every minute But this will only be seen every 2 minutes via the local digipeater It will only be seen once every 4 minutes via surrounding two hops This algorithm drastically reduces the APRS netowrk load while still providing good tracking to local mobiles Figure 6 2 Proportional Pathing adjusts Number of Relays when using WIDE1 1 WIDE2 2 To alleviate this problem Proportional Pathing automatically changes the number of packet relay hops every time the beacon is transmitted The effect of this is that nearby stations will receive updates frequently while more distant stations will receive half as many updates The speed at which Proportional Pathing decides that the car is moving can be set using the Moving dropdown list in the Page 7 tab of the APRS NAVITRA window of the MCP 2A programming software If the mobile station s speed exceeds this setting then Proportional Pathing will start Traffic Jam Transmits the position beacon 2 minutes 1 minute 4 minutes 8 minutes 16
72. heck that the specifications for your computer meet the following that are necessary to use MCP 2A Table 9 1 MCP 2A Computer Specifications Table Note If using Windows Vista it is not necessary to install the run time environment specified above Otherwise if Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later is not installed download the software from the following URL and install it prior to installing MCP 2A http www microsoft com downloads details aspx FamilyID 0856eacb 4362 4b0d 8edd aab15c5e04f5 amp displaylang en Use the following procedure to determine if Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later is installed on your computer The example shown is for Windows XP Click Start gt Control Panel gt Add or Remove Programs You should see Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later in the list of installed software Depending on the type of computer there may not be any equipped COM ports In this case you will need a USB to serial port conversion cable Details of USB to serial conversion for use with APRS and TM D710A E can be obtained from the amateur radio community 2 Download the newest version of MCP 2A from the Kenwood web site URL shown below URL is subject to change MCP 2A download location http www kenwood com i products info amateur mcp_2a html Personal Computer Required Specification Operating System Windows 2000 SP4 or later Windows XP SP2 or later Windows Vista 32 bit version CPU Penti
73. ign one of your APRS assets callsigns the target designation for Tactical Mode This designated callsign on each position report is processed by AvMap for easy viewing and tracking If you are using the TM D710A E with the AvMap in Tactical mode you will get an additional five data fields that can be displayed on your AvMap RED 10 V BLK B GND DC IN DATA terminal Panel jack 1 PR1 8 SQC 6 SQC 4 PR9 2 GND 7 GND 5 PR1 1 PKD 3 PKS 7 TXD 6 PKD 5 PKS 4 RXD 3 GND 2 10V SIR J1 SQC PKD PKS PR1 PR1 D2 DSA3A1 PR9 R1 0 J2 D1 1 2 3 C1 VCC GND VoUT C2 C3 C4 47uF 25 V 47uF 25 V 0 01uF 0 01uF 22WR 10D IC1 BQJOCCOT 11 MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS 86 CONTENTS TM D710A E Target ID Callsign Target Lat Long Target SOG Speed over Ground Target COG Course over Ground Target Altitude Mean sea level Figure 11 5 AvMap G5 and TM D710A E You can choose three of these five data fields to display on the AvMap screen So when your target callsign is moving you can get real time information and a visual display on the AvMap G5 A stationary callsign is displayed on the AvMap screen as a blue circle if the mark moves more that 200 meters on a new report AvMap creates a moving target or red triangle designator Recently added to the AvMap operating system is now full APRS icon represention The decoded APRS p
74. ill be used to communicate via your computer with the target station You cannot select grayed out ports If all ports are grayed out this indicates your computer has no COM ports installed and you will not be able to use the MCP 2A software even if you click the OK button Figure 9 4 MCP 2A COM Port Setting Window 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 70 CONTENTS TM D710A E 6 Finish the installation The fact that information is read from the target transceiver completes the MCP 2A installation Click the OK button select Read Data from the Transceiver from the Program pulldown menu and read the information from the target transceiver Note The basic method of using MCP 2A is to read the existing transceiver data into MCP 2A edit the configuration and then write the new configuration back to the transceiver Figure 9 5 MCP 2A Read Transceiver Advisory Message Figure 9 6 MCP 2A Program Menu Read Data from the Transceiver 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 TM D710A E CONTENTS 71 9 2 Main Functions of MCP 2A MCP 2A has many functions This section lists the most commonly used functions of MCP 2A including importing files 9 2 1 Main New Functions Added Imports and exports memory channels Outputs files in html format Inputs memory channels from tabular format 9 2 2 Useful Function
75. in closest to your antenna gain Directivity Select from the dropdown list the direction of maximum antenna gain For an omnidirectional antenna select Omni Report Status via APRS Do not check 8 EchoLink 64 CONTENTS TM D710A E When operational frequency Tone frequency etc are modified after you connect to the EchoLink server all modified information will be transferred at one time Click the OK button to complete the settings 8 5 2 1 Finding your Position Latitude Longitude Coordinates Besides using a GPS receiver it is possible to use web sites on the Internet and software to acquire your latitude and longitude coordinates Using Google Earth Google Earth allows you to search for your position by typing your street address into the Google Earth search box Once Google Earth zooms into your vicinity move the mouse cursor to rest exactly on your position on the map At the bottom of the screen you can read your latitude and longitude e g 33 50 25 80 N 118 13 43 26 W This indicates a North latitude of 33 degrees 50 minutes 25 80 seconds and West longitude of 118 degrees 13 minutes 43 26 seconds EchoLink software does not use the minutes seconds format The minutes seconds values must be converted into a decimal value with two digits following the decimal point by using the formula 1 minute 60 seconds Therefore the Google Earth values convert to 33 degrees 50 43 minutes North and 118 degrees
76. ing Decoding D023 An upper case D indicates Wide DCS code of 023 Encoding Decoding d023 A lower case d indicates Narrow DCS code of 023 Encoding Decoding Plus Shift A default offset frequency is applied Minus Shift A default offset frequency is applied 500 Plus Shift 5MHz Offset 5000kHz is also available 060 Minus Shift 600kHz Offset 0600kHz is also available The value of the Offset shall be a 3 digit numeric x 10kHz 50kHz step Note For detailed information on the QSY Function format refer to the following link http www ew usna edu bruninga aprs freqspec txt The TM D710A E transceiver complies with the standard which was proposed by Bob Bruninga WB4APR 6 APRS IN ACTION 26 CONTENTS TM D710A E Configuration Examples Insert one space after the frequency before entering Wide Narrow Tone CTCSS DCS and Shift Offset 446 100MHz Voice frequency configured for 446 100 MHz Wide Tone None Simplex 446 100MHz T071 Voice frequency configured for 446 100 MHz Wide Tone of 71 9 Hz Simplex 446 100MHz t071 Voice frequency configured for 446 100 MHz Narrow Tone of 71 9 Hz Simplex 446 100MHz C100 Voice frequency configured for 446 100 MHz Wide CTCSS of 100 Hz Simplex 446 100MHz c100 Voice frequency configured for 4
77. ing on in ham radio in real time This channel was designed to support rapid reliable exchange of information for local tactical real time information events or nets The concept which dates back to the mid 1980s was to provide a single information resource channel where everything happening could be beaconed and where anyone could monitor to find out what was going on across all aspects of ham radio interests 2 1 2 Local Information Exchange A fundamental principal was that all relevant information is transmitted immediately to everyone in the net and every station captures that information for consistent and standard display to all participants Information was refreshed redundantly but at a decaying rate so that new information was rapidly disseminated but old information was updated less frequently than new info Since the primary objective is consistent exchange of information between everyone APRS established standard formats not only for the transmission of POSITION STATUS MESSAGES and QUERIES it also establishes guidelines for display so that users of different systems would still see the same consistent information displayed in a consistent manner independent of the particular display or mapping system in use To emphasize the freshness and importance of local information over the sometimes interference of older and more distant data the new TM D710A E implements both the decay algorithm and also the new proportional pathing algo
78. ink nodes from amateur radio equipment The EchoLink system is offered free of charge to the amateur radio community and is supported by a network of volunteers For operation details and information about EchoLink nodes visit the official EchoLink site at http www echolink org In addition there is much information on the Internet pertaining to EchoLink besides the official site where you can find useful operating tips Mobile User Mobile User Link Station Simplex Repeater Station Semi Duplex PC User Portable User Portable User Portable User Internet EchoLink Server 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 41 8 2 EchoLink and the TM D710A E written by Jonathan Taylor K1RFD The Kenwood TM D710A E and TM V71A E is the first commercially available amateur radio transceiver with built in EchoLink system capabilities There are two different features of the TM D710A E that make it useful for EchoLink operation The rig supports EchoLink node memories for use when mobile You can store the node number of your favorite EchoLink nodes in the transceiver s memory When you are in range of a local EchoLink node you can use a short cut command to have the rig send the correct DTMF sequence to connect the local EchoLink node to a distant EchoLink node The rig makes it easier to set up your own EchoLink node by including a built in PC interface If you purchase the optional PC cable kit you c
79. ion s position is added to APRS data therefore you must configure your latitude and longitude You can get your own position also from GPS Frequency The operating frequency will depend in what region of the world you are operating You can begin operating using the frequency configured for the data band as follows North America 144 390 MHz Europe 144 800 MHz Australia 145 175 MHz New Zealand 144 575 MHz Argentina 144 930 MHz Brazil 145 570 MHz Japan 144 640 MHz 3 2 Configuration Follow the explanations below to configure each item listed in the previous section 3 2 1 Built in Clock Select Menu 524 AUX DATE and configure the date K type U S A and Canada Set month date year in this order E type Europe Set date month year in this order Note If using RC D710 then set month date year regardless in which region you are located Example Configure the date May 16 2008 K type Refer to Figure 3 1 Figure 3 1 Menu 524 AUX DATE 3 PREPARATIONS FOR USING APRS 10 CONTENTS TM D710A E Select Menu 525 AUX TIME and configure the current time Example Configure the time 12 00 Refer to Figure 3 2 Figure 3 2 Menu 525 AUX TIME Select Menu 526 AUX TIME ZONE and configure your time zone 3 2 2 MY CALLSIGN Select Menu 600 APRS BASIC SETTINGS MY CALLSIGN and configure your own callsign Example Register the callsign W6DJY Refer to Figure
80. ject to change TM D710A E CONTENTS 19 6 APRS IN ACTION While monitoring APRS stations from around the world that may appear on your map you can easily send messages to them An interest is now growing in APRS QSOs where one station may call CQ looking for responses in the conventional style of a ham contact Due to the number of characters being restricted it can be customary to send short sentences using abbreviated words similar to operating CW Searching for weather information can reveal that even adjacent nearby areas can have dramatically differing weather patterns Or operating outdoors and timing transmissions to coincide with overhead satellite passes can result in successful satellite communications using only a handheld transceiver The opportunities for many activities exist even without installing a fixed station at home Below are two APRS operational examples In the U S A and Canada the national APRS frequency is 144 390 MHz 6 1 Let s Go Mobile 6 1 1 Summary First collect and place in your vehicle the essentials necessary for operating mobile You will need a GPS receiver the TM D710A E transceiver an antenna and miscellaneous interconnect cables As you travel you will be looking for position beacons from nearby stations so you can enjoy exchanging messages and making voice contact The TM D710A E already includes functions for convenient mobile operation Functions like Frequency Display Decay Algorith
81. kets so they do not add any QRM to normal operations using WIDEn N or SSn N But at any time someone in a valley or after digipeaters are lost in an emergency the path of TEMPn N might be able to get out by hopping mobile to mobile To further benefit this alternate backup digipeating technique some special battery powered backup digipeaters at high locations can also support this path 7 APRS NETWORKS 38 CONTENTS TM D710A E 7 5 Packet Path It is necessary to confront the issue of frequency congestion due to the spread of APRS systems in order to efficiently transfer packet data The TM D710A E supports the configurations of New N Paradigm RELAY Paradigm and STATE SECTION REGION Overall this provides an efficient mechanism for transferring packets 7 5 1 New N Paradigm Appropriate configuration is required in order to digipeat a packet path relay route New N Paradigm using WIDEn N assigns an alias and a relay stage number for digipeaters This system is mainly used by digipeaters in North America Japan is also using this system and it is spreading worldwide For example when you desire three hops then you can configure TOTAL HOPS 3 Once configured you can verify by using PATH IS VIA WIDE3 3 Until recently when a regional digipeater was wanted RELAY was used but this is being replaced by WIDE1 1 simply by configuring On via menu selection Again you can verify that WIDE1 1 or WIDE2 2 was used by using PATH IS VIA
82. le with html format 9 5 4 5 Splash Window You can switch the Splash window On or Off while you are operating Note You can cancel the Splash window temporarily by double clicking it while it is visible 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 TM D710A E CONTENTS 77 9 5 5 Useful Functions 9 5 5 1 Verifying Firmware Versions First connect the transceiver or operation panel to the computer and then turn the transceiver or operation panel ON Select Product Information from the Model dropdown menu The transceiver firmware version will appear on the MCP 2A Note To confirm the firmware version of the TNC microprocessor the firmware version of the operation panel must be 2 00 or later and APRSxx or NAVITRAxx must be shown on the display 9 5 5 2 Increasing Size of Characters Using MCP 2A select from three sizes of characters with Font in the View pulldown menu Note Use an Operating System function to change the size of characters on the Menu bar If you configure the font size for other than 96 dpi for the Menu bar and also select a font other than Normal for MCP 2A some of the displayed items may not fit within a window 9 5 5 3 Configuring the Names for PM or Memory Groups It is possible to configure the name for each memory with Memory Group Name or Programmable Memory Name in the Setup pulldown menu 9 5 5 4 Configuring User Names with
83. les that were created by other MCP programs except J type in the table below can be imported into MCP 2A The referenced software can be downloaded from the following web site http www kenwood com i products info amateur software_download html Table 9 2 MCP 2A Importable File Formats Table Only files created for K type U S A and Canada models can be imported into MCP 2A The referenced software can be downloaded from the following web site http www kenwoodusa com Support AMA_Radios Software Name and Extension Transceiver Model Remarks MCP 2000 2k0 TS 2000 TS 2000X TS B2000 Unable to read memory channels that cannot be received by using TM V71A E and TM D710A E TS B2000 is only for overseas models outside Japan MCP D7G d7g TH D7A G TH D7A G2 0 TH D7E G2 0 Only for overseas models outside Japan TH D7 J type Japan is unable to use due to command specification differences MCP 2A mcp TH K2AT TH K2E TH K2ET TH K4AT TH K4E TM 271A TM 271E MCP F6 F7 fx TH F6A TH F7A TH F7E Memory channels that are outside of the receive frequency range of TM D710A E or TM V71A E cannot be read MCP D700 700 TM D700A TM D700E MCP D7 d7 TH D7A TH D7E 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 TM D710A E CONTENTS 73 Table 9 3 MCP 2A Importable File Formats Table K type only Note MCP 2A is unable to read memory channels that ca
84. level 3 0 V to 15 V You cannot use a GPS receiver with USB type connector 4 2 4 Settings for Geodetic Survey System For APRS always configure the WGS 84 Geodetic Survey System for your GPS receiver GPS without Maps GPS18PC or similar To GPS jack Weather Station GPS with Maps AvMap G5 Shield Red White 5 3 2 GND RXD TXD Viewed from soldering side DB 9 connector Male 16 CONTENTS TM D710A E 5 APRS SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC 5 1 UI View 5 1 1 Introduction to UI View UI View32 is APRS client software designed to allow a personal computer to display APRS stations on a map and to use various APRS functions such as Internet gateway access So you can display on a map on your computer the APRS stations received by a TM D710A E and in addition connect to an Internet gateway In doing so APRS allows access to a much larger set of stations To start you will require a UI View32 registration number Registration No and a certification number for the APRS server Validation No Go to http www ui view org to download the latest version of UI View32 software to register and to obtain detailed setting and usage information Note The above URL link is subject to change If the link is broken search for UI View32 using your favorite Internet search engine to quickly locate the appropriate home page Figure 5 1 APRS Stations Display 5 APRS SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC TM D710A E CONTENTS 1
85. ling channel to reveal all amateur radio resources and live activities that are in range of the operator at any instant in time 2 1 5 Participation Although APRS offers phenomenal capabilities for managing and displaying local information an overarching design assumption was that in most applications APRS would not be used by most operators at an event or by every member of a club and very few devices could actually report their own position The design assumption was that manual entry and management of large numbers of objects would be a major function of APRS and APRS operators in order to fully represent the situation Further Bulletins and Announcements would keep everyone informed of the same information at the same time Operator Messages would communicate important information in the background without encumbering voice nets 2 APRS OPERATIONS written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR TM D710A E CONTENTS 5 2 2 Ubiquitous Operations Consistent with providing information on all resources within range APRS must also work across all boundaries and in all areas of the continent for all travelers For this reason 144 39 MHz is dedicated to APRS throughout North America Other continents have similar single frequencies such as 144 80 MHz in Europe and 145 175 MHz in Australia Also after 14 years of evolution APRS was greatly simplified beginning in the 2004 time frame to eliminate obsolete and inefficient routing See the New N Paradigm
86. m Proportional Pathing and SmartBeaconing are ready to use Decay Algorithm automatically extends the transmission interval to reduce traffic loading when the speed information from GPS indicates vehicle movement is slower than 1 knot One knot is equal to 1 8 km h or just over 1 mile per hour Essentially this indicates your vehicle is parked Proportional pathing makes sure that local information is refreshed frequently while at the same time minimizing network load by transmitting less often at greater distances number of hops SmartBeaconing efficiently controls the rate of beacon transmissions in relation to vehicle speed direction of travel and network activity Still other functions exist to maximize messaging convenience while driving 6 1 1 1 Automatic Reply Function On receipt of a message Automatic Reply automatically acknowledges the message by returning a preconfigured message such as I am QRX Will return at 12 35 Auto Reply is only for passing along special information to anticipated message senders when the operator may temporarily not be able to respond It should not be left on for routine operations in most cases because it adds unnecessary network load The sending station will always get an ACK and this is sufficient to know that the message was delivered in most cases 6 1 1 2 Voice Announcement Mode Voice Announcement mode instructs the TM D710A E to read aloud any message text beginning with provide
87. mitted from the GPS satellites The receiver measures the time duration between when the signal leaves the satellite and when the signal arrives at the GPS receiver Knowing this time allows calculation of the distance that the signal traveled from that particular satellite By receiving multiple signals from different satellites and doing this distance calculation multiple times the intersection of the spherical surfaces that represent the respective radius distances to the various satellites will determine a single point The precision of the determination of the intersecting point relies on the satellites and the data collected 4 GPS 14 CONTENTS TM D710A E 4 1 2 Datum Geodetic Survey System The latitude and longitude information required by the GPS receiver does not allow for accurate representation of the unevenness of the Earth s surface For use with GPS the current standard that defines the precise shape of the Earth is called WGS 84 By using this standard in conjunction with mapping standards for each country accurate position plotting on a map can be done 4 1 2 1 GPS and APRS Position Format Although position can be described in many different formats such as degrees degrees and minutes and degrees minutes and seconds the GPS system and APRS have standardized on the degrees and decimal minutes format Just like it is important to use proper international phonetics when spelling on the air it is important in APRS as i
88. n any communications system to have a default standard for position All operators should be trained to use the DDD MM mm format by default in voice communications just like in the data formats Using these standards on the air will prevent communications errors confusion repeats and conversions APRS Standard Geographic Coordinates Format Example Latitude DD MM mm degrees and minutes 39 49 31N 39 49 31 Longitude DDD MM mm degrees and minutes 84 15 39W 84 15 39 4 GPS TM D710A E CONTENTS 15 4 2 GPS Receivers Figure 4 2 GPS Receivers 4 2 1 Garmin GPS18PC The GPS18PC is a GPS module receiver that interfaces via a 9 pin D SUB RS 232C serial port Refer to the wiring example using an accessory cable 2 5mm 3 conductor plug that comes with the TM D710A E Power is sourced from the 12VDC supplied from a vehicle cigarette lighter socket Because there is no screen you cannot use the Waypoint function Figure 4 3 Garmin GPS18PC 4 2 2 AvMap G5 The AvMap G5 comes with a Kenwood ready cable and exclusive APRS interface built right into the panel You can watch APRS activity on the AvMap G5 screen without having a PC It can be also configured to navigate to your favorite APRS station 4 2 3 Other GPS Receivers The GPS receiver used must be based on NMEA 0183 format http www nmea org The following RS 232C singal levels are allowed for using the TM D710A E and RC D710 Low level 15 V to 0 5 V High
89. ng of all real time data from all local communities around the world Everything on any APRS frequency is being monitored locally and fed globally into the APRS internet system by hundreds of IGates See live list complete or a Map of I G symbols Not only does this allow for global monitoring of any local activity it also allows two way point to point messaging between any two APRS users anywhere on the planet that has an APRS infrastructure Think of it as everything goes in so it is available to everyone but the only things that come from the Internet back to local RF are messages and selected position data requested locally 2 APRS OPERATIONS written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR 6 CONTENTS TM D710A E 2 4 Kenwood Contributions Kenwood has developed its series of transceivers the TH D7A E TM D700A E and TM D710A E to best support the original objectives of APRS The display of APRS information on the front panel of these transceivers gives the mobile operator instantaneous access to all local information being provided on the APRS channel about all surrounding ham radio activities There are many APRS clients and programs that have been written that sometimes have concentrated too much on the display of maps and vehicle positions while leaving out much of the original fundamentals of APRS and the efficiency of the APRS network in support of two way local area communications The Kenwood transceivers have avoided that simplistic approac
90. nk Sysop mode turns On and Off Note When EchoLink Sysop mode is On the icon appears When an audio signal is output from the data terminal to the personal computer the icon blinks When the personal computer has no RS 232C ports then use a USB to serial conversion cable When EchoLink Sysop mode is On the transceiver cannot communicate with MCP 2A Programming Software Before using MCP 2A turn EchoLink Sysop mode Off 8 5 4 Using MCP 2A to Configure TM D710A E 1 Select Menu gt Aux from the Edit pulldown menu Confirm 1200 bps is configured for Data Speed bps Data Speed can also be confirmed using Menu 518 on the transceiver 2 Configure SQC Output Source for SQL in the dropdown list This is the same as Menu 520 on the transceiver Figure 8 44 MCP 2A Aux Window Data Speed and SQC Output Source Internet To PC audio terminal Pink To microphone input terminal Green To line out terminal To PC 9 pin D SUB terminal PG 5H Cable Kit 8 EchoLink 66 CONTENTS TM D710A E 3 Select Menu gt Transmit Receive from the Edit pulldown menu When using CTCSS or DCS for the purpose of preventing extraneous signals or noise from being fed into the Internet from a link station configure EchoLink RX Monitor for Busy Only in the dropdown list When EchoLink Sysop mode is used all signals received on the data band are output from the speaker regardless whether
91. nnot be received by using TM V71A E and TM D710A E With MCP 2A it is not possible to exchange data between above mentioned transceivers except TM V71A E or TM D710A E MCP 2A cannot read DTMF memory and menu settings etc from the above mentioned transceivers except TM V71A E or TM D710A E For TM V71A E due to its display with six columns of 13 digits there are times when some characters used in a memory name cannot be read depending on how the data was originally produced For TM D710A E due to its dot matrix display with eight columns a memory name will appear the same as the original Although you may be able to import an MCP file that is not explained in the above tables some data in the file may not be read into the MCP 2A program 9 4 Importing hmk Files Created by Another MCP 2A To exchange a file with MCP 2A where the market code does not agree file exchange is possible via the hmk file type It is possible to import this file with MCP 2A To output MCP 2A channel data as a file that can be exchanged with another MCP 2A export hmk files by selecting Export gt HMK File from the File pulldown menu On the other hand to import a hmk file import it by selecting Import gt HMK File from the File pulldown menu Note By starting the MCP 2A software multiple times it is possible to copy and paste memory channel data between MCP 2A open windows Software Name and Extension Transceiver Model
92. nput terminal Green To line out terminal To PC 9 pin D SUB terminal To PC 9 pin D SUB terminal 40 CONTENTS TM D710A E 8 EchoLink 8 1 What is EchoLink EchoLink is a system that links amateur radio stations together using the Internet and allows amateur radio operators to enjoy speech communication with other operators via this worldwide network Figure 8 1 EchoLink System Architecture There are many access points for EchoLink called EchoLink nodes such as repeater stations and link stations that connect to the Internet Using DTMF codes transmitted from a transceiver to access a nearby EchoLink node it is possible to communicate with amateur radio stations located at many places in the world Also by using the EchoLink software without using any transceiver at all you can have QSOs directly from a personal computer This is a major feature of EchoLink In order to operate an EchoLink node link station or repeater station or to make QSOs directly from a personal computer register at the official EchoLink site and then download the software You must have a valid callsign to be able to complete the registration process Refer to the EchoLink site for details on how to validate your callsign After being validated you can connect to the EchoLink system by using the downloaded software Furthermore like the Mobile User and the Portable User shown in Figure 8 1 software and validation is not necessary when you access EchoL
93. nsceivers have always displayed the overlay character of a subset of APRS symbols the new TM D710A E has vastly expanded the APRS symbol set by not only adding additional symbols but more importantly displaying and allowing the addition of an Overlay character on almost all APRS symbols This provides hundreds of new symbol combinations for better APRS application to new uses 2 APRS OPERATIONS written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR TM D710A E CONTENTS 7 Mobile Digipeating The new TM D710A E Kenwood mobile has additional features to help local sysops manage the local APRS network Each transceiver now has front panel access to the digipeater function so that it can be turned on and off as needed to match the local situation In addition each TM D710A E is pre configured to serve automatically as a TEMPn N digipeater in support of emergency operations when a user is having difficulty accessing the existing WIDEn N network Voice Operating Frequencies The most important new feature of the new TM D710A E transceiver is the recognition of the value of operator frequency as a fundamental local communications parameter Not only does the transceiver automatically include its own operator frequency in every position packet it also has a new display column to display that information as it is collected from other similar operators Further the transceiver can tune to these frequencies for a quick QSO with a single press of the TUNE Button
94. o be functionally equivalent to TM D710A E RC D710 can function as the operating panel of TM D710A E In addition if RC D710 is connected to another transceiver via the optional PG 5J interface kit this produces an APRS ready standalone TNC 11 1 1 Models Supported for use with RC D710 The following models are supported to be used with RC D710 TM V71A E TM D710A E TM D700A E TM V708A TM G707A E TM V7A E TM 733A E TM 255A E and TM 455A E Excluding the situations of using RC D710 as an operation panel for TM V71A E and TM D710A E the optional PG 5J interface kit is necessary Note 1200 9600 bps data communications functionality is possible via the 6 pin mini DIN connector However this type of data operation cannot be guaranteed for these transceivers Furthermore when RC D710 is connected to equipment other than the above mentioned transceivers Kenwood cannot support nor offer an opinion as to whether such configurations will function 11 1 1 1 Connection Example 1 Connecting RC D710 to TM V7A E Figure 11 1 Connecting RC D710 to TM V7A E RC D710 Modular plug cable Line filter PG 5J Black cable Red cable DC power cable 6 pin mini DIN cable DATA terminal Panel jack Panel jack To 13 8 V DC power supply or 12 V vehicle battery DATA terminal Transceiver Line filter 11 MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS TM D710A E CONTENTS 83 11 1 1 2 Connection Example 2 Connecting RC D710 to TM D700A E TM V708A
95. off after the decimal point 1 TURN ANGLE 2 TURN THRESHOLD 3 1 2 80 26 x10 3 28 31 70 26 x10 3 28 31 60 26 x10 4 28 32 50 26 x10 5 28 33 40 26 x10 6 28 34 30 26 x10 8 28 36 20 26 x10 13 28 41 10 26 x10 26 28 54 5 26 x10 52 28 80 2 26 x10 130 28 158 120 Menu Item Configured Value LOW SPEED 5 HIGH SPEED 70 SLOW RATE 30 minutes FAST RATE 120 seconds TURN ANGLE 28 degrees TURN SLOPE 26 x10 deg speed TURN TIME 30 seconds 140 120 100 80 60 40 20 10 0 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Speed Speed vs Turn Threshold Turn Threshold degrees 6 APRS IN ACTION TM D710A E CONTENTS 25 6 1 6 QSY Function The QSY function uses AFRS Automatic Frequency Reporting System to report a frequency on which voice communications can be established A station using the QSY function embeds the frequency information in a position beacon transmission A receiving station of this information can change frequency or QSY over to the reported voice frequency to begin voice communication by the press of TUNE on the TM D710A E 6 1 6 1 Transmitting QSY Information A properly configured functioning TM D710A E QSY station can automatically embed the voice frequency from the non data band to the beginning of status text In Status 5 Freq MHz is
96. onfigure this frequency in order for the transceiver to send an encode tone Before transmitting carefully listen on the frequency and first verify whether anybody is already communicating with the node Note We recommend that you verify the state of nodes using the official EchoLink site via the Internet The information presented is kept up to date almost in real time When no communication is heard check if it s possible to communicate with the node Press the PTT switch and use the keypad to transmit the 08 DTMF code command for state verification When the node is available to use a signal will be returned from the node A Not connected announcement means the node is not connected to another station or a conference An EchoLink disabled announcement means the EchoLink software is inactive so you cannot use the node When there is no reaction at all from the node it is possible that the node is not working or is outside communication range In that case try verifying another node 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 45 8 3 1 Basic Commands used for EchoLink These commands are a representative set of basic commands There are many commands in addition to these For details refer to the EchoLink site at http www echolink org Help dtmf_functions htm Note Each node owner has the option of changing the basic commands particularly to avoid conflicts with other repeater functions Before using EchoLink over a near
97. ons The Channel Edit window will appear Figure 9 8 Memory Channel Shortcut 9 5 5 7 COM Port Shortcut Double click the COM x or bps xxxx sections on the Status bar see Figure 9 8 The COM Port Setting window will appear TM D710A E CONTENTS 79 10 HOW TO UPDATE FIRMWARE 10 1 Firmware This section describes the TM D710A E or TM V71A E transceiver itself the TM D710 operation panel and how to update the firmware of RC D710 and the TNC Those using TM D710A E and RC D710 previously and who would like to utilize the SmartBeaconing and enhanced QSY functions which was added to APRS must update the firmware 10 2 Verifying Necessary Equipment In order to update the equipment each of the following is required Equipment to be updated TM D710A E TM V71A E or RC D710 Computer Communication cable PG 5G or PG 5H Firmware update program Kenwood provides the firmware update program for use on Windows operating systems The specifications for your computer in order to use this software are as shown in Table 10 1 Table 10 1 Firmware Update Computer Specifications Table Note If using Windows Vista it is not necessary to install the run time environment specified above Otherwise if Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later is not installed download the software from the following URL and install it prior to installing MCP 2A http www microsoft com downloads details aspx FamilyID 0856
98. ons on top of the basic functions of the TM D700 series Added the capability to connect to weather observation devices and send weather information Substantially increased the number of stations in the station list and message list Included various sorting functions for finding information in the station list Developed a proportional pathing function that reduced on air traffic loading Introduced a menu configurable Digipeat function Added the voice frequency to outgoing packets Added display of the voice frequency on incoming packets The lists of ideas generated from these meetings were endless In the future we will endeavor to develop more new features and turn the ideas into reality via version upgrades 1 3 Affinity with VoIP We closely studied EchoLink since this system has the greatest number of amateur radio operator users of any VoIP system currently in use Our studies indicated that a mobile station was the most convenient method for access to the EchoLink system Also the concept of a fixed node number per each station using the EchoLink system was fundamental In order to connect the amateur radio equipment to a computer more simply we re developed the interface cable too This interface improvement made the system more robust The merging of APRS and VoIP has great potential for the future of ham radio The APRS network knows where everyone is by callsign The EchoLink net
99. ontrol until the returned audio sounds best Transmit to the test server and listen to the returned audio a couple of times When you have completed setting the input level press the Disconnect button on the EchoLink software screen to disconnect from the test server 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 55 8 4 7 Connecting with a Station Figure 8 25 Connecting with a Station Connected stations are listed in the Station List of the Index View tab on the EchoLink software screen The stations are listed in order of repeater stations link stations single user stations PC users and conferences in the chart First choose a single user station and connect to it If connecting to a repeater station link station or conference before pressing the space bar to transmit monitor sufficiently to understand who else may already be connected 8 4 8 Port Forwarding Router Configuration With older versions of EchoLink router configuration and understanding port forwarding was always the source of most confusion for new users With the current version of the software in many cases it is no longer necessary to make firewall adjustments The latest version of EchoLink software Ver 2 0 908 was released in February 2007 The feature that avoids many firewall issues is included in this version The EchoLink server support for this feature began in September 2007 You can read more on this subject at http www echolink org firewall friendly h
100. ple Configure a frequency of 144 390 MHz Refer to Figure 3 8 Figure 3 8 Operating Frequency TM D710A E CONTENTS 13 4 GPS 4 1 What is GPS GPS standing for Global Positioning System is becoming common nowadays Following is a brief introduction The American Defense Department developed GPS originally for military operations The system is available for use by the general public For example anybody can use GPS in association with modern vehicle navigation systems Position precision for public use is approximately 15 m Moreover precision can be improved when used for vehicle navigation and aboard ships through use of map matching technology and differential GPS techniques A total of 24 GPS or more satellites are at a high level altitude of approximately 20 000 km on six circular tracks with orbital radii of approximately 26 000 km Therefore there are four or more satellites located in each orbital track For civilian use the RF carrier frequency of the satellites is 1575 42 MHz Spread spectrum SS technology is used over a bandwidth of 2 046 MHz to prevent interference among all the satellite signals on a common carrier frequency Due care must be taken when installing amateur radio equipment and antennas for use on the 430 MHz or 1200 MHz bands to prevent from interfering with GPS signals Figure 4 1 GPS IIR Satellite in Orbit 4 1 1 Position Determination Principle The GPS receiver receives the radio signals trans
101. put output levels are adjusted correctly Use caution 11 MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS TM D710A E CONTENTS 85 11 3 Schematic Diagram of the Optional PG 5J Interface Kit Figure 11 4 PG 5J Schematic Diagram 11 4 AvMap written by Don Arnold W6GPS The TM D710A E uses the NMEA 0183 standard at 4800 and 9600 baud rates to communicate with the GPS unit The transceiver has three formats for interfacing to GPS units NMEA Magellan and the new Kenwood format A GPS system with a serial interface will connect to the TM D710A E but if your GPS supports bi directional communication it is possible to have APRS callsigns and icons appear on the GPS screen Of all the name brand GPS units the AvMap G5 smoothly interfaces with the Kenwood TM D710A E TNC better than any other with less adaptation and more features specific to APRS and the TM D710A E by taking advantage of the Kenwood APRS sentence and providing a Kenwood interface cable for truly Plug and Play operations Note The baud rates refer to serial communication between transceiver and GPS and not to the AX 25 Packet communication between transceivers AvMap G5 has many of the normal Personal Navigator data fields that you would find in most world brand GPS units but AvMap developers have integrated the Kenwood sentence format to provide you a Tactical Mode No other standalone GPS system has this exclusive Kenwood AvMap feature If you are involved in a search and rescue scenario you can ass
102. rid square locator of your current location if you have this data Or input your city name or the name of the largest city in your vicinity into City Select the correct State Prov and Country from the pulldown lists Select the Show Links Near button on the left side of the screen beside the information entered Click the Find button Nearby nodes will be displayed 8 EchoLink 44 CONTENTS TM D710A E Figure 8 4 Finding Nearby EchoLink Nodes Selecting Online Only in the pulldown list to the left of the Find button results in search results being displayed only for those nodes currently connected to the EchoLink server L at the end of a node callsign such as W4DJY L indicates a link station simplex operation R at the end of a node callsign such as W5DJY R indicates a repeater station semi duplex operation The frequency of the node is indicated in Freq MHz Other node data is included too such as access tone frequency transmit power and height gain pattern for its antenna When In Conference xxxxxxxx is indicated under Description the node is presently already connected to a conference a round table QSO room called xxxxxxxx Once you verify that there is a node that may be accessible you can verify access possibilities Configure the frequency of your transceiver for the node frequency If a tone access frequency e g 77 0 Hz is shown c
103. rithms THE GOAL IS COMMUNICATIONS and LOCAL INFO UPDATE NOT JUST VEHICLE TRACKING 2 APRS OPERATIONS written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR 4 CONTENTS TM D710A E 2 1 3 Mobile Information Resource APRS was never intended to be just a vehicle tracking system GPS was added in the 1992 time frame when GPS became affordable APRS is much more See the Kenwood mobile display below This is the STATION LIST which shows the nearest 100 stations heard In this case not only are the two stations of AB9FX nearby but also his current voice operating frequency is visible Also we can see that this transceiver is in operating range of three voice repeaters that are also identifying themselves as objects on APRS as the locally recommended voice operating channels Figure 2 1 TM D710A E Front Panel showing Station List 2 1 4 Situational Awareness APRS provides situational awareness to all operators of everything that is going on in his local area whether it is weather reporting traveler info direction finding objects pointing to EchoLink and IRLP or traffic reporting and emergency response All of this while providing not only instantaneous operator to operator keyboard messaging capability for special events but also an always on Voice Alert backchannel between mobiles in simplex range There is even an APRS interface to the Winlink system called APRSLink so that mobiles can send and receive email without needing a PC Think of APRS as a signa
104. ritten by Bob Bruninga WB4APR 8 CONTENTS TM D710A E 2 6 Other Data Entry Stations But we should not lose sight of the home station that can also be used as a great information resource The next photo shows a station that was set up in a motel room and the operators there could monitor all of the activities on the various nets and enter this situational information into their APRS PCs All of this data would show everywhere on APRS AND through the miracle of wireless ham radio they do not have to be at the site They can be anywhere convenient just monitoring and managing the data Figure 2 4 APRS at Home or any Fixed Location REMEMBER If you are not using the full potential of APRS it is not the fault of the protocol or the hardware APRS is a communication tool not just an automated map use it But in most cases that means ENTERING DATA not just watching it TM D710A E CONTENTS 9 3 PREPARATIONS FOR USING APRS 3 1 What Do I Need to Configure The following need to be configured before beginning to operate TM D710A E or RC D710 with APRS Built in Clock APRS data will be stamped with date and time therefore the built in clock must be set MY CALLSIGN The station configured for MY CALLSIGN will be used as the originating station when APRS data is sent You cannot send any data using NOCALL BEACON TYPE Use BEACON TYPE to select APRS data format for sending Position Your stat
105. rly configured permanent digipeater If a mobile is activated with UIFLOOD it can cause much unnecessary interference to the network The only time to ever activate a mobile with UIFLOOD is in very special cases when a mobile is being used on top of a hill to provide temporary emergency digipeating to replace a broken or missing wide area digipeater 7 4 3 UITRACE UITRACE functions similar to UIFLOOD with the difference that UITRACE reports the full relay path of digipeaters that were used to relay the message UITRACE is the most powerful and traceable digipeating function in APRS It is the basis of the New N paradigm discussed in 7 4 Digipeaters Therefore with UITRACE activated On when a digipeater receives a UI frame with a character string for alias in the form XXXXn N where XXXX matches the alias character string in the digipeater the digipeater subtracts 1 from N and processes the packet reporting each of the previous digipeaters as well as itself resulting in a frame length that becomes longer as the message is relayed Using UITRACE allows you to confirm the exact routing of any message Like UIDIGI and UIFLOOD UITRACE should normally never be enabled by a mobile except in very unusual circumstances Figure 7 7 Using UITRACE MYCALL W4DJY UIFLOOD ON ALIAS MD SUBSTITUTION ID WB4APR 9 gt APK102 MD3 3 Test WB4APR 9 gt APK102 W4DJY MD3 2 Test MYCALL W5DJY UIFLOOD ON ALIAS MD SUBSTITUTION ID WB4APR 9
106. s of MCP 2A Creates main memory groups and PM Programmable Memory Reads and retains memory channel and other data Imports exports memory channels Imports files that have been exported from ARRL s TravelPlus for Repeaters Imports files created by earlier versions of MCP series software see Note below Changes font sizes Indicates user name callsign 9 2 3 Functions Only Configurable by MCP 2A Selecting monitor method for EchoLink Sysop mode Switching SQC active conditions For packet transmission or EchoLink Sysop mode changing the input sensitivity for the data terminal and configuring the output level Selecting 10 MHz steps for the VFO Configuring the character string for the power on password Note Regarding files created with the other MCP series software for products other than TM V71A E and TM D710A E it is possible to read the memory channel data 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 72 CONTENTS TM D710A E 9 3 Importing Other MCP Files into MCP 2A With MCP 2A it is possible to read a file that was created using other MCP series software To read a file created by other MCP software select Open from the File pulldown menu In the Open window select the correct file type in the Files of type dropdown list and open the desired file Figure 9 7 MCP 2A Open Window The fi
107. ssing the Internet 8 EchoLink 56 CONTENTS TM D710A E 8 5 Setting Up a Node Station Link Station with TM D710A E With the optional PG 5H cable kit the TM D710A E can be connected directly to a computer to run the EchoLink software in Sysop mode In Sysop mode EchoLink forms a gateway between the Internet and a local RF channel such as a simplex frequency or a nearby repeater This allows other nodes on the EchoLink system to communicate with mobile or portable users in your area Other EchoLink users can connect to your node or local mobile and portable users can use the DTMF pad on their transceivers to connect your EchoLink node to other nodes on the system The TM D710A E connects to the sound card and serial port of your computer The sound card connection handles the transmitted and received audio and the serial port connection takes care of PTT control and carrier detect This allows the EchoLink software to key and un key the TM D710A E s transmitter and to detect the presence of a signal received by the TM D710A E 8 5 1 Connecting a PC The Kenwood PG 5H is a package of two different cables Following the instructions in the TM D710A E Instruction Manual connect the cables to the two jacks on the back of the transceiver and to the serial port and sound card jacks of your computer The pink plug goes to the microphone input of the sound card and the green plug goes to the sound card s line out or speaker out The bl
108. t have combined to offer global communications opportunities Yet with their long history of communicating using various methods nobody is better prepared than hams to embrace and take advantage of these new communications techniques to create an even more interesting new global network No longer are users of FM transceivers bound by line of sight distances and local same city coverage The Internet now shrinks the vast distances to other operators who were once out of reach by using only an FM transceiver People now meet experiment and interact worldwide via voice and data communications using low power FM transceivers These networks built by individual hams connecting through gateways into the Internet are allowing others to share the experience that this infrastructure offers And the networks are growing in size day by day Hams are using basic FM transceivers to communicate on a direct one on one basis with operators across the globe Besides hobby applications such a communications network also has tremendous capability to deliver a powerful tool to serve the general public in times of emergencies APRS Action Complementing these voice and data activities is the Automatic Packet Reporting System commonly called APRS Mr Bob Bruninga WB4APR created APRS back in 1992 Since those days of first meeting with Bob Kenwood married radio and GPS technology and our company developed APRS products over the years In the beginning the TM V7A
109. ted flag UIDIGI should normally be off in a mobile It is not good for mobiles to be digipeating all packets on the channel because it causes much interference But sometimes in special cases when a mobile is being used on top of a hill or a special weak area to provide temporary emergency digipeating then UIDIGI can be enabled with the WIDE1 1 alias so that this mobile can serve as the first hop out of an area WIDE1 1 digipeating only operates on the first hop so there is not much damage to the network or to other traffic Figure 7 5 Using UIDIGI MYCALL N6NRR UIDIGI ON ALIASES WIDE1 1 WB4APR 9 gt APK102 WIDE1 1 WIDE2 1 Test WB4APR 9 gt APK102 N6NRR WIDE2 1 Test 7 APRS NETWORKS TM D710A E CONTENTS 35 7 4 2 UIFLOOD With UIFLOOD activated On when a digipeater receives a UI frame with a character string for alias in the form XXXXn N where XXXX matches the alias character string in the digipeater the digipeater subtracts 1 from N and processes the packet reporting only the revised character string so as not to make the frame length too long The UIFLOOD technique does not provide traceable paths so its use is not recommended except for supporting the SSn N or SSSn N state or regional paths Also the example should change to start with SS3 3 instead of WIDE3 3 UIFLOOD should very rarely be used by mobiles Figure 7 6 Using UIFLOOD The UIFLOOD method of digipeating is only a function of a full sized prope
110. th distance and range These objects are what give APRS the local information value to local users Two Way Messaging Unlike passive one way tracking devices the Kenwood transceivers provide the mobile user with full two way messaging and display This real time human to human communications is what makes APRS so valuable in support of special events and emergencies Field Data Entry Although the Kenwood transceivers are excellent field data display devices their menus have also been designed for easy data position and message entry Often overlooked is the ability to use a number of TH D7A E or even TM D700A E transceivers as excellent field data entry and clipboard entry devices at many field events See http www ew usna edu bruninga aprsevent html Individual Information Access The Kenwood individual radio displays enhance the distribution of ham radio information to a large number of users by giving them individual front panel and key pad access to all of the online APRS data A common mistake of fixed operations with computers is the use of large display screens for large groups to see but which fails to recognize that each individual viewer actually needs access to the keyboard to truly access the individual APRS information he may need at any instant The individuality of APRS radios with individual displays spreads this data access throughout the field Overlay Characters on all Symbols Although the Kenwood tra
111. the EchoLink icon which was created by the installation Figure 8 9 EchoLink Setup Wizard Window The Setup Wizard window will appear with a welcome message 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 49 Figure 8 10 EchoLink User Type Select Computer User and then click the Next gt button Figure 8 11 Type of Connection Unless you are using an analog modem 56k or less to dial up to an ISP Internet Service Provider select DSL cable ISDN or other above 56k and then click the Next gt button Figure 8 12 EchoLink Personal Information Window Continue configuration by entering your personal information and then clicking the Next button Note Do not forget the password that you entered in the Password edit box Because you will need the password for a later process in EchoLink 8 EchoLink 50 CONTENTS TM D710A E Figure 8 13 Setup Complete Window Click the Finish button Figure 8 14 Validation Advisory Window When validation of your callsign is necessary a validation advisory window will appear Click the OK button and proceed to the Validation procedure 8 4 4 Validation of EchoLink User s Callsign Begin the EchoLink Validation process by clicking Validation in the menu on the left side of the EchoLink home page Figure 8 15 EchoLink Validation Page 8 EchoLink TM D710A E CONTENTS 51 Enter your callsign and click the Continue button The callsigns av
112. the TM D710A E antenna connector in place of the antenna This will prevent your transmitted signal from interfering with others while you prepare the link station for use Turn ON the power to TM D710A E while holding down PF2 to place TM D710A E in EchoLink Sysop mode Start the EchoLink software Pressing the PTT switch on another transceiver configured to operate on the TM D710A E frequency should cause the EchoLink software to show a Busy indicator Connect to the test server the same as in Single User mode Adjust receive and transmit levels by using another transceiver in place of the headset used in Single User mode Adjust the modulation of TM D710A E to produce an adequate level from the computer to the test server Adjust the deviation of TM D710A E such that the signal received from the test server via the computer is adequate The Ctrl F10 keys on a PC can be used to manually toggle the transceiver s PTT on and off to test the cable connections and TX Ctrl configuration After completing the above adjustments try transmitting DTMF signals from another transceiver Verify that the DTMF signal is decoded correctly on the screen of the EchoLink software Disconnect from the test server when the verification is complete Transmit DTMF signals from another transceiver to verify commands such as Connect Disconnect or LinkUp LinkDown are working correctly After completel
113. tm Note Ver 2 and later of EchoLink software allows connections to the conference server and EchoLink node stations that are using EchoLink Ver 2 or newer software without configuring port forwarding Previously it was necessary to open TCP 5200 UDP 5198 5199 ports However if the stations that you want to connect to are still using Ver 1 x EchoLink software then it will still be necessary for you to configure port forwarding at your location as before This may also be necessary when using more restrictive firewalls 8 4 9 Firewalls When you cannot connect to a station while in Single User mode PC single unit in spite of having installed an up to date version of EchoLink software there is a possibility that the TCP 5200 UDP 5198 5199 ports that EchoLink uses are being blocked by a firewall and the Windows security software If you suspect this follow the procedure below 8 4 9 1 Windows Firewall In Windows select Start gt Settings gt Control Panel gt Security Center gt Windows Firewall gt Exceptions Verify that EchoLink is included in the program list and the checkbox is checked 8 4 9 2 Security Software Firewall Examine the Help file of your security software and configure the security software so that EchoLink software is able to connect to the Internet If necessary consult with the support group of the manufacturer of the security software to be certain the EchoLink software is not being blocked from acce
114. turns to Decay Algorithm Velocity Knots Status 0 2 2 1 3 3 35 Decay Decay Decay Proportional Proportional Proportional Proportional 6 APRS IN ACTION 22 CONTENTS TM D710A E Table 6 2 Configuration Example Table 6 3 Variable Rate Beaconing Example with LOW SPEED 5 HIGH SPEED 70 SLOW RATE 30 min FAST RATE 120 sec Figure 6 4 Speed vs TX Interval Time Note The unit of Speed can be configured by using Menu 626 Menu Item Configured Value LOW SPEED 5 HIGH SPEED 70 SLOW RATE 30 minutes FAST RATE 120 seconds Speed TX interval Time FAST RATE HIGH SPEED Speed 80 120 seconds 2 minutes 70 120 seconds 2 minutes 60 140 seconds 2 minutes and 20 seconds 50 168 seconds 2 minutes and 48 seconds 40 210 seconds 3 minutes and 30 seconds 30 280 seconds 4 minutes and 40 seconds 20 420 seconds 7 minutes 10 840 seconds 14 minutes 5 1680 seconds 28 minutes 0 1800 seconds 30 minutes 25 20 35 30 15 10 5 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Speed Speed vs TX Interval Time TX Interval Time min 6 APRS IN ACTION TM D710A E CONTENTS 23 6 1 5 2 Corner Pegging Transmission after Heading Change When the mobile station s speed is above LOW SPEED Corner Pegging begins operating A Corner Pegging position beacon will be transmitted when the heading difference exceeds the TURN THRESHOLD value The heading dif
115. um II 450 MHz or faster or CPU recommended by OS Memory Larger than OS recommended capacity Run time Environment NET Framework 2 0 or later see Notes below Communication Port Serial port available COM1 to COM20 see Notes below 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 TM D710A E CONTENTS 69 3 Click the icon of the downloaded software Follow the Wizard installation instructions presented on screen Note Windows Vista requires that you click the Allow button when the User Account Control window displays a message asking permission to install the software Installing MCP 2A alone without first installing Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later will result in MCP 2A not being able to start Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later must be installed first Windows Vista does not require Microsoft NET Framework 2 0 or later since this newer version of Windows already contains the necessary environment software Figure 9 2 Windows Vista User Account Control Window 4 Click Start gt Program gt KENWOOD gt MCP 2A to start MCP 2A When MCP 2A starts the transceiver model is requested Select the correct transceiver model and click the OK button You can modify the model later if necessary Figure 9 3 MCP 2A Product Select Window 5 Select the communication port and data rate Specify in the COM Port frame the COM port that w
116. uter without using any transceiver it is possible to communicate as a single user directly via your personal computer In addition when you set up a link station by connecting a TM D710A E and a personal computer we recommend you make it possible to use EchoLink software in Single User mode as an advanced preparation 8 4 1 Downloading EchoLink Software Access the EchoLink site http www echolink org and click Download in the menu on the left side Figure 8 5 EchoLink Software Download Access Page Figure 8 6 Registering Prior to Downloading Software The Download EchoLink page will appear on your screen Enter your callsign and email address and then click the Submit button Figure 8 7 EchoLink Software Download Link Page 8 EchoLink 48 CONTENTS TM D710A E The Download EchoLink page with a download link will appear Double click Click Here to Download The download will begin Figure 8 8 EchoLink Software Download Security Warning Select the appropriate folder and save the file to this folder 8 4 2 Installing EchoLink Software Click the icon of the file you downloaded called EchoLinkSetup_X_X_XXX exe X_X_XXX is the version number and then click the Run button Follow the procedure presented on screen When installation is finished InstallShield Completed will appear Then click the Finish button 8 4 3 Starting EchoLink Software Start EchoLink software by clicking
117. weather stations are installed in many parts of the world Some stations transmit NWS National Weather Service information that is dispatched and converted for beacon use Local important information such as locations of nearby tornados as they are forming which has not been registered with central weather bureaus can be transmitted by APRS beacon Weather observation equipment can be connected to a TM D710A E or RC D710 in place of a GPS receiver via the GPS connector The weather observation equipment transfers the meteorological information with serial data and this data is transmitted via beacon transmissions using the APRS weather format Or you can monitor the meteorological data locally on the screen of the TM D710A E or RC D710 The TM D710A E and RC D710 can display six different meteorological measurements rainfall air temperature wind direction wind velocity atmospheric pressure and humidity 6 2 1 Using Meteorological Equipment Select Menu 602 APRS GPS PORT and configure the GPS terminal settings Baud Rate 9600 bps same as weather equipment being used Input WEATHER Davis or WEATHER Peet Bros Output OFF Figure 6 11 Menu 602 GPS PORT used with Weather Equipment Equipment that has been verified with our transceiver includes the following models 6 2 1 1 Davis Instruments Corp The weather station Vantage Pro2 from Davis Instruments http davisnet com weather products vantage2 asp can
118. work knows how to connect distant FM transceiver users via VoIP Future merging of these technologies should be able to allow end to end voice links anywhere on earth by a simple APRS message request by callsign alone Think of it as ham radio s cell phone system We believe the TM V71A E TM D710A E and RC D710 give the potential to the amateur radio community to evolve into this future network TM D710A E CONTENTS 3 2 APRS OPERATIONS written by Bob Bruninga WB4APR 2 1 APRS Overview 2 1 1 History APRS was developed beginning back in the 1980s by Bob Bruninga WB4APR as a real time local tactical communications system for rapidly exchanging digital data of immediate value to local operations This really took off when GPS became available and MAPS were integrated into the system for tactical situational awareness of everything in the net Unfortunately in the 13 years since GPS became readily available to most operators and was added to APRS to facilitate the display of the local network too many follow on applications have focused too heavily on the vehicle tracking function at the expense of many of the more valuable functions of APRS for human to human ham radio information exchange in real time As a result too many operators appear to misunderstand some of the basic tenets of APRS APRS is not a vehicle tracking system The Automatic Packet Reporting system is simply a local data channel designed to share everything that is go
119. y verifying all operations your node setup is done Enjoy operating EchoLink with your TM D710A E 68 CONTENTS TM D710A E 9 MCP 2A Memory Control Program for use with TM V71A E TM D710A E RC D710 MCP 2A is software designed for use with your personal computer to edit and manage memory channel and menu data for TM V71A E TM D710A E or RC D710 The current version of MCP 2A retains features from earlier versions of MCP series software that received favorable comments from customers and introduces new features to substantially raise the overall software performance For convenience of customers Kenwood distributes the software via our corporate web site as a free service for our customers This version updates and improves the user interface to allow a user to view much information at one time in a single window A new file import export function has been added that can be used to import the ARRL issued TravelPlus for Repeaters information Also the file format of the new MCP 2A is compatible with the older version of software Create manage and edit memory channel and menu data for TM V71A E TM D710A E and RC D710 to maximize your enjoyment of these transceivers Furthermore using the MCP 2A software tool makes exchanging this data among transceivers easy You will need a PG 5G or PG 5H cable kit available as an option to use MCP 2A Figure 9 1 MCP 2A Memory Channel Window 9 1 Downloading and Installing MCP 2A 1 C

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