ONSTAR VIU needed.

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 8:41 am

I have been looking around for an ONSTAR unit in a wrecked vehicle for a while and have had no luck. I am looking to use it for APRS. If anybody has one laying around or knows where one can be found cheap I am interested. I found a site the other day that details how to tap into your onstar unit and have your coordinates sent to your laptop serial port. http://members.cox.net/onstar

Any help would be appreciated.

Kevin

007 · Post by **007** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 10:29 am

Sweet!!

Good find. This is another project for my Impala this summer

'Bout time my Onstar box did something functional!

I'm surprised you can't find a wrecked GM with Onstar.

Cowthief · Post by **Cowthief** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 10:43 am

Hello.

I, would get one of the cheap GPS units.
Delorme earthmate comes to mind, the "old" model that only puts out serial, and not USB, can be had for under $10.00.
I bought 2 of them at clearance at one of the nationwide office suppy places a while back, with the software, for a ten spot a piece.
I have a military trimble trimpack that I paid all of $50.00 for, complete with the carry pouch.
Trimpacks are now obsolete, you will need to readdress the unit to non-military GPS, not hard to do, but you will need a PC to do this.
Some of the new cellular telephones have GPS built-in, you address this in test mode on motorola product.

Dale Earnhardt · Post by **Dale Earnhardt** » Tue Jun 03, 2003 11:28 pm

oooooo, some new stuff to play with, finally the onstar is good for something and almost free hehe

kc7gr · Post by **kc7gr** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:19 am

...to get a new GPS receiver, keep in mind that WAAS is coming. You should, if you want high accuracy without the need for a separate DBS receiver, check that any new unit you get is WAAS-enabled.

I have reason to believe that WAAS is already working in the Seattle region. I replaced the receiver in the TechMobile with a WAAS-enabled unit, and noticed an immediate improvement in my HDOP & VDOP numbers.

73 de KC7GR

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:31 am

WAAS ???

Kevin

ricciticcitembo · Post by **ricciticcitembo** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:39 am

The Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) is a critical component of the FAA’s strategic objective of a seamless satellite navigation system for civil aviation. This system will improve the accuracy, availability, and integrity of GPS thereby improving the capacity and safety currently provided by the National Airspace System. Ultimately, WAAS will allow GPS to be used as a primary means of navigation from takeoff through Category I precision approach.

Unlike traditional ground-based navigation aids, WAAS will cover a more extensive service area. Wide area ground reference stations (WRS) have been linked to form a U.S. WAAS network. Signals from GPS satellites are received by these precisely surveyed ground reference stations and any errors in the signals are identified. Each station in the network relays the data to one of two wide area master stations (WMS) where correction information for specific geographical areas is computed. A correction message is prepared and uplinked to a geostationary communications satellite (GEO) via a ground uplink station (GUS).

WAAS and its Relation to Enabled Hand-Held GPS Receivers
(26 Feb. 2003)
Statement from the FAA
WAAS is based on a network of approximately 25 ground reference stations
that covers a very large service area. Signals from GPS satellites are received by
wide area ground reference stations (WRSs). Each of these precisely surveyed
reference stations receive GPS signals and determine if any errors exist. These
WRSs are linked to form the U.S. WAAS network. Each WRS in the network
relays the data to the wide area master station (WMS) where correction
information is computed. The WMS calculates correction algorithms and assesses
the integrity of the system. A correction message is prepared and uplinked to a
geosynchronous satellite via a ground uplink system (GUS). The message is then
broadcast from the satellite on the same frequency as GPS (L1, 1575.42MHz) to
receivers on board aircraft (or hand-held receivers) which are within the broadcast
coverage area of the WAAS. These communications satellites also act as additional
navigation satellites for the aircraft, thus, providing additional navigation signals for
position determination.

The WAAS will improve basic GPS accuracy to approximately 7 meters vertically
and horizontally, improve system availability through the use of geostationary
communication satellites (GEOs) carrying navigation payloads, and to provide
important integrity information about the entire GPS constellation.

At present there are two geo-stationary satellites serving the WAAS area (Inmarsat IIIs: POR (Pacific Ocean Region) and AOR-W (Atlantic Ocean Region-West).

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 7:41 am

Thanks

Kevin

CPD534 · Post by **CPD534** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 9:29 am

Hi, This sounds like a very cool idea. I'm not very familliar with the OnStar system or anything but if you got a unit out of a wrecked vehicle woudn't OnStar still think that it was in that vehichle and would this do any damage? I know when you call them from your unit they know your name and information and such so would it have to be deactivated or anything?

Thanks, Kevin

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 10:02 am

The VIU unit would only be used to pull GPS data from and would no longer be used as "ONSTAR". The GPS data would then be sent out over 144.390 Mhz to a digipeater and on to the rest of the world. Check out http://web.usna.navy.mil/~bruninga/aprs.html for some more info.

Kevin
N2ZPY

CPD534 · Post by **CPD534** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:27 am

Oh ok. I think I understand now. Just to see if I got it straight: When you have the VIU it is used to receive the GPS data and since the other piece of equipment used on ONSTAR isn't hooked up it will not transmit any data to the company. Correct? I was just curious about this since I didn't want to try it and it be transmitting data to OnStar and get into some kind of trouble.

Another thing...Aside from APRS can this be set up to a laptop with some sort of mapping software to show where you are on a given road and such, like the actuall GPS units?

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:31 am

You betchya !

Laptop, Palm, etc

Kevin

CPD534 · Post by **CPD534** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:42 am

Allright. What kind of software is needed and for mapping and how would I get ahold of it?

One more thing..Does the unit receive constantly or what

Thanks, Kevin W4EKG

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 11:50 am

I believe if you click on the link in my first post there is software from Motorola available. The onstar unit would be recieving all the time if you were looking at it on a map or with APRS the unit can be polled when you are going to report your position.

Kevin

Cowthief · Post by **Cowthief** » Wed Jun 04, 2003 12:56 pm

Hello.

The cellular telephone is a CDPD unit.
This unit uses the GM D bus, same as the radio, EEM, ARPU, etc.
I think it would be really neat to reprogram the EEM unit to display GPS on the radio, remember, D bus can support 3 EEMs at the same time.
D bus, Delco bus, is somewhat related to CAN bus,
http://www.techedge.com.au/vehicle/aldl8192/8192hw.htm
Lets get cracking!, We should be able to have something by the end of summer.

werdnuts · Post by **werdnuts** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 5:38 am

Finally a use for my stupid onstar! Great post!

-werdnuts

ASTROMODAT · Post by **ASTROMODAT** » Thu Jun 05, 2003 4:38 pm

I use the factory built-in GPS unit on my Mercedes SL500 and have it tied into my Kenwood D700 for APRS. Works like a champ!

Larry

007 · Post by **007** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 6:18 am

werdnuts wrote:Finally a use for my stupid onstar! Great post!

-werdnuts

No sh$t, huh???

I even took off the glass mount antenna, and I am using an NMO mount 800 stick....looks better.

Lets get a working group together and do this....it is a great project.

werdnuts · Post by **werdnuts** » Fri Jun 06, 2003 6:58 am

sure. i have yet to tackle it, but it would be pretty cool.

I have debated using the dualband ant for either my nextel or the 800 radio in my vehicle...

i certainly would like to know more about abusing my onstar box! I have an '02 trailblazer and dont even know where the damn thing is.

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 4:40 pm

I have given up on finding an onstar unit and bought 2 Motorola Oncore boards to play around with. I will get some pics up when the project gets under way.

Kevin

CPD534 · Post by **CPD534** » Sun Jun 08, 2003 7:09 pm

No OnStar units to be found around here. How do you go about getting the needed boards and how much do they cost?

N2ZPY · Post by **N2ZPY** » Mon Jun 09, 2003 4:04 am

I ended up getting 2 Motorola Oncore boards off of ebay for $63 shipped. I am just working on getting the active antennas for them now and will see what I can put together. If you jsut do a search for Motorola Oncore on ebay you will turn up a couple of these units. They only have a TTL output and do need a simple circuit to convert that to serial that can be used.

Kevin

ONSTAR VIU needed.

ONSTAR VIU needed.

GPS

If you decide...

Onstar