APRSKML Server Project

This project is useful to anyone interested in using Google Earth to view APRS related data.

Currently, this project is providing limited functionality to get people started using this kind of facility and to allow some startup feedback.

To try out this application, you need to:

  1. Download the aprskml.jar file.
  2. Install JRE-1.5.0.
  3. Install Google Earth.

Starting the APRSKML server

Once you have done these things, you can just double click on aprskml.jar to start the server. By default, the server will pick a random port to bind the http server to which Google Earth connects to. If you want to change that port, you can just type a new port number in, and click the reset button.

Connecting Google Earth to the APRSKML server

To connect Google Earth to the APRSKML server, start Google Earth, and use the Add->Network Link menu item to configure access to the APRSKML server. The URI to use should be of the form
http://localhost:<port>
where <port> is the port that the APRSKML server is using. You must configure Google Earth to poll this server at a regular interval, otherwise, you will only get an initial version of the data available.

Adding APRS stations to the list Google Earth will display

The APRSKML server's functions use the list of call signs as a guide for which stations information it needs to track and provide to any client (instance of Google Earth etc) that connects. If you have a limited set of stations that you want to track, use the Add button to add each of those stations into the list.

If you want to use the active stations in your area, then you can click the APRSIS button to configure access to the APRS-IS, provide a filter for your area, and callsigns which are actively transmitting APRS information will be added to the list automatically.

If you find this application to be interesting to you, please sign up for a java.net id and join the mailing lists here and provide feedback. Any Java developers interested in helping can request a developer role and help out with this project.