APRS.fi No Device information

[KM6CMY]

Hello,
Been using APRS for 2 days now and on the second day I noticed that my beacon won't post on the map unless I manually choose share my location. And when I click on the info link I also noticed that there is no Device information. The day before there used to be a section on the info page called device showing mine uses aprs.fi IOS. Now it doesn't show the device section anymore. I've uninstalled/reinstalled the aprs.fi app from the phone and no luck. Changed the default path from Wide1-Wide2 to the second one. I think it was Wide2-2. Bluetooth is turned off on the apps because I'm not using a TNC, just the iPhone app. I created another web station and still no device info and it won't even show a good path. I tried using a different cable and 2 other HT's. Initially I was using my Baofeng UV-5R on day 1 and it all worked fine. So I thought I'd try my other Baofeng BF-8HP and my Yaesu FT-65R and no dice. Please help.
Thanks

 

[K4EET]

Hi @KM6CMY, firstly, Welcome to Radio Reference! This is a great website for lots of information and help.

Second, as an APRS user myself, I verified that the website Google Maps APRS was working correctly with my iPhone. I correctly was plotted and the info bubble contains the following information:

K4EET-5 · center · zoom · info
2021-01-25 18:53:55 - 2021-01-25 18:54:40
2 MPH 35° alt 120 ft
via APRS TX for iOS
[APSK21 via TCPIP*]

So everything is working correctly there...

Let me ask, what app are you using on your iPhone? I use one called "APRS TX" from the App Store.

There is not too much you can do wrong, especially if you had it working the other day.

In order to troubleshoot your setup, I would need to know your app that you use and verify that you have everything filled in correctly. The only other thing that I can think of is to make sure that you are logged in to the APRS.fi website.

Don't post any personal information here. What you can do is change the info where necessary to protect the innocent. LOL!

Hope to hear back from you soon...

73, Dave K4EET

 

[K4EET]

You know, I didn't think to check your plot until after I posted the first response. I see you twice as:

KM6CMY 1d 15h42m aprs.fi iOS
KM6CMY 1h19m aprs.fi iOS

So it appears that you are plotting. What information is coming through? I am seeing:

KM6CMY (from KM6CMY) · center · zoom · info
2021-01-25 17:38:36 - 2021-01-25 17:51:07
1 MPH 311°
aprs.fi iOS
[aprs.fi via aprsfi-iOS]

73, Dave K4EET

 

[KM6CMY]

You know, I didn't think to check your plot until after I posted the first response. I see you twice as:

KM6CMY 1d 15h42m aprs.fi iOS
KM6CMY 1h19m aprs.fi iOS

So it appears that you are plotting. What information is coming through? I am seeing:

KM6CMY (from KM6CMY) · center · zoom · info
2021-01-25 17:38:36 - 2021-01-25 17:51:07
1 MPH 311°
aprs.fi iOS
[aprs.fi via aprsfi-iOS]

73, Dave K4EET

Hi Dave..thanks for the info! Tied up right now so will follow up with you tomorrow with the stuff I've tried today.
73..Les

 

[KM6CMY]

Hi Dave,
The app I'm using is aprs.fi($6.99) from the Apple Store
I opted for the messaging option and that costs extra(monthly/yearly charge, your choice).

Entries on the raw data for the first day I used it shows paths where igates picked it up. Since that day I haven't seen any paths where it was picked up by an igate:
KM6CMY>APFII0 via WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1,qAR,N6LXX-4 (good)
now all it says is:
Last path:>aprs.fi via Web
I know you can manually toggle/(share your location) with one of the buttons on the website.


When I click on Beacon Now on the app it shows as red characters on the packet info, other call signs are blue, but no red packets found when I check on the aprs.fi website. Don't know if that is just how it distinguishes mine from the others on the app and doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad packet on the aprs site.

Restarted the phone several times too.

It says on the user guide that possible issues why it won't post your location is using the wrong symbol so I deleted all my web stations and created a brand new one and it defaulted to a phone icon. Now it's working(see my call sign on the map) but still doesn't get picked up by an igate like the first day. I created a second webstation with a -4 and used a car symbol but made the phone the default one.

TNC setting on the phone is tnc=aprs.fi software modem

There's an option on the phone to turn on rX Igate.
Don't know what that's for. But I turned it on to test and no change so turned it back off.

Should I delete my account on the site and start over?
Maybe I'm just not completely sure on how this aprs stuff works.

Thanks

 

[K4EET]

Hi Les @KM6CMY, it appears that when you first connected to APRS.fi 2 days ago, your Station Type was "APRS Station" which was via RF through an iGATE. Since that time, you have been registering as a Station Type of "Web station" which means you are not going into an iGATE but rather through the Internet via IP. That is exactly what you are seeing. You might try shutting down your router temporarily to force an RF connection via an iGATE. I think everything is working correctly. Let me know if you are able to force an RF connection.

73, Dave K4EET

 

[KM6CMY]

Hi Dave,
What you said makes sense.

Today at 10 am I tried to connect from work and didn't see my web station on the phone app map, neither did it show on the aprs site and I was logged in.
20 mins passed no luck.

At 12:30 pm turned it back on to take a 30min drive on the freeway to see if I can track my location.
Got to my destination and same issue, didn't see my web station on the app(just a blue dot for my current location) and nothing on the aprs.fi site showing my web station nor a trail of the path I've taken.

At 3 pm turned it on again to try, nothing so far.
Read the help section on the phone app and there's a section on how to track a station on the app by clicking on the search button, search and select the station then tap the track button.
At around the same time I decided to track for my call sign on the website too.
Shortly after these 2 actions I performed my web station appeared on the phone app and the aprs website.
I don't know which one of these actions caused it and on top of that, I got picked by an igate and saw the first raw data entry for the day on the aprs site!!! Didn't turn off my router yet as you previously mentioned. Wonder if I turn off wireless and data on the phone if it'll force an RF connection.

1) So are these the steps to take before you go on a drive to be tracked?
2) Is there a time delay once you've made the necessary steps on the phone to appear on the aprs.fi site?

Thanks.

 

[K4EET]

<snip>
1) So are these the steps to take before you go on a drive to be tracked?
2) Is there a time delay once you've made the necessary steps on the phone to appear on the aprs.fi site?
<snip>

• Answer #1: If that works, go ahead and follow those steps. Your app may work slightly different than mine.
• Answer #2: Once an IP connection is made end-to-end, you'll appear on the map. There could be a delay depending on the route taken. Unfortunately, you cannot "ping" the server to see what the roundtrip time actually is.

I believe that things are working correctly from your iPhone.

 

[KM6CMY]

Ok.
Thank you sir.
73, Les