Aaron, this is indeed the osm version! I figured there's not much point in trying to keep track of the rest of the APRS crew if I'm out in the woods and out of cell range. John, this is an xtrons unit that I picked up from Amazon. I picked this one because it's perfectly sized for my 4th gen. Fills out the entire head unit space - it's wider than double-din - without any extra brackets. Another positive: it goes into sleep rather than shut down when I turn off the engine, that way it comes right back to life when I start up again. On the downside, the first unit I received had a bad GPS (cheap Chinese QC I suppose) but the seller was very quick to replace it.

Was able to get my head unit running APRSDroid connected to my TM-D710GA today! Could not get it work with the radio in APRS mode, but works like a champ with the radio as a simple TNC as described on https://github.com/ge0rg/aprsdroid/wiki/Kenwood-D7x0. Connected a serial cable between the back of the control unit of the radio and one of the USB ports on the Android head unit. Now I can see where the other stations are, and I can send and receive messages from the head unit! I even plugged an old PC keyboard into the head unit - makes it easier to type out messages.

I signed up for the member's group camp... how do I find it when I get there?

Looking forward to it again this year. Are we still signing up for trailruns with NWOL?

@T.J. Purdy you caught me.... as a PLU alum I suppose I should be listening to the other NPR station instead :) I originally picked a single DIN radio for this truck thinking I would use the rest of the space for a CB or a ham radio. That didn't work out, the Kenwood is too big and I decided against a permanent mounted CB.

Austin, you can find my cell# in my profile (click on my picture), ping me & we can set up some time to meet.

With regards to tuning your CB, there are a few members here with an SWR meter and who know how to use it. If you can make it to Issaquah/Bellevue, I'll be more than happy to help. With regards to ham and other options - answer is it depends... on what equipment the ones you're trying to reach have. Many of our NWOL trips have ham as our primary mode of communication, so I'd definitely recommend getting at least a technician's license and a cheap handheld. A handheld ham radio (aka HT, Handie-Talkie) is at least 10x as powerful as your FRS radios, and they will give you additional range when you're away from your truck. If you're out on your own and want to communicate back to town, I recommend getting a Garmin InReach. I pair mine with my phone and can send text messages and drop breadcrumbs. This is probably the most reliable way to communicate. Finally, GMRS is another option. Midland offers mobile units that are as powerful as most mobile ham radios, but are easier to use. GMRS does require a license, but there is no test, and the license is good for the whole family. There are also a few hand held GMRS radios available, such as this BTECH GMRS-V1. I haven't seen anyone with GMRS radios on the trail however, so ymmv.

Here's how my rig is mounted, I'm using a vehicle specific mount from proclipusa.com.

BTW, looks like the Kenwood TM-D710GA is $100 off at hamradio.com today. That's a pretty good deal for this radio...

@Team För You’re completely in control of how and where your position data gets transmitted. I turn it off for day to day use, but turn it on when I go exploring. You can also choose to receive position data and other APRS data even when you're not transmitting.

+1 more on the Kenwood TM-D710GA. Last spring John Russell & I was on the same trail run, me in front and him in the back of the convoy. We both ran APRS and could see how far apart we were, greatest thing ever for keeping the group together! An HF capable rig like the Yaesu FT-857D would be cool as well, but keep in mind you'll probably need another antenna to use HF frequencies. Combined with a nice antenna, it would probably be the best solution if you're trying to connect with someone a state away or more. Having a dual bander (2m/70cm) is nice if you plan to take advantage of repeaters. Even nicer if it has two receivers in once like the Kenwood TM-D710GA or TM-V71A or similar radios from Icom or Yaesu. That way you can chat with your NWOL buddies on 146.46 while still monitoring a local repeaters for any stragglers that didn't make it to your meetup on time. Using repeaters is the key to communicating at any distance over 2m/70cm. For example, I can easily reach the Burch Mountain repeater near Swakane Canyon from Blewett pass or Wenatchee or the hills between Ardenvoir and Chelan. Gives you a very good range of communication.

Looking forward to it! Anyone else care to join us for a delicious Friday evening dinner at Dusty's? Speaking of eating... I'm also thinking of getting breakfast at BJ's at Rock Island ~8am on Saturday.

Anyone else interested in camping somewhere Friday night?

I went with Josh Miner's group to Hole in the Rock during the Rally last summer. It was definitely a technical trail, I wouldn't go back without having a leader / spotter who is familiar with the trail. Not in my stock 4Runner, anyway.

Definitely looking forward to this trip, and yes I'm planning to come out and camp on Friday night! Swakane Canyon?

Agree with JR on the hand held recommendation, it's the cheap and easy way to get started. Looking at Amazon, best guess the Tidradio is just a rebranded Baofeng. The model JR mentions is the most common, so you're very likely to find someone else who can show you how to use it if you're interested. The test typically costs $15. I don't think you can take it online, but you should be able to find one nearby at this link. On top of what JR says, keep in mind that most of the transmit power will stay inside your truck if it has a metal roof. Probably not a big deal if you have a ragtop Jeep, but if you're in an F-350 or a 4Runner you'd be wise to spend a few dollars on a mag mount antenna. The cheap Baofengs can connect to an external antenna, although it typically needs an adapter, search Amazon for SMA female to SO239.

After sunrise at Steliko, we headed back to Ardenvoir and up Mud Creek Canyon to follow the route. Hit pavement again by 25 mile creek state park, lunch in Chelan, and started the trek up the east side of the lake. I had read about a washout north of Cooper Mountain, but the published detour to Black Canyon had a road closed sign. Drove up to the site of the washout, and one of the workers there aid the detour was NOT closed, so drove back again. Detour took me back to pavement south of Methow. After getting back on dirt again, I started to notice more and more burned areas. Some more recent, other places it's been longer since the fires ravaged through the area. This particular area (a bit further north) had a mix of black and silver colored trunks still standing. Stayed at Leader Lake campground (DNR) on Thursday night, and kept going from there on Friday morning. Took a detour at China Wall at Loup Loup to see if I could find remnants of the old mining camp. Didn't find any sign of the camp, but the view was amazing, like many other places along the way. The trail towards the Arlington Mine site was a bit dicey, but made it through. Almost lost my ham antenna on the trail after having it hit so many trees during that detour... When I came to the end of the detour I found this sign. Yeah, I probably shouldn't have gone there. We made it to the border near Nighthawk earlier than I expected, by 4:30 on Friday. Here's what the Canadian border station looks like. After that, I decided to take SR20 home. Spent one final night in tent by by the side off a forest service road off SR20 west of Winthrop and came home this morning. Tomorrow it will be time to take the truck to the car wash!

Thanks for the recon Guy! With that info I decided to save this section for later. Maybe safer when I go with a group. This morning I’m at the Steliko lookout up by Ardenvoir. Beautiful sunrise over the ridgeline!

It does look like it's open. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/okawen/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD543593

I won't be able to make this trip - bummer for me, but one spot open for someone else! Is there a way to un-signup on the website?