Yes, but think about having a mobile that has native integration with APRS or can make voice/packet radio or even DMR. It would be perfect for hiking or adventures. Even better with LORA.

Probably the main issue is RF compatibility.

They do exist, I've seen several but as an example a DMR UHF Android phone: https://www.unihertz.com/products/atom-xl and the older https://www.anyradios.com/product/runbo-e81-dual-band-4g-dmr...

forgive my ignorance here please, but I've read about APRS on and off for a few years and always wondered what I'd need to just transmit some data that would eventually make it's way to the internet. I recently suggested it to a Ornithologist friend doing back country research in South Afrika too.

But why are there no regularly recommended cheap hardware solutions that can do this (and or just hobbyist builds using an RPI). Seems like the demand would be there but perhaps I'm just not understand all thats involved.

Any insight you could provide would be appreciated.

APRS is actually pretty simple protocol. Data is encoded by modulating tones in a human's hearing spectrum, so if you tuned into the APRS frequency with any-purpose scanner (like most Baofengs), you would hear your childhood if you are old enough to remember 52k modems. The sound wave is easy to decode and encode with software. There are plenty of programs (Linux even has dedicated kernel modules) which turn your sound card into a modem, and the missing piece is the radio.

Now, there are different approaches. If your goal is to receive only, you can plug the headphone output of the cheapest Baofeng scanner into the microphone input of your PC, run the software, and you will start seeing messages soon. If you want to transmit, you do the opposite, but you must somehow automatically enable transmission on the radio when the program wants to transmit; there are different methods of doing so, depending on the radio. Basically, you can use anything what can receive and/or transmit audio on 2m bands. Such devices are cheap and easy to buy, so people probably don't bother with assembling a dedicated hardware. Just plug it to the computer.

It's even simpler if you have an HT with a Bluetooth KISS TNC. You just pair the radio to an Android device, and run APRSDroid and off you go. No cables or configuration of a PC needed.

The B-tech UV-PRO and VGC VR-N76 just got firmware updates that allow that. So now you can do it with a $180 radio instead of needing to buy a $900 Kenwood.

thanks for the detailed answer, so following your explanation if I wanted to transmit scientific data at regular intervals (for my friends field work) what sort of licensing / permission would I need?

Funnily enough someone posted down a few comments here almost exactly what I had complained about not existing ( http://www.mobilinkd.com/ ) at least if I understand that page correctly.

LTE over satellite is going to be the solution, as all existing 4g phones can do it.

I wish they would get LTE/5G peer to peer working. It is defined in spec but barely anything supports it. Then could do any networking instead of limited to ham radio.

CBRS frequencies might work for that.

Do they need a simcard with an active plan or aNy simcard just works !!??

Don't believe it needs a simcard for UHF/VHF.

Even without a simcard, emergency numbers should still work if in range of a cell tower. IIRC that's a requirement of all 4g devices.

What's even more amazing, the local search and rescue helicopters have been outfitted with special 4G/5G base stations. So if they are flying a rescue mission in the mountain or other remote areas, and they come in range of your phone, not only does your phone suddenly have coverage, but they can see you connect, triangulate your position, and call/text you directly.

That is kind of cool. I did not know such a thing existed.