Introduction

In an attempt of learning programming with Perl and Tk (a graphical user interface package) I have - amongst other things - started out on this APRS application. How far this will lead - I don't know. There's still a lot to be done: messages, beacon, station tracks & cetera.

Map window

In the picture to the right (showing a radar image from Seattle/Tacoma, WA) it's obvious that some menu alternatives have been added and that the station list has been removed.

Some menu alternatives

Lists

Access to the lists described below.

Settings

This is where to go to set this stations properties, e.g. call.

Voice

If the Festival Speech Synthesis System is installed new stations can be announced by voice.

Send

Items for sending the stations position either as APRS or OpenTRAC. Also an item to send information to javAPRSFilter.

Test

For debugging only..

OpenTrac

The APRS message protocol evolved incrementally into its current form over more than a decade. When 1999 the formal protocol specification was laid down a protocol including a number of incompatible formats. Due issues like this the protocol is neither clear, easy to implement nor simple to extend.

As an attempt to fix these issues OpenTRAC was started with the primary goals being the following:

Consistency

Simplicity

Extensibility

Ease of Processing

Read more at the OpenTRAC site.

Apart from having its own window, the station list now also displays more information about each station. Added are the station icon, timestamp, position, course and speed plus the comment string

The stations are still clickable - so that their position can be shown on the map. Obvious further improvements are: format of position, removing -1 as marker for no course or speed and to further decode the comment for even more information

This list currently shows all received messages, both those sent using the APRS protocol as those using the UIView protocol. Some color coding is also used, e.g. red for bulletins and green for aknowledgements.