One Point Oh Yes!

First release of email2aprs by "Nosey" Nick VA3NNW

Receive position-report emails from a number of sat GPS devices and smartphones, extract LatLons, convert to APRS Position packets / Objects / Items, and drop them into APRS-IS for display on all your favourite APRS maps, maybe gating back to RF via igates.

How?

• An exim filter file accepts emails for etoa-CALL or etoa-TOKEN @ noseynick.net:

  etoa: |/path/to/email2aprs/wrapper.sh
  

• wrapper.sh calls parser.pl which does the main work.
• Emails are parsed looking for prearranged / preconfigured auth tokens, which look a bit like etoa-1234567890, to prove sender is a licensed ham
• The auth tokens also set a bunch of config options
• LatLons, in InReach / Garmin / geo:XXX,YYY formats (others later?) are extracted
• If configuration for this TOKEN allows, a message, object name, APRS symbol can also be extracted
• Components from the TOKEN config and the email are glued together into an APRS Position, Item, or Object
• ... which is then dropped into APRS-IS, to appear on aprs.fi, aprsdirect, and others, and may or may not be gated back to RF by any local digipeaters (if configured to do so)

Notes

• TOKENs are currently created and configured manually. If you would like some auth TOKENs, please contact the author, providing your call, and reasonable evidence that you are the licensed Radio Amateur who owns it. For each requested TOKEN you may also provide:
  • optional SSID to add to your call
  • message to FORCE, or DEFAULT message, or none
  • object to FORCE, DEFAULT object name, or none (for Position packet)
  • APRS Symbol to FORCE (See APRS symbol sets), DEFAULT symbol, or none (// red dot will be used)
  • I'll reply, in my own time, when I can, and with no guaranteed turn-around time, but usually within a few days, with some TOKENs that should appear in your position emails, in To, Subject, or the body of each email.
• email2aprs does not yet have a website
• Aim for a future version would be for hams to be able to prove they are licensed via a number of (ideally automated and authenticated) mechanisms, and generate (and indeed REVOKE) TOKENs of their own on an email2aprs website.

Many thanks to those who have helped develop and test email2aprs so far, especially @una-smith and Kai Gunter Brandt