LoRa_APRS_Tracker

CA2RXU LoRa APRS Tracker/Station

This firmware is for using ESP32 based boards with LoRa Modules and GPS to live in the APRS world.

Screenshot

(NOTE: To use Tx/Rx capabilities of this tracker you should have also an Tx/Rx LoRa iGate near you)

You can support this project to continue to grow:

WEB FLASHER/INSTALLER is here

Tracker with complete MENU !!! (see Wiki to know how to access it)
- Read, Write and Delete Messages (with I2C Keyboard or Phone).
- Asking Weather Report.
- Listening to other Trackers arround.
- Changing Display Eco Mode (turn off after 4 seconds) and Screen Brightness.
Processor from 240Mhz to 80MHz to save almost 20% power consumption.
All GPS beacons/packets are encoded for less time on RF/LoRa Tx.
Oled Screen shows Altitude+Speed+Course or BME280 Wx Data or Number of New Messages Received.
Oled Screen shows Recent Heard Trackers/Station/iGates Tx.
Bluetooth capabilities to connect (Android + APRSDroid) or (iPhone + APRS.fi app) and use it as TNC.
Led Notifications for Tx and Messages Received.
Sound Notifications with YL44 Buzzer Module.
Wx data with BME280 Module showed on Screen and transmited as Wx Telemetry.
Winlink Mails through APRSLink.
Posibility to change between 3 major Frequencies used by LoRa APRS Worldwide. __________________

WIKI (English / Español)

FAQ: GPS, Bluetooth, Winlink, BME280 and more –> here

Supported Boards and buying links –> here

1. Installation Guide –> here

2. Tracker Configuration and Explanation for each setting –> here

3. Upload Firmware and Filesystem –> here

Timeline (Versions):

2025.01.11 Added HELTEC V3.2 board support.
2025.01.07 TROY_LoRa_APRS board added.
2025.01.02 Buttons added for DIY Boards and Boards without buttons.
2024.11.13 Added Heltec Wireless Stick Lite V3 + GPS + Oled Display support for another DIY ESP32 Tracker.
2024.11.13 T-Deck Joystick and Button Pressing Fix for smother operation.
2024.10.24 Added QRP Labs LightTracker Plus1.0 support.
2024.10.11 Added Lilygo TTGO T-Deck Plus support.
2024.10.10 Configuration WiFiAP stops after 1 minute of no-client connected.
2024.10.09 WEB INSTALLER/FLASHER.
2024.10.07 Battery Monitor process added (Voltage Sleep to protect Battery).
2024.09.17 Battery Voltage now as Encoded Telemetry in GPS Beacon.
2024.08.26 New reformating of code ahead of WebInstaller: SmartBeacon change.
2024.08.16 BLE support for Android devices (not APRSDroid yet).
2024.08.12 Added support for EByte E220 400M30S 1Watt LoRa module for DIY ESP32 Tracker (LLCC68 supports spreading factor only in range of 5 - 11!)
2024.08.02 New gpsEcoMode added for Testing.
2024.08.02 ESP32S3 DIY LoRa GPS added.
2024.07.30 HELTEC V3 TNC added.
2024.07.01 All boards with 433MHZ and 915MHz versions now.
2024.06.21 3rd Party Packets decode added following the corrections on iGate Firmware.
2024.06.21 If Tracker Speed > 200km/hr and/or Altitude > 9.000 mts , path (“WIDE1-1”) will be omited as its probably a plane.
2024.06.21 Wx Telemetry Tx on Tracker only if standing still > 15min. (On screen Wx Data will be available but won’t be sent if moving).
2024.06.07 Dynamic Height Correction of the BME280 Pressure readings.
2024.05.21 WEMOS ESP32 Battery Holder + LoRa SX1278 + GPS Module support added.
2024.05.16 all boards now work with Radiolib (LoRa) library from @jgromes.
2024.05.13 BME modules will be autodetected (I2C Address and if it is BME280/BMP280/BME680).
2024.05.10 PacketBuffer for Rx (25 Seg) and Tx outputPacketBuffer for sending with ACK Request.
2024.05.07 HELTEC V3 and Wireless Tracker Battery Measurements at 30seg to avoid accelerated discharge.
2024.05.06 New Output Buffer for Messages with retry posibilities.
2024.04.25 Added Lilygo TTGO T-Deck (add Neo6Mv2 GPS) support.
2024.04.12 Added HELTEC Wireless Tracker support.
2024.03.22 3 times pressing middle button for T-Beams turns the Tracker off.
2024.03.08 ESP32_C3 DIY LoRa + GPS board added. Thanks Julian OE1JLN.
2024.02.29 Now you can change between (EU,PL,UK) LoRa APRS frequencies used worldwide.
2024.02.24 New Partitions: more memory for new code/firmware (still > 500 Rx messages available)
2024.02.21 Winlink Mails through APRSLink ( https://www.winlink.org/APRSLink/ )
2024.01.26 Added Helmut OE5HWN MeshCom PCB support.
2024.01.18 BME modules have now a single reading per minute.
2024.01.05 Added HELTEC V3 with NEO8M GPS. Thanks Asbjørn LA1HSA.
2024.01.04 Added TTGO Lilygo T-Beam S3 Supreme V3 support. Thanks Johannes OE2JPO.
2023.12.31 PowerManagment Library AXP192/AXP2101 updated.
2023.12.27 Added Led-Flashlight like Baofeng UV5R Led.
2023.12.27 Added LoRa APRS Packet Decoder to Stations Menu.
2023.12.26 Added BME680 (to the already BME/BMP280) support for Wx Telemetry Tx.
2023.12.22 Added APRSThrusday on Messages Menu to parcitipate from this exercise ( https://aprsph.net/aprsthursday/ )
2023.12.19 Added support for T-Beam V1.2 with Neo8M GPS and SX1262 LoRa Modules.
2023.12.18 Added Mic-E encoding and decoding.
2023.12.12 Added BMP280 (to the already BME280) support for Wx Telemetry Tx.
2023.12.11 Added support for EByte 400M30S 1Watt LoRa module for DIY ESP32 Tracker.
2023.12.07 Added TTGO Lilygo LoRa32 v2.1 board as Bluetooth TNC(Android/Apple) and as a Tracker (with external GPS module).
2023.12.07 Added ESP32 as DIY Tracker (with external GPS Module) with LoRa SX1278 module.
2023.12.06 T-Beam V1.2 as default board.
2023.12.05 Updated packets recognition (+Objects + Mic-E).
2023.11.28 Adding BLE connection to use it as TNC with APRS.fi app for iOS.
2023.11.07 Digipeater Mode added in Emergency Menu.
2023.10.23 COMPLETE New Menu for Keyboard add-on.
2023.10.22 Added Keyboard Support over I2C ( CARDKB from https://m5stack.com )
2023.10.07 Screen Brightness control added.
2023.10.01 Added Wx Telemetry Tx with BME280 Module attached to Tracker.
2023.09.28 Added Support for V.1 board with SX1268 LoRa Module.
2023.09.25 Wiki added.
2023.09.16 Adding Led notification for Beacon Tx and for Message Received.
2023.09.14 Adding buzzer sounds for BootUp, BeaconTx, MessageRx and more.
2023.09.11 Saving last used Callsign into internal Memory to remember it at next boot.
2023.09.05 Adding “simplified Tracker Mode”: only GPS beacons Tx.
2023.08.27 Adding support to connect BME280 and see Temperature, Humidity, Pressure.
2023.08.12 Adding also support for old V0_7 board. Thanks Béla Török.
2023.08.09 Adding Bluetooth capabilities with Kiss and TNC2, TTGO Lora 32. Thanks Thomas DL9SAU.
2023.08.08 Added Maidenhead info on Screen. Thanks Mathias “mpbraendli”.
2023.08.06 Added Bluetooth Support for TNC in Android/APRSDroid. Thanks Valentin F4HVV.
2023.08.05 New Support for SH1106 Oled Screen (0,96” and 1.3”)
2023.07.24 New Validation for Callsings, Overlay change and New Icons (Bike, Motorcycle).
2023.07.18 Add Support for triggering PTT to external amplifier.
2023.07.16 New Icons for Oled Screen (Runner, Car, Jeep)
2023.07.01 Added Support for new T-Beam AXP2101 v1.2 Board.
2023.06.26 Weather Report now stays until button pressed, to avoid missing it.
2023.06.25 Sends comment after X count of beacons.
2023.06.24 displayEcoMode=true doesn’t turn the screen off at boot.
2023.06.23 Return to from any Menu number to Main Menu (Tracker) after 30 segs.
2023.06.20 Major Code Repacking.
2023.06.01 Adding Turn Slope calculations for Smart Beacon and Display Eco Mode.
2023.05.29 New Config file for adding more new ideas to the Tracker.
2023.05.27 Adding Altitude + Speed or Course + Speed in the encoded GPS info.
2023.05.21 Adding Last-Heard LoRa Stations/Trackers.
2023.05.14 Adding Menu.
2023.05.12 Saving Messages to Internal Memory.
2023.04.16 Sending and Receiving LoRa Packets.

This code was based on the work of :

https://github.com/aprs434/lora.tracker : Serge - ON4AA on base91 byte-saving/encoding
https://github.com/lora-aprs/LoRa_APRS_Tracker : Peter - OE5BPA LoRa Tracker
https://github.com/Mane76/LoRa_APRS_Tracker : Manfred - DC2MH (Mane76) mods for multiple Callsigns and processor speed
https://github.com/dl9sau/TTGO-T-Beam-LoRa-APRS : Thomas - DL9SAU for the Kiss <> TNC2 lib __________________

Hope You Enjoy this, 73! CA2RXU, Valparaiso, Chile

This site is open source. Improve this page.