APRS to SMS gateway down... or is it?

The SMSGTE APRS-to-SMS gateway recently went down due to regulatory and spam issues. This means no more sending SMS messages from our APRS-enabled radios. Or does it? Let's look at some other possibilities.
from smsgte.org ....
The SMSGTE service us currently offline. New regulations put into place in the US, Canada and other jurisdictions along with some recent abuse of the service to send SPAM have forced me to shut the service down. I am currently searching for a solution to restore service. If there is a club or HAM organization interested in assisting, one that is a legally registered business or non-profit, please contact me.
List of email-to-sms domains per cell/mobile carrier ....
avtech.com/articles/138/list-...
Additionally, Stephan suggested using WTSAPP to send Whatsapp messages over aprs:
github.com/ralphv/aprs-wtsapp
I might also mention that APRSd does Telegram along with email and other things:
github.com/craigerl/aprsd

[@EvanBlack72]

SMSGTE is awesome and worth saving. It's just some FCC red tape stopping it at the moment, but hopefully it will be back soon. Best workaround is get the other person licensed and on APRSdroid. It does telnet connect so they don't need a radio.

[@notgiven3114]

They'll need a radio the moment that the Internet and cellular networks are unavailable. At all other times, SMSGTE is superfluous anyway.

[@JeremiahBess]

SMSGTE is not down any more. The owner/admin, Paul Dufresne, had issues back in May and changed his website to reflect that. I had some correspondence with him on 20 May and he said he figured things out and brought the system back online. I just successfully sent myself a text message through SMSGTE, no issues. Seems like he hasn't changed his website to reflect that though, I suspect he's still wanting some help.

[@thuff3207]

Thank you for letting the world know. I reached out to help as a ham club but I have not head anything. We need this service it is very helpful and make APRS more useful.

[@KM6LYW]

SMSGTE 07/24 06:51 KM6LYW >*REJECTED* @cl testing smsgte messaging SMSGTE 07/24 06:52 KM6LYW >*REJECTED* @5303341111 testing smsgte messaging number rejecting all my packets still today... I tested it five days ago before my backpacking trip, all rejected then too. transient issue? anyone else?

[@DonzLockz]

This news is catastrophic!😮

[@joedupre32]

Don’t forget what Winlink over APRS.

[@timbookedtwo2375]

Winlink over APRS seems complicated getting password verification. For all the hassle involved and considering the brevity of emails, I don't think it is worth it. Just use a Winlink client for Winlink and an APRS client for APRS stuff. I think trying to get apps to do things they were not originally designed to do is not the way to do things.

[@wesley20991]

How long was your counterpoise wire and was it a signal stick ht antenna thanks awesome video.

[@KM6LYW]

19.5 for the stick and 21" on the poise. Ground radials could/should be a bit longer than radiant elements in practice, 5-10% longer.

[@tubeuser2350]

Besides the EMAIL service there's also EMAIL-2. It allows the setting of shortcuts (alias) for your email address, which can be incredibly long for some. Using a single letter for the email address gives you more space in a packet for the message text.

[@KM6LYW]

www.aprs-is.net/email.aspx "Keith Sproul WU2Z retired the EMAIL server in 2019. It has been replaced with a javAPRSSrvr Email Gateway and has all of the features of EMAIL-2". so it's as if they essentially merged? (confirmed, aliases work on the EMAIL service much like they work on EMAIL-2)

[@KM6LYW]

we need some sort of APRS service registry, how cool would that be?

[@VE1PS]

Demo would be appreciated. I have contacted them for more details but no reply. Winlink is always a possible alternative. As always THX & 73

[@yungerallenelectricalcontr6415]

Oh Know!!!!

[@ericstewart3175]

Could you please do a demonstration of this? Or maybe attach notes on how to do this? That might be helpful.

[@KM6LYW]

the trick is to send email to a phone, without giving out the phone number to everyone on youtube :) send APRS message to callsign "EMAIL" with text "[e-mail] some message here", if the target is a verizon customer for example.

[@gprime3113]

No bumper music? You gotta sing 😅

[@M9A1MAN]

It's still working for me.

[@KM6LYW]

That's great to know, thanks! SMSGTE still REJects all aprs packets, tried different numbers, even different callsigns. I can't do #commands or list aliases, either, everything is rejected. Let's figure out what makes you and I different. I'm in the USA, using K callsigns. Using aprsdroid, xastir, yaesu FT1, over RF, using findu messaging via internet, all REJected. The mystery is afoot!

[@KM6LYW]

Watching traffic in my area, SMSGTE packets are being rejected for everyone around me as well, 0.4] GTOWN>APDW16,WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1:}KM6GAX>APY400,TCPIP,GTOWN*::SMSGTE :@3373031111 hi how are yall?{91 [0.4] GTOWN>APDW16,WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1:}SMSGTE>APSMS1,TCPIP,GTOWN*::KM6GAX :rej91

[@M9A1MAN]

@@KM6LYW Yeah I am still able to use my saved aliases too. The only thing different for me that I noticed is that it comes from a different number.