First up is the APRS Passcode Generator, which you can find over at https://apps.magicbug.co.uk/passcode/.
This tool seems to have become one of the go-to places online for generating those passcodes needed for the APRS-IS network, which is great to see! Given its popularity, it felt well overdue for a refresh.
It’s been completely rebuilt with a much cleaner interface. Behind the scenes, I’ve switched it over from the old PHP code to run entirely on Javascript directly in your browser. Hopefully, this should make it feel a bit quicker and smoother to use.
WhatsMyLocator: Major Overhaul and New Features
The other tool that’s had a much bigger update is WhatsMyLocator (https://www.whatsmylocator.co.uk). Crikey, thinking back, I first knocked this together when I was still at university way back in 2007!
It definitely needed bringing up to date, so it now sports a completely new interface. More importantly, there are some handy new features:
- Geolocation: You can now let your web browser (on desktop, mobile or tablet) find your current location automatically to get the grid square. Ideal when you’re out and about.
- Address Search: The reliable address search is still there too, of course.
- Expanded UK Coverage: It finally properly supports WAB Squares for Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands, alongside mainland UK. About time!
- CQ and ITU Zones: As a little extra, it now also displays the relevant CQ and ITU zone for the location found.
I’m quite pleased with how this one has turned out – getting the geolocation working smoothly and adding the extra regions feels like a good step forward.
So, there you have it. Two tools, freshly updated. Hopefully, these changes make them a bit more useful for everyone.