EmComm Layout Phase 2: Local APRS, Net Operations, Messaging & Logging

[accius]

EmComm Layout — Phase 2+ Feature Roadmap

Following the initial EmComm layout release in v26.1.1, we've received detailed feedback from the user who originally requested the feature. This issue tracks the next phases of development.

Full roadmap: docs/emcomm-roadmap.md

Core Design Principle

Local-first. Each station runs OHC locally. Internet may be unavailable during emergencies — all core EmComm functions must work over RF alone.

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Phase 2 — Local APRS Integration

• Local APRS daemon (critical path) — rig-bridge plugin connecting to Direwolf, hardware TNC, or AGWPE for bidirectional APRS over RF without internet
• Fixed vs mobile station icons — parse APRS symbol table to show appropriate icons (EOC 🏛️, mobile 🚗, person 🧑, HT 📻)
• APRS source selector — Settings toggle: Internet only, Local RF only, or Both (merged/deduped)

Phase 3 — Net Operations

• Net check-in/check-out via APRS — APRSThursday-style messaging to EMCOMM (CQ/U commands)
• Operator status board — roster panel showing checked-in operators, location, last heard, status, resources

Phase 4 — Messaging

• Click-to-message from map — click any APRS station → compose and send APRS message via local daemon
• Message thread view — per-callsign conversation history with delivery confirmation
• Group messaging — broadcast to all net participants

Phase 5 — Logging & Documentation

• Message log — all APRS messages stored with timestamps, searchable
• Event log export — CSV/PDF download for After Action Reviews (AAR)
• Resource history — track resource token changes over time (shelter capacity trends, etc.)

Phase 6 — Telemetry & Sensors (Future)

• APRS telemetry parsing — temperature, battery, signal strength from T# frames
• Custom sensor integration — IoT sensors via APRS (O2 tank levels, flood gauges, weather stations)
• Token request protocol — field stations query current token definitions via APRS message

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Architecture

Radio/TNC ←→ APRS Daemon (rig-bridge plugin) ←→ OpenHamClock ←→ APRS-IS (optional)

The local APRS daemon (Phase 2.1) is the critical path — everything else builds on it. If you have experience with Direwolf, KISS protocol, or APRS packet parsing, your contribution would be especially valuable.

Context

• Original EmComm layout: shipped in v26.1.1
• User feedback received 2026-03-24
• Current status: Phase 1 (display-only) is complete and in production

[accius]

Phase 2 Progress Update

Completed tonight:

Local APRS daemon (critical path) — DONE

• rig-bridge APRS TNC plugin with KISS/Direwolf support
• Bidirectional: RX packets + TX beacons, messages, acks
• Dual-path: runs alongside APRS-IS (internet + RF merged)
• Cloud relay carries APRS packets to cloud-hosted OHC
• Local packets injected into APRS station cache transparently
• APRS message parsing with shelter report detection

Fixed vs mobile station icons — DONE

• 30+ APRS symbols mapped to icons (EOC, shelter, mobile, fixed, weather, etc.)
• Station type classification (mobile/fixed/unknown)
• Proper icons in both map popups and sidebar station list
• RF stations tagged with green "RF" badge

APRS source selector — DONE

• Dropdown in EmComm Stations panel: All Sources / RF Only / Internet Only
• Filters displayed stations by source (local-tnc vs APRS-IS)

APRS message parsing — DONE (bonus, ahead of Phase 4)

• Parses addressed messages and bulletins from both APRS-IS and local TNC
• Detects shelter-related content (keyword + resource token matching)
• New endpoints: GET /api/aprs/messages, /api/aprs/shelters

Remaining for Phase 2:

All three Phase 2 items are complete. Ready to move on to Phase 3 (Net Operations) when ready.

[accius]

Phases 3 + 4 Complete

Phase 3: Net Operations — DONE

• Net check-in/check-out via APRS: send CQ NETNAME status to EMCOMM to check in, U NETNAME to check out
• Operator status board: new panel in EmComm sidebar showing checked-in operators with callsign, net name, status message, last heard age, resource tokens
• Visual indicators: green (active) / yellow (stale >10min) border colors
• MSG button on each operator to open message compose
• Manual check-in/out endpoints for operators without APRS TX
• GET /api/aprs/net — live roster with station data merge

Phase 4: Messaging — DONE

• Message compose UI in EmComm sidebar — opens from MSG button or station click
• 67-char APRS limit with live character counter
• Send via Enter or Send button
• POST /api/aprs/message — proxies to rig-bridge APRS TNC plugin for RF transmission
• Works over RF only (no internet required)

Phase 5: Logging — DONE (built during rig-bridge session)

• JSON Lines message log with auto-pruning (7 days, 10k entries)
• Query API: GET /api/messages?callsign=&type=&since=
• Export: GET /api/messages/export?format=csv or format=text (ICS-213 style)
• Stats: GET /api/messages/stats

Remaining: Phase 6 (Telemetry & Sensors) — future work

• APRS telemetry frame parsing (T# frames)
• Custom sensor integration
• Token request protocol

EmComm Phases 1-5 complete. Phase 6 is future/stretch.

[accius]

All 6 Phases Complete

Phase	Feature	Status
1	Display Dashboard (NWS, FEMA, APRS, resources)	Shipped v26.1.1
2	Local APRS (TNC plugin, icons, source selector)	DONE
3	Net Operations (check-in/out, operator roster)	DONE
4	Messaging (compose UI, 67-char limit, RF send)	DONE
5	Logging (JSON Lines, CSV/text export, auto-prune)	DONE
6	Telemetry (T# frames, PARM/UNIT/EQNS, calibration)	DONE

The EmComm layout is now a full bidirectional operations platform — from display-only dashboard to net management, messaging, logging, and sensor telemetry. All core functions work over RF alone (no internet required) via the rig-bridge APRS TNC plugin.