The APRS Grudge Match

[@EricMoritz]

The {09 at the end of the message is the message id for the message. It is used by the receiver's radio to acknowledge they saw the message by sending an ack09 packet. The Vero should be stripping that out.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Agreed!

[@briankendall1978]

@@temporarilyoffline The Vero may not have "ACKed" that first message ({09) because it was not addressed to KM9G-12. I would expect the Vero to only ACK when it receives a message addressed to KM9G-12 just like the FT5 "ACKed" the message GOT IT addressed to KM9G-15.

[@chublez]

@@briankendall1978 Sure. It should still strip that bit out though on screen as it's not meant fer human consumption really. That said it's also not a big deal when you know what it is.

[@briankendall1978]

@@chublez There is also a portion of that Mic-E data that contains altitude data that may or may not be present in the transmitted string of characters. Vero may not have accounted for the altitude portion of that string in their firmware. They may fix that in future firmware updates. That aprs101 doc says "The Mic-E status text field can contain the station’s altitude. The altitude is expressed in the form xxx}, where xxx is in meters relative to 10km below mean sea level (the deepest ocean), to base 91."

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@briankendall1978 That makes sense. It is hard to keep track. I brought in a few other radios as well - you'd be amazed at how they are all implementing the protocol differently. At one point one of the radios was ACKing KM9G*

[@tgrossner]

Hey! Great video. That was exactly what I was looking for, which I mentioned when we chatted at Monte Sano. Thanks for all the great videos!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Good to see you in Huntsville!

[@janhenkins]

TO, that screen protector was actually a "proper" screen protector like you buy for cellphones! LOL!! I know that because I did exactly what you did! 😂 Lovely radio, definitely one that won't collect dust.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Its my goto HT now. To many features to turn down (and it still gets better)

[@mrfancypants29]

I leave the screen protector on with my radios. It does its job and protects the screen from getting scratched lol.

[@JimmyKI5PRK]

Great video TO. I have not tried APRS yet but this video makes me want to give it a try. The Vero looked to be much easier to use. The phone app seemed to work well. Thanks again for all the great content.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey Jimmy! Its a great 'bang for the buck" situation. Its hard to say which one I like better -- the App really is the killer in the fight!

[@ralphnunn3]

You can send a message from the front panel from that Signaling > Message screen. You just have to add an address with a colon in front. So, in your case, you would add 'KM9G-15:

[@temporarilyoffline]

Makes perfect sense! Thanks!

[@davidk7dld542]

Thank you. I was going to ask that very question!

[@cloudstrife5209]

I haven't seen you make a video on it's networking features. Which I think its biggest selling point. Using Air Mirror app you can control the radio from a 1,000 miles away and talk on it using the network feature as long as you have cell service or wifi. 🤔😉

[@Siskiyous6]

Is that the one from Sand Studio?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Its on the list! Thanks for watching!

[@cloudstrife5209]

@@Siskiyous6 Yes

[@sn0ren]

In my testing I've found that if you don't put in a -number suffix in the callsign, then the radio doesn't alert you when a message is sent to your callsign.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Always need more testing! Thanks

[@The_Comms_Channel]

Great video! The Yaesu radios are such a pain to text from.... The having to delete text to reply is especially annoying 😤

[@wadeduvall7026]

Yaesu's UI/UX is constantly their biggest failing.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Its like the Yaesu boys never actually used their radio... you'd think that would be the first thing they would notice. (But Vero should also have stripped the message ID from the end of the visible messages too)

[@Siskiyous6]

As I understand it. APRS strings are NMEA-0183

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey LC!

[@KN4OKadventures]

darn you got my radio that I have been waiting for

[@temporarilyoffline]

Soon!

[@EvanK2EJT]

I just got my VR-N76 yesterday and I've been playing around with it. So far I'm pretty impressed. I figured out how to send APRS messages directly to other stations both via the radio and the app, send location, etc. I can't get WXBOT to work though, and I'm not sure why. I'll have to continue messing around with it.

[@temporarilyoffline]

WXBOT worked for me Ina previous video. I've seen that it's pretty spotty, probably to so with either overload or bad propagation is my guess.

[@EvanK2EJT]

@@temporarilyoffline I figured it out. If you leave a space between the colon and the message it doesn't work. WXBOT: 13760 doesn't work, but WXBOT:13760 does. Something as simple as a space screws it up lol.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@EvanK2EJT I'll have to try that out.

[@ozone385]

The VR-N76 seems the best by your video.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I can't imagine why it took this long to have an App/HT/APRS integrated solution via bluetooth... seems pretty obvious to me. I hope the old Kenwood's could connect to APRSDroid.

[@DonzLockz]

The Vero with the app looks way easier to use than the convoluted querky 5D. P.s. it looks orange on video. :)

[@Rusted_Link]

Everything about the 5DR is qwerky not to mention it also has the worst microphone and speaker of any other radio on the market.

[@kingdick4508]

Dude, the FT5 works great, but it is definitely the most confusing, under designed, radio to program with all the menu’s in weird places. They could have made one simple menu and listed them all alphabetically and I would be happy. But instead they made the biggest mess of menus, options, and settings in the strangest places for no damn good reason.

[@temporarilyoffline]

You mean its not orange?

[@ericgulseth74]

I have the FT-3DR and while functional, the APRS messaging is a pain to use. I ended up getting a Bluetooth TNC for it so i could use APRS Droid instead. For less than $200, that 76 radio has many upsides with the Bluetooth integration so you can message efficiently, digipeat, and iGate. I think ill have to try it out. Does it live up to the 7 watts and is it clean?

[@temporarilyoffline]

It's clean and the wattage appears good. I need one more test on the wattage because I used the wrong coax.

[@victorcharlie7491]

Nice looking radio, convenient, great video, tnx Man!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey VC! Thanks for watching!

[@Rusted_Link]

Put the winner against the Anytone 878 or 578. 👀

[@kingdick4508]

Agreed, that would be a great test…

[@temporarilyoffline]

Good Idea!

[@anduril328]

Next up a uv-5r aprs cable and a tablet running aprsdroid

[@temporarilyoffline]

Sure is!

[@pennyfromanone]

As a TH-D74 user i see that the Kenwoods are lightyears ahead of Yeasu regarding ease of use APRS. APRS on the Kenwood is like typing messages on a keyboard cell phone

[@temporarilyoffline]

Kenwood has been a leader in APRS radios for a long time.

[@jarredjones8476]

FYI you can't use 144.390 for Ariss SGATE option as they use 145.285

[@temporarilyoffline]

Right. Its just the path setting, its up to the operator to change frequencies. Was excited to see it in there.

[@drright71]

HT needs a bit of UX work. But, if they ever get Winlink integrated, you won't be able to give those other radios away.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Winlink is on the horizon of videos to make!

[@btraindavidlemke312]

Looks like a great radio.Quick question, what kind of plug goes in on the side.Is it a K plug,or something different?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Its an "M Connector" - a little closer spacing. I'll have a video out on that soon, but here is a link if you're looking for an adapter: geni.us/t3cYoE

[@btraindavidlemke312]

@@temporarilyoffline Thanks for the reply.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@btraindavidlemke312 UBet!

[@KS0JD]

Really make a good case to think about buying one of these. It would be interesting if you try some of the weather and email bots that KM4ACK has used to test APRS. Again thanks for the video! 73

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey Jeff - they work great: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pKHZo6iAfbaNi8U (time stamped). Do you know of a list of APRS Bots out there?

[@jarredjones8476]

Mpad and WXBOT

[@EvanK2EJT]

@@temporarilyoffline That looks like it's going through TCP/IP and not over RF. I haven't been able to get it to work from the radio via RF yet.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@EvanK2EJT I got it to work both ways in this video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qWmnfYiGmZh6hrs

[@thuff3207]

Nice but I wonder how the Kenwood D75 would compare.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Me too! I need to get a D75, but they are SUPER expensive.

[@9M2PJU]

The VGC does not have inbox, no smartbeaconing too.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Use the left and right arrows to see the inbox. We need to keep pestering Vero to update the firmware with Smart Beaconing and other features for sure. Overall, I'm really impressed with how polished this rig is.

[@9M2PJU]

@@temporarilyoffline If the APRS packet does not decoded well, it will be recorded as sound. and i noticed there is a strange value added.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@9M2PJU Both of those are pretty normal - weak signals won't be decoded by any radio and the garbage text at the end is the "message identifier" and it should be stripped at the human level as the computer interprets it and does the needful. I'm sure they will update this in a future release of the software.

[@9M2PJU]

@@temporarilyoffline yes they should. btw, i use vgc n76 as igate and then transmit a command "police" to 9M2PJU-4 APRS bot using Yaesu VX8GR text messaging to get nearest police station locations.

[@rebootkid]

Compare and contrast that to APRSDroid, so we're getting app to app comparison. Also, the Kenwood TH-D74a/75a has probably the best APRS setup out there. I'd love to see that comparison.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I have an aprsdroid vid planned. Stay tuned. I need to get one of those D7x radios.

[@pennyfromanone]

@@temporarilyoffline not the D7 the TH-D74/75

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@pennyfromanone that's what I said

[@mkintzel]

Are the Vero, Radioddity, and Btech actually the same? As I read the different descriptions it looks like the Vero is listed as 7W where the Radioddity and Btech are listed at 5W. The Btech description talks about NOAA alerts ....I know they can all tune into the NOAA stations, maybe this is just a difference in advertising or is there something special the Btech is doing>

[@temporarilyoffline]

Btech has the most special sauce, but the changes are all software/cosmetic. The hardware appears to be the same under the hood. For example my Vero says "BDS" and my Radioddity says "GPS" - both do both modes.

[@joomla101]

@@temporarilyoffline do you know if the Vero model is actually 7W or is that an error? The devices look alike but @mkintzel is correct the specs are different than the other two brand models.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@joomla101 I'm getting 5w out of mine.

[@gabrielsierra6890]

Can you use the VERO for regular packet work? Can you connect via BT with the internal TNC in order to use Winlink or Outpost PMM on the PC and WOAD with the phone?

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'll be testing that out in an upcoming video. I don't know yet.

[@Siskiyous6]

My chosen color, matches my earliest Garmin RINO radios. How many Vero radios are you up to now?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Too many... giveaway soon!

[@ScottPlude]

I ordered a radio after seeing another video from you recently. It wasn't until AFTER I placed my order that I realized it is on the slow boat from China. I wish these came from the US. If it works as good as I expect, I will be ordering more for my family. We are all hams.

[@aragonep]

Amazon has the Btech version of this radio, mine will be here tomorrow. 73 By the way Amazon has it for $164

[@ScottPlude]

@@aragonep thanks! do you have a link?

[@ScottPlude]

never mind! found it! THANKS!

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey Scott - I really like it. its a lot of fun, esp if you have a good digipeater/igate in your area. Making one of those is next on my list.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I had it linked in the description for you - always looking out for my fam! 👉 Btech UV-Pro: geni.us/yti9Pt

[@ChrisKD9YSW]

I like this not sure if it will work with the fusion repeater here for aprs

[@temporarilyoffline]

How is the local fusion repeater implementing APRS?

[@ChrisKD9YSW]

@@temporarilyoffline not closest is 30 minutes north

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@ChrisKD9YSW Might be time to make one!

[@ChrisKD9YSW]

@@temporarilyoffline at least a two meter one

[@lovedfriend2020]

5:23 Yes HAMS are badass users lol

[@temporarilyoffline]

You got that right!

[@KQ4KXA]

One thing i found is having the signaling items checked it would make a squawk after every transmission i made on a repeater the guys let me know and i checked it with another radio talking simplex

[@temporarilyoffline]

I just heard this the other day from another Ham. Sounds like you've narrowed it down even more - a lot of radios have a "send position report after PTT" function... now to figure out how/where to turn that off.

[@KQ4KXA]

@@temporarilyoffline if you go to user settings it will show radio id signaling for all 3 uncheck them and it wont do it for any of the channels on the app but if you want to have it on for just APRS make sure you’re on the APRS channel on the radio go to general settings, signaling settings and check them on it will only use it on that channel not the others

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@KQ4KXA awesome find! Thanks!

[@jarredjones8476]

I have a FB group for this and the other 2 variants we have discussed it many times..

[@jampskan5690]

I hate needing to download apps... That said, I do think Yaesu could have done a better job for their on-screen keyboard. I'm really not sure why they didn't just make it the same as a physical keyboard layout. For the money though, compared to Icom and Kenwood, the ft5d hits a sweet spot of not being so expensive that I'm afraid to use the thing and drop it outside, and having enough features to be considered good. As an added bonus the thing is just also really solid and water resistant, so I don't think it would break even in my clumsy hands. Perhaps there is also a nostalgia factor to texting that way for me. T9 auto complete would be sweet, do the Kenwood radios do that? I want APRS text input exactly like a Motorola Razer... I wonder if Elecraft will ever create a 2m/70cm (and maybe more) HT...

[@temporarilyoffline]

I hear ya. I'm surprised at how "old" the 5d is - good radio, but not 2024 appropriate. The Vero is closer, but we really need more innovation/modernization if we're going to keep the hobby alive.

[@jampskan5690]

@@temporarilyoffline It has a great receiver though. I still remember when Icom Ray's ID52 overloaded at EAA Airventure, and my 5D was rock solid at listening to air traffic, clear as crystal! The point being, the radio first needs to be good at radio-ing, and only after that should fancy new timey features be added.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@jampskan5690 I'll need to do that test soon

[@ManuelPinner]

I have both the Yeasu FT5D and the Kenwood D75A, both is much better then the Cheap Chinese Brands,

[@temporarilyoffline]

Which one works better?

[@milepost9991]

Vero Telecom was happy to take my money, but their shipping status capability is terrible.

[@temporarilyoffline]

No tracking number? Mine came via DHL and was pretty quick.

[@timw8ngt]

Cool video. I think I’ll pick up the btech version of this it’s a bit cheaper.

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey Tim - I got you covered: 👉 Btech UV-Pro: geni.us/yti9Pt

[@timw8ngt]

@@temporarilyoffline I picked one up. Tried doing APRS today on a trip and failed at it. Need to watch more of your videos to see what I did wrong.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@timw8ngt I failed my first few times also!

[@timw8ngt]

@@temporarilyoffline I'm not giving up...... I'm not giving up. I'm having fun doing it. I got to share with some non hams what I was doing. This BTech is kind of cool. I have a FT5D and others, but having the app is awesome. I found that the IOS app is slightly different than the Android one, but works the same. It's the easiest radio to upgrade firmware. I upgraded to 7.6 today. The big boys should take this and update their own radios with an app to do similar stuff.

[@pixeluser175]

18:43 Map

[@temporarilyoffline]

Oh it gets deeper!

[@daniellavoie8379]

Does anyone know how to unlock the VHF outside the 144-148 range?

[@temporarilyoffline]

Video coming soon

[@daniellavoie8379]

@@temporarilyoffline 😊Perhaps tonight?😉

[@temporarilyoffline]

@daniellavoie8379 message me on the discord and I'll get you the cheat sheet. I've already recorded three videos today, I'm beat.

[@503Nick]

The ft5 is twice the quality of radio. Especially if you include smart beaconing. But I do love the vero quirkiness

[@temporarilyoffline]

The ft5 is pretty quirky

[@tuckersimpson4442]

Would be awesome if it was available for their mobile version. Any intel on if thats a thing?

[@temporarilyoffline]

The android software for the HT doesn't work with the mobile version? I haven't tested the mobile version yet.

[@tuckersimpson4442]

@@temporarilyoffline I believe that company makes a mobile version with no face plate, I do not have that version but it would be nice to know if there was an aprs function on the mobile one as well

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@tuckersimpson4442 Oh yeah, the N7500 - yeah it does have similar APRS functionality and more power. I just don't know if the app is 100% the same.

[@W9JCR]

​@@temporarilyoffline I just watched KM6LYW's video on the 7500. It does use the same app and seems to perform well.

[@W9JCR]

@tucketsimpson4442 I intended to include you in the reply to TO as well. See my other comment.

[@KeepEvery1Guessing]

Pretty nifty. But I'm getting a funny feeling that we're carrying more and more to use more and more of our time to accomplish less and less. __... ...__

[@temporarilyoffline]

💯

[@garrywoodward9049]

Has YaeSu is now spelt with a Z?...

[@temporarilyoffline]

Nope.

[@RonaldCollins]

I'll stick with my Kenwood THD-75A

[@temporarilyoffline]

I need to try one, sounds like a great radio - that cost tho...

[@RonaldCollins]

@@temporarilyoffline I'll be waiting for the new Kenwood mobile to come out also, Just save up the money until the time

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@RonaldCollins good plan!

[@WE1LDS_Tom]

I believe that garbage text you kept referring to might be the icon code that was selected for it. If you look at other radios, even in Yasu ADMS software when you pick a an icon, it’ll have a bunch of characters almost similar to the emoticons back in the day. WE1LDS

[@temporarilyoffline]

Could be! Others are saying it's "Mic-e" or message serial number

[@jarredjones8476]

The BTECH is far superior with their app except the whole passcode thing they didn't include yet lol

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'll take a look, thanks!

[@pixeluser175]

0:01 Cap

[@temporarilyoffline]

You can say that again!

[@pixeluser175]

​@@temporarilyofflineI'm on Caps Lock.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@pixeluser175 I see what you did there!

[@Siskiyous6]

Time for the mobile Vero

[@temporarilyoffline]

I don't even have my red HT yet... But that Mobile is on my radar!

[@jeffdetmold6676]

is it just me or do the settings in the “Digital Mode” seem to reset to default about 70% of power cycles?

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'll have to take a look

[@EvanK2EJT]

I've found that as soon as you open the HT app they revert. If you don't open the app, they stay

[@chublez]

Real shame these high dollar Japanese radios can't compete on a feature level with cheap Chinese radios. Must be that Japan is the less technologically advanced country these days. Only explanation I can think of for a more expensive product not having the same or better obvious functionality that HAMs have been asking for for years.

[@temporarilyoffline]

I'm pretty sure China is "learning" the way Japan did - they both sold really cheap/bad stuff and skilled up on the backs of those cheaper products. Its a strategy that has been used most recently by Hyundai - take a look at the first Hyundai cars and today's offerings. Very amazing evolution.

[@Kibwunga]

APRS, the watching grass grow of Amateur Radio

[@temporarilyoffline]

Watchin ain't a doin son

[@Kibwunga]

@@temporarilyoffline I have been doing APRS on and off since the 80s. booooring

[@DL8LDN]

The Vero store only the last message in the radio itself. So if you want use the radio without the app and the last message is an ack you loose the message. Position reports are also stored as a message in the radio. This means if you receive a beacon after the textmessage from the same station you loose the message too. The radio show you got a message but you cannot read it because it is overwritten. Vero says it is because of not enough memory in the radio. Messaging without the app is useless especially if you want use bots like MPAD, WXBOT or similar because you always see only an ack or if you get more than one message back like a weather report you see only the last one. Messaging with the app is very fine. 73 de Michael DL8LDN

[@temporarilyoffline]

Hey Michael, The app is the way to go!

[@jaym1301]

The ability to receive only one message on the radio itself is better than no message receiving capability, but it is kind of disappointing that you still have to carry both a radio and a phone instead of just a radio.

[@temporarilyoffline]

@@jaym1301 You can send/receive multiple messages from multiple people in the radio, but the radio does have limited memory and I believe it erases the messages when you power off.

[@dienadel30]

FYI what I have found out by playing with mine is you have to write out CALLSIGN:MSG in the message window under signaling on the radio. IE "WXBOT:today" WXBOT is the call sign after the : is the message body. and if you have a digipeater near by you will get the weather report. :)

[@temporarilyoffline]

Seems like the instructions could be clearer. Good find!

[@WE1LDS_Tom]

I believe that garbage text you kept referring to might be the icon code that was selected for it. If you look at other radios, even in Yasu ADMS software when you pick a an icon, it’ll have a bunch of characters almost similar to the emoticons back in the day. WE1LDS

[@temporarilyoffline]

Could be! Others are saying it's "Mic-e" or message serial number

[@jaym1301]

@@temporarilyoffline MIC-E messages should be displayed as text: things like en route, off duty, in service, returning, committed, special and priority. which should appear at the beginning of beacons. I personally don't see how they're very useful in ham radio anyway. Maybe try disabling mic-e if the radio menus or app let you and see if those garbage characters go away?

[@temporarilyoffline]

@jaym1301 there isn't a way currently to disable Mic-e messages on the radio/HT app. Now that we have a KISS TNC in the radio, I want to see how APRSDroid handles those messages.