LoRa APRS

logout · 2021-06-13T15:45:22.837Z

Hello everyone,

APRS over LoRa is becoming a thing, real thing that people actually use - at least here in central Europe it grows maybe faster than the traditional APRS.

I wonder - could Dreamcatcher be used to send/receive APRS messages via LoRa? Maybe with some modifications to the chat application? Did anyone already tried anything like that?

Thans, Martin OK1ZXS

tylerhoot · 2021-06-13T17:26:39.372Z

The dreamcatcher set up can receive the other net signal but its not a 2 way communication with the satellite.

Syed · 2021-06-13T18:58:14.049Z

@logout Could you provide more details to what you have in mind? What point I should make is that the flavor of LoRa on the Dreamcatcher is a bit different than what is used for standard, terrestrial networks. We use the SX1280/81 in the Dreamcatcher, which has different channel bandwidth than the SX127x/6x/LR1110.

logout · 2021-06-13T19:35:27.504Z

Quite everything about APRS over LoRa can be found on these two sites:

https://www.lora-aprs.at/
https://www.lora-aprs.info/

Some parts of both websites are in german, but most of it is in English. The frequency used is 433,775 MHz - I don’t understand the principles of LoRa itself enough to comment on whether Dreamcatcher could be used. But last year I briefly heard about it and now there are several iGates supporting LoRa in my neighborhood and even cheap trackers (~35 USD) available in local HAM shops…

So Dreamcatcher immediately popped up in my mind…

Konrad_Roeder · 2022-06-17T07:57:29.037Z

The LoRa APRS over LEO satellites project started in Austria. APRS had been broadcast over Dreamcatcher for a long time.

iot4pi.com

LoRa_IoT_Austria.pdf

2.39 MB

It looks like in Europe, they were standardizing on 433.775 and 433.900 MHz

Syed · 2023-12-07T17:49:09.579Z

@Konrad_Roeder I recently came across your posts on QRZ regarding LoRa APRS. Do you have any thoughts on how we can more closely integrate the Othernet broadcast with LoRa APRS? Of course, we already relay messages with the OUTNET or OTHER tags. Would it be beneficial to relay specially tagged messages in real-time? This could allow for APRS to have an ACK.

@logout We can release code that will allow a Dreamcatcher to be used as a transmitter. Do you think it would be useful? We should also be able to make Dreamcatchers iGates, but they can’t receive the Othernet broadcast and terrestrial APRS messages simultaneously.

iw0hjz · 2024-01-30T21:24:30.697Z

Hi, found a huge 65 mb of data in my “aprs” folder…my othernet dreamcatcher cannot load all the aprs messages… consider the "news "folder is about 13 mb right now.
An aprs messages bombing…dont know if you change the filter to relay the aprs on othernet …a lot of data for the satellite stream ! aprs is usefull also couse of the minimum data use to show a positions.
Nice open the lora aprs on sat…
tnx alberto

Syed · 2024-01-31T22:56:36.918Z

Yes, lots more APRS messages are in the feed now. We’ll be including FT8 pretty soon. The goal for this year is to focus on relaying ham radio messages.

tymczasowy · 2024-02-21T12:28:52.169Z

I think it is disgusting that ham operatror radio operators take away the lora band from others. You have so much of your own and you litter the band for ordinary people who don’t have licenses.

You should not install aprs a meshtastic or possibly reticullum

logout · 2024-02-21T13:02:54.181Z

Actually, nobody is doing that. Radioamateurs have their own frequency for LoRa APRS and are not using any unlicensed band, as mentioned several posts ago. So this was a completely unnecessary hate post.

logout · 2024-02-21T13:04:06.711Z

I think that it would be very useful! Both as a iGate and as a transmitter (which would need some GPS connection, but that can be managed).

Konrad_Roeder · 2024-06-06T03:17:33.316Z

Syed:

I recently came across your posts on QRZ regarding LoRa APRS. Do you have any thoughts on how we can more closely integrate the Othernet broadcast with LoRa APRS?

I’m sorry it’s been a while since I’ve logged into othernet.is First of all, LoRaAPRS uses the same frequency worldwide 433.775 MHz A LoRa APRS tracker can send GPS location and other data to a LoRa iGate without acknowledgement packets. The APRS iGate in turn, connects to the APRS network. The location of the tracker is displayed on APRS.FI just like the old analog 145 MHz packets were. If you go to APRS.FI and enter WA4OSH* into the callsign field, you will see my two LoRa iGates and any trackers I’m currently experimenting with. If the APRS tracker’s packets were tagged with OUTNET or OTHER, they would also be picked up and relayed by Outernet.

Konrad_Roeder · 2024-06-06T05:08:47.387Z

Every country has their own Amateur Radio rules and regulations. Here is the current FCC frequency allocations table for all services. https://transition.fcc.gov/oet/spectrum/table/fcctable.pdf

Here in the US, we HAMs are regulated by the FCC under 47 CFR part 97. If you look in the FCC chart, you will see Amateur Radio (97)

If you go to Frequency Allocations you can see the Frequency allocations only for Amateur Radio here in the US. Some of these allocations are shared with other services.

70 Centimeters - 420.0-450.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data
33 Centimeters - 902.0-928.0 MHz: CW, Phone, Image, MCW, RTTY/Data

If you check the FCC chart, there’s no such thing as a “LoRa Band”. Perhaps what you mean are license-free allocations. Look for RF Devices (15) and ISM Equipment (18).
You will notice that there are no license-free allocations in the 868MHz band this is allocated to Cellular Public Mobile (22) and Trunking Services Private Land Mobile (90)
Also, there is no license-free allocation in the 420-450MHz band.

The only legal band for you to operate Meshtastic or Reticullum is on 902-928 in the US. It’s actually disgusting that people operate unlicensed equipment on frequencies that they cannot use.

If you want to get your Amateur Radio license, there are plenty two weekend courses you can take.