APRS-Location

Configuration details & example of how to make both the HamVoIP and ASL flavour nodes beacon via TCP/IP to the APRS network.

With the growing number of Analogue Gateways, Repeaters etc that are linking together, it's becoming even more important that users can easily find what Gateways, Repeaters etc are in their locality.

Especially if there operating /P or /M - APRS is an easy way to show location details as to where these types of 'Node' are.

But it's also important that it's configured with the basic access information, Such as Frequency, Ofset, CTCSS so that once they lookup the station on the aprs.fi map (or app, or any other method they are accessing APRS data) they have all the information they need right there in one place.

I found that all this functionality is included in the ASL & HamVoIP images that so many of us use, But it's not enabled!

Enabling this function is so easy it's just creating ONE file and editing ONE line in another.

So I am appealing to ALL Gateway, Node, Repeater, Hotspot SYSOPS please! Enable APRS on your system and let the Amateur Radio community find all our stations.

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How To Enable APRS

1. SSH into your HamVoIP or ASL device

2. Select the option for BASH SHELL Interface

3. Enter the following - nano /etc/asterisk/gps.conf

4. Paste the details from the gps.conf file in this repository

5. Edit the file as required.

   a) Personally I suffix the callsign with the band the gateway is on eg MB7ISC-2 meaning 2m RF port

   b) The Password is the APRS Password for your callsign - this can be obtained from https://apps.magicbug.co.uk/passcode/

   c) The Comment field - This is the Important one this is where you give the access details.

    EG. Analogue Simplex Gateway - Frequency 000.000MHz CTCSS 000.0Hz Connected to the FreeSTAR Network.
    EG. Analogue Repeater - TX Frequency 000.000MHz RX Frequency 000.000MHz CTCSS 000.0Hz 
    You get the idea - Personally I make reference to the fact my nodes are linked to the FreeSTAR network because I'm such a fan of the network. But thats a personal choice of each sysop.
   
   
    I also have multiple nodes - now whilst I have the APRS setup on each node to broadcast it's details individually I do actually have at the end of my Comment field a note to the user to say what other callsigns they may wish to look up
   
    So my full Comment String is along the lines of:
     Analogue Simplex Gateway - Frequency 000.000MHz CTCSS 000.0Hz Connected to the FreeSTAR Network. Other Stations XX0XXX-6 XX0XXX-70 XX0XXX-10
   

   d) Set the Frequency Field as the TX frequency of your station

   e) Set Tone as the CTCSS tone required for access

   f) LAT & LON for your site

6. Save the file

7. Run the command nano /etc/asterisk/modules.conf

8. Look for the line that says noload=app_gps.so

9. Delete the letters no - the line now reads load=app_gps.so

10. Save the file

11. Reboot

And that should be you up and running. Hope this is of help to someone. Kind regards, Gareth GM0WUR