DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2014.188
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/1341
Date of Award
12-2014
Degree Name
MS in Electrical Engineering
Department/Program
Electrical Engineering
Advisor
Bridget Benson
Abstract
The Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) is an amateur radio packet network that has evolved over the last several decades in tandem with, and then arguably beyond, the lifetime of other VHF/UHF amateur packet networks, to the point where it is one of very few packet networks left on the amateur VHF/UHF bands. This is proving to be problematic due to the loss of institutional knowledge as older amateur radio operators who designed and built APRS and other AX.25-based packet networks abandon the hobby or pass away. The purpose of this document is to collect and curate a sufficient body of knowledge to ensure the continued usefulness of the APRS network, and re-examining the engineering decisions made during the network’s evolution to look for possible improvements and identify deficiencies in documentation of the existing network.