I remember the hate that closed-source Winmodem got back in the 90s but software-defined modems can be far superior to hardware. Case in point: direwolf. I think it decodes APRS better than any hardware solution.
If you like direwolf you might want to take a peek at the M17 project[1]. They're looking to do the same thing with what's happened with proprietary radio protocols and looks really promising:
> M17 is a new digital radio protocol in development as an alternative to those currently available, with freedom in mind. Freedom in the code, protocol, voice codecs, and hardware. The goal is to provide a better option for digital radios in the future.
https://github.com/wb2osz/direwolf