Spotted this at G4VXE.com....I noticed a tweet from Jerry, KD0BIK this morning saying that he'd just installed a copy of an application called iBCNU on his iPhone. I'd never heard of it, so I googled it and found the iBCNU application here iBCNU was written by David, AB3Y and looks to be a nice piece of work!
iBCNU is an APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) client for the iPhone. It allows you to transmit position reports or send short messages from your iPhone, through the APRS Internet server. Messages may be sent to other amateurs using APRS and position reports may be viewed either through the Internet or on VHF Radio, by amateurs using a radio, TNC and a computer.
I quite like APRS, though I never really know what to do with it! I first became aware of APRS in the mid to late 1990s when I lived in Toronto. I remember connecting an Icom IC2E up to a TNC and hooking up a DOS APRS program to it, which showed simple (by today's standards) maps on the Ontario area. It was fun to get going but I wasn't quite sure what to do with after that!
Last time I looked at APRS was when we were running GB50 from Windsor Castle and I had the pleasure of explaining it to HRH Prince Philip!
Because I liked maps, radios and the internet; APRS does have a fascination, so I was interested to install the iBCNU application on my iPhone and it happily transmits position reports, which you can see on the Internet! And I think I can send messages to other APRS users, but I haven't tried that out yet.
So if you want to see where iBCNU thinks I am, have a look on Findu.Com and see!
Nice find Tim I hope you do not mind me reproducing it here. I know a few of my readers have iPhones and will interested in this.
And before anyone asks (again) no I do not have an iPhone.
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