APSPOT: Your All-in-One APRS Self‑Spotting Solution

If you’re into park, summit, or other activations like—POTA, SOTA, WWFF, SIOTA—your APRS toolbox has just been supercharged. APSPOT is the most comprehensive self‑spotting gateway available, serving as a singular APRS endpoint that forwards your spot to numerous destinations. No more juggling multiple services or interfaces—just a single tap on your APRS transceiver or APRS software and app sends your activity to parksnpeaks.org, pota.app, SOTAWatch, and beyond.

What Makes APSPOT Exceptional?

• Unified Spotting Endpoint
  Whether you’re working WWFF, SOTA, POTA, or SIOTA, APSPOT simplifies your workflow: send one formatted APRS message and let APSPOT distribute it to all platforms seamlessly
• Smart Message Validation
  APSPOT guides you toward accuracy: if your spot misses a piece or misformats, it responds with precise feedback or usage tips—no guesswork
• Flexible Mode & Quantity Settings
  Recently added, the SPOTS command now supports filtering by mode—like FT8—and controlling how many spots (up to five) you receive

How It Works

1. Format Your Spot Correctly
   Using APRS, message APSPOT in the format: ! <Activity> <Reference> <Frequency> <Mode> <Optional Comment> Example: ! SOTA VK3/VN‑010 7.144 SSB AutumnFieldSummit
2. Receive Instant Feedback
   APSPOT confirms successful delivery—or explains why it didn’t. You’ll know right away.
3. Enjoy Cross‑Platform Spotting
   Your spot is posted automatically across all supported communities—no extra steps on your part

Key Details You Should Know

• Supported Activities: WWFF, SOTA, POTA, SIOTA.
• Syntax Requirements: Include frequency as a decimal (e.g., “7.144”), mode (SSB, CW, FM, DATA), and optional comments
• Activity Verification: For parksnpeaks.org (WWFF), you must be a registered user—APSPOT will check before posting
• Message Limits: Over APRS, you can request 1–5 spots at a time—no more

How to send a SPOT:

POTA

SOTA

WWFF

Beyond APRS: SMS Integration

No APRS radio? No problem. Send a text like this:

!MYCALL POTA US‑1234 14.060 CW CQ_TEST

to the APSPOT SMS gateway, and it handles the rest.

Australia: +61 4 89 905 884
Canada: +1 867 877 2605
United States: +1 866 870 5797

Why APSPOT Matters

• Simplicity: One message, all platforms—APRS, SMS, Winlink.
• Precision: Built‑in validation prevents posting errors.
• Coverage: Supports all major amateur activation programs.
• Community‑Focused: Designed by a ham radio operator for ease and reliability.

What’s on the Horizon?

Developer Josh is expanding APSPOT’s cloud infrastructure—moving it to a Docker‑based service on AWS Fargate. The next milestones include direct SOTAWatch integration (beyond parksnpeaks.org) and broader API support for more spotting systems.

Get Started Today

• Visit https://apspot.radio to explore usage instructions, FAQs, and examples.
• Format and send your first APRS message to APSPOT, or use SMS if APRS isn’t available.
• Ready for on‑the‑road or off‑grid use, APSPOT ensures you stay visible—no matter where your amateur radio adventures take you.