read!!!.txt ver ATLANTA1.2


These are adjunct files that will
CUSTOMIZE your APRS program for the SouthEast and the AL, GA, TN, and 
FL areas.

Many people have worked HARD on the maps. Some of them are N4QEA, N4NEQ, 
KE4ROC and KE4EER.  Thanks also to Bob Bruninga, WB4APR and all the maps
he did and especially for birthing APRS.

This distribution is made by Ralph Fowler, N4NEQ of the Big Shanty
Repeater Group in Kennesaw, GA   Internet: rwf@mindspring.com
Our Ham Radio / APRS GPS / ATV /Ballooning page on the World Wide Web 
is located at url      http://www.mindspring.com/~rwf   please check it out.

You must read this file before unzipping the programs.  As a matter of fact,
you can't unzip them without a password.  The password is, of course: bsrg
Tha password must be entered in lower case latters.



The Atlanta APRS Update is distributed on 1 3.5 inch HD disk with these files:


SEMAPS06.zip  - Regional maps      S.East maps
BSRGMAPS.ZIP  - Our maps specially made for GA,TN, AL, NC, FL                


                
*YOU MUST USE A RECENT VERSION (1993) OF PKUNZIP.
*YOU MUST USE THE -d -s OPTION TO GET THE PROPER SUBDIRECTORIES 
 AND DECRYPT THE FILES!


TO INSTALL THE ATLANTA APRS on your SYSTEM:               DOS COMMAND
--------------------------------------------  --------------------------------
1.  Change to the APRS directory on your Harddrive-   CD APRS
2.  Put the Atlanta APRS disk #1 into A and change to A -  A:
    
    Do Pkunzip with directories:       -  PKUNZIP -d -s SEMAPSxx.ZIP  C:
    (don't leave off the C: at the end!)   password is bsrg
    This will add the Southeast regional files to your APRS system

    Do Pkunzip with directories:       -  PKUNZIP -d -s BSRG.ZIP  C:
    (don't leave off the C: at the end!)   password is bsrg
    This will add the special local files to your system


    If you are asked if you want to write over any files, answer "yes".

    If you haven't yet initialized APRS, do so by following the steps below

3.  Execute APRSxxx                        -  APRSxxx
    a. Give your call and other info as prompted.
    a+ Use MAP-CHANGE and enter BSR to select MAPLIST.BSR
    b. Move cursor to your exact QTH using arrow keys and PgDn (shft-PgDN)
    c. Hit INPUT-MYpos command and answer QTH questions
    d. Use UNPROTO command to set your VIA Digipeater path (needs TNC)
    e. Move and center map to your area of interest and preferred range scale
    f. Save a config file using alt-S-SAVE  (repeat steps e - g at anytime)
    g. Provide your Validation number when requested during the SAVE command.
    h. Use the OPS-COMM-TNC command to communicate with your TNC.
    i. If some AEA or KANTRONICS TNC's, you may need to set EXPert ON in
       order for the TNC to repsond to all APRS commands
    k. For convenience, you may RENAME the .EXE file to APRS.EXE.  You can
       always find the Version # on the TITLE or HELP screen
    l. You may customize the TNC commands INITIALIZED and RESTORED by APRS
       in the files named InitTAPR.TNC, InitAEA.TNC and RESTORE.TNC.
       Add commands or use the * to REM out any unused lines. BE CAREFUL,
       APRS will NOT work unless all the parameters are correct.


                       APRS HINTS


USING THE CUSTOMIZED MAPS  (AL, FL, NC, TN, GA)

APRS uses a Maplist.xxx file to tell it which maps to use.  The Maplist file for 
our maps is called MAPLIST.BSR.  To see the maps, you must have used the M C 
command to change to the BSR maplist.  If you are a registered user you will be 
able to save this selection.  If not you will have to do it each time you boot 
APRS.   

Until you register, you may want to try this HINT:  Change the name of MAPLIST.USA to MAPLIST.OLD  the n rename 
MAPLIST.BSR to MAPLIST.USA.  Now APRS will boot with "our" maplist.

To see "our" maps, zoom to about the 128 mile range (in GA).  You will see 
several plus (+) signs.  Those are the centers of maps.  GA is mapped into 11 
maps, numbered GA1 thru GA11.  Place your cursor on a plus sign and zoom down.  
Soon you'll see a very detailed map that even has railroad tracks and creeks on 
it.  

Some maps even have other maps within them, such as on I-575 north of 
Marietta GA.  When zooming into Pickens cCounty, you will see the GAJASPER.MAP 
that was created by KB4IZF.  This features many small roads in that County.

Over near Huntsville (North) Alabama, KE4EER has created many street-level maps.  
They can be viewed by zooming in on Huntsville.  The individual maps are marked 
by little yellow boxes.

We don't have any street maps of Atlanta, yet.  Anyone want to join in the 
project of doing them?

Dont be frustrated when other maps suddenly appear as you zoom out on a 
particular map.  A few hundred hours of time would allow someone to fix that.  
If it hapens to you, use the M L commant to lock the map you want to stay on.  
Now you can zoom up and down at will.

When the GA1 - GA11 maps were made, They happened to split Atlanta.  If you need 
to CENTER on Atlanta, just point your cursor at the CENTER of town, right where 
the Green interstates come together (Olympic Stadium).  Zoom down to about 32 
miles or less and you'll see a plus sign.  Put the cursor there and zoom down.  
Soon you'll see the GA-ATL map.  Use M L to lock the map and then zoom out to 32 
miles.  Now you have Metro-Atlanta as a full screen.


WHAT do I use for my UNPROTO path?

In the Metro Atlanta area, we have 3 main digipeaters.  N4NEQ-2 is on Sweat 
Mountain in Cobb County and covers the area very well.  KD4DLT-7 is in Lithonia 
and does a good job in Southeast Metro.  KB4IZF-2 is on Mt. Oglethorpe near 
Jasper and covers well in N Central GA and part of Metro Atlanta.

Most APRS Digis respond to an address of WIDE.  All of ours do.  Many times, an 
UNPROTO string of WIDE,WIDE will do well for mobiles.  Base stations should 
always set their UNPROTO to a distinct path, such as N4NEQ-2, WIDE  or 
KB4IZF-2,WIDE.  This minimizes the packet collisions that will occur when more 
than one digipeater hears you.  All of them would each of your transmissions 
multiple times, causing much unneeded traffic. 
                                                                
N4NEQ-2 and KD4DLT-7 also respond to the RELAY alias.  They will show up 
in Green on your map.  If you forget to set your UNPROTO, and it defaults to 
RELAY, you may still be repeated by these two digis. KB4IZF-2 has not yet 
conformed to Bob Bruninga's (APRS Author) standard.  It does not respond to 
RELAY.  That us why it is not green on your map.  It's owner has used the alias 
normally used by RELAY to name his digi JASPER.

Mobile users can also use an UNPROTO of RELAY, WIDE.  This will allow any APRS 
station within range to digipeat you into the nearest WIDE, automagically.

WHAT is GATE?
You may see users with GATE in their path.  These are usually stations on HF
(usually 30 meters 10.151 lsb) sending their positions into certain VHF nets.
It is possible to go from VHF into HF too, but this is discouraged for normal 
operations.  If you want to use the GATE system, consult an experienced user.

NEVER USE WIDE,WIDE,WIDE   or any UNPROTO ending with  RELAY. !!!!
This can cause near-endless looping and echoing of your packets.

I hope these notes will enhance your enjoyment of APRS.

And Coming Soon:   (Dayton 96)   WINAPRS for MS Windows, written by Keith 
Sproul, author of MACAPRS.







THE LATEST ATLANTA APRS is posted on the 770 437-1555  Radioactive BBS 
in Atlanta.

Come join the APRS SIG Mailing List  on the INTERNET and get up to the 
minute news... !

Send EMAIL to listserv@tapr.org
on the first line of your message, enter the following:

subscribe aprssig firstname lastname



Local Atlanta APRS BBS is Radioactive    at  (770) 437-1555



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