Frequently Asked Questions

TrackerBox is a case containing several pieces of integrated hardware for sending APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System) packet data over 144.390Mhz. It was designed for use in rally cars, sweep vehicles, and general stage rally use and abuse. The TrackerBox system itself is NOT COMMERCIAL and you MUST have an amateur radio licence to purchase and use it.

What is APRS and how can it be used in stage rally?
APRS is used by amateur radio (ham radio) operators to track mobile and fixed units via radio and GPS. Position information is fed from inexpensive serial GPS antennas into a small chip computer (TNC) and then transmitted over the airwaves on 144.390Mhz automatically. Please check out wikipedia for more info.

ORLY? What does that all mean??
Your car now has a box with a transceiver (radio that can transmit) sending your exact location, direction, speed, altitude, callsign and other information over the airwaves for anyone to pick up. The information is sent in small (under 2 second) blurbs of data that sound like a modem called packets. These should send out no more then once a minute.

Who can pick up this data?
This data is sent all over the place by Digipeaters (Digital Repeaters) They hear your APRS packets and re-transmit them at a higher power. This allows your packet to be heard hundreds of miles away over mountains and terrain.

A cheap radio scanner and a laptop with a sound card can receive these packets and map their location without having to be ham licensed. (As in, your service crew.) You also DON'T need to have an internet connection if you can hear the packets directly over the radio or via a digipeater. (As in, you are physically AT the rally.)

Here is what a typical rally APRS setup looks like.

Do I need and internet connection?
Nope. Not if you're AT the rally and can receive packets from a scanner into your sound card. You'll need a local map loaded on your hard drive too.

What does it look like on my laptop?
There are several programs out there to map APRS data. One of the current favorites is AGWTracker:


It provides a green track with dots when a packet is received. Mouse over the dot and you get the direction, speed, etc. Maps can be made in advance and loaded without having an internet connection. AGWTracker can be found here.

How does that data get up onto the internet?
Remember those digipeaters? Well a lot of them are connected to the internet. They take the packets they hear directly over the radio and send them to a bunch of sites that map the data. This is really handy if you want your parents in Portland Maine to watch you rally in Prescott Arizona.

How can I track a callsign that is sending APRS packets on the internet?
aprs.he.fi
findu.com

Pros:
* Everyone involved in the rally has the potential to know where your vehicle is and if it's moving.
* Your crew will be able to follow the action in service instead of wondering where you are or when you'll get there. Or at least have a heads up when you get close (10 miles depending on terrain)
* Rallies are now setting up central APRS stations in service for everyone to watch. (Avoiding 20 people having to bring scanners and laptops...)
* You have an emergency radio in the car which you can pull out of the TrackerBox and use to call for help on.
* One time cost vs. satellite trackers that can be up to $100 a day.
* You have received your Amateur Radio Licence and can now volunteer when you're not competing. You can get one of the best spectator positions in a rally - blocking a road on stage!
* When there is good digipeater coverage at the rally, your fans can watch you on the internet.

Cons:
* No... It's not as good as WRC virtual spectator, but it beats not knowing. The packet rate is slow. More then 1 minute between updates.
* Some rallies have bad digipeater coverage and rough terrain. This means that not a lot of packets will get to your crew and even less may get to them when you are all the way in the middle of nowhere on stage. This can be relieved if rallies set up temporary digipeaters. Rally New York is now doing this.

So this is totally free to use once I buy it?
Yes! Once you are licensed - and you purchase the equipment it is free to use wherever and whenever you want. Keeping in mind to always use good amateur radio practices (Such as not setting the beacon rate below 1 minute.) Take a look at all the APRS traffic in your area here.

How is this different then those Spot Trackers?
Commercial trackers send and receive their location data to satellites and private systems. It is a closed system - as in - not everyone can get your location over a common frequency. Local volunteer hams will not be able to receive this telemetry with basic equipment. They cost anywhere from $50 - $100 a day to track your location. The data can be uploaded and accessed through the internet - which is not always available in service.

What makes up an Automatic Position Reporting System?
The TrackerBox is just a box of component parts that work together as a system. There are many different ways to implement APRS. It's a radio that can transmit on 144.390 and a TNC that can get GPS data out over the air. The TrackerBox is only just ONE way to set this up. Rich Otis from Rally New York has a great 'Getting started with APRS' page. There are also some radios that can send and receive APRS data natively and allow you to talk to someone else on a different frequency while doing it. Check out the Kenwood D700.

Who came up with APRS? Want to get even MORE info?
Bob Bruninga, WB4APR - His website is at - http://eng.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html

What's an Anderson Powerpole?
Simply a fantastic way to connect 12v electronics. The Anderson Powerpole is a standard, highly reliable connector that allows quick and easy installation and substitution of radios, power supplies, batteries, and other equipment. There is no 'male' or 'female' gender to this connector. Just position and wire up the connector as shown below and it will be able to plug into any other wired powerpole connector. Many emergency groups have adopted this connector as their standard. Check out the many different options for the powerpole.

Final thoughts:
* APRS location info would be helpful in an emergency - but should not be relied upon and will not be replacing communicators on stage.
* Fixed locations such as service and the hotel can be put on the map for reference with helpful info such as meeting times.
* All APRS tactical planning should be referred to the Com Captain or the Rally Organizers. Let them KNOW you're going to be running APRS and what your callsign is.
* Rally drivers and co-drivers are becoming hams and need to be more aware of the communications already going on at their local events.
* Ham radio operators volunteering for these events need to be more aware of the fact that rally drivers and co-drivers have radios in their cars.