Hi,
I am using Tracksoar with a radiometrix radio module. According to the instructions I uploaded the custom firmware with my own callsign.
I can see that according to the blinking LED lights the board has a GPS signal lock and is transmitting APRS signal once a minute. However when I search for my call sign on https://aprs.fi it it says it's not found.
I assume it's because there's no APRS receiver close to my hometown, but how can I be sure? Is it hard&expensive to set up a radio to listen to the APRS signal? I assume once my balloon is higher up, some receiver will catch the APRS signal and eventually the GPS location will be published on the internet. But I can't just risk it and hope that something is listening without testing it first.
I was not planning to add any more tracking to my balloon as this is my first launch and I am not so proficient. Would you recommend I add more? Or is it better to set up an amateur radio that I will use to retrieve the payload once it lands? (cost is a big factor, as I am self funded)
