Weather Underground to APRS Sender

🌤️ A complete all-in-one solution for downloading weather data from Weather Underground and transmitting it to the APRS-IS network.

📖 Overview

This script combines weather data collection from Weather Underground with APRS (Automatic Packet Reporting System) transmission capabilities, allowing amateur radio operators to send weather station data to the global APRS network with a single command.

✨ Features

🎯 One Command Solution: Download weather data and transmit to APRS-IS in one step
💾 Configuration Storage: Save your station ID, callsign, passcode, and API key for easy reuse
⏰ Scheduled Transmissions: Automatic weather station mode with configurable intervals (default: 15 minutes)
📍 Real Coordinates: Uses actual latitude/longitude from Weather Underground API
🌐 Global APRS Network: Transmits to APRS-IS servers worldwide with automatic failover
🔒 Secure Authentication: Uses official APRS-IS passcodes for secure transmission
🛡️ Error Handling: Robust handling of missing data and null values
🎨 Simple Interface: User-friendly command-line interface with helpful error messages

🚀 Quick Start

First Time Setup (Recommended)

# Save your configuration interactively
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config

# Or save configuration with command line arguments
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config STATION_ID CALLSIGN PASSCODE --api-key YOUR_API_KEY

Daily Usage (After Setup)

# Just run the script with no arguments (single transmission)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py

# Run as automatic weather station (every 15 minutes)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule

# Run with custom interval (every 30 minutes)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule --interval 30

Traditional Usage (No Configuration File)

python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py STATION_ID CALLSIGN PASSCODE

Examples

# Save configuration from Czech station IXXXXX1
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config IXXXXX1 YOUR_CALLSIGN YOUR_PASSCODE --api-key YOUR_API_KEY

# Single transmission using no arguments (uses saved configuration automatically!)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py

# Automatic weather station mode (every 15 minutes)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule

# Custom interval automatic mode (every 20 minutes)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule --interval 20

# Traditional one-time usage
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py KLAX N6ABC 23456 --server noam.aprs2.net

# Show your current saved configuration
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --show-config

📋 Requirements

Python 3.7+
Valid amateur radio license and callsign
Internet connection
APRS-IS passcode (for transmitting)
Weather Underground API key (optional, but recommended for real data)

🔧 Installation

Clone or download the script
Install dependencies:
```
pip install -r requirements.txt
```

Set up your configuration (recommended):

python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config

Run the script:
```
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py
```

🎯 Why Use Configuration Files?

Before (traditional method):

python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py IXXXXX1 YOUR_CALLSIGN YOUR_PASSCODE --api-key 8298c13da23c45ea98c13da23cc5ea53 --server euro.aprs2.net

After (with configuration):

# Single transmission
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py

# Automatic weather station
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule

Benefits:

✅ Security: No passwords visible in command history
✅ Convenience: One simple command every time
✅ Automation: Perfect for cron jobs and scheduled tasks
✅ Sharing: Easy to run the same setup on multiple computers
✅ Default: No arguments needed - just run the script!
✅ Scheduling: Automatic weather station mode with --schedule

📡 Command Line Options

Configuration Management

--save-config: Save current settings to configuration file
--use-config: Use saved configuration (this is the default when no arguments provided)
--show-config: Show current saved configuration
--delete-config: Delete saved configuration file

Scheduling Options

--schedule: Run continuously, sending weather data at regular intervals
--interval MINUTES: Interval between transmissions in minutes (default: 15)

Required Arguments (when not using config)

station_id: Weather station ID (e.g., IXXXXX1, KLAX, KDFW)
callsign: Your amateur radio callsign
passcode: APRS-IS passcode for transmitting

Optional Arguments

--station STATION: Weather station ID (alternative to positional argument)
--server SERVER: Specific APRS-IS server hostname
--api-key API_KEY: Weather Underground API key

⏰ Automatic Weather Station Mode

Turn your computer into an automatic APRS weather station that sends data at regular intervals:

Basic Scheduling

# Run every 15 minutes (default)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule

# Run every 30 minutes
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule --interval 30

# Run every hour
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule --interval 60

Recommended Intervals

15 minutes: Standard for active weather monitoring
30 minutes: Good balance for regular updates
60 minutes: Minimal impact, good for stable conditions
5 minutes: Minimum recommended (shorter intervals may violate APRS-IS guidelines)

Running as a Service

Linux Service (Systemd)

For automatic startup after reboot and robust service management:

Quick Setup:

# Run the installer
sudo ./install-service.sh

# Configure the service
sudo -u aprs /opt/wunderground-to-aprs/venv/bin/python /opt/wunderground-to-aprs/wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config

# Start the service
sudo systemctl start wunderground-to-aprs

Service Management:

# Check status
sudo systemctl status wunderground-to-aprs

# View logs
sudo journalctl -u wunderground-to-aprs -f

# Restart service
sudo systemctl restart wunderground-to-aprs

Features of the Linux service:

✅ Auto-start on boot - Starts automatically after system reboot
✅ Auto-restart on failure - Restarts if the process crashes
✅ Secure execution - Runs as dedicated non-root user
✅ System integration - Full systemd integration with logging
✅ Easy management - Standard systemctl commands

See SERVICE_SETUP.md for detailed installation instructions.

Mac/Linux (Alternative - Cron)

Use cron for simpler scheduling without service features:

# Edit crontab
crontab -e

# Add line for every 15 minutes
*/15 * * * * cd /path/to/script && python3 wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py

🏗️ Project Structure

The project is organized into modular components for better maintainability:

wunderground-to-aprs/
├── wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py    # Main script (entry point)
├── requirements.txt             # Python dependencies
├── README.md                   # This documentation
└── src/                        # Source code modules
    ├── __init__.py             # Package initialization
    ├── config_manager.py       # Configuration file management
    ├── config_handler.py       # High-level configuration workflows
    ├── argument_parser.py      # Command line argument parsing
    ├── wunderground_downloader.py   # Weather Underground API client
    ├── aprs_frame_generator.py # APRS protocol frame formatting
    ├── aprs_client.py          # APRS-IS network client
    ├── scheduler.py            # Automatic scheduling system
    └── core.py                 # Main workflow orchestration

Modular Design Benefits

🔧 Maintainable: Each component has a single responsibility
🧪 Testable: Individual modules can be tested separately
🔄 Reusable: Components can be imported by other projects
📚 Readable: Clean separation of concerns

💾 Configuration File

The script can save your credentials to avoid typing them every time:

Location

Windows: C:\Users\USERNAME\.weather_to_aprs_config.json
Linux/Mac: ~/.weather_to_aprs_config.json

Stored Information

Weather station ID
Amateur radio callsign
APRS-IS passcode (encrypted storage)
Weather Underground API key
Preferred APRS-IS server
Scheduling settings (enable/disable automatic mode, transmission interval)

Usage Examples

# Interactive setup (prompts for missing information)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config

# Command line setup
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config IXXXXX1 YOUR_CALLSIGN YOUR_PASSCODE --api-key YOUR_KEY

# Save configuration with automatic scheduling enabled (every 30 minutes)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config IXXXXX1 YOUR_CALLSIGN YOUR_PASSCODE --schedule --interval 30

# View saved configuration
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --show-config

# Run with saved configuration (default behavior)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py

# Automatic weather station mode (uses scheduling settings from config if saved)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule

# Custom interval automatic mode (overrides saved config)
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule --interval 30

# Override saved settings temporarily
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --station KLAX --server euro.aprs2.net

# Scheduled mode with overrides
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --schedule --station KLAX --interval 20

# Delete configuration
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --delete-config

⏰ Scheduling Configuration

When you save your configuration, you can also choose to enable automatic scheduling:

# During interactive setup, you'll be prompted:
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config
# Enable automatic scheduling? (y/N): y
# Enter transmission interval in minutes (default: 15): 30

# Or save directly with scheduling enabled:
python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --save-config --station IXXXXX1 --schedule --interval 20

Behavior with Saved Scheduling Settings

Default mode: If scheduling is enabled in config, running with no arguments will use saved settings
Override: Command line --schedule and --interval options override saved settings
Persistent: Scheduling preferences are remembered between sessions

Show Current Scheduling Configuration

python wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py --show-config
# Will display:
# Schedule Mode: Enabled/Disabled
# Interval: X minutes

🌍 Weather Station IDs

Examples of Valid Station IDs

IXXXXX1 - Czech Republic personal weather station
KLAX - Los Angeles International Airport
KDFW - Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport
KORD - Chicago O'Hare International Airport

🌐 APRS-IS Servers

The script automatically selects from these servers with failover:

rotate.aprs2.net - Primary server pool
noam.aprs2.net - North America
euro.aprs2.net - Europe
asia.aprs2.net - Asia
aunz.aprs2.net - Australia/New Zealand
soam.aprs2.net - South America

🔑 Weather Underground API Key

Getting an API Key

Visit Weather Underground API
Sign up for a free account
Create an API key
Use with --api-key parameter or set WUNDERGROUND_API_KEY environment variable

Without API Key

The script works without an API key using sample data, but coordinates will be 0,0. For real coordinates and weather data, an API key is required.

🎯 APRS-IS Passcode

For Transmitting

You need an official APRS-IS passcode tied to your amateur radio license. Calculate it using online tools or ham radio software. This passcode is required for transmitting to the APRS-IS network.

📊 What Gets Transmitted

The script sends a complete APRS weather frame including:

Position: Real coordinates from Weather Underground (lat/lon)
Weather Data: Temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed/direction
Timestamp: Current UTC time
Identification: Your callsign and "WX" weather identifier

Example APRS Frame

YOUR_CALLSIGN>APRS,TCPIP*:@141049z52xx.99N/018xx.45E_316/004g007t066r000p000P10176h60b10176 WX

Frame Breakdown:

YOUR_CALLSIGN - Your callsign
52xx.xxN/018xx.xxE - Position (52.xxx°N, 18.xxx°E)
316/004g007 - Wind: 316° at 4mph, gusts 7mph
t066 - Temperature: 66°F
P10176h60 - Pressure: 1017.6mb, Humidity: 60%
WX - Weather station identifier

🌍 Viewing Your Data

After transmission, your weather data appears on:

aprs.fi - Search for your callsign
aprsdirect.com - APRS tracking
Local APRS applications and digipeaters

🛠️ Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

Check internet connection
Try different APRS-IS server with --server
Verify callsign format (e.g., YOUR_CALLSIGN, N6ABC-1)

Authentication Issues

Verify your APRS-IS passcode is correct
Check callsign spelling and format

Weather Data Issues

Get Weather Underground API key for real data
Verify station ID exists (check wunderground.com)
Some stations may have incomplete data (null values are handled automatically)

Common Error Messages

"Error: Passcode required" - Provide your official APRS-IS passcode
"Invalid callsign format" - Use proper amateur radio callsign format
"Failed to download weather data" - Check station ID and internet connection

📝 Technical Details

Data Flow

Download: Fetches weather data from Weather Underground API
Convert: Extracts coordinates and weather parameters
Generate: Creates APRS-formatted weather frame
Transmit: Sends frame to APRS-IS network via TCP socket

Coordinate Handling

Real coordinates from Weather Underground API when available
Automatic conversion from decimal degrees to APRS format
Graceful handling of null/missing coordinate data

APRS Frame Format

Standard APRS weather format with position, timestamp, and weather data according to APRS specification.

📄 License

This project is for amateur radio use only. Users must have a valid amateur radio license before transmitting to APRS-IS networks.

🤝 Contributing

This is a community project for amateur radio operators. Feel free to:

Report issues and bugs
Suggest improvements
Submit pull requests
Share usage examples

📞 Support

For support:

Check this README for common solutions
Verify your amateur radio license and APRS-IS passcode
Check APRS.org for APRS protocol information

73! (Amateur radio greeting meaning "best wishes")

Created for the amateur radio community

Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 2 Commits
src		src
.gitignore		.gitignore
README.md		README.md
SERVICE_SETUP.md		SERVICE_SETUP.md
install-service.sh		install-service.sh
requirements.txt		requirements.txt
uninstall-service.sh		uninstall-service.sh
wunderground-to-aprs.service		wunderground-to-aprs.service
wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py		wunderground_to_aprs_sender.py

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