Whether you’re a seasoned ham or just getting started with APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System), generating a passcode can often feel like a chore—especially if you’re on the move. Good news: there’s now a simple Android app that does just one thing, and does it well—generates your APRS-IS passcode based on your callsign.

What Is It?

9M2PJU APRS Passcode Generator is a no-frills Android app developed for amateur radio operators who need quick access to their APRS-IS passcodes. Just type in your callsign, and the app instantly shows your passcode. Internet required.

This is perfect for:

• Setting up APRS software like Xastir, YAAC, or APRSdroid
• Anyone who wants a quick way to look up passcodes without using a PC or website

GitHub Repository:
https://github.com/9M2PJU/9M2PJU-APRS-Passcode-Generator

Download the APK

The app isn’t on the Play Store, but you can easily download the APK directly:

Download the Android APK here

Once downloaded, just install it like any other APK (you may need to enable “Install from unknown sources” on your device).

Final Thoughts

This tool is made by a ham, for hams.

Give it a try, star the repo if you find it useful, and feel free to share it with your local ham radio group.

The post 9M2PJU APRS Passcode Generator Android App appeared on Hamradio.my - Amateur Radio, Tech Insights and Product Reviews by 9M2PJU.

If you’ve ever worked with APRS, you know it’s a powerful system for tracking stations and sending small packets of info over ham radio. But what if you could take that same data and display it in a modern tactical environment like ATAK or WinTAK? That’s exactly what APRSCOT does—and it does it well.

So, What is APRSCOT?

APRSCOT stands for APRS to Cursor-on-Target. It’s a lightweight Python-based gateway that takes APRS packets—either from the air via a receiver or from APRS-IS—and converts them into Cursor-on-Target messages. Those CoT messages can then be sent to ATAK, WinTAK, or any TAK-compatible system.

In simple terms: your APRS station now shows up on a tactical map with all the other players, in real-time.

Why This is a Big Deal

For years, APRS and TAK existed in separate worlds—ham radio on one side, military and disaster-response tools on the other. APRSCOT changes that. It makes APRS data useful for teams that rely on modern digital situational awareness.

That includes:

• Search and rescue groups
• Emergency communication teams
• Amateur radio operators involved in field exercises
• Off-grid explorers using TAK for navigation

APRSCOT gives those teams the ability to see where everyone is without complicated setups or expensive gear.

How It Works

APRSCOT listens for APRS data—either from a live radio feed or the APRS-IS network—and then uses custom mappings to decide how each station appears on the TAK map. You can configure things like:

• What CoT icon each callsign uses
• Which stations are filtered in or out
• How long each station stays on the map before it’s considered stale
• Whether updates are sent over TCP, UDP, or multicast

You can even run it headless as a background daemon. It’s made for real deployments, not just tinkering.

Who Should Use It?

• Field operators running both radio and TAK
• Amateur radio clubs coordinating public events
• Tactical comms teams bridging analog and digital tools
• Anyone who wants APRS and TAK to finally speak the same language

APRSCOT isn’t a toy. It’s built for actual use in the field. It gives your radio-based tracking system modern map support, without needing to rip and replace your entire setup.

Getting Started

You can install APRSCOT on any decent Linux system using pip or a Debian package. The config is in plain text and easy to customize. Once it’s running, just point your TAK client to the IP and port where APRSCOT is broadcasting, and you’re live.

No cloud, no proprietary BS, and no unnecessary bloat. Just a clean bridge between APRS and TAK that works.

Final Thoughts

APRSCOT does one thing and does it right: it puts APRS on the map—literally. Whether you’re tracking volunteers in a disaster zone, coordinating a community event, or experimenting with TAK as a ham radio operator, APRSCOT gives you a way to bring those worlds together.

Visit https://aprscot.readthedocs.io/en/latest/

The post APRSCOT: Bringing APRS into the Tactical World appeared on Hamradio.my - Amateur Radio, Tech Insights and Product Reviews by 9M2PJU.

In today’s streaming landscape, music lovers often find themselves torn between subscription costs and accessibility. Enter Spotube – a game-changing open-source Spotify client that’s reshaping how we think about music streaming.

What Makes Spotube Special?

Spotube elegantly bridges the gap between Spotify’s extensive music library and free accessibility by utilizing Spotify’s data API while sourcing audio from YouTube, Piped.video, or JioSaavn. This innovative approach eliminates the need for a Spotify Premium subscription while delivering a premium experience.

And no – it’s not just another Electron app. Spotube is built with native performance in mind, resulting in a lightweight application that respects your system resources.

Standout Features That Users Love

Truly Ad-Free Experience

Unlike many alternatives, Spotube offers a completely ad-free listening experience thanks to its use of public Spotify and YouTube Music APIs.

Download Freedom

Freely download your favorite tracks for offline listening – perfect for travel or areas with spotty connectivity.

Cross-Platform Versatility

Whether you’re on Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, or iOS, Spotube has you covered with native applications for each platform.

Lightweight Champion

With its small footprint and minimal data usage, Spotube is ideal for users with limited storage or bandwidth constraints.

Privacy-Focused Design

Enjoy anonymous/guest login options and zero telemetry – Spotube collects no diagnostic or user data.

Enhanced Listening Experience

Time-synced lyrics let you follow along with your favorite songs, enhancing your connection to the music.

Local Control

All playback control happens locally on your device, not on remote servers, giving you greater control and privacy.

Supporting Artists While Using Spotube

While Spotube offers a free way to enjoy music, the developers emphasize the importance of supporting artists. They recommend engaging with creators by interacting with their YouTube channels and Spotify tracks, or preferably by purchasing merchandise, concert tickets, or physical media.

Getting Started Is Easy

Installation is straightforward across all platforms:

• Windows: Available via direct download, Chocolatey, Scoop, or WinGet
• macOS: Download directly or install via Homebrew
• Android: Get it on Google Play, F-Droid, or download the APK
• iOS: Download the IPA file (requires sideloading)
• Linux: Choose from Flatpak, Debian/Ubuntu, Arch/Manjaro, Fedora/OpenSuse packages, or a tarball

For those who like living on the bleeding edge, nightly builds are available directly from GitHub Releases.

The Team Behind the Magic

Spotube is maintained by a dedicated team of developers and community managers led by founder Kingkor Roy Tirtho, with contributors specializing in various platforms and aspects of the application.

The Open-Source Advantage

Licensed under the BSD-4-Clause License, Spotube represents the best of what open-source software can offer – transparency, community-driven development, and freedom from corporate restrictions.

What’s Not Included?

It’s worth noting that Spotube doesn’t support Spotify Shows & Podcasts (as these require Spotify Premium), though the team mentions that Spotify Listen Along functionality is coming soon.

Try Spotube Today

If you’ve been hesitant about music streaming costs or looking for a more lightweight, privacy-focused alternative to the official Spotify client, Spotube offers the perfect balance of functionality and freedom.

Visit Spotube’s website or join their Discord server to become part of this growing community of music lovers who value both great music and great software.

The future of music streaming is open-source, and Spotube is leading the way.

The post Spotube: The Ultimate Open-Source Spotify Experience Without Premium appeared on Hamradio.my - Amateur Radio, Tech Insights and Product Reviews by 9M2PJU.

What is FreshRSS?

FreshRSS is an open-source RSS feed aggregator that allows you to collect and read all your favorite content in one place. Unlike many other RSS platforms, FreshRSS is designed to be easy to set up, use, and customize to meet your specific needs. You can host FreshRSS on your own server, keeping control over your personal data and feeds.

What makes FreshRSS particularly appealing is its light footprint—designed to run on modest server hardware—and its extensive customizability, making it a fantastic tool for both hobbyists and professionals. Whether you’re following ham radio blogs, technical discussions, or personal news feeds, FreshRSS consolidates all your content into a single, organized interface.

Key Features of FreshRSS

1. Multi-User Support and Anonymous Reading Mode

FreshRSS isn’t just for solo users; it’s built to handle multiple accounts. Whether you’re a team of developers, ham radio enthusiasts, or just want to share access with friends or colleagues, FreshRSS makes it easy to manage multiple user profiles. Additionally, it includes an anonymous reading mode, allowing users to browse content without signing in. This is particularly useful for those who prefer a more private or casual browsing experience.

2. Real-Time Updates with WebSub

One of FreshRSS’s standout features is its support for the WebSub standard, which allows for real-time push notifications from compatible sources. Unlike traditional RSS, where you need to manually refresh or rely on polling intervals, WebSub enables instant updates as soon as new content is published on supported sites. This is particularly useful for staying updated with real-time information such as live ham radio broadcasts, news, or blog posts.

With WebSub, services like WordPress, Blogger, Medium, Friendica, and other compatible platforms can push updates to your FreshRSS feed instantly, saving you time and ensuring you’re always in the loop.

3. Mobile-Friendly with Native App Support

FreshRSS supports integration with mobile clients via two distinct APIs—Google Reader API and Fever API. These APIs ensure that you can use a wide range of mobile RSS apps like Readrops, Capy Reader, FeedMe, and FocusReader on Android or Fluent Reader, RSS Guard, and Newsboat on Linux and Windows.

These apps are capable of syncing quickly, fetching content even while offline, and managing your feeds in an intuitive, user-friendly way. For example, the Readrops Android app allows you to access FreshRSS with offline functionality and fast syncing, ensuring you have access to all your feeds regardless of connectivity.

4. Customizable Tagging and Web Scraping

FreshRSS allows you to create custom tags to better organize your feeds, whether you want to group them by topic, priority, or type of content. For instance, you can tag all your ham radio-related feeds with a specific label, making it easy to filter and find the content you’re most interested in.

Additionally, FreshRSS supports Web scraping via XPath, allowing you to scrape websites that don’t offer an RSS or Atom feed. You can also scrape JSON documents, further enhancing the flexibility of your feed aggregation. This is especially useful for sites that may have niche content but don’t provide a standard feed format. It means you can pull in content from any site, regardless of whether it offers RSS or not.

5. Feed Sharing and Export

FreshRSS isn’t just about reading your own feeds. It also allows you to reshare selections of articles via HTML, RSS, and OPML. This is particularly useful for ham radio groups or communities where you may want to share your curated list of articles, news, or resources with others. Whether it’s a blog post or a technical document, you can easily export or share it with others in a variety of formats.

Additionally, FreshRSS supports integration with external apps, providing a seamless experience across different platforms and use cases.

6. Advanced Configuration and Extensions

For those who want to fine-tune FreshRSS to meet their specific needs, the platform supports a variety of advanced configuration settings. These are located in the config.default.php file, which can be modified in data/config.php for customized behavior.

For users who want even more functionality, FreshRSS supports a wide range of extensions. These extensions allow you to add custom features, tweak the interface, or improve the integration with other tools. The repository dedicated to FreshRSS extensions provides numerous ways to further enhance the platform. From advanced filters to custom display themes, the possibilities are vast.

Why Choose FreshRSS on freshrss.hamradio.my?

By using freshrss.hamradio.my, you’re accessing a tailored experience for ham radio enthusiasts and hobbyists. The platform allows you to consolidate all your feeds, whether they’re related to amateur radio, tech blogs, or anything else you find interesting, into one organized interface. The security and customization that FreshRSS offers ensure that you have control over your data, all while providing a simple and intuitive user interface.

Additionally, with the inclusion of WebSub, mobile client compatibility, and web scraping features, you can stay updated instantly without worrying about manually refreshing or missing out on content.

How to Get Started with FreshRSS

To explore the demo, visit freshrss.hamradio.my. Here, you can try out the platform’s features, check how it works in a live environment, and decide whether FreshRSS fits your needs.

Once you’re ready to install FreshRSS on your own server, you can follow the instructions provided on the official FreshRSS GitHub repository. The GitHub page offers detailed installation instructions for manual installs, as well as automated deployment options using Docker, YunoHost, Cloudron, and other methods.

Contributing to FreshRSS

As an open-source project, FreshRSS thrives on contributions from the community. Whether you’re reporting bugs, suggesting new features, or developing new extensions, FreshRSS offers various ways for users to get involved. You can open issues, submit pull requests, or even develop new features to help improve the platform.

Visit the GitHub repository to learn more about contributing and to check out the documentation for setting up and maintaining FreshRSS.

Conclusion

FreshRSS is an excellent solution for anyone looking to aggregate and manage their RSS feeds in a clean, organized, and customizable way. By using freshrss.hamradio.my, you can experience the power and flexibility of FreshRSS while staying connected to the ham radio community and other interests. Whether you’re following live updates, scraping custom web content, or managing your feeds on the go, FreshRSS offers a full-featured, self-hosted solution that is perfect for power users and beginners alike.

Start your journey today with FreshRSS!

The post Explore FreshRSS on freshrss.hamradio.my: A Powerful Self-Hosted RSS Aggregator for Ham Radio Enthusiasts appeared on Hamradio.my - Amateur Radio, Tech Insights and Product Reviews by 9M2PJU.