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APRS Stations

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) enables real-time position tracking, short messaging, telemetry, and situational awareness on the amateur radio bands. My stations operate on 144.390 MHz (North America APRS frequency) and support home, portable, mobile, and experimental use cases.

Live tracking and telemetry for all active stations is available on my APRS Map.

W5AWW-4​

Home Station (QTH / Digipeater)​

  • Role: Primary fixed station; beacons home position and provides local digipeater functionality when propagation supports it.
  • Radio: Yaesu FTM-400XDR (dual-band VHF/UHF)
  • Antenna: Tram 1480 dual-band vertical (high-gain omnidirectional)
  • Additional: Linux-based Python monitoring & automation scripts for status logging, alerts, and APRS-IS gateway integration.
  • Status: Always on / 24×7 operation

W5AWW-5​

Portable / QRP Station​

  • Role: Field operations, emergency communications, portable APRS messaging, and occasional off-grid mesh experiments.
  • Radio: BTECH UV-PRO (compact dual-band handheld)
  • TNC / Software: Bluetooth TNC paired with APRSDroid on Samsung Galaxy Tab A8
  • Antenna: Roll-up J-pole or tactical whip (depending on deployment)
  • Additional: Custom Python scripts for geofencing notifications and position-based triggers.
  • Status: Deployed as needed for portable / SOTA / POTA activities

W5AWW-7​

Utility / Experimental Station​

  • Role: Reserved for network enhancement projects (future digipeater, I-gate, or extended coverage fill-in).
  • Planned Integration: Evaluating LoRa APRS hybrid modes and low-power IoT bridging to complement traditional 2m APRS.
  • Hardware: TBD (Raspberry Pi-based prototype in development)
  • Status: In lab / prototyping phase – activation expected soon

W5AWW-9​

Mobile / Vehicle Station​

  • Role: Vehicle tracking, road-trip messaging, and mobile position reporting.
  • Radio: Kenwood TM-D700A/G (integrated TNC)
  • Antenna: Dual-band mobile whip (mag-mount or NMO)
  • Additional: Configured for smart beaconing to optimize packet rate during motion.
  • Status: Active during travel

For real-time positions, paths, and telemetry of all stations, visit the APRS Map or search callsigns on aprs.fi.

Questions or collaboration on APRS projects? Feel free to reach out via packet message or email.