How APRS Works

Latest — Feb 15, 2025

APRS and Node Red

Introduction Running a large number of digipeaters and IGates, it was time-consuming to verify that everything was running as expected. I previously had been playing with Node-RED and eventually created a script to gather information on my APRS stations and display a simple red/green status for each. This allows

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APRS Demystified: The Versatile Tool for Modern Amateur Radio

This is taken from a presentation I did at my amateur radio club's annual general membership meeting and Christmas party in Cebu, Philippines, on 6 December 2024, in front of over 30 members. There is a list of APRS and related links at the end that you can

APRS Device Identification Database (aka tocalls)

History In the past, Bob Bruninga (WB4APR) maintained two documents on the original aprs.org website: * tocalls.txt - DEPRECATED * mic-e-types.txt - DEPRECATED (mic-e-types are not covered in this document) Any vendor or individual who wanted a new APRS device identifier had to contact Bob directly. He took care

APRS Digipeater Algorithm

Amateur radio repeaters retransmit signals from other stations to increase their range. Analog voice repeaters listen on one frequency and simultaneously retransmit the same signal on a different frequency. APRS digital repeaters (digipeaters) use a “store and forward” approach. A packet is received, examined, then possibly modified and retransmitted. Usually

APRS in Space

Did you know that APRS is part of the International Space Station? There has been an APRS radio aboard the ISS for many years now. You can send and receive packets on 145.825 MHz FM 1200 BPS Packet. There are times when the radio may be offline for maintenance

APRS Information Services

Besides sending “messages” to other people, you can also send messages to many automated APRS Information Services. I could not find a comprehensive list, so I started my own list. I would greatly appreciate any additions, corrections, and improvements. Tell your friends! ANSRVR ANSRVR allows you to remain joined to

APRS Local Info Initiative

"APRS is not a vehicle tracking system. It is a two-way tactical real-time digital communications system between all assets in a network sharing information about everything going on in the local area. On ham radio, this means if something is happening now, or there is information that could be

APRS Message Authentication

Why Authentication Matters In the context of APRS, authentication is crucial for several reasons: 1. Data Integrity: Authentication ensures that messages have not been tampered with during transmission. This is particularly important for critical information, such as weather reports or emergency alerts. 2. Source Verification: By verifying the source of

APRS Radios

Thanks to Jay DV7GDL for compiling this list of radios with APRS capbility builtin. APRS Radios (and other hardware) as of November 2024 (All radios can send and receive APRS text messages in addition to beacons and have user-accessable TNCs unless otherwise stated.) In production: * LANCHONLH HG-UV98 5 watt HT.

APRS Thursday

APRS Thursday is a net managed by Michael KC8OWL, held every Thursday with the aim of growing message activity on APRS across the world. Many manufacturers are now including APRS functionality as a standard feature, making APRS more accessible, and hopefully more popular than ever. The APRS Thursday net is