APRS Net — www.aprsnet.uk and the APRS Net Android, iOS and desktop apps
Last updated: 12 June 2026
APRS Net is a self-hosted APRS-IS gateway, tactical map and companion app suite, operated by an individual UK-licensed radio amateur (callsign 2E0LXY) as a free, non-commercial service for the amateur radio community. The software is open source under the GNU General Public Licence v3.
Contact: via QRZ.com (2E0LXY), or through the project's GitHub repositories.
This policy covers:
The map, station list, weather data and live traffic feed can all be used without creating an account or entering any personal information. In this mode we do not collect or store any personal data about you. Standard web server logs (IP address, request time, user agent) may be retained briefly by the hosting provider for security and abuse-prevention purposes, in line with normal web hosting practice.
To transmit (beacon your position, send messages, or inject packets) you provide your amateur radio callsign and your APRS-IS passcode. The passcode is a publicly-documented, non-secret value mathematically derived from your callsign (per the standard APRS-IS passcode algorithm) — it is not a password and is not treated as confidential. Your callsign is, by definition, public information associated with your radio licence.
Creating a free aprsnet.uk account enables cross-device sync, direct member-to-member messaging, geo-fence alerts, and weather-station beaconing. To create an account we collect:
| Data | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Display name and email address | Account identification, login, and (if you choose) the optional MOTD/notification system |
| Password | Stored as a salted hash — never in plain text, never visible to us |
| Callsign(s) and SSIDs you register | To route APRS messages addressed to you, and to identify "your" stations on the map |
| Map filter and appearance preferences | Synced across your devices (e.g. which traffic types to hide, message background theme) |
| Geo-fence alert rules | Stored so alerts can be evaluated server-side and pushed to all your devices |
| Message history | APRS messages and direct member-to-member messages sent/received through your account, stored so they sync across your devices |
If you enable beaconing in the app, your device's GPS location is used to construct an APRS position packet, which is then broadcast publicly via APRS-IS as described in the warning box above. The app itself does not send your raw location to our servers for any purpose other than constructing that packet — your position becomes part of the public APRS network the moment it is beaconed, exactly as if you had transmitted it over radio.
If you configure a personal weather station (Ecowitt) for automatic WX beaconing, the station's location, API credentials and weather readings you provide are stored on our server (encrypted at rest where practicable) solely to poll the Ecowitt API and construct APRS weather packets on your behalf, which are then likewise broadcast publicly.
Standard APRS messages are, like position packets, broadcast publicly via APRS-IS and are not private. "Direct" messages between two aprsnet.uk members bypass APRS-IS and are relayed only via our server's infrastructure and stored so they appear in your message history on all your signed-in devices — but they are not end-to-end encrypted, and as the service operator we are technically able to access message content stored on the server. We do not read member messages except as necessary for debugging, abuse reports, or legal compliance.
Some features call third-party APIs. Data sent to these services is limited to what's needed for the feature to work:
| Service | What's sent | Why |
|---|---|---|
| aprs.fi | Link-outs only (we don't send data on your behalf) | Looking up a station's history when you click through |
| QRZ.com | Callsign lookups | Showing operator profile info on the station detail panel |
| aisstream.io | None of your data — we relay their public AIS ship feed to you | Showing marine vessels on the map |
| Ecowitt API | Your station credentials (if configured) to fetch readings | Automatic APRS WX beaconing |
| UK Met Office | None of your data — we relay their public severe weather warnings | Weather warning overlay |
| OpenStreetMap / map tile providers | Standard map tile requests (your approximate viewport, not your identity) | Displaying the map |
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with advertisers or data brokers. We do not run advertising or third-party analytics/tracking SDKs in the apps. The only "sharing" that occurs is the inherent, by-design public broadcast of APRS traffic described above, which applies equally to every APRS station and gateway worldwide.
APRS Net is intended for radio amateurs and is not directed at children. Holding an amateur radio licence typically requires meeting a minimum age set by the relevant national regulator. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
The website and apps communicate over HTTPS/TLS. Passwords are stored as salted hashes. Member API access uses per-session tokens. As with any online service, no method of storage or transmission is 100% secure, and this is provided on an "as is" basis by a volunteer-run, non-commercial project.
If you are in the UK or EU, you have rights under UK GDPR / EU GDPR including access to, correction of, and deletion of your personal data, and the right to object to processing. To exercise these rights, contact us using the details in Section 1.
We may update this policy from time to time as the service evolves. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect the most recent revision. Continued use of the service after a change constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.