Where is your VW really at?

Hmmmm ... my car is in my driveway (to answer your question).

But I do see where this could be handy. Since I'm the only driver of my car, if I install a laptop computer and this device, then I'll know exactly where my car is while I'm driving it (who needs windows anyway?). And I won't have to look at that pesky speedometer anymore because if I exceed the speed limit while I'm driving my cell phone will ring and the car will tell me!

To All:

Shortly after hand-held GPS units became available, ham radio operators following the lead of Bob Bruninga, developed what's come to be known as the Automatic Position Reporting System. APRS transmits the data from a GPS unit to a communication network set up by Amateur Radio Operators to show, on a map, the locations of the GPS units.

In 2002 I installed such a unit on my 1965 bus as a theft-recovery device (it's already fitted with a number of theft-prevention devices but they can't prevent it from being pulled onto a tilt-bed and hauled away). At that time I posted a couple of articles about the technology and its use for keeping track of things.

I'm not familiar with the 'awesome' device being touted by Kevin but assume it uses similar technology. The units I made were based on new/surplus GPS boards, the Tiny Trak modem and a variety of elderly 2m HT's. Total cost per installation was about $50; I assume it would be slightly more today.

-Bob Hoover

-(KA6HZF)

HAMs seem to be our pioneers in a lot of things, including the development of functional precursors to internet protocols.

Yup - did the same thing in the day, using a simple GPS, AX25 modem and

70 cm radio. It was fun for a couple of days to be able to see where the car was at all times, but got quite boring after that. For a little while, I did tie this mess to a digital direction finding system to find jammers. That was actually pretty cool.

Funny how they tout this stuff as being exciting, like for instance those nextel two way radio service that everyone seems to use now. We had that stuff when Lassie was a pup.

Remco (KB1ZB - ex PE1DGC)

LOL

I hope the device can also enable the motor!!!

The other day a guy that told me that there is a device that you can use when playing golf that can tell you if you hit the ball.

The things they invent!!! LOL

Jo=E3o

Yep, but I bet you didn't sit in restaurants yapping on your HT's like the folks with these Nextels do now. Bad enough to have to listen to one side of the conversation . . .

mine is in the driveway... back home after 5 months away from the hurricane devastated MS coast. Well she didnt go far... i towed her from the house to the parking lot of where we were staying so i could keep an eye on her.

But for now she isnt running... motor trashed, sitting in a wheel barrow - disassembled. : (

mine is in the driveway... back home after 5 months away from the hurricane devastated MS coast. Well she didnt go far... i towed her from the house to the parking lot of where we were staying so i could keep an eye on her.

But for now she isnt running... motor trashed, sitting in a wheel barrow - disassembled. : (

Bob, I'll pose this GPS question to you: (and probably get a little off topic too) My hunting buddy and I know nothing about the design or construction of a GPS.......but we both think it would be a wonderful thing to each have a handheld GPS unit that not only shows our position, but would indicate the other guy's position too. (this is a safety thing while stalk hunting in the deep woods) Could that be done with the technology you used on your tracker? Or........are you aware of it being available on the market?

Richy Iverson

On 6 Feb 2006 17:36:53 -0800, " snipped-for-privacy@aol.com" scribbled this interesting note:

A few nights ago I attended a marketing research study. The item of interest was a new, as yet not on the market, cell phone and package that will be offered by T-Mobile. This kind of GPS tracking is supposed to be available, as well as a handful of other nifty options like a buddy list similar to instant messaging, and other ideas already in use elsewhere but all rolled up into a cell phone package.

Of all the options they revealed the GPS feature seemed to me to be the most useful.

-- John Willis snipped-for-privacy@airmail.net (Remove the Primes before e-mailing me)

I don't even have a cell phone but I noticed that one site at least is offering free tracking of GPS enabled cell phones. There are probably other sites. Hack this stuff together with the Google maps API and you can probably have a nice little real-time location monitor for under $100 total.

I was thinking perhaps of doing this to monitor my dad who is becoming rather absent-minded.

I wish they invent a device that helps me get the ball into the clown's mouth or through the windmill -- anyone can shoot a ball in a tiny hole from 100 yards away, but I can never seem to shoot my ball through the windmill in one shot :)

Digital cameras will be including GPS information in the image data Real Soon Now.

"-- anyone can shoot a ball in a tiny hole"

...ahh the hours I've spent in life pursuing that goal. ;^)

and that rhymes with T and that stands for trouble!!

Fweem

anyone can shoot a ball in a tiny hole

I have a 300 Win Mag that I can do it with at 100 yd's.

Wow - how golf has changed, allowing sniping rounds at golf courses now..

I don't know if this counts for anything, but let me brag for a second: I can pee the center of my toilet from five feet away ( of course, it only has four feet to go.. :)

Now that is what I call a lousy shot. As for the golf balls they do make great targets. You shoud see them go when hit with a 50 cal. black power rifle. Better then the best driver just not as stright.