W5AWW Amateur Radio Service[w5aww]
APRS docsAPRS Stations – W5AWW

APRS Stations – W5AWW

Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) and classic AX.25 packet both use the same callsign with different SSIDs. One operator (W5AWW), different jobs on different frequencies.

Live RF-oriented 144.390 view: APRS Map · APRS-IS: aprs.fi · Packet node: ctxpn.w5aww.net

Grid / QTH: Crawford, TX · EM11hn

How to read W5AWW SSIDs (cross-mode)

Mode Frequency (this station) What you are looking at Typical SSIDs
APRS trackers 144.390 MHz (NA) Home / portable / mobile position, status, messages -4, -5, -9
AX.25 packet + node beacon/digi 145.030 MHz 1200 · 7.104 MHz 300 Connected node, BBS, chat; optional APRS-format node beacon or digipeat on the packet port -7 (VHF), -8 (HF), -10 / -11 / -12 (apps)

Critical split: Anything “APRS-like” on the packet node (beacon / digi) is on 145.030, same as the node — not on 144.390. The dashboard at aprs.w5aww.net is for normal APRS RF (144.390), not a substitute for tuning the packet frequency.

Quick guide

  1. “Where is W5AWW on the 144.390 map?” → -4 / -5 / -9.
  2. “How do I connect to the Crawford packet node?” → W5AWW-7 on 145.030 or W5AWW-8 on 7.104 — Crawford node.
  3. W5AWW-7 is the LinBPQ / CTXPN VHF node identity. Optional node beacon or digipeater on that stack also uses the packet channel (145.030), not a second personal tracker on 144.390.
  4. SSID numbers are labels, not a ranking. -9 is mobile APRS; -11 is BBS.
                    W5AWW (one callsign)
                           |
         +-----------------+------------------+
         |                                    |
   APRS trackers                        AX.25 packet
   144.390                              145.030 / 7.104
         |                                    |
   -4  home / QTH                      -7  VHF node (+ optional
   -5  portable                              node beacon / digi
   -9  mobile                                on 145.030 only)
                                       -8  HF node
                                       -10 RMS · -11 BBS · -12 Chat

Full SSID index

Callsign Mode Role RF / access Notes
W5AWW-4 APRS tracker QTH / home 144.390 Yaesu FTM-400 · Tram dual-band vertical
W5AWW-5 APRS tracker Personal / portable 144.390 BTech UV-PRO · APRSDroid + Bluetooth TNC
W5AWW-7 Packet node CTXPN VHF · optional node beacon/digi 145.030 1200 AX.25 Connect + packet-channel infrastructure — node docs
W5AWW-8 Packet node CTXPN HF 7.104 300 AX.25 HF access when VHF is limited
W5AWW-9 APRS tracker Mobile / vehicle 144.390 Kenwood TM-D700 · smart beaconing when configured
W5AWW-10 Packet (app) RMS Via node Winlink-style app when enabled
W5AWW-11 Packet (app) BBS Via node Alias CTXBBS-style service
W5AWW-12 Packet (app) Chat Via node Multi-user text chat

Public SoT for who is who: this page. Public SoT for how to connect on packet RF: node page.

APRS detail: -4 / -5 / -9 (144.390)

W5AWW-4 — home

Item Detail
Role Fixed APRS station; home position / status
Channel 144.390 MHz
Radio Yaesu FTM-400XDR class dual-band
Antenna Tram dual-band vertical at the QTH
Data / debug USB data cable into Linux — Picocom APRS blog
Map aprs.w5aww.net

W5AWW-5 — portable

Item Detail
Role Field / personal APRS messaging and position
Channel 144.390 MHz
Radio BTECH UV-PRO
TNC / app Bluetooth TNC with APRSDroid on a Galaxy Tab
Antenna Roll-up J-pole or tactical whip depending on deployment

W5AWW-9 — mobile

Item Detail
Role Vehicle tracking and mobile messaging
Channel 144.390 MHz
Radio Kenwood TM-D700 (integrated TNC)
Antenna Dual-band mobile whip (mag-mount or NMO)
Beaconing SmartBeaconing / motion-aware rates when configured

Packet detail: -7 / -8 and apps (145.030 / 7.104)

Item Detail
VHF node W5AWW-7 · 145.030 MHz · 1200 bps
HF node W5AWW-8 · 7.104 MHz · 300 bps
Alias CTXPN (see LinBPQ / website)
BBS / Chat / RMS -11 / -12 / -10 — connect to the node first, then the app
Full connect steps Crawford TX packet node

Optional node beacon & digipeater (145.030 only)

Item Detail
Channel 145.030 MHz — same as the VHF packet node
Identity W5AWW-7 (same SSID as the node; one RF face for this box on packet)
Functions Optional position/status beacon for the node and/or digipeat of APRS-format frames heard on 145.030
Not Digipeater / IGate for continental APRS on 144.390
Not Replacement for -4 / -5 / -9 “where is the person/vehicle” on the APRS map
Docs Packet node — beacon & digi

Paths and bots (144.390 APRS)

Topic Page
Digipath choices Digipeater paths
APRSPH-style bots APRS bots
Voice Alert Voice Alert

Questions or collaboration: packet message or email [email protected].