Aprs.fi Web stations

This is a section of the Aprs.fi user guide.

Besides transmitting by APRS or AIS, aprs.fi allows you to update your position directly on the web site over the Internet using several different methods: by pointing at your current location on the map (manual position upload), by enabling position updates with a GPS-enabled browser (such as a fancy mobile phone or an iPad) or by pulling the information from Google Latitude, which in turn can be updated automatically using a bunch of tools provided by Google.

Upload position manually using a web browser

1. Sign up to the service, if you haven't done so already. Your account's nickname will, by default, be used to mark your position.
2. Log in on aprs.fi.
3. Browse the map to show your current location.
4. Zoom up close for more accurate pointing.
5. Right-click on the exact position, and select Upload my position. On a Mac, press ctrl to simulate right mouse button. Left-handed mouse setup will probably use the left button, but if you have one, you know better.
6. Within a couple seconds, a Phone symbol should appear on that position. If the position is not correct, or if it has changed, you can either drag and drop the symbol to the new position, or right-click on the new position do a new upload.

To change the symbol icon, the web station's name, or the comment text, click on the Favourites (star) tool button in the top right of the screen, and select My stations and bookmarks, and then Settings from the default My web stations item.

Updating using a mobile phone or an iPad with a GPS

This seems to work fine on the iPhone, most new Android phones, and the iPad, and even some laptops with GPS and supported web browsers. Some browsers can figure out their positions even without a GPS, by looking up the previously known locations of cell phone towers or WLAN access points. For this to work, your web browser must support the W3C Geolocation API, and have a working method to acquire your position.

1. Sign up to the service, if you haven't done so already. Your account's nickname will, by default, be used to mark your position.
2. Log in on aprs.fi.
3. Click the Share current location tool button (blue antenna tower with a red circle around the top).
4. The web browser or phone will probably ask you something like aprs.fi would like to use your current location, and you'll have to accept that.
5. If your web browser can figure out your current coordinates, a symbol should appear at the position within a few seconds.
6. As long as the Share tool button is selected, your position will be updated automatically. At least on the iPhone, it will be updated even when the screen goes black to save power.