Turn your Android phone and a Bluetooth TNC into a powerful, portable APRS Digipeater and bi-directional iGate.

PocketDigi is a mobile application designed for amateur radio operators. It connects to a standard KISS-enabled Bluetooth TNC (like a Mobilinkd TNC3 or similar device) and uses your phone's internet and GPS to provide APRS services wherever you are. Leave it running in your vehicle or at a temporary location to instantly enhance the local APRS network.

• Bluetooth KISS Connectivity: Wirelessly connect to your TNC without cumbersome cables.

• Smart APRS Digipeater: Intelligently re-transmits packets according to the New-N Paradigm (WIDE1-1, WIDE2-n), avoiding unnecessary packet storms.

• Bi-Directional iGate: Gates local RF traffic to the APRS-IS network (internet) and gates internet traffic for your local area back out to RF.

• Automatic GPS Beacons: Uses your phone's GPS to periodically beacon your station's position on both RF and APRS-IS, identifying it as an active iGate and digipeater.

• Real-Time Monitoring: View live RF and internet traffic in a color-coded activity log and see your station's performance with at-a-glance statistics.

• Set and Forget: Your callsign is saved automatically, so you only need to enter it once.

Using the app is designed to be simple. Follow these steps to get on the air.

Before opening PocketDigi, go to your phone's Bluetooth Settings. Scan for devices and pair your KISS TNC just like you would with a pair of headphones. This only needs to be done once.

1. Open the PocketDigi app.
2. In the Operation card, tap the Callsign-SSID field.
3. Enter your amateur radio callsign. If you are using an SSID, add it with a dash (e.g., N0CALL-7).
4. Your callsign is saved automatically for the next time you open the app.

1. In the Bluetooth TNC card, tap the dropdown menu (Select a Paired TNC).
2. Choose your TNC from the list of paired devices.
3. Press the blue Connect button.
4. The status indicator will turn green, and the button will change to a red Disconnect button. Your beaconing will start automatically.

You can enable or disable the main functions using the switches in the Operation card:

• Enable Digipeater: This is on by default. When enabled, your station will listen for packets that need re-transmission and send them back out on RF.

• Enable iGate: When enabled, your station will:

  • Gate heard RF packets to the internet.
  • Gate local packets from the internet to RF.

Note: You must have an internet connection and have granted the app location permissions for this to work. You can only toggle this switch before you connect to the TNC.

Once connected, you can monitor everything your station is doing.

• Statistics: The counters at the top will show you how many packets you have heard, digipeated, gated to/from the internet, and beaconed.

• Activity Log: The log at the bottom shows every packet in real-time.

  • Green (RX): Packets heard directly over the radio.
  • Yellow (TX): Packets you digipeated.
  • Cyan (TX): Packets you gated from the internet to the radio.
  • Orange (TX): Your own position beacons.
  • White: System messages (e.g., "Connected," "Disconnected").