HamHUD

A Whole New Way of Operating Mobile Ham Radio
Integrating APRS^®, GPS Nav, & Voice

• 5-16-08 ***ANNOUNCING***
  Kenwood is announcing today at the Dayton Hamvention that the latest TM-D710 and RC-D710 firmware will include SmartBeaconing from HamHUD Nichetronix!  Congratulations Kenwood!
  
  
  
• 2-12-07  That was quick!   We are OUT of HamHUD II kits.  New orders of HamHUD IIs will have at least a 6-week delay while we get a new batch of enclosures and boards made.
  We do still have HamHUD Breakout Board kits. See our Webstore page.
  
• 2-11-08 Stock of HamHUD II kits is getting low. Pre-order yours today, and avoid delays!
• 9-28-07 to 10-1-07 HamHUD Nichetronix and RPC Electronics at DCC in Hartford, Conn.  Thanks to those who visited us in the Demo Room!
• 9-8-07 HamHUD and RPC will be at the Virginia Beach Hamfest.
• 9-8-07 A new kitbuild of HamHUD IIs has begun.  You can order right away--lead time for the kits will be much shorter than last time!
• 9-1-07 Thanks to those to visited us at the Shelby, NC Hamfest, The 2nd largest hamfest in the U.S.!
• 8-24-07 HamHUD II Firmware 2.8.000 RELEASED!  KISS TNC support, $GPWPL output, graphical DigiMeter,  "runs out of the box", and MORE!  Get the ZIPFILE NOW TO UPGRADE!
  
• 7-6-07 HamHUD II Firmware that supports KISS TNCs is in beta test.  Look for an announcement soon on the HamHUD list!
  
• 7-6-07 Added notice of Early Adopters' Group on HamHUD V page.
  
• 5-26-07 Added HamHUD Webstore page.
  
• 5-24-07 HamHUD II Flyers are now posted at the newly-revamed HamHUD II Documentation page.
  
• 5-21-07 Hamvention Postmortem... Thanks so much to those of you who stopped by our booth, and came to listen to Jason and I speak at the TAPR APRS Forum. We really enjoyed talking to you, and thank you for the many suggestions on HamHUD II and HamHUD V. Thanks to those who ordered HH2 kits at Dayton. For those who haven't ordered yet, I hope to have an ordering page for the new HH2 kits up in a few days. Stand by for that. Also, I've starting putting pictures and data onto a new HamHUD V page. 73! KA9MVA
• HAMHUD V @ DAYTON HAMVENTION! For a first look at HamHUD V, come to Argent Data Systems & RPC Electronics booths (503, 504, 505) at HARA Arena in Dayton on May 18/19/20. Look for the "HamHUD: Where SmartBeaconing Began" banner! We won't be selling kits yet, but you can type your name/address into a computer in the booth, and we will email you when HamHUD V kits and fully-assembled units are ready.

  Steve KA9MVA will be also giving a short talk on the new architecture and direction for HamHUD in the TAPR APRS forum. Be sure to stop by Saturday, May 19from 11:15 to 12:30. You won't want to miss APRS inventor Bob Bruninga WB4APR and APRS book author Stan Horzepa WA1LOU.

  Thanks to Scott N1VG (Argent) and Jason KE4NYV (RPC) for letting us share booth space. Argent makes the OpenTracker, and both Argent and RPC sell the Deluo GPS, which is the recommended GPS for HamHUD V. APRSWorld LLC will also be sharing booth space with us.-- KA9MVA

   HamHUD began in 1997 as a homebrew device that combined GPS, amateur packet radio (APRS^®), an LCD display and driver-friendly user interface, allowing hams on-the-go to text-message and see each other's positions in real-time. It's called a HamHUD because it's intended to be mounted in a "heads-up" position, allowing the ham operator to focus on driving with minimal distractions, while remaining 'plugged in' to the network, whether's it's tactical or casual.

   Since the APRS network has limited bandwidth, HamHUD incorporates SmartBeaconing, the algorithm developed by Tony Arnerich and Steve Bragg that transmits an optimal amount of position information with a minimal amount of QRM to other network users.

   Through several kit offerings and years of on-the-road user feedback, HamHUD has evolved into a whole new way of operating ham radio mobile. Operator can exchange positions and operating frequencies digitally with the HamHUD, then get on 2 meter FM or HF for a voice chat. HamHUD assists every aspect of mobile ham radio, from the serious to mundane: storm spotting, public service events, and coordinating rendezvous at the local greasy spoon for an "eyeball QSO". HamHUDs have been used to talk to the Space Station, and around the world via HF and the APRS Internet network.

   HamHUD is now used in North and South America, Europe, and Australia. Over 400 kits and "mini-kits" have been sold, and dozens more were built from scratch.

   HamHUD works with a variety of terminal node controllers (TNC's).  Inexpensive KISS TNCs, such as the TNC-X, OpenTracker-1+, and forthcoming TinyTrak IV, work very well with the 2.8.xxx firmware.  We also support TAPR TNCs,  including the Alinco DR-135T radios with built-in TNC,  as well as stand-alone TNCs such as the Kantronics KPC-3/KPC-3+, MFJ-1270, and other  TNC-2 clones.You can use any 2-meter radio you like, and just about any GPS that outputs 4800/9600-baud NMEA.

   We think HamHUD is pretty cool. But the things we're working on behind the scenes will knock your socks off! STAY TUNED!

   APRS^® is an automatic position reporting and communications protocol based on 2-meter (and other) amateur packet radio.  It is fully integrated with GPS's and the Internet. APRS^® is a registered trademark of Robert Bruninga, WB4APR. For more infomation, visit WB4APR's APRS Page.

Legal: The information in the HTML pages, schematic and source code are copyrighted © 1997-2007 by Steven D. Bragg, KA9MVA. License is granted to freely use, reproduce or modify this material, for non-commercial amateur radio purposes only. This information carries no warranty of any kind, including any implied warranty of fitness for any particular purpose. I am not liable for any damage to equipment or other property, or injury, or loss of life, attributable directly to, or related to, the construction or use of a HamHUD.