Bluetooth and TinyTrak 4, episode 2
I got myself a second TinyTrak 4 and wanted to Bluetooth enable it like I did for my first one. I went a different route using a different module and wiring it another way.
What is APRS Voice Alert ?
Ever got frustrated of not being able to contact a passing by station you just saw on APRS? APRS can also work as a nearby station radar and help you out with that.
Using the Retevis RT98 for APRS with voice alert
My TYT THD9000 started to exhibit some strange behavior, after transmitting it sometimes needs half a second to switch back to receive. So I was in the market for a new APRS radio and came across the Retevis RT98.
Buggy Icom ID-51 and ID-5100 Firmware – UPDATED
On November 6th 2019 and December 5th 2019 Icom released new firmware. According to Icom’s claim on their latest release it fixes issues with “other manufacturers” hardware and that there were no issues with Icom or Kenwood gear. Sorry Icom, this is plainly wrong.
Pi-Star: Scheduling DStar Reflector Linking and Unlinking
Do you want your repeater or hotspot to automatically connect to a specified reflector at a certain time? It is quite easy to do that, almost no command line stuff is involved.
Howto: Setting up and using D-PRS on Icom ID-5100
Setting up D-PRS on the Icom ID-5100 can be confusing for beginners as the radio has lots of options for D-PRS. Here are some step by step pictures an explanation I originally made for a friend, now for everyone.
XLX reflector direct connection
As i mentionned in this earlier post, with the XLX reflectors came some confusion for the users. A few months (almost 18 months ago actually) I modded ircDDBGateway so that it’ll be able to connect using commands like XLXxxxyL.
Howto: AX25 as a Systemd Service
In this article we’ll see how to run AX25 as a Systemd service, bringing the AX25 interface up on every boot and also putting the TNC into kiss mode. Having an AX25 interface allows you to share it among different applications like an APRS Digipeater or Winlink.
Putting Bluetooth into the Tinytrak 4
Byonics provides a Bluetooth add-on for the Tinytrak 4. While I love the TT4 I am not a huge fan of their TT4BT Bluetooth solution. It consists of a board with 2 DB9, no case nothing to protect and makes the whole thing clunky and bulky. Almost 4 years ago I came up with my own more slick and integrated solution and have been happy with it since then.
Why are APRS RX only iGates bad ?
Every now and then I keep on reading on social networks or forums how people set RX only igates up. RX only igates are just bad, really bad. I could just leave you with the following statement “APRS is a bidirectional network and RX only igates are not bidirectionnal. Period” But let me expose how they are breaking the network.
