Fred Hillhouse wrote: > Greeting, > > Anyone using USAPhotomaps with a Tracker2? Impressions, opinions? > > Any special setup? > > Thanks > > Best regards, > Fred >
Fred, I haven't used USAPhotoMaps with a Tracker2, but I have used USAPM for several years as a mapping tool, and more recently with a TinyTrak4 for APRS, and I like it. I wanted basic APRS functions on my laptop, but didn't want a full-blown APRS system, such as UI-View or Xastir, and I didn't want to buy Precision Maps either. So, since I'd been using USAPM to view topos and aerial photography for years and already had it on my laptop, when Doug Cox added APRS functions to USAPM, I gave it a shot. I haven't checked into recent changes in USAPM (if any), but last time I used it, its KISS capability didn't include beaconing. That wasn't a problem for USAPM and the TT4 since the TT4 can independently be a stand-alone tracker (with Smart Beaconing, MIC-E, telemetry, etc.) while also being a KISS TNC. I haven't kept up with the capabilities of the Tracker2 to know if it can do those functions independently, but if so, I'd think it would also work with USAPM. The hookup with the TT4 uses the two serial ports with the primary port configured as a KISS TNC connected to the PC, and the secondary port configured for a NMEA connection to a GPS. The TT4 can also show received APRS beacons as waypoints on the GPS. The secondary port is on pins 7 & 8 of the primary serial port's DB9M, so a splitter cable is used to breakout the secondary port to a separate DB9M and the primary via a null-modem cross-over to a DB9F. IIRC, the Tracker2 uses the same dual serial port configuration. One problem with USAPM is that it uses maps and aerial photos from Microsoft Terraserver which provides maps and aerial photos covering the USA only. It also appears that Microsoft has abandoned updating the content of the Terraserver site, so much of the USA is only covered by topos and 1 meter per pixel B&W aerial photography. Color photography at 0.25 meters per pixel is provided only for urban areas of many (mostly larger) cities, although fortunately for me it's also available for my area even though we're at best only a medium sized urban area. The good thing about USAPM is that when you download the map and photo tiles, it saves them on your hard drive, so you can have the maps you've already seen later when you don't have Internet access. You can also move the map and photo files to a DVD-R or DVD-RW. Barry N4MSJ
