Latest stable version: PinPoint APRS v2.1 Build 260222 (February 22, 2026). Scroll down for older versions in case of problems.

Download PinPoint APRS Build 260222

Download the Quick Start guide
(The Quick Start Guide is a bit out of date, but the Beta version below has an updated version that includes all new features.)

Release Notes

February 22, 2026
I finally have some more time to work on PinPoint APRS again! Sorry for the delay.
Here are the things that have been updated since the last release:
- Increased maximum number of tracking points to 1000 (configurable under Tools > Options > Map > track depth).
- Added serial port flow control settings for GPS' that require it.
- Fixed some bugs with interpretation of PHG data.
- Fixed an important bug with smart beaconing.
- Updated all APRS symbols with Hessu's latest version (OH7LZB). Thanks Hessu!
- Updated the tracking colors to only show those colors that have better visibility.
- Added support for APRS Objects and Items (RX only for now, TX is coming).
- Miscellaneous smaller bug fixes and updates.
- Moved all code to Visual Studio 2026.

Bug Reports

Bug reports are always welcome. You can contact the author at ab0wv at arrl.net. Please include as much detail as possible, like your settings in the Tools > Options screen, the hardware you're using, including computer, TNC, radio, etc, what you are trying to do, any relevant screenshots, and please include the files PinpointRawpacketsMMDDYYYY.txt and PinpointDebugLog.txt from your Documents folder since they may contain clues to what is going on. The point of providing this detailed information is that I must be able to reproduce the issue that you are encountering locally on my computer before I can attempt to resolve it, so anything you can include as far as steps to reproduce the issue is appreciated. Thanks for your support!

Older Versions

If you run into an issue with a newer version of the software, feel free to download a previous version to see if the problem goes away. If you download an older version, please manually remove PinPoint APRS from your system first through Add/Remove Programs inside of Windows, before installing the older version. Then, please submit a bug report (see section above) to let me know what's wrong.

- Pinpoint_v2.1_build_240324.msi - March 24, 2024
- Pinpoint_v2.1_build_240316.msi - March 16, 2024

Beta Versions

This section is for testing of new versions that are not considered stable yet and are actively being updated with bug fixes and enhancements. Download if you feel adventurous, but keep in mind, you may run into some issues. If you do run into issues, please take a look at the Bug Reports section above. I'd love it if you can help out finding issues in this release.

Beta/test version: PinPoint APRS v2.2 Build 260513a (May 13, 2026).

Download PinPoint APRS v2.2 Build 260513a

Download the updated Quick Start Guide.

Beta Release Notes

May 13, 2026, second release
Added the ability to store the APRS symbols used for waypoints in a GPX and KML file when exported, so they are restored when imported back into PinPoint APRS. Additionally, the track colors and line width are now stored in GPX and KML files as well and the GPX and KML import renders it accordingly. Thanks to Michael/KF0PAY, for the suggestion.
May 13, 2026
Another batch of new features and fixes for this Beta release:
- Your own APRS Objects are now being saved after every edit, so exiting and restarting PinPoint will restore the previous objects on the map (including beaconing intervals, etc).
- Added the ability to remove all APRS Objects in one click under the Map menu (Remove my APRS Objects).
- Completely redesigned the way APRS Messages are handled. There now is a Messages (F10) option under the View menu, where you can see all messages received and sent. Messages are persisted, so if you restart PinPoint, it will retain them, including the current message number. Removed the old Messages tree view in the Last Heard window. Messages are now retried several times if not Acknowledged by the receiver. The ACK Column in the Sent Items folder has a green checkmark if it was acknowledged by the receiver, a clock icon if acknowledgement is still pending, a red cross if the message was rejected and an orange question mark if we retried sending it over and over, but ultimately got no response (time out). The column will be blank if no ACKnowledgement is required. The retry schedule is 30s (after previous send), 60s, 120s, 240s and 240s before giving up, so a total of 12 minutes during which it will retry sending a message until acknowledged or timed out.
- Made the automatic APRS-IS and Network TNC reconnection code more robust. In case of a severed network connection, the app now constantly monitors for the network to come back and reconnects automatically to APRS-IS and/or network TNC.
- Added the ability to export any previously imported GPX/KML/KMZ files and manually placed waypoints to a GPX or KML file. NOTE: This does not export the APRS stations on the map. Only previously imported files and manually added waypoints and tracks are exported.
- Added the ability to draw your own tracks on the map (in addition to adding your own waypoints, which already existed), that can be exported later to GPX/KML files if desired. Start a track by SHIFT-Clicking on the map at the start of the track and select Start Drawing Track, and keep clicking on the map to add to the track. Use the backspace key to remove the last addition(s) if needed, and hit the ESC key when done drawing.
May 8, 2026
Added a feature when SHIFT-Clicking on the map to have an option to copy the current latitude and longitude into the copy & paste buffer in Windows, so you can paste the clicked location into a document, like an ICS-213. Also added an option to do the same for the current grid square. Thanks to Rich/KN6BDH for the suggestion.
May 6, 2026
Two big updates and two smaller fixes:
- Added the ability to add APRS Objects to the map that get beaconed out. Shift-Click on the map where you want to add an APRS Object. Add the required details on the window that pops up. Remove Objects when no longer needed by clicking on the object first. Manual beaconing is possible as well. Click on the object, and select Beacon Now.
- Added an Address Search option under the Map menu. Internet access is required to use the address search. Click on address search markers on the map to remove them.
- Fixed a refresh interval bug in the NexRad Weather Radar Overlay.
- Added two new NexRad weather radar sites and removed a decommissioned one.
May 3, 2026
Some more tweaks for this Beta/test version:
- Fixed a few small bugs with processing Items, Objects and Messages.
- Fixed a few small UI bugs.
- Created a workaround for a memory leak in the mapping library I use.
- Fixed a race condition in the NexRad weather radar overlay.
- Color coded the lines in the Communications Monitor window, and it now gets truncated every 200 lines:
- Data sent TO APRS-IS (beacon, iGate, etc) is shown in bright red.
- Data received FROM your TNC is shown in purple.
- Data sent TO your TNC is shown in dark red (brown-ish)
- Data received FROM your GPS is shown in green (if “Show GPS Data” is enabled)
April 27, 2026
Another tweak for this Beta/test version:
- Cleaned up a few memory leaks
- Fixed a UI bug
April 24, 2026
A few more updates for this Beta/test version:
- Improved KMZ import capabilities.
- Fixed a bug in the Weather Warnings Overlay.
- Fixed an edge case related to producing the correct APRS symbol when using the compressed position format when using the "a to j" symbol table.
- Fixed a crash when zooming in real fast.
- Changed some compiler settings.
April 9, 2026
This is a huge update, so lots of new features that need to be tested. PinPoint APRS was developed with the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) in mind, so I've spent time adding some features that help with additional situational awareness.
Here are the things that have been updated and added:
- First and foremost, please read the updated v2.2 Quick Start Guide to get more detail on some of the new features listed below.
- Added NexRad weather radar imagery. NexRad radar imagery is available from two sources: The National Weather Service (source: NWS) and Iowa State University's Environmental Mesonet (source: IEM). The default settings under Tools > Options > WX & Fire work well. It will select the closest radar to your location in PinPoint APRS, and use the hi-res NWS NexRad reflectivity feed. In the WX & Fire settings, you can override the default radar site to be used using the Single Radar Site option + dropdown list. The CONUS Mosaic option will show weather radar for the entire USA, but the resolution is not as great. If you want to use CONUS Mosaic, the IEM source is best.
- NWS Single Site settings under Tools > Options > WX & Fire(either automatic selection of closest radar site, or overriding with the dropdown list) will automatically support various NexRad radar modes where intervals between radar scans are shortened. These modes are often initiated during severe weather, and PinPoint APRS will update the radar imagery faster when available. If a NexRad radar enters SAILS mode, which increases the refresh rate of the NexRad radar data, PinPoint APRS will also start updating the Weather Warning polygons every 2 minutes (default is every 5 minutes). This feature is not available when using IEM.
- When using individual radar sites, right below the +/- for map zoom top left, you will see two buttons marked R & V, where you can quickly switch between Reflectivity radar product and the Velocity radar product, which is useful when trying to spot tornadoes and other weather events.
- Added a Weather and Wildfire warning/watches/advisories overlay with polygons showing affected areas on the map. Select the warnings / watches, etc you want to see by selecting the appropriate checkboxes under Tools > Options > WX & Fire. Polygons and data are updated every 5 minutes, except when an active NexRad radar goes into SAILS mode, accelerating updates to every 2 minutes.
- If you enable "Alert when I'm inside a warning area" in the WX & Fire setting, the map will show a red banner around it when your PinPoint APRS location is inside a weather warning area. The banner will clear once you move outside of the weather warning area, or when the warning expires or is canceled.
- Clicking on a weather warning, advisory, etc, on the map will give you more detail about the event.
- Added a Wildfire overlay with polygons (where available) to show wildfires and prescribed burns on the map. Wildfire are sometimes shown as polygons (when available) to show the fire perimeter, and sometimes as a round dot, where the size of the dot is commensurate with the size of the fire when polygons are not available. Clicking on a wildfire will give you more information about the fire. Polygons and data are updated every 5 minutes. Fires that are 100% contained show up a gray. Fires that are not 100% contained show up as red. Under Tools > Options > WX & Fire you can hide wildfires from the map that are 100% contained ("Show Active Wildfires Only").
- NexRad radar, Weather & Fire Warnings and Wildfire data all require Internet access. PinPoint APRS will still work fine without Internet access after maps have been cached, but you will not be able to use these new situational awareness features. - Your PinPoint APRS location must be in or near the USA for these new weather related features to work, since only USA-based NexRad, Weather & Fire Warnings and Wildfire data is being drawn on the map. PinPoint APRS will prevent you from using these features if your location on the map is outside the USA to reduce unnecessary strain on these public API's.
- When enabling the map scale, it now remembers the last setting at application start (show or hide).
- Fixed an issue where the map provider was sometimes changed when going into the Options menu.
- Updated credits to account for the additional data providers (NexRad, warnings, wildfires).
- Updated the 'save map to image' feature so it includes all additional data (NexRad, warnings, wildfires).
- Fixed a few typos.
- Fixed a bug in the compressed packet decode code related to altitude.
- Fixed an issue related to the direction (rotation) of the symbol on the map in compressed position packets with no course or heading.
- Cleaned up some fields in the Last Heard window that were being displayed when no value was available.
- SHIFT-Click-ing on the map now shows the "Add APRS Object" feature. This doesn't work yet since it's under active development. It's coming...
- Your own position on the map is now shown as the symbol you selected in Tools > Options > APRS, within a small yellow circle, rather than the green marker I used before. The mouseover now shows "My Position" and your call sign + SSID.
- Added an "Optimize' button under Tools > Options > Misc > Map cache info. Clicking this button will optimize the cache database on your computer, which can take up to a minute.
- Improved the GPX File import code. Made it more resilient against errors. Added support for GPX Routes (in addition to Tracks & Waypoints).
- Added support for KML/KMZ File imports.
- Added support for GeoJSON File imports.
- Pinpoint APRS now remembers the last GPS location you were in and resumes from there.
April 18, 2026
I've added a few more items into the Beta/test version:
- The sound for received/updated stations has been removed since it didn't seem very useful and was just plain annoying. I've added an alert sound for when you're inside a weather warning area.
- You can now configure (under Tools > Options > APRS) whether your beacons go out over RF (Radio), APRS-IS or both, no matter what you are actively connected to (TNC and/or APRS-IS).
- Improved NexRad Weather Radar, Weather Warnings and Fire Warnings API implementations that are more resilient against timeouts and other issues.
- You can now customize the station (and import) tooltip colors, font size & color, opacity under Tools > Options > Map.
- You can now customize fill-in opacity used in file imports (so GPX, KML, KMZ and GeoJson File imports) under Tools > Options > Map.