LoRa <-> APRS

Connecting the Internet Of Things to the HAMradio APRS Network

Hello there! Since you are reading this page you have probably seen a WT Lora APRS packet and you were wondering where this packet came from and what it was doing on the APRS network.
Let me try to explain:

The APRS Network

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) is an amateur radio-based system for real time tactical digital communications of information of immediate value in the local area. Data can include object GPS coordinates, weather station telemetry, text messages, announcements, queries, and other telemetry. APRS data can be displayed on a map which can show stations, objects, tracks of moving objects, weather stations, search and rescue data, and direction finding data. (Source)

APRS-IS

All data received by the APRS network is also sent to the internet on a big worldwide TCP/IP APRS network. This TCP/IP network is called APRS-IS.

LoRa / LoRaWAN

Lora is a type of wireless telecommunication technology designed to allow long range communications at a low bit rate among things (connected objects), such as sensors operated on a battery. It is an open standard that can be used freely on a few non-licensed frequency bands such as (but not limited to) 868Mhz. (More info)
The term LoRaWAN is used for a Wide Area Network based on the LoRa technology. Since this technology can be used without needing a license to transmit data, it is a very popular technique in the world of Internet Of Things since you can easily connect any 'thing' to the rest of the internet.

Wireless Things

A lot of people think only commercial operators can run and provide LoRaWAN networks. This is not true! LoRa is an open standard, and anybody can create and run a LoRaWAN network. There are several small commercial AND non-commercial LoRa networks providers in and around Belgium like Proximus or TheThingsNetwork, but there is also a very large LoRa network in Belgium called Wireless Things.
Founded in 2015 by a group of Internet Of Things fanatics and Amateur Radio Operators, the Wireless Things network has quickly become the biggest LoRaWAN network in Belgium and provides broad coverage throughout the country.
The Wireless Things network allows its users to easily create their own applications based on the LoRa and LoRaWAN standards and use its large network to transmit and receive any data you like.
Currently, Wireless Things is accepting beta developers and testers on their network for free, in order to fully test their coverage and explore new possibilities. (More info)

GPS Trackers

One of the first applications developed for use on LoRa/LoRaWAN networks were GPS trackers. It is very easy to build your own homemade tracker and transmit your GPS location to a central server or the rest of the internet through an existing LoRaWAN network. These trackers can be visualised on the Wireless Things Tracker Map or on your own map.

LoRa <-> APRS

While playing around with LoRa and some homemade LoRa based GPS trackers, a few hamradio operators had the idea to use LoRa to transmit their position on the APRS network.
We created a software gateway that licensed hamradio operators can use to transmit the LoRa GPS packets to the APRS-IS Network. This way the GPS Trackers automatically appeared on all APRS maps (for example aprs.fi)
Of course access to this gateway is restricted to licensed hamradio operators only.

APRS-IS on the air

A lot of hamradio operators run APRS digipeaters to extend the coverage of the APRS network. Some sysops of APRS digipeaters have configured their digipeater to not only repeat APRS packets received over the air, but to also transmit APRS packets received from the APRS-IS TCP/IP network on the air. The APRS standard defines possible filters that sysops can use to decide which APRS traffic they will or will not forward over the air.
Of course this means that depending on the sysops filter settings the LoRa GPS Packets will also be transmitted over the air on the APRS network on 144.800Mhz or 432.500Mhz. Whether or not this happens is a decision made by the digipeater sysops. As all LoRa APRS packets come from licensed hamradio operators only, this should normally not be an issue.

In case you have any further questions, feel free to contact me.

73s
Hans Maes
ON8PZ
on8pz@bitnet.be