Wednesday, March 5, 2008

aprs.fi in Czech & Custom search engine

Thanks to OK1MX and OK1MGJ, aprs.fi is now available in čeština! Other translations have received updates, too. We're now up to 15 languages!

Lately I've been busy with another little programming project, but a few days ago I found time to implement another little Google gadget: A custom Google search engine for APRS and Amateur Radio. It's offered by the /info/ view if a given callsign was not found in the aprs.fi database, and will hopefully lead you to the station's home page or callbook info. If you like it, you can also add it on your personalized Google home page.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

re: custom/wishing list
I really, really, really like this site.!. I also follow the activity when ARISS is operating in APRS mode. I have found I can use : http://aprs.fi/info/RS0ISS-4 to locate ISS, and see the list of stations heard by the SATgates... but two things would make it more complete for me.
1. SATgate'd stations to show up on the 'local view' along with everyone else.
2. A 'who is on' page showing ISS heard stations for say the last 24 hr. (I'm sure you have seen the other page we use : http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/ariss/index.cgi )

Understandably, this ARISS mode is not always active, and may not draw many viewers - but it could provide a more complete view of the APRS world. Perhaps the SATgate'd stations in a unique color, as you have done with weather, etc... (If you have already done some/any of this - and I've missed it; please let me know what to look for.)

Your site manages what all the others were missing, and that is the ability to see ALL the activity in a particular area, with a fancy map API.

Excellent, excellent site - Bravo-Zulu !!!
73 for now.

Anonymous said...

Wooops, In previous comment - I did not expect the author's URL to need the "http://". So that is bad linkage. You can repair that and remove this comment if you like.
Otherwise, this comment can provide the correct linkage:
http://www.somenet.net
http://wb5rmg.somenet.net
Thanks again for such a wonderful service. 73 /;^)

Hessu said...

Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you've found the site useful.

I've been a bit busy with infrastructure related stuff lately, so haven't made any significant changes on the user-visible side during the past couple weeks.

1. Stations sending position reports via a satellite or ISS, which have been heard by an igate on the satellite's frequency, should show up on the map view with everyone else. aprs.fi doesn't currently recognize these stations and shouldn't handle them differently from any other station, so they should show up. Please correct me with a pointer to a callsign which doesn't show up, if I'm wrong.

2. Yeah, I've been thinking about having an APRS satellite activity view. Will have to think of a good way to present the info - I'd always like to improve things when I'm reimplementing stuff that has already been done elsewhere. Simply reimplementing the wheel without making it significantly better isn't probably worth doing, and findu's ARISS page does what it needs to do. I've put this on my things-to-do list anyway.

Satellite stuff is cool, and I'll try to get an igate on 145.825 MHz this summer (when it becomes warm enough to install new cables and antennas on the roof :).

Anonymous said...

Perhaps there may be some difference in the 'digi path' used. Most sat users use "ARISS", but raw packets typically show RS0ISS-4. The beacon I've been running is WA4NZD-1. If I look at my WB5RMG, the info page shows WA4NZD - but it is not on the map. Interesting, I click on WA4NZD, then click 'show all', and I see all.
Maybe my "home view" has something odd set in a profile...

I'll be thinking of some unique view that might be interesting, and let you know if I come up with anything.
73 for now /;^)

Anonymous said...

Duuuh... I think I figured it out.

The 'default' state of the map shows only stations within the recent past, probably an hour... The ISS passes stateside here recently have been between midnite and noon local. I suspect that I have only been checking the map in the afternoon and evenings... after work...
Sure; if I select 12 hr - it does indeed show up.
Mark that one up as 'operator error'.

Perhaps you might differentiate the sat'gated stations with a unique color behind the callsign as you did for weather and AIS... that may be enough to preclude someone assuming that the station is on the local APRS frequency.

Where I notice the findu page lacking is that there are only two views; a world view and then either Europe or USA. With so many stations currently active, the callsigns get crowded and many are hidden. Perhaps like your 'heard on RF only' option; a 'heard on satellite only' might be useful. Just the standard zoomable GooMap API should be sufficient for any desired view. I guess it will become a moving target tho, as there will also periodically be some that are relayed via w3ado-1
on the same frequency, when PCsat is getting good sun.

But so what, a satellite is a satellite, right ?
/;^)