Coon Valley Amateur Radio Club

I just set up an APRS internet gateway in Lake View, IA

I have a Linux desktop computer running Xastir on Ubuntu 8.04.  Currently the decoding is being done with the soundmodem software, this software uses the computers sound card to convert the analog signal to digital.

My goal is to have a TNC instead of the sound card because I want to use my laptop computer.  My current laptop does not have a compatible sound card to do analog to digital conversions and vise versa.

So far it seems to be working pretty good, i've had the software running for several hours and I've gated packets from Early, IA; Scranton, IA and a few farther south, one as far as Atlantic.  Most of the packets are being relayed by digipeters.

I'm currently using a Uniden scanner tuned to 144.390 attached to my 4 element yagi antenna on the roof of the house.

In my vehicle I have an Argent Data Systems Opentracker+ connected to a small GPS reciever that I bought from them as well. My radio that I'm using to interface with the tracker is a Puxing PX-777. It's a pretty nice little radio but as with all handhelds the rubber duck antenna does not reach out very far.  I get much better performance when i use the 2m/440 antenna on top of my jeep.

I have more detailed instructions on this over at my website http://siebrecht.us/grant/?p=3

Here is a map of the area.

Grant
KD0CII