Hello from Stephen WA8LMF in central Michigan. Not sure if this request would be too complex or outrageous!
I operate digimodes such as SSTV, APRS and VarAC mobile or portable from my radio trailer "Studio B". Details here:
I am currently experimenting with APRS over VARA mobile, and have APRS igates for this mode currently running 24/7 on both 30 and 60 meters. Details here:
<http://WA8LMF.net/VARAforAPRS>
Given that VarAC Chat can beacon periodically automatically, and is linked to a vast network of receive stations feeding position reports into PskReporter, it could serve as an APRS-like tool -IF- the process of entering Maidenhead grid squares could be automated as you drive.
I am proposing that VarAC Chat incorporate a virtual COM port that could connect to a standard GPS NMEA serial data stream, translate it to grid square format, and enter it automatically into the grid square field. I think that for both casual mobile operation, and for temporary EMCOMM setups in the field, this would be a valuable feature.
This would position VARA / VarAC Chat as a practical replacement for G4IDE's "APRS Messenger" application that transmitted APRS position reports and two-way APRS messaging on HF over PSK63 or MFSK16. It was fantastically superior to traditional HF APRS over 300 baud HF packet. Unfortunately, he dropped development of it when Win 7 replaced Win XP, and broke the serial port library he was using. VARA provides the same (even better) weak signal superiority over packet that MFSK16 did.
de WA8LMF
GPS intergartion (NMEA) is comming out in the next version V9.2. It was already developed and currently in QA.