ALogger Satellite Serial port Help. ALogger can capture serial port data from a TNC2 compatible TNC, log the data to disk, and gate valid APRS packets to the APRS Internet system. It will NOT work with a KISS TNC! Requirements: TNC2 compatible TNC, capable of converse mode. Serial port. Internet connection (optional). This version is setup specifcally to capture data from PCSAT2 via UHF at 9600 baud. See the regular ALogger Help file by clicking on main menu selection "Help" to configure ALogger Internet and user settings. Note that Phil, AD6NH has set up a SATGATE server at satgate.aprsca.net:20150 specifically for PCSAT2 gates. You can select this server via the ALogger "Server" tab, "Server List". You must have ALogger disconnected from the Internet before you can select a new server. Serial port Quick Start: 1. Select the "Serial" tab. 2. Check "A Log all packets containing" check box. 3. The "A Log serial Text" combo box should contain the calls PCSAT2, PC2PSK, PC2TLM and PC2XA. 4. Check "B Log all packets containing" check box. 5. The "B Log serial Text" combo box should contain the calls ISSTLM, PC2ISS, PC2RPT and PC2XXB 6. Click on "Setup Port" to configure your serial port. Select the port, set baud rate, set parity to none, Stop bits to 1, and select "Terminate Lines with CR". Click on "Save" button to save serial port settings. click "Open Port" button to open the serial port. Click on the "X' in the upper right corner to close the serial port dialog. 7. You can log all serial port data to disk by checking "Log serial data". 8. You can log all serial port telemetry data to disk by checking "Log Serial Telemetry". 9. Check "Gate Valid APRS packets to APRS-IS" if you want to send PCSAT data to the APRS-IS when connected to an APRS-IS server. See the regular ALogger help file for details. Logging Quick Start: 1. Select the "Log Text" tab. 2. Enter your amateur radio call sign in "Logon Call". 3. Enter your APRS-IS validation number in "Validation #". This box will default to "-1" indicating no validation number is available. 4. If you have a valid amateur radio callsign, uncheck "Unverified Logon". If checked, ALogger will always use an unverified logon, regardless of what you have entered in the "Validation #" edit box. 5. "Send additional text at logon" is used to connect to a server capable of filtering the APRS-IS feed. 6. "Additional Logon Text" is used to send a filter command to a server at logon. PCSat2 users should include (all on one line): filter p/PCSAT2/PC2PSK/PC2TLM/PC2XXA/ISSTLM/PC2ISS/PC2RPT/PC2XXB d/PCSAT2/PC2PSK/PC2TLM/PC2XXA/ISSTLM/PC2ISS/PC2RPT/PC2XXB and a range filter such as r/41/-88/500 7. See the regular ALogger Help file for details on logging packets received from the Internet to disk. If you do NOT have a validation number: "Validation #" is common to all APRS programs and is based on the entered callsign (ignoring any SSID). All APRS programs require a validation number. If you have UiView, WinAprs, etc, and are a licensed amateur the validation number from these programs is valid for ALogger, provided you use the same callsign, with a different SSID. If you are a licensed amateur and do not have a validation # you can obtain one by submitting your name, address, and callsign to one of the following email addresses: william.diaz@comcast.net bruninga@usna.edu ALogger disk files: ALogger was designed primarily to log APRS-IS packets to disk. The logged files can be viewed via Menu selection "File, View logged data". The "View File" window allows you to select individual files for viewing, editing and can be used to filter packets in files, and change display formats. The "View File" window has a help menu selection containing detailed info. ALogger file name formats: LYYYYMMDDxxxx.txt. Every log file name starts with an L, contains the date in YEARMONTHDAY format, and has an optional descriptive name and a .Txt extension. ALogger capture file Name examples: LA20050730AList.txt contains all packets originated by a call in the "A Log Serial Text" combo box. LB20050730AList.txt contains all packets originated by a call in the "B Log Serial Text" combo box. LD20050730AList.txt contains all packets digipeated by a call in the "A Log Serial Text" combo box. LD20050730AList.txt contains all packets digipeated by a call in the "B Log Serial Text" combo box. LA20050730ATelemetry.txt contains all telemetry packets oringated by a call in the "A Log Serial Text" combo box. LB20050730BTelemetry.txt contains all telemetry packets oringated by a call in the "B Log Serial Text" combo box. L20050730STelemetry.txt contains all telemetry packets originated by a call in the "B Log Serial Text" or "A Log Serial Text" combo. L20050730SerialLog.txt contains all packets received over the serial port. Capture file format: The actual format depends on the "Log Text" tab, "Include in log header" radio button settings. If "No time in header" is selected, the file will only contain the raw APRS packet. If "UTC time in header" or "Local time in header" is selected each line will contain the source of the data, datetime captured, and the raw packet. Examples: Packet captured on serial port, using UTC time stamp. !S 16:50:41 !PCSAT2>APRLTM,SGATE:T# IGNORE ALogger A side test packet Packet captured from Internet, using UTC time stamp. !T 16:53:39 !KC9XG>APRS,PC2XXB:> IGNORE ALogger B side test digi packet Filtering captured text files: The View File menu selection, "Remove", "Header / TimeStamp" can be used to remove the time stamp from the displayed file. The View File menu Selection, "Remove", "APRS Header" can be used to remove the APRS header, leaving only the packet payload. The "Header / TimeStamp" should be removed before removing the APRS header. The View File menu Selection "Remove", "Text" can be used to remove entire lines/Packets that contain user entered text. The "include or reject lines that contain" text box is used in conjunction with the "Include" or "Reject" radio buttons and the "Apply" button to filter the displayed data. The "Sort" button can be used to sort the displayed text. Displayed text can be Printed, displayed in Hex format, Control char format and saved to a new file name. Filters only affect displayed text, not the actual disk file. If you wish to save a raw file to a new file name, or save a filtered file to a new file name, press the "Save File" button. Bob, WB4APR specified the following naming convention for submitting PCSAT2 files to PC2@grc.usna.gov : PC2_YYMMDD_HHMM_CALL.txt For example, if I captured a file on the latest pass, I would save the displayed file to PC2_05070030_KC9XG.txt to disk and then email the file as an attachment to PC2@grc.usna.gov . The subject line of the email shoudl contain the file name. Once a log file is successfully emailed to PC2@grc.usna.gov you should delete the original file name, to ensure that you have only current data in the file. Do NOT delete the PC2_ filename, since this will contain the data you captured. NOTES: ALogger is copyright 2001-2005 William Diaz, KC9XG APRS is a trademark of Bob Bruninga, WB4APR Contact info: Bill KC9XG william.diaz@comcast.net 815-838-1194 (No voice mail) 815-258-4067 cell. (Voice mail).