APRS Hardware & Frequencies Guide

A starter map of HTs and TNCs that work with APRS today, plus the APRS frequencies in active use worldwide.

Handhelds with built-in APRS

• Yaesu FT-2D — Dual-band HT with built-in APRS modem and GPS. On-screen messaging and position display. The classic first APRS HT.
• Yaesu FT-3D — Successor to the FT-2D. Sharper screen, C4FM digital voice and dual-band simultaneous receive. Pushes APRS messages straight to the display.
• Yaesu FT-5D — The newest in the family. Colour touchscreen, Bluetooth, micro-SD map cache. APRS smart-beaconing and messaging built in.
• Kenwood TH-D74 — Discontinued but still hunted on the used market. Built-in 1200/9600 baud TNC, D-STAR and a deep APRS feature set.
• Kenwood TH-D75 — Successor to the TH-D74. Tribander RX, improved APRS UI, USB-C and a more modern feel.
• Radioddity GD-77 — Affordable DMR HT that gains APRS RX/TX with the OpenGD77 community firmware. Not a dedicated APRS HT, but a budget gateway.

TNCs (phone-to-radio bridge)

• Mobilinkd TNC3 — Compact Bluetooth KISS TNC. Bridges your phone to any analog HT for APRS. Built-in battery lasts 30+ hours.
• Mobilinkd TNC4 — Refreshed TNC3. USB-C charging, BLE + classic Bluetooth, cleaner modem performance. The smoothest mobile APRS path today.

Combinations

Plug a Mobilinkd TNC3/TNC4 into the audio jack of any analog HT (Baofeng, Wouxun, Quansheng…) and pair with your phone — no new radio required. The cheapest path in.

APRS Frequencies

• North & South America — 144.390 MHz. Primary APRS frequency across the US, Canada, Mexico and Latin America.
• Europe (incl. Turkey) — 144.800 MHz. Region 1 APRS frequency. Used by hams across Europe and Turkey.
• Japan — 144.660 / 144.640 MHz. JARL band plan: 144.660 for 1200 baud, 144.640 for 9600 baud.
• Australia — 145.175 MHz. WIA-coordinated APRS frequency.
• New Zealand — 144.575 MHz. NZART-coordinated APRS allocation.
• HF (long-range) — 10.1473 MHz USB. HF APRS — used by maritime mobile and ocean-crossing operators. 300-baud Bell.

No hardware yet?

You don’t need a radio to try APRS — APRS World’s map shows every station worldwide in real time. Open the map.