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TM-D710A/E CONTENTS I
PROLOGUE
Amateurs Building the New Global Communications Network
Hams have enjoyed using FM transceivers for years for SSTV, ATV, packet, satellite, EME, GPS
and other communications modes. A fundamental reason for this has been that FM transceivers
are easy to use. Recently, personal computers and the Internet have combined to offer global
communications opportunities. Yet, with their long history of communicating using various
methods, nobody is better prepared than hams to embrace and take advantage of these new
communications techniques to create an even more interesting new global network.
No longer are users of FM transceivers bound by line-of-sight distances and local same-city
coverage. The Internet now shrinks the vast distances to other operators who were once out of
reach by using only an FM transceiver. People now meet, experiment and interact worldwide via
voice and data communications using low-power FM transceivers. These networks built by
individual hams connecting through gateways into the Internet are allowing others to share the
experience that this infrastructure offers.
And the networks are growing in size day-by-day. Hams are using basic FM transceivers to
communicate on a direct one-on-one basis with operators across the globe. Besides hobby
applications, such a communications network also has tremendous capability to deliver a powerful
tool to serve the general public in times of emergencies.
APRS Action
Complementing these voice and data activities is the Automatic Packet Reporting System,
commonly called APRS. Mr. Bob Bruninga WB4APR created APRS back in 1992. Since those
days of first meeting with Bob, Kenwood married radio and GPS technology and our company
developed APRS products over the years.
In the beginning, the TM-V7A/E was popular for use with APRS because the transceiver
supported data communications on a separate band from voice communications. But the Internet,
personal computers and electronic mapping technologies were all in their infancies compared to
now. It has taken a great deal of research for us to create the current TM-D710A/E and the
environment has changed over the years. Besides the basic technology maturing, it is now
possible to use EchoLink over VoIP. This means you can plot stations from the other side of the
planet on a map while sending mail and communicating with them by voice. These are exciting
new activities that didn’t exist in 1992.