Position Logging Workflow

A rescue or training scenario produces a stream of positions: the subject’s beacon transmits, you home in, and you want a record of where each fix came from. The serial bridge turns that into an automatic log.

Before you leave

1. Flash v5.5 firmware and confirm the AEGIS:HELLO: line prints at 115200 baud.
2. Put the beacon on its own charged 18650 (see USB Power vs Data).
3. Prepare the logging machine: laptop, or an Android phone with Termux.
4. Have a data cable and (for a phone) an OTG adapter.

During the mission

Start the bridge with logging enabled:

python bridge/aegis-serial-bridge.py --no-open > mission.log 2>&1

--no-open keeps the browser out of the way; the terminal shows every AEGIS:POS: line as it arrives. If you want live tracking instead, omit --no-open and leave the Report Position page open.

What a log line gives you

[device] AEGIS:POS:lat=45.123456;lng=11.123456;alt=1200;sats=8;freq=433.500;mode=BEACON;payload=SOS PSN N4553 E01130

Latitude, longitude, altitude, satellites, frequency and the exact payload that went over the air. That is everything you need to reproduce the find afterwards.

After the mission

Convert the log to a track:

grep AEGIS:POS mission.log | sed 's/AEGIS:POS://; s/;/ /g' \
  | awk '{print $1, $2}' > track.tsv

Load track.tsv into any mapping tool (QGIS, Google My Maps, a GPS app) to draw the path you followed. See Mission Debrief for the full debrief routine.

Related

• Bridge Automation
• Morse Listening Workflow
• Mission Debrief