Brent Hildebrand KH2Z, of Redlands California was interested in GPS and the Delorme map program. He first wrote a Windows program that allowed you to download and upload data to a Garmin GPS. This allows you to keep data files of plotted points, and create and upload your own points of interest. He then found a way to format and deliver this data to the Delorme Street Atlas mapping program, and have your points and tracks from the GPS plot on the map screen. This is a very good and easy to use program, and Brent still is supporting and upgrading it. If you have a GPS, try out Waypoint+ v1.7.05 available at http://www.tapr.org/~kh2z/Waypoint/.
After you understand the concepts of Street Atlas, GPS, and Waypoint+, the addition of APRS Packet radio to the mix is a natural. APRSa4, or APRSplus as it is now called, has been in beta testing for almost a year. Many additions and corrections have been made over this period. Brent has been very open to suggestions for new features and improvements. There is a open E-mail remailer for APRSplus run by Sam Nabkey, K8SN (k8sn@k8sn.org). The remailer is a good source of setup and operational information on the program. One of the things that Brent has not had time to address is any sort of help file, or documentation for the program. Many revision and release notes are still available to get a sense of the features of the program. But it is mostly click around and find out what happens. Sam has a WWW page that was the download point for APRSplus during the beta testing phase. You can still sign up for the remailer on the site. Please see http://www.k8sn.org/aprsa4/
The latest version of the program is now available at the TAPR WWW site at:
http://www.tapr.org/~kh2z/aprsplus/
APRSplus has now left the BETA testing phase, and is now in a registerable form at $60.00. The shareware version still operates, but will not store the full setup information between sessions.
This was the first APRS program to display the data on good quality "useable" maps. Not to slam DOS or the older versions of WinAPRS, but the DOS version maps were frankly worthless for my needs, and I fully admit that I could never figure out how to produce my own maps (with enough resolution to be of any real use). I still use, and follow the development of APRSPlus, however I feel now, with WinAPRS using Precision Mapping, this may be the way to go for our special event uses here (if they can work out a few "bugs"). Please see the WinAPRS page.
My sincere thanks and a "Well Done" to Brent on single handedly bringing APRS and Packet radio back to life! IMHO.
Drop Brent a note if you like the program, he'd like to hear your comments.
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Dec. 5, 1998