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Introduction
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APRSplus and KipSS/PE with AGWPEAPRSplus is another Windows-based program for receiving and plotting APRS position packets. It was written by Brent Hildebrand, KH2Z, and works in combination with Delorme's Street Atlas program (or Map 'N Go). APRSplus handles the APRS packet management and then generates icons that are placed on the Street Atlas maps. Note: APRSplus only works with Street Atlas versions 4 through 9. It will not work with the Road Warrior Edition and Deluxe versions, including SA-2003 and SA-2004. To make APRSplus work with AGWPE you also need Brent's free program, KipSS/PE, which will link the two programs using their respective TCP/IP interfaces. Note that KipSS/PE only works with a registered version of APRSplus ! So, you'll need to send Brent the registration fee to get a registration code (info in APRSplus files) if you want to use APRSplus with AGWPE. Stephen Smith, WA8LMF, gets all the credit for working out all the instructions below for running APRSplus with AGWPE. Quick Links for this page:
Download
and install APRSplus and KipSS/PE
Setting Up APRSplus and KipSS/PE to work with AGWPENo changes are needed in your cables, windows setup, and AGWPE program settings. They are the same as for other applications.1. Install and configure Delorme Street Atlas and verify that it works normally.2. Download and install APRSplus and
KipSS/PE:
|
 | Check the
x Open
KiSS on startup if you want
APRSplus to automatically open a connection to KipSS/PE when it starts.
(Alternatively, you can leave it
o unchecked and start the connection
manually in APRSplus by using the Commands
menu option and selecting KipSS Connect.) |
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| In the field to the right of the KipSS-Open
(Close)
button, enter 127.0.0.1:7301
(or the IP address you may have entered in the KipSS/PE field for
IP
Address). |
|
| Leave "as is" the values to the right of
the Link-1,- 2,-3 and UDP-Open (Close) buttons. They are not important
for KipSS/PE connections. |
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| Save your setting by using the File:
Save (or Save As) option in this
window to save your Setup.reg file in
APRSplus' Data folder. |
|
| Now click on the KipSS button until it says KipSS-Close. This will open the link to KipSS/PE. |
Program Notes: As with KipSS/PE, the labels on the button tops are not "current status" indicators. Instead, the button shows what the setting will change to when the button is clicked; so when it says KipSS-Close on the button, it is currently in the KipSS-Open state and will close if you click on it.
You can also configure APRSplus to connect to an instance of AGWPE running on a different computer on your home network or any where on the internet. See the AGWPE Over a Network page.
To make it all work, first start the AGW Packet Engine, then KipSS/PE, and then APRSplus. After the three programs have started, you should see 4 icons in the system tray at the bottom of your screen:
The icon with two towers and the icon of a TNC are created by AGW. The icon showing a stack of dits and dahs (Morse code for KISS) is created by KipSS/PE. The inverted triangle is created by APRSplus.
Now, in APRSplus, choose Commands and then select Start Street Atlas to start Street Atlas. (You can also right click on the APRSplus system tray icon to call up the Commands menu.)
If you did not select the "auto start KipSS" function, use the Commands menu (Alt+C) to select KipSS Connect.
If your radio is on, the cables are attached, and
the Volume Control settings are correct, you should start to see station icons in
the APRSplus Positions window and then
eventually in Street Atlas (depends on what timing interval you chose
for writing the APRSplus overlay file to Street Atlas; see the
Maps tab and the second field to the right of the
1- All Reports field).
Use the Commands: Unproto Paths menu option (or Ctrl + Shift + U) to call up a list of UI paths. By default the TCP port for all path choices is set to 1, i.e. AGWPE port 1/radio 1. To use AGWPE port 2/radio 2, pick an unused line and change the TCP port to 2; you can also edit the path to one of of your choice.
Now press the Set button to the right of the path and port you want to use. That line will then be highlighted in yellow to indicate it is the active path/port. Press the OK button.
Want to get the AGWPE program to automatically start KipSS/PE and then APRSplus when AGWPE finishes loading? Here's how:
Locate the file AGWPE.INI in the AGWPE program directory.
Open the file in the Windows Notepad or any other ASCII editor and add the following paragraph to the bottom of the file:
[RUNPRG]
RUN0=C:\APRSplus\KipSS/PE.EXE
CMD0=0
RUN1=C:\APRSplus\APRSPLUS.EXE
CMD1=0
Note: Be sure to edit the file paths in the instructions above to match the drive and directory where you have installed the KipSS/PE and APRSplus programs.
Then save the file and close the editor. This automated process will begin the next time you start AGWPE.
To see if AGWPE and
KipSS/PE
are working together, start AGWPE and then KipSS/PE
(without starting APRSplus). Assuming that AGWPE
is working correctly and receiving packets, you should see packet data appearing in
KipSS/PE's Received
Data window whenever you hear packets bursts from the radio's
speaker or see the radio's BUSY indicator or "S" meter light
up or see the little green pixel light up in the AGWPE icon
in the
System Tray.
To see if
APRSplus and KipSS/PE are working together, transmit
your status or position from APRSplus. Use the APRSplus Send
menu option or Ctrl-P or Ctrl-S.
Your position or status packet should then appear in the Transmitted
Data field in KipSS/PE.
(If they don't, go to the "transmit"
troubleshooting hint below.)
To see if APRSplus
and Street Atlas are working together, temporarily use
either an internet connection or TNC instead of AGWPE to receive
packets and display them in Street Atlas. If you can't do that, at
the very least, APRSplus should be able to "beacon" your position
and icon and they should display in Street Atlas.
Firewall
problem? Remember that KipSS/PE will be using both IP port
8000 -- to talk to AGWPE -- and port 7301 -- to talk to APRSplus.
(8000 is the default ports for AGWPE; you can change it in AGWPE. I
think KipSS/PE's port link to APRSplus is hard coded as 7301 and can
not be changed.)
If you encounter difficulties with the programs connecting to KipSS/PE,
then your firewall program may be blocking access to one or both of
these ports. You will need to configure the firewall program to
allow open access to these ports. (How to do that is beyond the
scope of this web site; consult the documentation for your firewall
program.)
Problem: I can't
Transmit from APRSplus. I tell APRSplus to send a packet and I can
see that the packet made it to the "Transmitted Data"
field in KipSS/PE, but the radio doesn't key up even though KipSS/PE
is sending and receiving data from AGWPE and AGWPE is successfully transmitting
data from other programs.
Solution: The port settings for the Unproto
Paths in APRSplus is wrong. It may be set to 0
or it may be set to an AGWPE port that is attached to a different
radio. Pick a different UI path or change the path's port
number:
In APRSplus, use the Commands: Unproto Paths
menu option (or Ctrl+Shift+U) to call up a list of UI paths. Press
the Set button to the right of a
suitable path which uses the AGWPE port and radio that you want to
use; or edit an existing entry to create
a path of your choice and the AGWPE port of your choice and then
press the Set button.
Note that Windows Systems
Resources are an issue for Win95/98/ME users running
APRSplus. If your system resources get too low (below 25%?), you may
encounter unexpected errors in APRSplus and your Setup
values may become corrupted. You can check your current System
Resource level by going to the Window's Control
Panel and selecting System and
then the Performance tab.
button in the upper right corner of the window does
not shut down the
program. It
only minimizes it into the system tray where the KipSS/PE icon ("KISS" in Morse code)
will appear.
This is how you will probably want to run the program -- with the
dialogue
window closed and only the program icon showing in the system tray.
To recall the KipSS/PE dialogue window, just click on the system tray
icon
