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If you've fiddled with your radio's settings, I'd suggest by starting with a microprocessor reset (page 121 in the manual). Otherwise, you may find yourself chasing your tail on some things -- I once helped someone whose radio was reporting the transmitter as being over a thousand miles away from the radio. Then, I realized he had set the radio to tell the distance from the beacon to GPS coordinates 0,0, which is out in the middle of the Pacific Ocean....
I'm assuming you're starting from a display similar to what I show here (which matches where you'll start after a microprocessor reset). I'm also assuming you've programmed your callsign into the BeeLine, or verified that it's already there, and that you know what frequency your transmitter is on.
Turn on your BeeLine GPS and stick it somewhere it can get a good GPS signal. If you don't want to place it outside, stick it in a window, and wait 10 or 15 minutes, so it has time to get a GPS lock.
Turn on your radio, and stick it in the window for about 10 minutes, as well, so it can also get a GPS lock, as well.
Now, for setup... The -8GR has two receivers; only the second one can be used for APRS. The first thing we want to do is set the frequency for the second receiver to match the transmitter. Press the B button and the lower frequency will become larger, indicating you have the second receiver selected. Then, use the keypad to enter the frequency your transmitter is on. In my case, that's 430.850. I write it on a piece of electrical tape I stick on the transmitter, so I never have to try to remember.
At this point, you may hear some static, but you should also periodically hear a short squeal -- this is the APRS packets coming from the BeeLine. Annoying, isn't it? Our next order of business will be to turn on APRS Mute, so we don't have to listen to it.
The -8GR has two setting menus. The first is accessible from the main screen, the second (APRS menu) from the GPS screen. We want to get into the APRS menu, so press the Menu button and you should see the GPS screen. If you don't see this screen, keep pressing the Menu button until you do.
Now, press and hold the Menu button to enter the APRS menu. Turn the volume knob until 7 APRS MUTE is selected, and press the Menu button again.
Rotate the volume knob until "> OFF" changes to "> ON", then press the Menu button again. Now, once we've enabled APRS, the B receiver will be muted. We're not there, yet.
Rotate the volumn knob until 3 APRS MODEM is selected, and press the Menu button. If you're starting from ground zero, it will display "> OFF". Rotate the volume knob until it displays "> 1200bps", at which point you should hear joyful silence, other than a periodic chime. Press the Menu button again.
The chime you're hearing is the APRS Ringer. You can leave it on, or turn it off. Personally, I find it annoying. If you want to turn it off, rotate the volume knob until you get to 9 APRS RINGER BCON, then press Menu, rotate the volume knob until "> OFF" is displayed, then press Menu again. Ah, sweet, blissful silence.
To get out of the menu, press the transmit button on the side of the radio. You should be back at the GPS screen. Press Menu once more to go to the Station List.
You should see your callsign at the top of the list. If you don't, you missed a step somewhere, you're on the wrong frequency for your transmitter, or your transmitter isn't configured the way you think it is (check the BeeLine configuration with the BeeLine software).
To display where the transmitter is relative to your radio, with your callsign selected, press the Band button.
This shows distance and bearing from the radio's location to the beacon. It also shows the GPS coordinates, and altitude of the beacon -- use the volume knob to scroll up and down within this display. The altitude is in the Comment Text field and is prefixed with "A=". In my case, it's 1177 feet.
That's all there is to it.
At the field, to cycle between displays on the radio, press Menu. Select your callsign and press Band to display distance and bearing to your transmitter.
Now, go fly a rocket.
-Kevin
I'm assuming you're starting from a display similar to what I show here (which matches where you'll start after a microprocessor reset). I'm also assuming you've programmed your callsign into the BeeLine, or verified that it's already there, and that you know what frequency your transmitter is on.
Turn on your BeeLine GPS and stick it somewhere it can get a good GPS signal. If you don't want to place it outside, stick it in a window, and wait 10 or 15 minutes, so it has time to get a GPS lock.
Turn on your radio, and stick it in the window for about 10 minutes, as well, so it can also get a GPS lock, as well.
Now, for setup... The -8GR has two receivers; only the second one can be used for APRS. The first thing we want to do is set the frequency for the second receiver to match the transmitter. Press the B button and the lower frequency will become larger, indicating you have the second receiver selected. Then, use the keypad to enter the frequency your transmitter is on. In my case, that's 430.850. I write it on a piece of electrical tape I stick on the transmitter, so I never have to try to remember.
At this point, you may hear some static, but you should also periodically hear a short squeal -- this is the APRS packets coming from the BeeLine. Annoying, isn't it? Our next order of business will be to turn on APRS Mute, so we don't have to listen to it.
The -8GR has two setting menus. The first is accessible from the main screen, the second (APRS menu) from the GPS screen. We want to get into the APRS menu, so press the Menu button and you should see the GPS screen. If you don't see this screen, keep pressing the Menu button until you do.
Now, press and hold the Menu button to enter the APRS menu. Turn the volume knob until 7 APRS MUTE is selected, and press the Menu button again.
Rotate the volume knob until "> OFF" changes to "> ON", then press the Menu button again. Now, once we've enabled APRS, the B receiver will be muted. We're not there, yet.
Rotate the volumn knob until 3 APRS MODEM is selected, and press the Menu button. If you're starting from ground zero, it will display "> OFF". Rotate the volume knob until it displays "> 1200bps", at which point you should hear joyful silence, other than a periodic chime. Press the Menu button again.
The chime you're hearing is the APRS Ringer. You can leave it on, or turn it off. Personally, I find it annoying. If you want to turn it off, rotate the volume knob until you get to 9 APRS RINGER BCON, then press Menu, rotate the volume knob until "> OFF" is displayed, then press Menu again. Ah, sweet, blissful silence.
To get out of the menu, press the transmit button on the side of the radio. You should be back at the GPS screen. Press Menu once more to go to the Station List.
You should see your callsign at the top of the list. If you don't, you missed a step somewhere, you're on the wrong frequency for your transmitter, or your transmitter isn't configured the way you think it is (check the BeeLine configuration with the BeeLine software).
To display where the transmitter is relative to your radio, with your callsign selected, press the Band button.
This shows distance and bearing from the radio's location to the beacon. It also shows the GPS coordinates, and altitude of the beacon -- use the volume knob to scroll up and down within this display. The altitude is in the Comment Text field and is prefixed with "A=". In my case, it's 1177 feet.
That's all there is to it.
At the field, to cycle between displays on the radio, press Menu. Select your callsign and press Band to display distance and bearing to your transmitter.
Now, go fly a rocket.
-Kevin