INSTALL.TXT APRS DOS INSTALLATION Document version: 8.7.6 Document dated: 2 Feb 2008 (Previous was 14 Sep 2001) Author(s): Bob Bruninga, WB4APR@amsat.org ABSTRACT: Installing APRS. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ APRS is zipped into a single APRSxxx.ZIP file containing these files: You must use PKUNZIP -d option or WINZIP to cause it to unzip all directories properly. It will unzip with these directories: APRSxxx.zip - ALL major files. Builds 6 subdirectories: MAPS - Holds all MAPS POS - Overlay files HSTS - History files SYSTEM - APRS system files BAKS - BACKUP files README - all README files LOGS - LOG directory MAPLISTS - all maplists PROGRAMS - misc Basic routines It will run with some basic stick maps for the whole USA. But for better maps in your region of the country, it is also best to get the lastest of the following files for your area: Xmapsvv.zip - Regional maps Emapsxx.zip - East maps NEAmapsx.zip - North East maps Mmapsxx.zip - Midwest maps Cmapsxx.zip - Central Maps Wmapsxx.zip - West Maps SEmapsxx.zip - S.East maps NWmapsxx.zip - Northwest maps SOmapsxx.zip - South EUmapsxx.zip - Europe There are also map packages for Germany, Finland, the UK, Africa, Japan, New Zeland, and South America, and Central America, Bosnia. The EXECUTABLE is always APRSxxx.exe but there is always an APRS.BAT file that will run the latest program direectly. Also, there are many APRSdos executables tailored to specific applications: APRSxxx.EXE The latest version and will do everything. But only can hold about 100 stations APRSXxx.EXE Has some stuff removed to make room for 250 stations APRStk.EXE Normal APRS but with Satellite tracking and auto- radio tuning for the satellites and RShack rotator control APRSdata.EXE A regional data server of Tiny-Web-Pages for Kenwoods APRSdr.EXE Can dead-reckon runners around a marathon course And more. THese you have to download separately from TAPR and also install with PKUNZIP -d. *YOU MUST USE THE PKUNZIP -dn (or WinZIP) TO GET THE APRS SUBDIRECTORIES! APRS will run on any 8088 through 486 PC with CGA,EGA, or VGA. BUT NEEDS ALMOST 550 K of free memory. APRSMIN.EXE will run with only 411K. APRStxt.EXE will run on TEXT-ONLY palmtops. TO INSTALL APRS on your SYSTEM: DOS COMMAND -------------------------------------------- -------------------------------- 1. Create APRS directory on your Harddrive- MD APRS 2. Change Directory into that directory - CD APRS 3. Put APRS disk into A and change to A - A: (or B:) Do Pkunzip with directories: - PKUNZIP -d APRSxxx.ZIP C: 4. Get the maps for your area - PKUNZIP -d Xmapsxx.ZIP C: (where X is your region, E,NEA,M,C,SE or W) 5. Execute APRS (APRS.BAT is included) - APRS All APRS commands are spelled out, but are actually single key strokes a. Give your call and other info as prompted. b. Use MAPS-CONFIG-CHANGE to select MAPs for your area. (USA default) c. Move cursor to your QTH using arrow keys and PgDn (shft-PgDN) d. Hit INPUT-MY-POS command and answer QTH questions e. Use UNPROTO command to set your VIA Digipeater path (needs TNC) f. Move and center map to your area of interest and range scale g. Save a config file using alt-S-SAVE (repeat steps b - g at anytime) h. A Validation # is no longer needed for the SAVE command. 6. Troubleshooting tips. READ TROUBLE.txt! a. Verify COMMS with TNC using the OPS-COMM-TNC command. b. For AEA or KANTRONICS TNC's, use the TNC commands of EXPert ON or INTFACE TERMINAL in order for the TNC to respond to some APRS commands 7. OPERATING TIPS: a. APRS.BAT simply executes the latest APRSxxx.EXE version. As a .BAT file, it also makes Windows happier when you exit. b. APRS has three command line options: * APRSxxx/new will execute APRS from a brand new startup * APRSxxx/n will execute APRS and NOT load the last BACKUP file * APRSxxx/xyz will execute APRS from an alternate config file .xyz see 5g above. c. You may customize the TNC commands INITIALIZED and RESTORED by APRS in the files named InitXXXX.TNC and RESTORE.TNC, etc. Add commands or use the * to REM out any unused lines. BE CAREFUL, APRS will NOT work unless all the parameters are correct for ur TNC. The main APRSxxx.ZIP file contains the major crude USA maps. You need the regional distribution to get better resolution. But in some local areas, some locals have made local maps too which might be useful... Local STATE map distributions might have the file name of SSmaps.ZIP for your state (SS). See MAPS.txt for info on additional maps, and MAPMAKIN.txt on how to make maps or to customize your MAPLIST.xxx file to your area. THE LATEST APRS is posted on the TAPR.ORG FTP site in the directory of aprssig/dosstuff/APRSdos. That directory contains all other files for which I am responsible. Other local maps may be found one directory up. Come join the aprsnews@tapr.org on the INTERNET for the latest, or aprssig @tapr.org for all the discussions! ************ REMEMBER TO USE PKUNZIP -dn *********** UPGRADES: If you are unzipping an upgraded copy of APRS, or any of the XMAPS.ZIP files, the command PKUNZIP -dn will unzip only the NEW files. Then READ NEWNOTES.txt to see what has changed! See DOWNLOAD.TXT for info on downloading APRS or to join the APRS Email reflector called APRSSIG... a great place to learn about APRS. See my web page: http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs.html READ: README.1st, APRS.txt, HELP.txt, etc If you want to zoom into other areas of the country, not included on your distro disk, simply download and PKUNZIP -dn some of the other map.ZIP files, and use the MAPS-CONFIG-CHANGE command to temporarily load the MAPLIST appropriate to the new maps. Then just zoom in and maps will automatically appear. APRS defaults to the MAPLIST.APR which is an exact copy of MAPLIST.USA. You can change this default by copying any other maplist to MAPLIST.APR. MINIMUM SYSTEMS: Despite the 3 Mbyte size of the whole APRS system, a minimum system can be built in under 500K with only the .EXE, MAPLIST.xxx, at least one .MAP file, and all SYSTEM files. All directories must be at least created even if empty. RUNNING ON A and B FLOPPY-ONLY SYSTEMS: Build a Boot-System disk, copy only APRSxxx.EXE onto that disk. Put that in the A: drive. On another disk put as much APRS as you need. Put ALL of the SYSTEM directory there, Make MAPS and MAPLISTS directories and put at least the MAPLIST.USA and USA.MAP files there (add others as you have room). Then at least create the LOGS,HSTS,POS,README directories. Now Boot up on the A drive, Change default drive to B:. Then RUN APRSxxx from B: with the command A:APRSxxx. APRS will then use the B: drive as the default and run just fine. DISTRO ON TWO 720K FLOPPIES: It is easy for you to split the APRS distro disk for sharing with others on TWO-720K disks as follows: 1) MD ATEMP (make a temporary directory) 2) PKunzip APRSxxx.zip MAPS\*.* ATEMP (Unzip just the USA MAPS there) 3) COPY APRSxxx.ZIP APRShalf.zip 4) PKZIP -d APRShalf.zip MAPS\*.* (DELETE all USA maps from this ZIP) 5) PKZIP USAMAPS.zip ATEMP\*.* (Zip up all the maps into USAMAPS.zip) 6) Now copy APRShalf.zip, about 650K onto one disk Copy USAMAPS.zip and your regional XmapsYY.ZIP onto the other.... 7) The 720K user then uses PKUNZIP -dn on the APRShalf and Xmaps files then he changes into his MAPS directory and does a regular PKUNZIP of the USAMAPS.zip file. RUN FROM A SINGLE BOOTABLE FLOPPY: APRSdos can be made to fit on a single SYSTEM disk. This is useful for old PC's with dead hard drives for very low cost APRS applications. To build a single floppy system that will boot the PC and RUN APRSdos simply unzip the regional distribution for your area into a new directory. Stick a blank floppy into drive A. Then in that directory, run the MAKESYS.BAT file. It will SYSTEM the A drive and copy a minimum APRS set onto the floppy.