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.