APRS-IS

APRS-IS (Automatic Packet Reporting System-Internet Service) is the common name given to the Internet-based network which inter-connects various APRS radio networks throughout the world (and space). APRS-IS is maintained and operated by volunteer Amateur Radio operators to provide world-wide capabilities to the Amateur Radio APRS RF networks and to promote the Amateur Radio service as a whole.

Because the primary function of APRS-IS is to support Amateur Radio APRS on RF, the following must be kept in mind by users and software authors who inject packets directly into APRS-IS:

• It MUST be assumed that every packet on APRS-IS will be gated to or was gated from RF.
  This means that beacon rates, packet contents, etc. MUST be considered to be acceptable for RF.
• If you want to inject non-amateur radio content, use the FireNet local-only port to prevent the packets from entering APRS-IS. FireNet exists to give amateur radio operators and authors a place to inject non-amateur radio information such as METAR reports, detailed earthquake reports, etc. for FireNet users while not adversely affecting APRS-IS. FireNet users still have full access to APRS-IS in addition to the FireNet local packets.
• Do NOT inject non-amateur radio content falsely identifying it as amateur radio stations. Use APRS Objects instead. APRS Objects are specifically apropos for non-amateur radio information.
• Beacon rates should be set apropos to as if the station was on a busy RF frequency (never faster than 1 minute for mobile, 5 minutes for weather, 10 minutes for local infrastructure (repeaters, for instance), and 20 minutes for fixed stations).
• Authors, do NOT hijack another software's TO call (APxxxx). If you don't understand APRS and APRS-IS, don't design software to falsely identify itself.
• Authors, YOU are responsible for issuing passcodes to amateur radio operators ONLY. Do not make this available in an ondemand fashion nor point your software users to someone else.

This web site is your gateway to APRS on the Internet. There are technical specifications for software authors. There are links to various software products available to link into the APRS-IS feed. There are links to online services available to APRS users and to web users. Please browse around and discover the fun!