EM-COMM-PJ
APRS General Reference
Automatic Packet Reporting System
Table of Contents
- History of APRS
- Key facts
- Operating APRS in an Emergency
- APRS Bots and Auto Stations
- Standard SSID’s
- APRS Messaging
- APRS BBS
- APRS REFERNCE DOCUMENTATION
History of APRS
🫡APRS was developed by Bob Bruninga, WB4APR (SK)
APRS is digital communications information channel for Ham radio. As a single national channel (see map at right), it gives the mobile ham a place to monitor for 10 to 30 minutes in any area, at any time to capture what is happening in ham radio in the surrounding area. Announcements, Bulletins, Messages, Alerts, Weather, and of course a map of all this activity including objects, frequencies, satellites, nets, meetings, Hamfests, etc.
World map showing APRS frequencies
TODO: Add some historical information regarding APRS
Key facts
- Primary APRS frequency in Australia on 2m is 145.175 Mhz
Operating APRS in an Emergency
In an emergency, there is the possiblility that the main APRS frequency will become swamped. You should build a comms plan that includes an alternate frequency in the event the the primary frequency become too conjested. Note that this aternate frequency will not have digipeaters and igates available unless you make them part of your plan.
APRS Bots and Auto Stations
| CallSign | Description | Operational Check |
|---|---|---|
| ANSRVR | Interest Groups | April 2024 |
| CQSRVR | Interest Groups | |
| Store and Forward Messaging | Jan 2024 | |
| MPAD | Email my position report | Mar 2024 |
| WLINK-1 | APRSLink to Winlink | Mar 2024 |
| AVRS | Automatic Voice Relay System | Off-line Apr 2024 |
| WHO-IS | Call Sign Lookup Service | Off-line Apr 2024 |
Standard SSID’s
The following a suggestion of standard SSIDs you can use to identify a station. They are not a rule, only a guideline and you are free to use any SSID you wish.
A couple of instance where the design of this list is defective: -7 for Kenwood D7 Handheld is entirely shortsighted, -4 for HF to VHF gateway is unecessary and would only be used a few times globally.
- -0 (No SSID) Home Station
- -1 Digipeater, or Home Station running a Fill-In Digi,
- -2 Digipeater [#2] on 70CM
- -3 Digipeater [#3]
- -4 HF to VHF Gateway
- -5 IGate (Dedicated system, not home station)
- -6 Operation via Satellite
- -7 Kenwood D7 Handheld
- -8 Secondary Mobile usage (also Maritime vessels) (VHF / UHF)
- -9 Mobiles (VHF / UHF)
- -10 Operation via Internet Only (No RF capability)
- -11 is for APRStouch-tone users (also high altitude balloons)
- -12 Portable Units such as Laptops, Camp Sites etc
- -13
- -14 Interstate Truckers
- -15 Operation via HF
APRS Messaging
APRS provides a method for messaging between stations.
APRS BBS
Youtube blogger TheCommsChennel has done some work on developing an APRS based bulletin board system (BBS) called TC2BBS.
The TC2BBS is still indevelopment (2025) but currently allows you to use APRS to access and post to a bulletin Board using APRS messaging.
Check out the code on Github
APRS REFERNCE DOCUMENTATION
aprs.org
1
aprs.queries.pdf - List of APRS queries
and bots complied in 2018.
Bob Bruninga WB4APS SK - ARRL
-
Icon use by permission and attribution to
↩