Support — Heard APRS App

Help with Heard

The guidance below covers the most common setup and troubleshooting questions. Additional support options will be added before Heard’s App Store release.

Setup help

Include the Heard app version, iPhone model, iOS version, your general listening area, and whether you are using device location or a manually selected area.

Bug reports

When reporting a bug, include what you expected, what happened instead, whether the issue repeats, and any useful screenshots or screen recordings. Avoid including information you consider sensitive.

Common troubleshooting

Connection setup: why does Heard ask for a callsign?

APRS-IS uses an amateur-radio callsign as part of the connection identity. Heard validates the basic format during setup. Receive-only listening does not require you to transmit over radio.

Listening area: do I have to share my location?

No. Location is optional. It provides the fastest way to create a nearby listening area and recenter the map, but you can choose a different area manually and adjust the radius.

APRS-IS connection: why am I not seeing stations?

Confirm that Home says Listening, verify the listening area and radius, and allow time for APRS activity to arrive. Some areas are naturally quieter than others. Connection Details can show whether packets are arriving.

APRS-IS connection: what if the app cannot connect?

Check network access, temporarily try a different network, and review any message shown in Connection Details. APRS-IS is an external community-operated system, so server availability and routing can vary.

Callsign directories: why did a directory fail to download?

FCC and ISED directory files are hosted by their source providers. Temporary outages, slow connections, interrupted downloads, or limited device storage can prevent installation. You can retry from Settings.

Callsign directories: is the directory address a live location?

No. A directory record is licence or registration information. The live map position comes from APRS packets and may be very different from the registration city, state, province, or postal area.

QRZ lookup: why does QRZ open a separate page?

QRZ is an external service. Heard opens QRZ only when you choose that action, and QRZ controls its own account requirements, content, cookies, and availability.

Tracking: does Heard track the person using a station?

No. Heard displays APRS position reports associated with a callsign or station identifier. It does not know who is physically carrying or operating a station.

Messaging: are APRS messages private?

No. APRS messages can be carried over public radio and internet-linked infrastructure. Do not send confidential or sensitive information over APRS.

Directories: how do I remove local callsign data?

Open Settings, choose Callsign Directories, select the installed country, and use Remove Directory. Other installed countries remain available.

Availability

Heard depends on internet access, APRS-IS, directory source providers, Apple Maps, QRZ when opened by the user, and other platform services. Dan Tilsley cannot guarantee uninterrupted access to those services, but Heard is designed to fail clearly and preserve normal app use when optional services are unavailable.