APRS Device Identification Database (aka tocalls)
One way to tell a good developer from a bad developer is that a good developer does their due diligence. Many will even maintain a section in their documentation to indicate the steps taken before releasing their product into the world.
I only mention this because there have been several cases over the past few years where developers added APRS functionality to their products without ensuring they obtained a Device ID (tocall) for their solution.
The APRS Device Identification Database is currently maintained by our good friend Hessu (OH7LZB), is maintained on GitHub and is the official :
https://github.com/aprsorg/aprs-deviceid
In the past, Bob Bruninga (WB4APR) became a "silent key" and 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 of the allocation(s) and entered them into either of the documents mentioned above.
While it wasn't an everyday occurrence, the previous method was neither scalable nor convenient!
Our good friend Hessu (OH7LZB) took over maintaining the APRS Device Identification Database in 2013 ***.
Hessu selected GitHub because it allows multiple people to contribute in a well-controlled fashion, imposes strict version control, and offers a wide array of other capabilities.
The APRS Device Identification Database repository is located at the following URL:
https://github.com/aprsorg/aprs-deviceid
GitHub is an ideal platform as it allows multiple people to contribute in a well-controlled fashion, imposes strict version control, and offers many other capabilities.
For example, suppose a developer creates a new device or writes a new application. In that case, they can initiate the allocation process by following the steps outlined in the ALLOCATING policy document. The documentation outlines a workflow whereby developers can be almost entirely self-sufficient!
Downloading the latest tocalls
The preferred method for obtaining the most current version of the tocalls files is via the following APRS Foundation-hosted links:
https://aprs-deviceid.aprsfoundation.org/tocalls.yaml
https://aprs-deviceid.aprsfoundation.org/tocalls.dense.json
https://aprs-deviceid.aprsfoundation.org/tocalls.pretty.json
https://aprs-deviceid.aprsfoundation.org/tocalls.xml
If you do not specify a path at the end of the Base URL (https://aprs-deviceid.aprsfoundation.org), your browser will automatically get redirected to the tocalls.xml version of the database!
If you encounter issues accessing the APRS Device ID Database, please use the Contact Us form on the APRS Foundation website.
*** GitHub shows the first commit to the APRS Device Identification Database repository was performed on 10/23/2013!