Understanding Live Connections (BPQ/VARA)

TPRFN Live Network Map & Connections

Welcome to the real-time heartbeat of The Packet Radio RF Forwarding Network. This page provides a live visualization of our growing RF-only backbone, showing how Hub stations and polling nodes are currently interacting across the country.

How to Use the Live Map

• Visualize the Network: The map displays active Hub stations and the various remote stations currently polling or connected to the network.

• Interactive Details: To see the technical specifics of a link, simply mouse over the lines connecting two stations. A popup will display the connection path and protocol information for that specific link.

• Real-Time Updates: The map updates every few minutes. If you connect to a TPRFN Hub station via RF, your connection will typically appear on this map shortly after your session begins.

Why This Matters

Our mission at TPRFN is to reduce dependency on AXIP (Internet) links and rebuild a resilient, RF-only messaging layer for Amateur Radio. This page serves as more than just a visual tool; it is a Network Health Monitor.

By observing these live connections, sysops and EMCOMM groups can:

• Confirm successful NVIS propagation between regional Hubs.

• Monitor traffic flow and node availability during exercises or "grid-down" scenarios.

• Identify areas where additional Hub stations (particularly in the Midwest and Central US) are needed to bridge the gap.

Special Thanks

A huge thank you to Tony, K1AJD and Jason N4SFL, for their hard work in developing and integrating this live mapping feature into the TPRFN portal.

A quick tip for the page layout:

Since this is a "live" page, you might want to include a small "Last Updated: [Timestamp]" or a "Refresh" button near the map so users know the data is current.