Beacon Preferences

Enable Beacon

Selecting Enable Beacon will enable the beacon. Unless the beaon rate is set to manual, this will likely cause a beacon to be sent immediately.

In order for a beacon to be sent, the following must be true:

You must have installed a license and selected your callsign.
QTH.app must have received at least one location from the location source
- Note: When using Location Services, there can sometimes be a delay as the OS attempts to determine your location.
You must have at least one connection enabled for transmit that matches the beacon scope.

Beacon Scope

Select the scope that you would like the beacon sent to. The scope acts as a selector to choose which connections will transmit the beacon. If, for example, you have Local scope selected and only the only connection able to transmit is an Internet connection, then no beacon will be transmitted.

Source

Select the source of location updates.

Manual
- If manual is selected, you must manually enter the coordinates that will define your location.
- Optionally, you may use the target button. Your mouse pointer will turn into a targeting reticule and clicking the map will enter the clicked coordinate into the box.
Location Services
- This is the default source
- As of this writing, Apple does not include a GPS receiver in their laptop and desktops, but rather “Your approximate location is determined using information from local Wi-Fi networks, and is collected by Location Services in a manner that doesn’t personally identify you.”
GPS
- Receive GPS coordinates from a connected GPS device
- This source will automatically be selected and deselected if you start and stop a GPS connection.

Position Packet Type

Certain options are available depending on on the packet type

Uncompressed
- The most flexible, but also the largest packet type
Compressed
- Smaller packet size
Mic-E Encoded
- Smallest packet size. Uses the sender field to store information

Timestamp

Select this option to include the timestamp in the position packet, and the format of the timestamp

Altitude

Select this option to include your altitude in the position packet

Indicate Messaging Enabled

Select this option to indicate in your beacon packet whether you are available to receive messages.

Mic-E Status

If you have selected the Mic-Encoded format ebove, you may choose what status code to send.

Comment field

Enter the comment text that you would like to include in yout beacon. The numbers following the field indicate the number of characters used versus the maximum characters allowed for the packet type selected.

Some features, like altitude, may reduced the amount of characters available.

Monitory Frequency

Enter the details about the frequency that you are monitoring. To help you you craft the correct standard format, please use the helper button following the field.

Data Extension

None
Course/Speed
- Include your current course and speed in the beacon
Power/Height/Gain
- Include the information about your station. The settings for this are found in your Station Preferences

Manual Rate

If this is selected, no beacons will be sent automatically. Beacons can be sent by pressing the Beacon Now button.

Interval

Beacons are sent at a fixed interval.

The ‘Fixed’ interval is used if the station is not moving.
The ‘Mobile’ interval is used if QTH.app is receiving locations update where the speed is greater than 0.5 m/s (≈ 1 MPH)

Proportional Pathing

Enabling proportional pathing affects the digipeater path when transmitted over RF connections. To simplify the algorithm, the interval will be set to 10 minutes for fixed and 1 minute for mobile.

When mobile, the beacon path will be:

0 minutes: DIRECT (no path)
10 minutes: DIRECT
20 minutes: DIRECT
30 minutes: WIDE1-1
40 minutes: DIRECT
50 minutes: DIRECT
60 minutes: WIDE1-1, WIDE2-1
70 minutes: DIRECT
80 minutes: DIRECT
90 minutes: WIDE1-1
100 minutes: DIRECT
110 minutes: DIRECT
120 minutes: WIDE1-1, WIDE2-1
repeat pattern

When mobile, the beacon path will be:

1 minute: DIRECT (no path)
2 minutes: WIDE1-1
3 minutes: DIRECT
4 minutes: WIDE1-1, WIDE2-1
5 minute: DIRECT (no path)
6 minutes: WIDE1-1
7 minutes: DIRECT
8 minutes: WIDE1-1, WIDE2-1
repeat pattern

For more information, please see the proportional pathing specification.

SmartBeaconing™

Parameter	Description
Fast Speed	At this speed or above, beacons will be transmitted at the Fast Rate.
Fast Rate	How often beacons will be sent when you are travelling at or above the Fast Speed.
Slow Speed	This is the speed below which you’re considered stationary.
Slow Rate	How often beacons will be sent when you are are below the Slow Speed.
Min Turn Time	The smallest time interval between beacons when you are continuously changing direction.
Min Turn Angle	The minimum angle by which you must change course before it will trigger a beacon.
Turn Slope	This number, when divided by your current speed will be added to the Min Turn Angle in order to increase the turn threshold at lower speeds.

See the SmartBeaconing help topic for more details.