Category Archives: Ham Radio

Ham Radio

M17 Project CC1200 – Amateur Radio Update

M17 Project CC1200 – Amateur Radio Update

M17 Project CC1200

One exciting new(ish) protocol for Ham Radio users is the M17 Project. I’ll be pairing a CC1200 hotspot board with a Connect Systems CS7000 radio.

DMR users have long used an operating system called Pi-Star and WPSD to act as a gateway to their systems. Pi-Star and WPSD both included M17 support. I found that it was easiest and worked best under Pi-Star. The maintainer of both programs has removed M17 from their software. Currently my WPSD has the M17 removed since the last software update. I still have it on Pi-Star but I imagine it will go away with the next update.

Sadly, this is probably going to make a hit against the usability for M17 users. There are several other ways to connect to M17 and I’ll explore one of those today.

NOTE: I am not a super experienced M17 user as I just started using the protocol a a few months ago. As I set up a new device to connect to M17 yesterday (CC1200 hotspot board) the M17 folks had to hold my hand and work me through getting connected. It’s not hard at all but it isn’t intuitive. Especially, setting up the radio.

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Abbree AR-318 Mini Mobile Radio Review

Abbree AR-318 Mini Mobile Radio Review

Abbree AR-318

Abbree AR-318

If there is one thing I hate about my own blog is that I seldom have time to review things I purchase with my own money.  I almost always have 2 or 3 items either on the table or inbound at any given time.  The tech that I buy with my own cash gets pushed way down the list.  One such item is the Abbree AR-318 Mini Mobile Radio ($77).

I could spend a week researching the origins of this radio who makes it, and who rebrands it. It seems to be identical to the Baojie BJ-318.  Searching for information is not as easy as it should be though.  So far I haven’t uncovered a ton of usable information other than a product manual.
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DIGIPI Ham Software ILI9486 Screen Configuration

DIGIPI Ham Software ILI9486 Screen Configuration

DigiPi Ham Software ILI9486

Digipi Ham Software with ILI9846 Screen

I recently bought an ICOM 7300 and have been playing with all the digitals modes on Windows, Mac, and Linux and various hunks of software.  I’m a Raspberry Pi geek and found a distribution called DIGIPI by KM6LYW.   The download is behind a paywall and you can get it for as little as $1.  Anyway, DIGIPI can also be used with server screens and the one I bought is the ILI9486.

That was pretty great and it works once you select it during the Initialization phase.  I found a file to 3D print a case and lo and behold my display was upside down.

NOTE:  This blog only deals with flipping the screen on the ILI9486 screen.  It is assumed that you have DIGIPI running and ran into the same issue I did!
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ICOM 7300 Rig Control Under Linux

ICOM 7300 Rig Control Under Linux

ICOM 7300 Rig Control

ICOM 7300

I recently upgraded my Amateur radio license from Technical class to General class.  To celebrate, I bought myself an ICOM 7300.  The 7300 can connect to a computer via a USB cable.  Connecting the computer to the radio is called Rig Control.

I didn’t really have any issues with ICOM 7300 Rig Control on Windows or Mac however I found that my radio wasn’t having any part of being controlled by my Linux Laptop.

Confusion ensued.
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Ham Radio License – General Class

Ham Radio License – General Class

In August 2017 I took and passed the Ham Radio License test for Technician Class.  As soon as I completed that I decided I’d take a study break before pursuing the General Class license.  That study break lasted about 7 years.

I recently purchased the General Class License Manual, 10th Edition.  As I began to study I started hitting harder and harder material and just paused.   To my surprise the local Amateur Radio Club offered a free 8 week General class (2 hours a week) and administered the exam at the end of the course.  The book can cost about $25 to $35 depending on where you get it from and the exam costs $15.

The book has the actual test bank with answers in the back.  Additionally, the ARRL website has a practice exam that uses the actual questions found on the final exam.

Ham Radio License

ARRL Practice Tests

A combination of attending class and taking the practice exams a few times a day allowed me to pretty easily obtain my General Class License.   I highly recommend having at least one person in your circle getting and maintaining a ham radio license.  After the last hurricane in Western NC and other states we proved that ham radio is still viable and works when nothing else does.

John – KN4FMV

XHDATA E-100 Ham Radio Review

XHDATA E-100 Ham Radio Review

XHDATA E-100

XHDATA E-100

One of my favorite radio manufacturers just entered the amateur radio game.  Introducing the XHDATA E-100. ($24.98 with a 15% off promotion currently).  I was provided a pre-release radio about a month earlier to review and to provide feedback to XHDATA.

The official release date is 22 October 2024.

XHDATA has been making GREAT shortwave radios for ages and I think I own most of them.  I’ve never had an issue and I’ve even reviewed a couple of them here on my blog.

So, after testing the radio for a month, I will tell you what I think.
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Astron SS-25M Power Supply Minor Repair

Astron SS-25M Power Supply Minor Repair

Astron SS-25M Power Supply

Astron SS-25M Power Supply

I’m an Amateur Radio operator and have all manner of short wave radios.  Most of these radios require an external power supply to function.  Generally, the voltage requirement is around 13.8 volts DC.   Additionally, some of these power supplies can be pretty pricey.  This quick entry will be about a score I made recently on Facebook Marketplace.  I picked up an Astron SS-25M Power Supply for almost nothing.

Did I get a deal, or did I get taken to the cleaners?  Let’s find out.

When I saw the ad I didn’t hesitate.  I knew even if it were not functional that I could fix it.  So I took a chance.  When I received it, I quickly powered it up and noticed the output power was rock solid at 13.8 volts.  Sweet.

The On/Off Switch LED was flickering and that could be anything from the lamp in the switch itself to a current problem.  But the output power was solid so I figured it was the lamp.

Then I tried to install it and that’s why I realized I was able to score it for so cheap.
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Best DMR Radio For 2024

Best DMR Radio For 2024

Digital Mobile Radio, aka DMR Radios are expensive.  If you are a Ham radio operator you can get a hand held radio that is decent for less than $50.  Not so much in the world of digital hand held radios.   The radio that seems to be ordained for the top slot costs around $329.  John’s Tech Blog has ordained that the best DMR radio for 2024 is the Retevis RT3S which costs about $86 for a non-GPS version, and about $90 for the GPS version.
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TIDRadio TD-H3 Review

TIDRadio TD-H3 Review

TIDRadio TD-H3

TIDRadio TD-H3

Seems like there is no shortage of new Amateur Band and GMRS radios out there for sale.  Today we’ll take a look at the TIDRadio TD-H3.  TIDRadio has been around since 2013, however, this is the first one of their radios I have owned.  They are available on Amazon for about $32.  When you see what this radio can do you will recognize that $32 is a STEAL.

This radio follows a trend that I, and many others have noticed.  The consumer wants a radio that can do it all despite any FCC rules or regulations stating otherwise.  The buying public seems to want radios that can be unlocked to do much more than they are certified to do.

And that is pretty much what we have here with the TIDRadio TD-H3.  It should be noted that if you buy the Amateur TD-H3 (HAM) it doesn’t break any rules.  When you buy the TD-H3 (GMRS) version it is also set up for GMRS rules and regs.

It is when the owner unlocks the radio is where the fun begins.  Again, it seems like this is what radio customers want these days.
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SharkRF OpenSpot 4 Pro Review

SharkRF OpenSpot 4 Pro Review

OpenSpot

SharkRF Openspot 4 Pro

I bought a SharkRF Openspot 1 in around 2018.  So I have been a long time user of SharkRF gear.  I absolutely, positively did NOT need another DMR hotspot but I sprung for the SharkRF Openspot 4 Pro anyway.

Boy I sure am I glad that I did.

I am no hotspot rookie and currently have 4 Raspberry Pi with various MMDVM boards in rotation here at Casa John’s Tech Blog.   I run Pi-Star and WPSD OS’s.  And have toyed with various other OS’s over the years.

There are strengths and weaknesses in all these DMR hotspots.  One weakness in the Pi-Star world is that it needs to be shut down elegantly.  When you have a hotspot plugged in a USB port in your truck which uses your cell phone for internet it is kind of hard (and very inconvenient) to find the IP address, open a web page on your phone and shut it down.  Sooner rather than later you are going to corrupt the SD card on the Raspberry Pi if you just kill the power.  In fact I have done this a few times.

The SharkRF Openspot 4 Pro caught my eye because it is battery powered.

And that is all I really wanted for my mobile hotspot.  Something I wouldn’t kill from uncommanded shut downs.

What I got was so much more than I expected.   Read on.
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