Batboard

I'm running APRS and I'm using my Icom 706 to run the program I was thinking of maybe picking up a maxar or something similar to run instead anyone have any Idea's or suggestions???

I have a VHF Maxtrac 100 (two channel) that I bought for APRS and it works great. I turned the power down to about 15 W and use a Larsen magmount antenna in a window... I hope to put up an outdoor antenna this summer. I've never run packet on a Maxar, but I'd think a solid crystal-based radio like a Maxar or Mitrek would be a good choice as well...

As a side note, I've been thinking developing a TinyTrak-based APRS board to be installed inside a Motorola Radio... Something along the lines of a headless Mitrek. I haven't looked into it much, but there may even be enough room to squeeze in an OEM GPS board as well...

--z

Youbetcha. I've had excellent results from a modified Mitrek. The mods involved were changing two capacitors in the transmitter section (so the multipliers would tune up -- I had the 150.8-174 split radio), and having International Crystal re-do the channel elements for 144.3900.

The only other change I made was to turn down the output power to about 15 watts (40-watt radio). Not only will this make the PA last just about forever, it also cuts down the amount of current needed on transmit.

If you go with a Mitrek, let me know. I can help with a step-by-step.

73 de KC7GR

I'll 2nd the praise of the TinyTrak. I'm using them in bouys my Search & Rescue unit is developing for tracking near-shore drift currents during drowning/recovery operations.

Well, my 2 cents...

I haven't set up the APRS stuff in my car [yet]... but...

The Moxy/Maxar series should work fine for APRS. My only suggestion is that the rig be powered constantly (rather then controlled by ignition) to allow the radio's temperature compensation circuits to allow it to be stable during cold weather. This comes to mind, since it is so $%$ing cold right now, here in Michigan.

Otherwise, the rig will be slightly off frequency in the first few minutes the car is driven in cold weather. This could be a bad thing, if you only drive a block or two.

As with most crystalled radios, drift can happen when the ambient temperature is anything other then room temperature.

We're using a mitrek here in worcester, ma as a digi. works great! There aren't a lot of mods that need to be done to the mitrek to allow it to tune up in the ham band.

I also ordered some new crystals from ICM too and it works wonderfully. to make the radio headless is very easy, just remember you need to attach +12v to the PTT sense, otherwise the radio will not key no matter what you do! (that one had me stumped for a while).

We have ours setup with an external KPC 3, but the radio is large enough that you could theoretically stuff the whole thing inside and leave it as one unit. Be careful if you use the speaker output to run it through a 1:1 isolation transformer otherwise you risk blowing up the audio transistors.

Kurt