Just because I had never seen the ordering a custom PCB, I followed this steps on ordering one for this. Heavens to Murgatroyd! that's crazy cheap.
slick and useful. Probably won't work out of the box with repeaterbook software (android) because he firmwared his interfaces to report something that normal ones do not and i couldn't be assed to reverse it.<p>I don't know that repeaterbook has anything to do with it actually, but there's android software that uses your GPS and a bluetooth module to control your VHF/UHF radios, you can use it to automatically change repeaters as you're driving or whatever - based on repeaterbook's database.
I've been a HAM for 5 years and the hobby is constantly evolving and expanding. There are many HAM hackers like this who produce custom radios, antennas, tools . If you are a software engineer looking to tinker with hardware, HAM radio has many practical and social applications. It's also a tremendously broad hobby with many modes, bands, hobbies, tools, devices.<p>Like most hobbies today it's up to us to take over and build the next generation.
I don't mean to be a downer, but I'm so fucking tired of these things. We don't need yet another way of doing AF sound card injection into shitty walkie talkies, we need an open, accessible, quality SDR transmitter that can handle digital inputs directly.<p>I've messed with plenty of systems like this, these antiquated radios are not designed for this and you have to spend a lot of time fiddling with the gain stages to get them to function at all. Even if you get it working, it'll still be <i>wildly</i> less capable than something that can do direct encoding, you lose a ton of range when doing AFSK compared to basically any other encoding scheme.<p>It's basically the equivalent of setting up a 3d printer gantry to hit the keys on your keyboard to send messages.<p>And before anyone complains, yes, I'm actively working on an open XC7Z010/AD9363 based HT for this. Essentially a Silvus but not $20k for $100 in components.
I really would like to have a simple re-implementation of ye olde TNC-2s that had a small eprom and a kiss mode TNC with a fricking BBS on ax-25 that worked like a charm. They existed I believe around 1988-1990ish.<p>I mean, yes, this cable works with direwolf, but then I need to have a full linux system running, which I could do without for the purpose of an emergency comms system.<p>I just found <a href="https://github.com/cheponis/KISS-TNC2" rel="nofollow">https://github.com/cheponis/KISS-TNC2</a>, but I think this is just the KISS mode, not the AX25 stuff.<p>I found <a href="https://www.ir3ip.net/iw3fqg/doc/wa8ded.htm" rel="nofollow">https://www.ir3ip.net/iw3fqg/doc/wa8ded.htm</a> which I think describes the TNC2S software I was running many years ago.<p>Any other pointers would be great.
Weird kinda unrelated question but I bet someone in this thread has the answer:<p>When I was researching the Flipper Zero a year or so ago someone mentioned, "I'm not sure about buying one, it seems like a cool gadget that I'll play with and then end up in a drawer like the [product x]"<p>I looked up [product x] at the time and it seemed pretty neat. Like a USB or computer card that could get radio and TV signals and some other stuff.<p>However, I can't find this [product x] again despite scouring bookmarks, reading through reddit/HN topics, etc.<p>Any ideas?
There is Open Headset Interconnect Standard, <a href="https://ohis.org/" rel="nofollow">https://ohis.org/</a>, for standard headset connection using RJ-45. But I can't tell if anyone uses it. I wonder if could make boards like this for different adapters.<p>I sort of wonder if USB Audio would be a better way to connect headsets. Go from standard audio ports or headset ports to USB, and then USB with these connectors. The hard part is what to with the PTT pin. I guess the downside is power.
Great project!<p>But in the name of god: let this awful old AFSK APRS sleep away.<p>In Europe LoRa APRS is super popular and Semtech is flooding the market with super cheap radio ICs. They are extremely hobbist friendly.
Very neat! I’m consistently surprised with how the last 20 years of software and hardware improvement has only barely made it to amateur/cb radio.<p>8kb firmware limits. Noise reduction circuits that still do the same amount of nothing they did when implemented in the 70s. Flaky serial interfaces that need various cables and custom drivers for every make and model. CBs using the same 70s form factor and still costing $150-300 for the cheapest with SSB, which is currently the only modulation worth using unless you want to listen to a bunch of old guys in Atlanta yelling gibberish sunrise to sunset.<p>You can argue there’s no market, but put even a crappy CB into an enclosure that would fit most phone mounts, package it with a decent magnet antenna, and not price it as if you have no competition (because you won’t)… and the sales would be incredible. The UVK8 has non-hams buying a bunch because they’re cheap and only barely customizable, just to receive and not transmit.<p>Cobra, Uniden et al haven’t innovated since the 90s, but people are still buying them.