Amateur Radio Allstar using Raspberry PI

[ssfc72]

For anyone who is an Amateur Radio operator, there is software available to create an img for the SD card of a Raspberry Pi.
See,    hamvoip.org

This will allow you to setup the Raspberry PI as a Hotspot, to access the Allstar system and talk to other amateurs worldwide, using your handheld transciever radio, from your home.

One of the Lindsay Amateur Radio club members has got this software running on his RPi, as a repeater, and was using it, to talk with me, over the Lindsay VE3LNZ repeater.  His transmission sounded very good!

By the way, this software is using the Linux Arch Distro.

I don't yet, quite understand  the setup required to create the Allstar node, using this software.  There may be a requirement to modify a handheld radio and to have a repeater of some sort???

I will be digging into this, and post again, once I get a handle on how this hotspot is put together.

[bobf]

Very interesting, Bill. I'm keen to hear the details as they unfold... I'm looking forward to qualifying at the end of June, and I will be going to the rodeo, or whatever they call it, at the foot of Lock St. that weekend (where I hope *someone* can explain why our exam is 2 days AFTER the function?! <^8#)

[ssfc72]

ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Field Day.  It is a fun event to join in.  You exchange contact info from other Amateurs around the world, to accumulate points, which  will rank you or your club, compared to the other Field Day participants.
The event is meant as a practice exercise, for Amateurs, in setting up an emergency station, in the event there is  a disaster and there is a need for communications because all other normal communications (phones, radio stations, etc) are not working.

You don't need to hold a Amateur Radio licence, to get on the air, as long as there is a licenced Amateur operator, with you.

[bobf]

You don't need to hold a Amateur Radio licence, to get on the air, as long as there is a licenced Amateur operator, with you.

Is that true in general, or does that only have to do with an ARRL (or other sanctioned) function?

[ssfc72]

That is a general rule, from the Amateur Radio operator, regulations.
As long as a licensed Amateur operator has "control" of the transceiver station, then the operator can let a person, who is not licensed. operate the radio.

That could be a question, on your exam. :-)

There is an International  Boy/Girl Scout event, called JOTA (Jamboree On The Air), in October, where Scouts use Amateur Radio equipment, under the "control" of a licensed Amateur operator, to communicate with other Scouts, throughout the world.
http://jotajoti.info/jota-rules/