From Zero to APRS in 10 minutes!
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- Опубликовано: 7 фев 2025
- Let's build an APRS packet igate in under 10 minutes for just 99 dollars. This receive-only igate leverages a Raspberry Pi, Software Defined Radio, an LCD display and a rollup antenna. APRS igates relay radio packet information to the Internet for further processing and transmission. We can always use more igates, plus it's fun to visualize the traffic in real time. Texting, weather, beacons, positions and objects are displayed in this cheap-and-easy igate for just 99 bucks.
PARTS LIST____________________________________________________________________
$18 pizero 2w with headers www.adafruit.c...
$4 USB adapter cable amazon.com/UGR...
$31 RTL-SDR amazon.com/RTL...
$32 Antenna www.ebay.com/i...
$14 Display www.amazon.com...
____
$99
INSTALL SOFTWARE_____________________________________________________________
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install direwolf rtl-sdr git python3-pip fonts-dejavu python3-pil python3-pyinotify python3-numpy
sudo pip3 install --break-system-packages adafruit-circuitpython-rgb-display
sudo pip3 install --break-system-packages aprslib
git clone github.com/cra...
CONFIGURATION FILES____________________________________________________________
sudo nano /boot/firmware/config.txt # uncomment spi
#dtparam=spi=on
(reboot)
sudo nano direwolf.conf # replace NOCALL with your callsign, edit GPS location
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
MYCALL NOCALL
IGSERVER noam.aprs2.net
IGLOGIN NOCALL 12345
PBEACON sendto=IG compress=1 delay=00:15 every=30:00 symbol="igate" overlay=X lat=39.911 long=-122.935 comment="Direwatch Rx-only igate"
AGWPORT 8000
KISSPORT 8001
ADEVICE null
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
LAUNCH IGATE_____________________________________________________________________
cd direwatch
rtl_fm -s 22050 -g 49 -f 144.39M 2X /dev/null | direwolf -t 0 -r 22050 - X direwolf.log &
./direwatch.py -o -l direwolf.log -t "APRS"
(note: replace X with a greaterthan sign - sorry, youtube doesn't allow greaterthan signs .
visit github.com/cra... to see all this and more)
0:26 came for the radio content, stayed for the sick riffs 🤘
This channel has really had positive influences on my life. I thoroughly enjoy this content, and I learn a lot. Sincerely, it's life changing information. I learned Linux from doing these little projects.
That really means a lot to me! thank you. You remind me of me 30 years ago Learning Linux/Unix -- Life changing. You can make a career out of these skills. Share what you know, learn what you don't, have fun!
@KM6LYW so, recently my company was offering a Drive / Linux configuration class with a vendor and they were being very picky about who to come to the class. They were like do you know SSH, Basic Linux commands, or how to use terminal? I thought about it and was like Absolutely. Although I had never been to any school I had done several projects on your page. So for the last 2 years I've been part of this training and have received access to the VENDOR Linux Bootcamp (1st day of the weekly training). True story!
Awesome video I ordered the parts🎉
this is exactly what I was planning to do. Thanks for showing the way!
already have all the parts! Looks like a fun build
Thanks for making this easy!
Well... Maybe 10 min for you but I've spent a lot of time just getting the PI where I have an OS on it and I'm able to Putty into it. Still working on the rest, hopefully it goes faster. I'm not a "Pi" guy, very new to all of this. Thanks!
Thumbs up for the video. Two thumbs up for the bumper music!
Love this and all your content 👍🏻
Very cool, glad I found your channel!!!
Just wondering, did you make one of these? I've got mine up and running, after a LOT of work, but still have ?'s about a few things.
I have all the parts with the exception of the screen. Should I wait until I get the screen or can the igate function without it?
I had a PiZeroWH, 1.3" SPI display and an unused RTL-SDR sitting around and had it up and running very quickly, though not in 10 minutes, as it took a bit longer for updates and installs. Still a nice set of instructions that worked well. As others have mentioned, though, I'd like to see your attempt at a DigiRig to HT setup along the same lines, as you have seemed to cut through the extraneous BS to get it going. Thank you very much for your efforts.
BTW, I used RPiOS Bookworm Lite. I have GPSD installed and working to feed position info, using a U-Block based GPS device to set it, and time data.
I'm doing something similar with what I have on hand. PiZeroW. But I'm getting 'Illegal instruction' when trying to start direwolf. Have you run into that problem? . And, nice profile image.
neat stuff, thanks for sharing!
I like the price. I think I'd rather spend a bit more to get a 2 way i-gate though if I'm going to the trouble. As a self respecting HAM/electronics nerd I do have all the bits laying around to make this happen for no out of pocket though so it's still tempting for fun.
Very Interesting Build and Video. A 3D Printed Case would be great if possible!! 73
Is there a log file that is stored on the Pi so I can take a historic look at the activity that has been processed via my iGate? if so, how do I look at it?
"direwolf.log" lists all the activity, however, it resets each time you run direwolf. if you use ">>" instead of ">", it will append to the log, instead of overwrite.
145.175MHz in Oz.
This is a great video, and a fun intro to the Raspberry Pi and Radio. I have it all setup, and see the APRS display, but am not getting signals in (confirmed antenna and APRS traffic is coming in on my radio). I am not getting any errors (except the direwatch ones you said to ignore). I tried to launch direwolf without the & and I get an Illegal instruction message. Any recommendations?
You're using a Pi2B or the Original PiZero. Unfortunately the package maintainer didn't properly compile rtl-sdr, so it wont run on the ancient Pi's. Switch to a PiZero2W, or any other Pi for that matter, and you wont see the "illegal instruction." For the nerds, that means they compiled-in the NEON instruction set, which isn't available on old models.
With lousy APRS coverage in my area, I really should set up an iGate. Feels a little bit like DSTAR having an iGate in the house, but would be helpful around the neighborhood I suppose.
Sorry to ask this, but does the patreon subscription have to be continuous or can it be a one off payment for your software, which by the way looks excellent?
Entirely up to you! I appreciate any/all support. All the software in this video is entirely open source and freely available at github.com . I like to give back to Patrons with the DigiPi SD card image. Ongoing patronage will keep you up-to-date.
What size SD card is recommended fie this project? I have ordered allthe other stuff.
DigiPi is about 6gigs. (smallest SD card you can buy is about 16G?)
Would be nice for someone with a 3D printer to make a little container for the pi and the screen.
I wish you could do this connected to an IC-705
digipi.org -- does this and a whole lot more, and is how I give back to Patrons
Is there a 3D printable case that will fit this assembly?
i modified a Pizero case found on thingiverse. There are a few "digipi" cases out there as well, which fit the screen better.
If I wanted to setup this igate without the display, what steps would I leave out?
I'm planning on setting up a few igates at different remote places that won't have or need regular monitoring, I just want them to be able to receive APRS and pass them on to the Internet.
great plan! You don't have to install the display hardware, this will still work, but if you want to skip some steps, don't install any of the "python" or "adafruit" packages. Just install direwolf and rtl-sdr and you're in business!
The Pi loses network/WiFi connectivity whenever I plug in the small screen, any ideas on why this may be happening? WiFi works perfectly without the screen plugged in.
That's a new one to me. Is the pi sitting on a static bag or conductive surface?
@@KM6LYW It's on my workbench where I do all my radio stuff. I might send the screen back and get a replacement, maybe it's an issue of bad hardware. Frustrating for sure...
@@Dennis-tf2cs Yah, sounds lame. you can always hardware with ethernet too. they make little ethernet dongles, etc
Are there any antenna placement concerns for the RTL-SDR, if I'm also transmitting on VHF at times?
I wouldn't want to overload / blow out the SDR when I get on one of the weekly nets...
possibly, the SDRPlay guys warn against near-field damage, but your rtl-sdr is only like 30 bucks, so I wouldn't sweat it too much. keep it at least one wavelength away, ideally below or in-line with your transmitter stick.
is raspberry pi OS 64bit now?
Yes, but I stick with 32bit Raspberry Pi OS for the additional memory savings (512MB budget). if you have more than 4Gigs of ram the 64bit OS makes a lot more sense.
@@KM6LYW true, but its a lot easier to find 64bit precompiled software and container images - and they can be built on much faster hardware
igates are great, I run one at home too! But PLEASE make it a 2-way! internet services only work if they can get back OUT to your radio! Rx-only breaks the 2-way communication.
Two-way is ideal, but just not possible for under 100 bucks. It can't hurt to receive only. Return packets can find another way back to the operator. Kinda like how repeaters have "voter receivers" - same concept. This is all part of my secret social engineering project to get operators into aprs as cheap as possible, get hooked, then spend tons of time building awesome systems in their regions. It all starts with a Pi and an SDR :)
@@KM6LYW given one of the devs for aprsc outright say it's *not* harmful to have RX Only iGate's it's good to encourage them imo. TX iGates require another seperate license (with a cost) to be allowed to TX and proper coordination/assessments, which I guess isn't the case everywhere it seems.
@@TheDark0rb In the FCC jurisdiction any licensed operator can operate a Tx igate. Coordination is civil/informal. There are plenty of differences as you go around the world. Like, i still need an extra-class FCC license to key up an HT in France! :)