APRS is distributed on a single 3.5 inch HD disk with these files:
INSTALL.TXT - This file
PKUNZIP.exe - For unzipping APRS (omitted from some disks to make room)
APRSxxx.zip - ALL major files. Builds 6 subdirectories:
MAPS - Holds all MAPS
HSTS - History files SYSTEM - APRS system files
BAKS - BACKUP files README - all README files
LOGS - LOG directory MAPLISTS - all maplists
Xmapsvv.zip - Regional maps Emapsxx.zip - East maps
NEAmapsx.zip - North East maps
Mmapsxx.zip - Midwest maps
Cmapsxx.zip - Central Maps
Wmapsxx.zip - West Maps
SEmapsxx.zip - S.East maps
*YOU MUST USE A RECENT VERSION (>1993) OF PKUNZIP.APRS will run on any 8088 through 486 PC with CGA,EGA, or VGA. BUT NEEDS ALMOST 540 K of free memory. You may have to remove TSR's or reduce the requirements of your CONFIG.sys. APRSMIN.EXE will run with only 411K. APRS will NOT work with non standard video cards, for example, the Hercules Video card. You may make this work marginally by running the readily available SIMCGA P program first to make it simulate a real CGA device.
TO INSTALL APRS on your SYSTEM: DOS COMMAND
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1. Create APRS directory on your Harddrive- MD APRS
2. Change Directory into that directory - CD APRS
3. Put APRS disk into A and change to A - A: (or B:)
Do Pkunzip with directories: - PKUNZIP -d APRSvv.ZIP C:
4. Get the maps for your area - PKUNZIP -d Xmapsvv.ZIP C:
(where X is your region, E,NEA,M,C,SE or W)
5. Execute APRSxxx - APRSxxx
a. Give your call and other info as prompted.
a+ Use MAPS-CHANGE to select your EAS,NEA,MID,CEN,WES or SE MAPLIST.xxx
b. Move cursor to your exact QTH using arrow keys and PgDn (shft-PgDN)
c. Hit INPUT-MY-POS command and answer QTH questions
d. Use UNPROTO command to set your VIA Digipeater path (needs TNC)
e. Move and center map to your area of interest and preferred range scale
f. Save a config file using alt-S-SAVE (repeat steps e - g at anytime)
g. Provide your Validation # when requested during the SAVE command.
(APRS will only ask for the V#'s for your present configuration.)
h. WRITE DOWN YOUR V#'s on your wall. Don't lose them!
6. Troubleshooting tips. READ TROUBLE.HTM!
a. Verify COMMS with TNC using the OPS-COMM-TNC command.
b. For AEA or KANTRONICS, set EXPert ON or INTFACE TERMINAL in order
for the TNC to respond to some APRS commands
7. OPERATING TIPS:
a. For convenience, you may RENAME the .EXE file to APRS.EXE. You can
always find the Version # on the F1-LOGO or HELP screen.
b. APRS has two command line options:
* APRSxx /b will execute APRS AND load the last BACKUP file
* APRSxx /xyz will execute APRS from an alternate config file .xyz
see 5f above.
c. You may customize the TNC commands INITIALIZED and RESTORED by APRS
in the files named InitTAPR.TNC, InitAEA.TNC and RESTORE.TNC.
Add commands or use the * to REM out any unused lines. BE CAREFUL,
APRS will NOT work unless all the parameters are correct for ur TNC.
My distro disk contains the big USA maps and your regional maps. You must
check with your local BBS or APRS friends for your own STATE maps. Look
for XXmapsVV.zip where XX is your state abbreviation, and VV is the latest
Version number. See MAPS.HTM for info on additional
maps, and MAPMAKIN.HTM
on how to make maps or to customize your MAPLIST.xxx file to your area.THE LATEST APRS is posted on the TAPR.ORG FTP site in the /tapr/SIG/aprssig /files/upload directory along with a file similar to 76to77a.zip which will contain only the files that changed since the earlier release. Come join the aprssig on the INTERNET! See http://www.tapr.org for details
************ REMEMBER TO USE PKUNZIP -d ***********
UPGRADES: If you are unzipping an upgraded copy of APRS, or any of the XMAPS.ZIP files, you can use the command PKUNZIP -dn and only NEW files will be unzipped into your APRS directories... Also READ NEWNOTES.HTM to see what has changed!
FOR A LIST OF INTERNET and other phone line BBS's known to carry APRS, and more state maps, see the last paragraph of the READMEREADME.1st file. It also announces the APRSsig on the Internet for exchange of ideas on APRS! See also DOWNLOAD.HTM file too.
See my web page: http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html FTP the latest APRS: @tapr.org in tapr/SIG/aprssig/files/dosstuff/APRSdos
READ: INDEX.HTM, APRS.HTM, HELP.HTM, etc
If you want to zoom into other areas of the country, not included on your distro disk, simply download and PKUNZIP -d some of the other map.ZIP files, and use the MAPS-CHANGE command to temporarily load the MAPLIST appropriate to the new maps. Then just zoom in and maps will automatically appear.
MINIMUM SYSTEMS: Despite the 3 Mbyte size of the whole APRS system, a minimum system can be built in under 500K with only the .EXE, MAPLIST.xxx, at least one .MAP file, and all SYSTEM files. All directories must be at least created even if empty. You can also delete the SYSTEM*.POS files.
RUNNING ON A and B FLOPPY-ONLY SYSTEMS: Build a Boot-System disk, copy only APRSxx.EXE onto that disk. Put that in the A: drive. On another disk put as much APRS as you need. Put ALL of the SYSTEM directory there, Make MAPS and MAPLISTS directories and put at least the MAPLIST.USA and USA.MAP files there (add others as you have room). Then at least create the LOGS,HSTS,POS,README directories. Now Boot up on the A drive, Change default drive to B:. Then RUN APRSxx from B: with the command A:APRSxx. APRS will then use the B: drive as the default and run just fine.
DISTRO ON TWO 720K FLOPPIES: I do NOT do this, but it is easy for YOU to split the APRS distro disk for sharing with others on TWO-720K disks as follows:
1) MD ATEMP (make a temporary directory)
2) PKunzip APRSxxx.zip MAPS*.* ATEMP (Unzip just the USA MAPS there)
3) COPY APRSxxx.ZIP APRShalf.zip
4) PKZIP -d APRShalf.zip MAPS*.* (DELETE all USA maps from this ZIP)
5) PKZIP USAMAPS.zip ATEMP*.* (Zip up all the maps into USAMAPS.zip)
6) Now copy APRShalf.zip, about 650K onto one disk
Copy USAMAPS.zip and your regional XmapsYY.ZIP onto the other....
7) The 720K user then uses PKUNZIP -d on the APRS and Xmaps files
then he changes into his MAPS directory and does a regular PKUNZIP
of the USAMAPS.zip file.