COMMERCL.txt 7.4a         COMMERCIAL VERSIONS OF APRS


COPYRIGHT 1992,93,94,95:  The APRS formats are provided to all radio 
amateurs for use in the amateur radio service.  Anyone is encouraged 
to apply the APRS formats in the TRANSMISSION of position, weather, and 
status packets. However, the author reserves the ownership of these 
protocols for exclusive commercial application and for all reception 
and plotting applications.  Other software engineers desiring to include 
APRS RECEPTION in their  software for sale within or outside of the 
amateur community will require a license from the author.  (very 
reasonably priced)  

COMMERCIAL VERSIONS OF APRS ARE AVAILABLE and we can engineer specific
needs and applications.  Pricing is under $200 for the first dispatcher
copy of APRS and a modest fee per stand-alone-tracking unit (Less than $25
each for 10).  Additional copies of APRS for mobiles with PC's are   
significantly less.  Two significant enhancements for the dispatcher are
the OPTIONAL data interfaces so that APRS CAN SEND POSITS TO OTHER SOFTWARE 
PACKAGES.  Some of these other packages can zoom into the individual street 
address and access other data bases for dispatching of fleet vehicles.  
There are currently two such interfaces:


STREETS-ON-DISK:

    With this option, APRS writes all positions to a file so that the other
program such as STREETS-ON-DISK, can display all object positions from that
file (you run both APRS and STREETS in a multi-tasking environment)  The
STREETS program is sold by KLYNAS Engineering 805 583-1133 for about $225
but costs an additional $95 per county.  The APRS interface to STREETS is
available from the author or PACCOMM at an introductory rate of $95. (Less
for amateur use).  For more info contact Jim Carter, 2029 W. Hall Ave,
Santa Ana, CA 92704-5508 who has written a detail interface document.


DELOREM MAPING:

     For other maping and data base programs that accept a NMEA input on a
serial port,  APRS can output NMEA data via its second serial port to
simulate the output of a GPS.  In this method, the APRS operator hooks any
object on the screen, and that position report is sent as a NMEA string over
to the other program that plots it on the map.  In this scenario, APRS CAN
MAKE AN IDEAL FRONT END PACKET COMMUNICATIONS PROCESSOR FOR ANY OTHER DATA
BASE SYSTEM!  Note, that this arrangement requires TWO COMPUTERS connected
via a serial cable.  Thus the APRS computer will need DUAL COM1/COM2 ports.

The second compputer running Delorme software does not even know APRS is
there.  It simply thinks it is seeing a position report from an attached
GPS.  APRS simply outputs a GGA/VTG data format as if it was a navigation
device.  To select an object or station for output from APRS to the other
computer, simply use the cursor to HOOK the station.  Each time you hook a
station, a NMEA-0183 report will be sent to the other computer via the
selected COMMport (usually 2 if your TNC is on COM1).  If you want to track
a particular station continuously, simply hook the station on the P-List and
select TRACK function.  Then, every position report from that station will
generate a NMEA report to the other computer.  Also the +/- keys can be used
to quickly step through every station in APRS and transfer those posits over
to the other computer.

This pre-processor arrangement allows APRS to keep the big picture of where
everyone is on the big maps, and allows the normal APRS communications
capabilities between stations.  All detail maping functions and database
applications are then run on a companion computer indpendent of APRS.  The
communications operator simply hands off position reports to the database
operator whenever further detail on a unit is needed.  Since Delorme or
other computers expect a single GPS connected, only one object shows up on 
their maps at a time...

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:  Bob Bruninga 410-293-4380 days
                                115 Old Farm Ct, Glen Burnie, MD 21060

OR:                             PacComm                813 874-2980 BUSINESS
                                4413 N. Hesperides St  813 875-6417 TECH
                                Tampa, Fla 33614-7618

