loading a KML layer on APRS map

[lavie gur]

Hi,

I have a KML layer (attached) which I want to place as an overlay on the APRS map.

This is mainly so I can see expected aprs coverage along a rout.

Is there a way to do this ?

I tried to place the layer as a parameter to the aprs.fi link, but couldn't get it working.

Thanks

[Heikki Hannikainen]

Hi,

On Sun, 22 Jan 2017, lavie gur wrote:

> I have a KML layer (attached) which I want to place as an overlay on the APRS map.
>
> This is mainly so I can see expected aprs coverage along a rout.
>
> Is there a way to do this ?

You can put a URL-encoded link as kml= parameter in the URL. Examples:

http://blog.aprs.fi/2010/10/kml-overlay-support.html

The KML URL is passed as-is to the Google Maps API code, and Google's code
then deals with all the rendering. It doesn't implement all of the KML
features, but the basic stuff works.

- Hessu

[lavie gur]

Thanks Hessu,

For somereason I noticed the reply only now.

I tried this and it doesn't work for me.

Maybe this is the serving site ofthe URL.

Do you have a recommendation where to host the link I am appending to aprs.fi ?

Thanks

[Heikki Hannikainen]

Hi,

Any web server should be fine. Since aprs.fi is currently on plaintext
http, the web server needs to be http too (not https). At least the
examples on the blog post I linked work fine, so the feature should be
fine:

http://aprs.fi/#!lat=38.8720&lng=-77.0570&z=15&kml=http%3A%2F%2Fhe.fi%2Fmisc%2Fpentagon.kml

Remember to URL parameter encode the kml= parameter's special characters,
:// -> %3A%2F%2F for example.

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- Hessu

[lavie gur]

Hi,

Fantastic !, I guess the HTTPS was the problem.

Now I have my projection layered on top the APRS - http://aprs.fi/#!lat=30.3444&lng=77.2064&z=15&kml=http%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fyishaihab%2Fkml%2FHYSPLITtraj_146804_01.kml

(need to zoom out to get the scale to 1:50km)

Thanks !!

I used this site for the encoding - http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/dencoder/

Two additional questions:

1. Is there a way to embedd the zoom level into the URL of aprs.fi ?

2. Is there a "common" or best way to get in touch with remote stations and ask their help in tracking at the right time across the day ?

Thanks again for helping in making this work !

Gur

[Heikki Hannikainen]

On Sat, 11 Mar 2017, lavie gur wrote:

> Now I have my projection layered on top the APRS
> - http://aprs.fi/#!lat=30.3444&lng=77.2064&z=15&kml=http%3A%2F%2Fsites.google.com%2Fsite%2Fyishaihab%2Fkml%2FHYSPLITtraj_146804_01.kml
>
> (need to zoom out to get the scale to 1:50km)
>

> Two additional questions:
> 1. Is there a way to embedd the zoom level into the URL of aprs.fi ?

Yep, note the z=15 in the URL above. Lower value zooms out.

> 2. Is there a "common" or best way to get in touch with remote stations
> and ask their help in tracking at the right time across the day ?

No, not really, besides trying to find their email addresses.

You could try APRS messaging, but it doesn't always work due to RX-only
igates, and a lot of people are not receiving them anyway - they may only
run remote igates or digipeaters and transmit-only trackers with no
messaging UI.

- Hessu

[Charlie KZ6T]

Perhaps someone can tell me what I am doing wrong.

I am trying to load a KML layer for a public service event.

I have saved the KML file to both Dropbox and Google Drive and (believe) made them public shares. (at least I can download them when not logged into Dropbox and Google)

Here the links to the two locations

https://www.dropbox.com/s/3ooivc5d7uvbc6j/2017tt.kml?dl=0

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2x1UGUfc6WERmtLUUhwbGVMUlk

Here are the two full URL's (encoded)

http://aprs.fi/#!lat=38.3&lng=-122.9&z=10&kml=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dropbox.com%2Fs%2F3ooivc5d7uvbc6j%2F2017tt.kml%3Fdl%3D0%0A

http://aprs.fi/#!lat=38.3&lng=-122.9&z=10&kml=http%3A%2F%2Fdrive.google.com%2Fopen%3Fid%3D0B2x1UGUfc6WERmtLUUhwbGVMUlk%0A

I tried shortening the URLs using tinyURL and Google with no success.

Attached is the KML file as well.

Any advise?

[Lynn W Deffenbaugh (Mr)]

Neither of those links actually gave me the file directly.  They both tried to bring up a "viewer" which interpreted and displayed the file while giving me a user-clickable "download" link.

I believe you need to get the file hosted on a directly-accessible web server, not one of these file sharing cloud services.

Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32

[Bob Stephens AF9W]

Try encoding the periods in www.dropbox.com and drive.google.com 

 

Bob AF9W

 

--

[Heikki Hannikainen]

Hi,

Good and correct suggestions:

* The link needs to give you the actual KML file alone, not a web page
with additional web content around the file. At least dropbox can provide
such a link someohow.
* Ensure correct encoding of the URLs (:// need to be encoded like they
seem to be below, though I did not check it for correctness). Dots '.' do
not need to be encoded though, they're allowed characters around there.

Additionally:

* If the link to the KML is https, you probably need to load up aprs.fi
with https too (https://aprs.fi/), so that all content on the page will be
downloaded encrypted. Otherwise web browsers will refuse to work with the
secure/non-secure mix. Some hosting services might not let you download
the file with plain non-encrypted http, anyway.

(Moderated one incorrect/misguided answer, sorry for the rejection.)

- Hessu

[Charlie KZ6T]

Thanks for all the help.

It did turn out to be a file hosting issue.  

It appears that Dropbox has had a change, and the way I used to do it no longer works.  Neither did Google.  I used our Ham Club's website with success.

Here is the link.

https://tinyurl.com/ybkvlxmm