Amateur radio enthusiasts have long been using APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) to track mobile stations, send messages, and share telemetry over RF and the internet. Traditionally, building an APRS tracker has required a fair bit of wiring, configuration, and standalone software installation. However, thanks to the work of the open source community—particularly the sdr-enthusiasts/docker-aprs-tracker project—it’s now possible to deploy a self-contained APRS tracker inside a Docker container.

This raises an interesting question: could we build a compact, mobile APRS tracker using a Raspberry Pi and this containerized setup? While I haven’t personally tested this combination yet, I believe the idea holds real promise and is worth exploring.

The Project: docker-aprs-tracker

The docker-aprs-tracker project packages Direwolf (a software TNC), GPSD (for GPS data input), and Chrony (for system time synchronization) into a Docker container. It’s designed to be run on a minimal Linux environment and supports ARM architectures, including Raspberry Pi models (such as the 3B+, 4B, and even some alternatives like LePotato). This makes it an ideal candidate for Raspberry Pi deployments.

Why Raspberry Pi?

The Raspberry Pi is a perfect fit for this kind of project due to its low power consumption, small size, and ARM64 compatibility. When paired with a USB GPS module, a USB sound card, and a Baofeng radio (or any HT that supports audio input/output), it has the potential to become a fully functional APRS tracker with digipeater capability.

Here’s the rough concept:

• Raspberry Pi (DietPi or Raspberry Pi OS Lite): Lightweight Linux OS, running headless.
• USB GPS module: Feeds GPS coordinates to the container via GPSD.
• USB sound card: Acts as the audio interface to the radio.
• Baofeng UV-5R: Transmits and receives APRS signals.
• Direwolf inside Docker: Handles AX.25 packet encoding/decoding and beaconing.

Key Advantages

• Portability: Everything runs on a Pi, powered by USB or battery.
• Simplicity: Containerized deployment reduces the mess of dependencies.
• Modularity: You can easily swap out hardware components.
• Maintainability: Configuration is stored in a version-controlled docker-compose.yml.

Points to Consider

This project is still under active development, and the container is described as “low maturity,” meaning bugs and frequent changes should be expected. For experimental or personal use, this isn’t a deal-breaker. In fact, it can be a great learning opportunity.

Also, tuning the audio interface can be tricky—especially if you’re using a VOX-based cable like the BTech APRS-K1. The creator of the project recommends a CM108-based USB sound card with built-in PTT support for more reliable transmission. There’s even mention of pre-built options from na6d.com that combine everything in a compact form.

Final Thoughts

While I haven’t built this setup yet, the combination of Docker, Direwolf, and Raspberry Pi opens the door for a lightweight, portable APRS tracker that could be deployed in a vehicle, on a hiking trip, or even at a public service event. It’s an idea I believe many radio amateurs will find interesting—especially those already comfortable working with Raspberry Pi and containerized applications.

If you’re looking for your next ham radio project, this might just be it. And if you do build it, I’d love to hear how it works out for you. Visit and learn more at https://github.com/sdr-enthusiasts/docker-aprs-tracker