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APRS iGate

Platform	Raspberry Pi
software	dixprs
Radio Hardware	TM-D710
Frequency	144.800MHz
Callsign	GM4SLV-2

Software

iGate Software : aprx

Using Linux AX25 network device

/etc/ax25/axports

# /etc/ax25/axports
#
# The format of this file is:
#
# name callsign speed paclen window description
#
1 GM4SLV-2 19200 236 2 VHF APRS (1200 bps)

Everything starts by a script, with options commented out to start Dixprs instead of aprx Dixprs seems to be moribund, the google site where help and information was available is gone. Dixprs works well, and I can switch back to it whenever I want to, but aprx is at least still supported.

ax_start.sh

#!/bin/bash
 
logger "AX-Start"
logger "kissattach..."
sudo /usr/sbin/kissattach /dev/ttyAMA0 1 10.0.0.1
#kissparms -p 1 -f n -l 50 -r 32 -s 320 -t 400
logger "kissattach ok"
logger "ifconfig"
sudo /sbin/ifconfig ax0 10.0.0.1 netmask 255.255.255.0
sudo /sbin/ifconfig ax0 hw ax25 GM4SLV up
logger "ifconfig ok"
logger "mheardd"
sudo /usr/sbin/mheardd
logger "mheard ok"
logger "ax25d"
sudo /usr/sbin/ax25d
logger "ax25d ok"
 
#logger "aprx"
#sudo /sbin/aprx
#logger "aprx ok"
 
screen -c /etc/screenrc -dmS dixprs /usr/local/dixprs/dixprs.py -c /usr/local/dixprs/config.txt
 
#sleep 10
#screen -S dixprs -x -X screen bash -c 'python /home/gm4slv/selcall.py; exec bash'

Aprx Config file :

#############################################################
#
#
 
mycall  GM4SLV-2
 
myloc lat 6017.31N lon 00125.51W
 
<aprsis>
#passcode 21424
passcode 19626
 
server   euro.aprs2.net
 
#server 192.168.21.101 2023
#filter "b/GM4WMM*"
#filter "b/G0RAS*"
#filter "b/G8YPK*"
#filter "t/*"
#filter "-t/t"
#filter "-b/KE8TCB-*"
#filter "-b/ASHIE*"
#filter "r/60.2885/-1.4252/80"
#filter "b/GM4SLV-13"
#filter "b/OM6ZB-7"
#filter "b/KD7LMN"
#filter "-b/GW4AMZ*"
#filter "b/GM4SLV*"
 
filter "m/150"
 
</aprsis>
 
<logging>
pidfile /var/run/aprx.pid
rflog /var/log/aprx/aprx-rf.log
aprxlog /var/log/aprx/aprx.log
</logging>
 
<interface>
ax25-device $mycall
tx-ok true 
</interface>
 
#<interface>
#serial-device /dev/ttyAMA0 19200 8n1 KISS
#tx-ok true
#</interface>
 
<beacon>
beaconmode radio
cycle-size  30m
#beacon dstcall BEACON interface $mycall via WIDE1-1 exec /usr/bin/uptime
beacon interface $mycall via WIDE1-1  symbol "/-" $myloc comment "APRX - R.Pi/TNC-Pi"
#beacon interface $mycall via WIDE1-1  symbol "/-" $myloc comment "VHF 144.800MHz"
#beacon interface $mycall via WIDE1-1 raw ">VHF 144.8MHz"
</beacon>
 
 
#<beacon>
#beaconmode radio
#cycle-size 60m
#beacon via WIDE1-1 object "GB3LU" symbol "/r" lat "6008.57N" lon "00112.29W" comment "145.675MHz T077 -060 Shetland Isles"
#beacon via WIDE1-1 object "GB3LER" symbol "/r" lat "6008.57N" lon "00112.29W" comment "50.064MHz *** Faulty *** OFF AIR *** Shetland Isles"
#</beacon>
 
<beacon>
beaconmode aprsis
cycle-size  60m
beacon dstcall BEACON exec /usr/bin/uptime
beacon  symbol "/-" $myloc comment "APRX - R.Pi/TNC-Pi"
#beacon raw ">VHF 144.8MHz"
#beacon  object "GB3LU" symbol "/r" lat "6008.57N" lon "00112.29W" comment "145.675MHz T077 -060 Shetland Isles"
#beacon  object "GB3LER" symbol "/r" lat "6008.57N" lon "00112.29W" comment "50.064MHz ***OFF AIR*** Shetland Isles"
</beacon>
 
<digipeater>
    transmitter     $mycall
    <source>
        source         $mycall
	filter "-t/t"
	filter "t/*"
    </source>
 
<source>
   source        APRSIS
   relay-type    third-party
   viscous-delay  5
#   ratelimit      10 20
   via-path  WIDE2-2
   msg-path  WIDE2-2
 
   filter "-t/t"
   filter "t/*"
   regex-filter data ISBeacon
#   filter "b/GM4SLV-13"
#   filter "b/OM6ZB-7"
#   filter "b/GM4WMM*"  
 
</source>
</digipeater>

Dixprs Config File

[GENERAL]

# Mandatory parameters

# Your callsign with SSID
CALLSIGN=GM4SLV-2

# Degrees; West is negative, East is positive
LONGITUDE=-1.4251

# Degrees; South is negative, North is posittive
LATITUDE=60.2885

# Optional parameters

# Station height abvove the see level in meters; no default
#ASL=<fv>

# Owner name and contact; no default
OWNER=John GM4SLV

# Spool directory to import packets; no default
SPOOL=/home/gm4slv/spool

# Station symbol; default is S#
SYMBOL=/-

# UDP port base number; default is 31110
#UDPBASE=<n>

# Beacon frequency in minutes; default is 30
#BCNTIME=<n>

# Beacon text; %v replaced with actual version string; default is %v
# Used as default for ISGW and RADIO
BCNTXT= %v

# Select km/mi on monitor and in DX list; default is y (km)
METRIC=n

# Max number of digis passed for local stations
# Used as message gating condition for gating to Rf
# Default value is 2
#LOCALHOPS=<n>

# Range in km within messages gated to Rf
# If defined, checked after hop count (local) check
# No default
#MSGRANGE=<fv>
#################################################################
#                                                               #
# IS gateway settings; remove this section to disable GW        #
#                                                               #
#################################################################

[ISGW]

# Mandatory parameters

# Domain name of IS server to connect
host=rotate.aprs2.net
#host = 192.168.21.101
# Optional parameters

# Port number; default is 14580
#PORT=2023

# Filter; default is r/@/150
# @ is replaced with station position
FILTER=m/200

#################################################################
#                                                               #
# WRB server settings; remove this section to disable it        #
#                                                               #
#################################################################

[WEBSERVER]

# Mandatory parameters

# WEB server port, no default
port=9999

#################################################################                                                               #
#                                                               #
# Radio port configuration settings; repeat section for         #
# multiple ports                                                #
#                                                               #
#################################################################

[RADIO]

# Mandatory parameters

# Interface type
INTERFACE=AX25

# Device; as listed by ifconfig; it is nbot the ax.25 port name!
DEVICE=ax0
# Optional parameters

# Modem speed, default is 1200
#SIGNALRATE=1200

# Enable/disable NWS WX bulletin and object gating from IS to Rf
# Disabled by default
#GATENWS=<y/n>

# Enable/disable BOM WX bulletin and object gating from IS to Rf
# Disabled by default
#GATEBOM=<y/n>

# Descripton of port; no default
DESCRIPTION=144.800MHz VHF 1200bd

# Via used to send locally generated packets; default is WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2
AXVIA=WIDE2-2

# Digipeaters processed with WIDEn-n algorithm; default is WIDE1,WIDE2
WIDEN=WIDE1,WIDE2

# Blacklisted stations; they are not digipeated, not gated; default is NOCALL,N0CALL
#BLACKLIST=<lst>

# PHG string, do not mix with range; no default
#PHG=4137/

# Range value in miles, do not mix with PHG; no default
#RNG=<n>

# Enable/disable transmission; change it to PTTON=1 to enable trasmission; default is no
PTTON=1

# Gate locally generated frames to IS gateway; default is no
# Useful for rx-only radio ports
# Experimental, use carefully
#GATELOCAL=<y/n>

# Gate digipeated frames to IS gateway; default is no
# Experimental, use carefully
#GATEDIGI=<y/n>

# Beacon text; %v replaced with actual version string; default is %v
#BCNTXT=<str>

# Enable/disable digipeater; default is enabled
#DIGIPEATER=<y/n>

# Modem/TNC setup parameters 0...255; no defaults
# Use to setup modem/TNC by DIXPRS
#TXD=<n>

#PPERSIST=<n>

#SLOTTIME=<n>

#TXTAIL=<n>

#DUPLEX=<n>

# Below these are the traffic shaping settings for gating messages
# From IS to Rf
#
# For advanced users only; do not change if you do not know how
# traffic shaping works and if you do not have good reason !!!

# Traffic shaping high treshold, default is 0.75
#TRAFFICHIGH=<fv>

# Traffic shaping low treshold, default is 0.5
#TRAFFIClow=<fv>

# Traffic shaping transmission delay, default is 5.0 sec
#TRAFFICDELAY=<fv>

# Comma separated list of addresses to send receveid/transmitted frames
# in hostip:port format. No default.
UDPCC=192.168.21.107:5050

Hardware

I use a TNC-Pi attached via the GPIO serial port connections. Something had to be done to stop the serial port having a Linux Console attached, in the boot configuration, but it's been many years and I can't remember the details.

At present the Radio in use is a simple FT-60R handheld, at 5W output.

John's Vademecum

Table of Contents

APRS iGate

Software

Hardware

See Also