Send-only Ports and Formats


With the introduction of javAPRSSrvr 3.15b01 (August 2009), two new port types were added for APRS-IS connected trackers, weather stations, and other send-only APRS clients to connect to. These ports, HTTP and UDP, provide a mechanism for the client to send a single packet of information to the server for relay to the rest of APRS-IS (or equivalent network). The format of this data is shown below. The server sysops have settled on port 8080 for both HTTP and UDP support per the IANA alternate HTTP port reservation. Before assuming the server you use supports these ports, visit their status page (usually http://server-address:14501) and examine their port table. I have opened port 8080 for HTTP, WS, and UDP at srvr.aprs-is.net for testing and uploads to APRS-IS. I have recently opened port 8888 at ametx.com for secure (HTTPS and WSS) connections.

The HTTP port accepts a single POST request from the client. The post request must be properly formatted and have a minimum these properties:

With the release of javAPRSSrvr 4.3.2b76, the HTTP port now properly implements RFC 7235, HTTP 1.1 Authentication Framework. To do this, a new authorization type (as permitted in RFC 7235) was created called APRS-IS and the HTTP port now supports the addition of the following header in lieu of including the login line in the content.

Authorization: APRS-IS Base64-encoded-login-line

With this new feature added to javAPRSSrvr, it also now supports Base64 encoding of the login line in any connection stream.

The data consists solely of 2 lines: the user login line (see Connecting to APRS-IS) followed by the APRS "packet" in TNC2 format. The UDP packet consists solely of the user login line followed by the APRS "packet" in TNC2 format. If the packet is not from the logged in station, it will show as received from a receive-only IGate. For instance:

user TEST-1 pass -1 vers TestSoftware 1.0
TEST-1>APRS,TCPIP*:>This is a test packet

In the above case, the packet will not be accepted on APRS-IS because the login is not verified (invalid passcode).

The APRS packet may be terminated with a carriage return, a line feed, or both, or no terminator. There is no confirmation of receipt on the UDP packet. javAPRSSrvr does respond properly with an HTTP status response on the HTTP port.

A UDP port may be configured for local direct insertion of packets restricted by firewalls/local IP addresses. A packet inserted via a local UDP port will use the U indicator in the q construct (qAU).