Help with OwnTracks and Private MQTT Server

Configuration
1

Hello everyone - new user here trying to setup OwnTracks with my private install of MQTT on my Raspberry Pi.

My MQTT server sems to be working fine and I am able to successfully test it using the pub and sub command lines. I have successfully configured my server in the OwnTracks app (ios):

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I am wondering how I should name the device in the OwnTracks configuration - here’s what I have:

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…and here is how I have configured everything in my configuration file:

Nothing seems to be triggering when I use OwnTracks - I have driven around with my phone to make sure that I am outside of my home area - but nothing every shows up in the dashboard. I have OwnTracks setup in “move mode” and even use the location publish button to manually publish my location - still nothing.

What I am not sure of is the relationship between the DeviceID in the OwnTracks application on my iphone and the devices list in my configuration file (that’s why there are several different devices listed).

I am also running: mosquitto_sub -d -t /# to track any messages that come across and I see nothing from OwnTracks…

Does anyone have any ideas for me to try?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Tom

2

Just a thought have you reset your router since you setup duckdns?, if you have you will need to reset the external ip address in duckdns, it maybe the reason you get nothing internally.

3

Check you are using owntracks version 9.5.3. Version 9.5.2 broke my connection to home assistant. It drove me nuts until I worked out it was an owntracks problem.

4

Android user here so take keep that in mind.

I’m not 100% sure but I don’t think you even need to set up devices the way you’re doing it. Here’s mine for reference.

- platform: owntracks
  max_gps_accuracy: 500
  waypoints: true
  track_new_devices: no

after that I just run a script every few minutes to request an update to the location on owntracks.

Another thing is that owntracks publishes stuff along the owntracks/ topic which means your devices should (I think) be listed as tom: owntracks/location/tom 

location/tom != owntracks/location/tom
owntracks/location/tom != owntracks/location/tom/

mqtt be confusing sometimes.

I’m still figuring out mqtt but my config has been working flawlessly since I install HA. The only thing that ever broke was the last app update, which broke everything. After the latest update all is good.

5

You know, I think that might be it. I removed the mqtt platform and I don’t think it was hurting (or helping) anything. Once I started looking for /owntracks/tom/tom and /owntracks/tom/sue I think it’s working! I still need to keep playing with it though - but I feel like I’m close.

Thanks to all for the repliesand the helpful suggestions.

Tom

6

good luck… Sounds like you’re getting there.