TRAKnet, A PacSat Mobile Comms Network

Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, Annapolis, MD

TrakNet uses the 1200 baud Amateur PACSATs (AO-16, LO-19 and IO-26) for Live, Real-Time mobile position/status and messaging. Using these existing birds for this application can provide hundreds of mobile operators an essential channel for emergency or priority traffic using nothing but their normal 2m FM mobile radio and a laptop sound card or a $3 modified normal packet TAPR-2 TNC. Communications can consist of any viable UI packet or APRS status/position reporting packets digipeated by the satellite to a few nationwide downlink sites. These sites would forward the packets on existing HF and VHF networks and the worldwide APRServe Internet system.

APRS PACSAT QSO PARTY 3-4 Dec 1999 Description and Downlink Capture File

The following display (a replay of the 1998 APRS/MIR test) shows what such a TRAKNET application can do. For the full 1998 TRAKNET paper click here.

**javAPRS Commands (Case Insensitive)**
U or D	zooms up/down (you may also use PGup/dn)
L, S, or M	List stations, Show Status or Messages to Java console
CTRL or ALT-click	Centers or Zooms map on clicked location
Arrow keys	scrolls map

You are visitor: Since 5 Dec 99 when it was started .

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The Naval Academy is a registered user of APRS and WinAPRS. The purpose of this web page is to show several applications currently in use at this site and should not be considered as an advertisement or an endorsement of any commercial product.