Automatic Position Reporting System

What is APRS all about? (Humans communicating INFO with Humans) Immediate local digital and graphical information exchange between all participants in a local area or event. This includes: Positions of all stations and objects Status of all stations Messages, Bulletins and Announcements Weather data and telemetry DF bearings and signal strengths for quick transmitter hunting RF Connectivity plots of all stations Local OBJECTS on a common map display for all users Local Freqs, IRLP, ECHOlink, Winlink, Nets, Meetings Typical applications are: Routine local awareness of all ham radio events and assets around you Marathons, races, events and public service Search and rescue Family communications and tracking and one-line s Mobile-to-mobile global text messaging Weather data exchange and display Efficient multi-user Satellite communications

History APRS was developed by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, as a real-time local tactical communications system for rapidly exchanging digital data of immediate value to operations. This really took off when GPS became available and MAPS were integrated into the system for tactical situational awareness of everything in the net. In the 18 years since its introduction, (see history) it has grown to encompass just about every aspect of Amateur Radio.

GPS height of about 11,500 miles travelling at 9,000mph signal frequency ( MHz) The distance to the GPS satellites can be determined by estimating the amount of time it takes for their signals to reach the receiver. When the receiver estimates the distance to at least four GPS satellites, it can calculate its position in three dimensions.

Packet APRS is a real-time tactical digital communications protocol for exchanging information between a large number of stations covering a large (local) area As a multi-user data network, it is quite different from conventional packet radio.

SSID (call sign +what you are) 0 Home Station, Home Station running IGate. -1 Digipeater, Home Station running a Fill-In Digi, Wx Digipeater -2 Digipeater [#2 or] on 70CM -3 Digipeater [#3] -4 HF to VHF Gateway -5 IGate (Not home station) -6 SatGates & Special function Station. -7 Kenwood D7 HH -8 Secondary Mobile station. -9 Primary Mobile station. -12 Portable Units such as Laptops etc. -14 Trucks -15 Mobile HF station.

Required Kit

Sound Modem TNC can be hardware or software

How it goes together

Software Ui View APRSI32

How it Works RF only

I Gates

Aprs32

VHF Aprs

APRS network

On HF

Hf Aprs

HF Aprs

Messages

Who else uses it CAA ACARS Emergency services TETRA Shipping SPRS Vehicles and boats DATATRAK

Amateur Uses Olympic flame Raynet Foxhunt Propagation studies Rallies Events Balloons

Links