Such a great review. I wish I knew this a week ago when I was in West Virginia with no cell coverage and my family freaked out thinking I was hurt. Thanks for sharing this information! I love the Yaesu FTM-400 videos, keep sharing them.
Great video series on APRS. I"m going to try out at sea. I was using fellow ham radio operators to send my wife text messages when my cell phone was not working. My 8W ht was reaching 90+ miles over the ocean. I'm going to experiment with APRS. Your setup video was very helpful. So happy now I got this to work! I got my license about a year ago and you have been a big help. Thanks of all your work doing the excellent videos.
Michael, Great video. You’re very good at teaching other people complex things in an easy to understand manner. I’d like to use this video on my TH-cam channel to help people understand the value of both APRS and SMS Gate. It’s a great way to keep in touch, especially if there’s no cell service. I’ll be sure to credit your channel as well as put a link to it in the description of the video. I want to close by saying thank you to you Michael. You put a lot of great content on your channel. Set contact helps expand the knowledge of Amateur Radio. I sincerely believe it helps many people worldwide to understand the many facets of Amateur Radio. All my best, Larry
Thanks for the comments, yes you may share the video on your channel. Let know if you have any questions. Maybe we could do a collaboration some time. Let me know if that interests you.
Thank you, I'm a HAM noob and got my license over a year ago, for *solely* this very reason/purpose. Thanks for the re-motivation to check out affordable hardware options.
all you need is a Baofeng UV5R and a speaker to play APRS AFSK through ;) it's very cost effective but is very prone to errors! the technical term is an acoustic coupler
If you are going that route, I'd recommend the BTech APRS cable over trying to decode information over the speaker. Much less chance of errors and some phone apps will allow you to transmit with it: amzn.to/2ECKbL0
That's some good info to know. I bought a FTM 400XD a couple weeks ago and got it installed in my vehicle. Got it because of the APRS capability. Thanks for the videos on the FTM 400XD, they helped me out a lot.
Whew! That is awesome. Just another reason for me to purchase an FTM-400. They are so nice! Thanks for the demonstration, Michael! Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! KC3NDG.
The versatility of APRS never ceases to amaze me. I've been an active user of the mode since I got my license 20 years ago and have seen it stay relevant and useful the entire time.
Great video! I’ve been enjoying using SMEGTE in the Pacific Northwest to text my wife when I am away from cell towers. It helps us keep in touch even in remote areas. Do any email gateways exist?
How is it that for every topic I encounter in this hobby and want to find more information on, you inevitably have a video on it already?! lol, thanks for the info Mike!
Well done!!! VERY informative!! My wife sat with me while I watched and thought this feature was fantastic.....(so she is supportive of me getting an FTM400!!) LOL
when responding with a phone, you actually don't need to specify the @callsign for reply. It auto assumes the last conversation you were contacting is the default, and keeps that active. If you have more than one conversation, then you need to use the callsign.
May I ask would the respondent I.e. person on cell phone for example need to be a licensed operator considering on their end is "normal" comms? I ask as in this scenario or one I could see being in remote area letting wife know ok etc. would like confirm back if legal. I ask as echolink is on computer but requires call sign login. this is kind of interesting as bridges communication gap.
@@TheRatman969 no. The SMSGTE service knows the identity of the destination ham by previous conversation, and saved that for future identification. It's just a shortcut
@@angelamorley9921May I ask what you are saying no to specifically ? lol .Please understand was attempting confirm a non licensed person can respond via sms legally to the APRS SMS GTE user . I appreciate your response and realize it's not required for that user on cellular end to use (@callsign) unless multiple paths be designated. I am admittedly new to this reading the smsgte site and other areas for info. This seems to really have many real world possiblities as long as those other services are up and running of course. If unsure no problem I am attempting verify elsewhere as well.
@@TheRatman969 You had asked if a cell phone respondent would need to be licensed, and I was answering no to that query. I'm presuming SMSGTE retains all the rights related to transmissable content and station control, perhaps automatically.
Great video, Michael! I've gone through the setup on my new FTM-400 and tried to send my first message to SMSGTE, but when I press the transmit button, it beeps but nothing happens (the message doesn't appear to be sending). I have my GPS set to manual because I'm in the house and I've set the proper coordinates and I have the APRS frequency in memory location 1. I notice that I get a TX error when I press the Beacon TX button on the menu. Is there something I'm missing? Everything else seems to be set properly. Thanks! Mike-WB2ADK
I figured it out, but never would have come up with the solution on my own! I found a posting that said if the B-band squelch is set too low, no beaconing will occur. So, I set the squelch high and tried it again. The message went through! I hope that helps someone else. Thanks again for your helpful video! Mike-WB2ADK
Now my problem is that nothing is going through. I can transmit the messages with no trouble, but they're not reaching their destinations. Is it possible the SMSGTE servers are down? I can't even get into my SMSGTE account.
I figured out the smsgte and how to track on the internet my aprs beacon and even winlink over aprs. But is there a way to send an aprs message to another user just by call sign or radio to radio over aprs? Like their call sign plus the -7 or whatever they designate on their aprs?
Yes there is. Sending messages is a standard feature of APRS. Here's a video that shows how to do it with the FTM-400: th-cam.com/video/7teC8eGBXLM/w-d-xo.html
@@KB9VBRAntennas couldn’t do that either as the mic keypad didn’t work. I was left using the control head which is not feasible. Maybe there is a setting I missed for the keypad. BTW, you videos are exceptional, I wish I lived next door. But for you, I’d probably be the neighbor from hell 🤣.
Yes they will. APRS messages are sent in plain text format so if someone is watching channel traffic, they could see the contents of your message. SMSGate does allow you to set up an alias for your phone number so that information isn't transmitted over the air. That information is on the SMSgate website.
Also if ok to ask another question can this be done outside of those "approved" radios i.e. perhaps on a android or IOS device with software app similar to how gps APRS can ?
I really have been enjoying your videos and learning much here. I will make this redundant as asked another person bleow but am curiuos :May I ask would the respondent I.e. person on cell phone for example need to be a licensed operator considering on their end is "normal" comms? I ask as in this scenario or one I could see being in remote area letting wife know ok etc. would like confirm back if legal. I ask as echolink is on computer but requires call sign login as considered amateur radio comm.. this is kind of interesting as bridges communication gap. thx
I apologize reading smsgte site stating more info about using (?) for delivery comfirmation but still would llike to know if a non licensee can respond in the aforementioned .thx
A non-licensed person can send and receive messages via their cell phone using SMSGate. The reason is that the person on the phone is not directly interacting with the amateur radio network. They are‚ in essence‚ sending a message to a server which then in turn sends it to the radio network. It's up to the license holders of the APRS radio networks to assure that that system is running properly according to the rules.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thank you for your quick response. I verified through smsgte in their faq and received email communication of same as they sent the part 97 portion explanation :....c) No station may transmit third party communications while being automatically controlled except a station transmitting a RTTY or data emission. The data component being the key vs echolink voice for example.I appreciate how responsive this community is and will continue binge watching your videos as so much valuable information and practical application available thanks again. I find APRS capabilities to have much real world use. I'll be ordering one of those take down jpoles from your site.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Couldn't the same be said about the Echolink Android that does require a ham license? Using that app you are talking over a phone or tablet but since it goes out on ham frequencies after the server, you have to be a licensed ham.
I haven't been able to get it to work. I'm using a UV5R with APRSdroid. I've been able to send SOTA spots using APRS2SOTA with this system. But my messages to SMSGTE apparently don't go anywhere.
I've seen weather information passing by on APRS from NWS to other stations near me according to my digipeater connected to APRS-IS but not sure how those work and would like to see those as well. Just wish I knew what they were and how to get them.
I'm still missing how you configure the cell phone to send a sms message to someones radio who is running APRS. Do I have to register with a site? Is there a website I can go to and type in the APRS stations call sign to send a text to?
confused about one thing and can't seem to find the answer, so maybe I'm misunderstanding something really fundamental. You are sending a radio transmission. Where is this transmission received?? How do I know there is an SMSGTE station who will be able to receive me? Who runs these stations? Other amateurs? Where do I find a list of these stations so I know I'm in range? Nobody else is asking this and I can't find the answer, so I think I might be misunderstanding how it really works.
Quick question: Is it legal for someone on a cell phone to reply to the APRS message? I'm imagining that since the station is under the remote control of another ham, that it is. Is this correct?
Good job Michael, I'm trying to educate the local hams down here in the metro St.Louis about APRS, they say it big brother and they don't want anybody to see where going. Than I tell what about their I phone tracks them to. 73, kc9boz
That can be a tough sell with the privacy minded crowd. I guess if I don't want anyone to see where I'm going, I will turn the radio off. But you are correct, your phone is always tracking you and all those Apps are busily gobbling up that information and passing it along to third parties.
@@maddog2557 it’s been a year since that post and have since got rid of the ft3d. Maybe there is a new video but I never found the message field after a pretty broad search.
There is a method for sending very short email messages via APRS, but its one-way only. That is from the radio to an email address. And there is nothing that I know of for WhatsApp.
The radio needs to be APRS capable‚ which rules out most inexpensive radios. Although you could do it with a cheap radio‚ the Btech APRS cable‚ and a phone app running an APRS program.
One of the nice things about being an ARRL member is that they send you a reminder card in the mail when the 90 day renewal window opens up- so all I did was send the card back and they renewed the license for free on my behalf.
aprs.fi saves messages for 14 days... just search for SMSGTE and you can get a list of a bunch of phone numbers... I guess it is good you blurred out the number...but it is still available to anyone to see who understands APRS. I personally do not need another way to spread phone numbers to spammers. Use at your own risk.
Such a great review. I wish I knew this a week ago when I was in West Virginia with no cell coverage and my family freaked out thinking I was hurt. Thanks for sharing this information! I love the Yaesu FTM-400 videos, keep sharing them.
Great video series on APRS. I"m going to try out at sea. I was using fellow ham radio operators to send my wife text messages when my cell phone was not working. My 8W ht was reaching 90+ miles over the ocean. I'm going to experiment with APRS. Your setup video was very helpful. So happy now I got this to work! I got my license about a year ago and you have been a big help. Thanks of all your work doing the excellent videos.
Michael, Great video. You’re very good at teaching other people complex things in an easy to understand manner.
I’d like to use this video on my TH-cam channel to help people understand the value of both APRS and SMS Gate. It’s a great way to keep in touch, especially if there’s no cell service.
I’ll be sure to credit your channel as well as put a link to it in the description of the video.
I want to close by saying thank you to you Michael. You put a lot of great content on your channel. Set contact helps expand the knowledge of Amateur Radio. I sincerely believe it helps many people worldwide to understand the many facets of Amateur Radio.
All my best,
Larry
Thanks for the comments, yes you may share the video on your channel. Let know if you have any questions. Maybe we could do a collaboration some time. Let me know if that interests you.
Thank you, I'm a HAM noob and got my license over a year ago, for *solely* this very reason/purpose. Thanks for the re-motivation to check out affordable hardware options.
all you need is a Baofeng UV5R and a speaker to play APRS AFSK through ;) it's very cost effective but is very prone to errors! the technical term is an acoustic coupler
If you are going that route, I'd recommend the BTech APRS cable over trying to decode information over the speaker. Much less chance of errors and some phone apps will allow you to transmit with it: amzn.to/2ECKbL0
That's some good info to know. I bought a FTM 400XD a couple weeks ago and got it installed in my vehicle. Got it because of the APRS capability. Thanks for the videos on the FTM 400XD, they helped me out a lot.
Thanks for the tutorial. Amazing how almost no one else can explain this stuff in clear english
other than defining APRS correctly, it would seem. ;)
Thanks! I have the FT3DR and wasn’t aware of email. I used your instructions and it worked perfectly.
Whew! That is awesome. Just another reason for me to purchase an FTM-400. They are so nice! Thanks for the demonstration, Michael! Enjoy your Memorial Day weekend! KC3NDG.
Thank you, you have a nice Memorial Day weekend too.
Yeah i love that radio. It's a great mobile.
Another great feature of a long list of features that make up APRS. Great video, Michael. I'm sure many were not aware of this option!
The versatility of APRS never ceases to amaze me. I've been an active user of the mode since I got my license 20 years ago and have seen it stay relevant and useful the entire time.
Great video! I’ve been enjoying using SMEGTE in the Pacific Northwest to text my wife when I am away from cell towers. It helps us keep in touch even in remote areas. Do any email gateways exist?
How is it that for every topic I encounter in this hobby and want to find more information on, you inevitably have a video on it already?! lol, thanks for the info Mike!
Well done!!! VERY informative!! My wife sat with me while I watched and thought this feature was fantastic.....(so she is supportive of me getting an FTM400!!) LOL
This is a great explanation. Thorough and concise. Thank you!
when responding with a phone, you actually don't need to specify the @callsign for reply. It auto assumes the last conversation you were contacting is the default, and keeps that active. If you have more than one conversation, then you need to use the callsign.
May I ask would the respondent I.e. person on cell phone for example need to be a licensed operator considering on their end is "normal" comms? I ask as in this scenario or one I could see being in remote area letting wife know ok etc. would like confirm back if legal. I ask as echolink is on computer but requires call sign login. this is kind of interesting as bridges communication gap.
@@TheRatman969 no. The SMSGTE service knows the identity of the destination ham by previous conversation, and saved that for future identification. It's just a shortcut
@@angelamorley9921May I ask what you are saying no to specifically ? lol .Please understand was attempting confirm a non licensed person can respond via sms legally to the APRS SMS GTE user . I appreciate your response and realize it's not required for that user on cellular end to use (@callsign) unless multiple paths be designated. I am admittedly new to this reading the smsgte site and other areas for info. This seems to really have many real world possiblities as long as those other services are up and running of course. If unsure no problem I am attempting verify elsewhere as well.
@@TheRatman969 You had asked if a cell phone respondent would need to be licensed, and I was answering no to that query. I'm presuming SMSGTE retains all the rights related to transmissable content and station control, perhaps automatically.
Very informative! I appreciate your short and simple videos.
Is there a two way capable igate around the Wausau Wi area?
Thanks for the informative video. This service will probably not be available in Germany? Or?
Loved this guy in Better Call Saul
Very helpful so I subscribed. Thank you.
Great video, Michael! I've gone through the setup on my new FTM-400 and tried to send my first message to SMSGTE, but when I press the transmit button, it beeps but nothing happens (the message doesn't appear to be sending). I have my GPS set to manual because I'm in the house and I've set the proper coordinates and I have the APRS frequency in memory location 1. I notice that I get a TX error when I press the Beacon TX button on the menu. Is there something I'm missing? Everything else seems to be set properly. Thanks! Mike-WB2ADK
I figured it out, but never would have come up with the solution on my own! I found a posting that said if the B-band squelch is set too low, no beaconing will occur. So, I set the squelch high and tried it again. The message went through! I hope that helps someone else. Thanks again for your helpful video! Mike-WB2ADK
Now my problem is that nothing is going through. I can transmit the messages with no trouble, but they're not reaching their destinations. Is it possible the SMSGTE servers are down? I can't even get into my SMSGTE account.
I figured out the smsgte and how to track on the internet my aprs beacon and even winlink over aprs. But is there a way to send an aprs message to another user just by call sign or radio to radio over aprs? Like their call sign plus the -7 or whatever they designate on their aprs?
Yes there is. Sending messages is a standard feature of APRS. Here's a video that shows how to do it with the FTM-400: th-cam.com/video/7teC8eGBXLM/w-d-xo.html
Is there an alternative way to type a message on the ftm-300 since there is no soft keyboard?
Not that I am aware of. I believe the only way to bang out a message is to use the keypad like an old-school text message.
@@KB9VBRAntennas couldn’t do that either as the mic keypad didn’t work. I was left using the control head which is not feasible. Maybe there is a setting I missed for the keypad. BTW, you videos are exceptional, I wish I lived next door. But for you, I’d probably be the neighbor from hell 🤣.
Has anyone tried this with a Mobilinkd Bluetooth TNC and APRSDROID?
Can aprs be used for text messaging from 1 radio directly to another radio?
If the radios are APRS compliant like the Yaesu FT3Dr‚ Kenwood D74A‚ VX8R‚ D710 or FTM400 then yes you can message directly between them
Fantastic video! Will other stations be able to see the number you’re sending to, or the contents of the message?
Yes they will. APRS messages are sent in plain text format so if someone is watching channel traffic, they could see the contents of your message. SMSGate does allow you to set up an alias for your phone number so that information isn't transmitted over the air. That information is on the SMSgate website.
Hey, what would you reccomend for a ham that could use aprs?
Also if ok to ask another question can this be done outside of those "approved" radios i.e. perhaps on a android or IOS device with software app similar to how gps APRS can ?
I really have been enjoying your videos and learning much here. I will make this redundant as asked another person bleow but am curiuos :May I ask would the respondent I.e. person on cell phone for example need to be a licensed operator considering on their end is "normal" comms? I ask as in this scenario or one I could see being in remote area letting wife know ok etc. would like confirm back if legal. I ask as echolink is on computer but requires call sign login as considered amateur radio comm.. this is kind of interesting as bridges communication gap. thx
I apologize reading smsgte site stating more info about using (?) for delivery comfirmation but still would llike to know if a non licensee can respond in the aforementioned .thx
A non-licensed person can send and receive messages via their cell phone using SMSGate. The reason is that the person on the phone is not directly interacting with the amateur radio network. They are‚ in essence‚ sending a message to a server which then in turn sends it to the radio network. It's up to the license holders of the APRS radio networks to assure that that system is running properly according to the rules.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Thank you for your quick response. I verified through smsgte in their faq and received email communication of same as they sent the part 97 portion explanation :....c) No station may transmit third party communications while being automatically controlled except a station transmitting a RTTY or data emission. The data component being the key vs echolink voice for example.I appreciate how responsive this community is and will continue binge watching your videos as so much valuable information and practical application available thanks again. I find APRS capabilities to have much real world use. I'll be ordering one of those take down jpoles from your site.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Couldn't the same be said about the Echolink Android that does require a ham license? Using that app you are talking over a phone or tablet but since it goes out on ham frequencies after the server, you have to be a licensed ham.
Has anyone used the At-878uv to send messages through SMSGTE? I can’t figure out how to enter in “SMSGTE” for the To parameter.
I know it's been 2 years but I just found this. I'm gonna try it on my BTECH 6x2 pro.
I haven't been able to get it to work. I'm using a UV5R with APRSdroid. I've been able to send SOTA spots using APRS2SOTA with this system. But my messages to SMSGTE apparently don't go anywhere.
I've seen weather information passing by on APRS from NWS to other stations near me according to my digipeater connected to APRS-IS but not sure how those work and would like to see those as well. Just wish I knew what they were and how to get them.
Thanks for the suggestion. Carrying weather information on the APRS data stream is a really neat feature. I'll add it to the list of video topics.
@@KB9VBRAntennas Awesome! I'm really looking forward to that one.
1:34 APRS - Automatic Packet Reporting System not “automated position”
I'm still missing how you configure the cell phone to send a sms message to someones radio who is running APRS. Do I have to register with a site? Is there a website I can go to and type in the APRS stations call sign to send a text to?
I am trying to sign up but have issues with it. Do you have a video that shows how to get set up on the website.
confused about one thing and can't seem to find the answer, so maybe I'm misunderstanding something really fundamental. You are sending a radio transmission. Where is this transmission received?? How do I know there is an SMSGTE station who will be able to receive me? Who runs these stations? Other amateurs? Where do I find a list of these stations so I know I'm in range? Nobody else is asking this and I can't find the answer, so I think I might be misunderstanding how it really works.
Thank you. I subscribed.
What a neat, useful cross technology application.
Quick question: Is it legal for someone on a cell phone to reply to the APRS message? I'm imagining that since the station is under the remote control of another ham, that it is. Is this correct?
What does the Scope feature do?
That's the Yaesu Bandscope function. It allows you to see activity in a graphical form for a range of channels or frequencies.
Does the responding party enter their call sign when they text back or the same call sign?
No they don't. They can just enter a message in response or acknowledgement to the one they received.
Great overview thank you! 🙏😎
I want to try this on my new Ft3D when I can figure out how to get APRS working. And suggestions?
Just got mine hooked up today and I get a double quick beep. Doesn’t seem to work for me.
Good job Michael, I'm trying to educate the local hams down here in the metro St.Louis about APRS, they say it big brother and they don't want anybody to see where going. Than I tell what about their I phone tracks them to. 73, kc9boz
That can be a tough sell with the privacy minded crowd. I guess if I don't want anyone to see where I'm going, I will turn the radio off. But you are correct, your phone is always tracking you and all those Apps are busily gobbling up that information and passing it along to third parties.
Does this work with the ft-3dr? I don’t see the MSG button to start a message with.
Yes, it does. Search YT for vids
@@maddog2557 it’s been a year since that post and have since got rid of the ft3d. Maybe there is a new video but I never found the message field after a pretty broad search.
Could be a life saver!! Great info! Thnx!
Is this working in Norway?
I will try this out on my 400. Thanks!
Do you have to register with SMS gte or can you do this without registering with them? I might be confusing my own myself
No registration is necessary to use the service. You can register to create an alias, but that isn't necessary.
Is there something similar that could send to WhatsApp or even e-mail?
There is a method for sending very short email messages via APRS, but its one-way only. That is from the radio to an email address. And there is nothing that I know of for WhatsApp.
APRS = Automatic PACKET ReportingSystem
How cool is this. Thanks Michael. KC3NLS.
does not work in the UK.
Wow, this is genius way for emergency purposes, I hope cheap radio can do this
The radio needs to be APRS capable‚ which rules out most inexpensive radios. Although you could do it with a cheap radio‚ the Btech APRS cable‚ and a phone app running an APRS program.
Don't forget to renew your license
One of the nice things about being an ARRL member is that they send you a reminder card in the mail when the 90 day renewal window opens up- so all I did was send the card back and they renewed the license for free on my behalf.
aprs.fi saves messages for 14 days... just search for SMSGTE and you can get a list of a bunch of phone numbers... I guess it is good you blurred out the number...but it is still available to anyone to see who understands APRS. I personally do not need another way to spread phone numbers to spammers. Use at your own risk.
If you are concerned about your phone number, then you can use an alias to protect it. I talk about that feature in the video.
Does the phone to radio message follow the reverse of the APRS digipeter path?
They should. Digipeaters hold a list of stations they hear so that messages can find their way back to the recipient.