Progress! We have progress!
Serial cable is made, radio talks happily to the computer. Next up was figuring out why the radio wasn't decoding packets from the BeeLine.
So, I retrieved my PicPac from the friend who borrowed it; problem is at first he forgot to return the cable that goes from the VX-2r to the PicPac. And since the VX-2r uses a special plug (4 conductor 1/8" jack), it wasn't something I could easily build a second of.
So, today I got the audio cable back, and tonight I had a chance to play some more (fixing the window on the Explorer took priority, as rain would've made a mess with the window stuck down).
First up... Make sure the PicPac is decoding, so I can verify what the BeeLine is transmitting. Done.
Second, clear the APRS station list on the -8GR. Done, after I dug through the manual a bit.
Third, figure out why the -8GR wasn't decoding... Okay, dummy, somewhere along the way, you set the modem to the wrong baud rate. Doh! Done. Fixed, decoding.
....and voila! The computer receives the string $GPWL,4109.42,N,09554.10,W,KC0UJU-1*31 as soon as the BeeLine transmits a packet. So, it's sending NMEA strings, and you can pick which standard you want. There are four options.
So yes, the -8GR will indeed set waypoints on your GPS, if you want it to.
-Kevin