Clockwork uConsole - making the perfect portable SDR cyberdeck using a USB hack

[@backofficeshow]

Thinking of finding a USB GPS receiver with external antenna to make use of that second USB interface. Let me know if you would be interested in seeing that!

[@TerryLawrence001]

Awesome project! I bet there is enough space on the adapter card for a bare USB hub ;-) your video is the first time I have seen the uConsole and I obviouslt NEED one!!

[@backofficeshow]

Technically it would be reasonably easy to manufacture your own adaptor card with a USB hub on it and have as much as you need or whatever other peripherals you could fit.

[@JacobKipfer]

Yes please

Have you seen the "GOKU GM10 Nano V3 GPS" ? I use them in my FPV quads because they are so tiny and only weigh a couple grams. Reception is excellent as well and the compass is handy (pay the extra $2.50 for compass version). Isn't there plenty of gpio available?

[@chrisb.t.9670]

Yes please!

[@Chadthaniel]

Subscribed and followed just because you zoomed in on the schematic and explained what the design was doing. Absolutely love it sir. Thank you.

[@backofficeshow]

That's very kind of you to say, glad it's of value, thanks

[@Baxxunderslash24]

I don't know what half these words mean much less the abbreviations, but this is super cool.

[@Ag3nt0range]

I'll have a crack at helping out here, if you like: USB: Universal Serial Bus SDR: Software Defined Radio GPS: Global Positioning System ADS-B: Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (airplane positioning broadcast, tells everyone else where your plane is) What else ya got, man? I'm happy to help, if you're interested?

[@Sashasdoc2]

Amazingly clear directions, wonderful cinematography, informative and entertaining narration--no idea why you don't have a million subscribers. You've gained one more towards that goal, sir. Well done!

[@RockTo11]

I just got my uConsole. This is an inspiring video for my upcoming projects.

[@backofficeshow]

You have a fun few days ahead of you, configuring it to your tastes!

[@supremegrandmasternoah8735]

This is seriously a cool project. Definitely a good backpack rig, absolutely going to build one myself.

[@backofficeshow]

That's fantastic, if you're ever on discord, please send over some photos!

[@dsn287]

Brilliant work! That's an amazing job you've done there!

[@backofficeshow]

Thank you

[@brandonw987]

that tape is called wire harness tape. Its used in cars and works great. I love to use it on my fpv drone to hold motor wires to frame.

[@backofficeshow]

I think once you get a roll, you end up using it everywhere 😆

[@robbo5305]

tesa tape is the the product name, it is also known as loom tape too

[@brandonw987]

@@robbo5305 yea i never can remember the official name. We have always called it wire harness tape if you google either name it will show up. Its also a great tape to use in homemade fireworks (M80)haha

[@ChristianKoys]

the uConsole definitely need a Meshtastic add-on!

[@Oregun]

Awesome! Great work, thanks!

[@zhalberd]

Sooooo cool. I want to make the same mod with my console. Great idea. Thanks for the vid!

[@michaeleber4752]

I don't even have a radio and you got me searching for Clockwork uConsole. Great job.

[@brycenarcisomercines5036]

Great video man! this is awesome stuff

[@juanmacias5922]

Such a fun project, thanks for sharing!

[@backofficeshow]

@@juanmacias5922 no problem. It was a long evening, but I just needed to see if it could be done 🤣

[@juanmacias5922]

@@backofficeshow best projects are the ones fueled by curiosity. :D

[@Chubsky]

This is a great video. I appreciate how much time you take to explain things. I also have a uconsole and would like to add internal usb for storage.

[@backofficeshow]

@@Chubsky that's great, you could easily add it using this method, even making use of that second channel to double up

[@mzimmerman1988]

I'm definitely making my own! thanks for sharing.

[@backofficeshow]

Good luck!! While you are in there, hook up that second USB port. I wish I did and added an internal pen drive or something!

[@firkinfright5168]

So, I saw that schema and thought "That looks an awful lot like a Raspberry Pi", he opens it up and indeed it is a model 4.

[@backofficeshow]

They do it in a number of variants with adaptor boards. It's a neat idea, could have probably been a lot neater though. A V2 certainly could tick more boxes without really any cost kzbin.info/www/bejne/maivZWymmtt-mZo

[@CireFargo_333]

It’s a raspberry pi compute module (CM 4) a little bit different than the regular version with usb ports.

[@FostersPets]

Well, now I know what I'm doing after Xmas.

[@backofficeshow]

I added GPS in another video, I think you need to do both 🤣

[@millbean13]

This is great, I’m going to try it too once clockwork console arrives. For those without electronics background, and honestly I can probably figure out which lead goes where just by following along and stopping the video a bunch, but if possible, could you post a little pic of the wire routing for connecting the sdr? I’m sure people will read this and go, “what? He just showed you what goes where?” But it’d be nice for those of us REALLY new to this kind of stuff. Thanks. 🙏🏼

[@RebelTurtleTim]

Just stumbled on to your YT, love this project. More of the same and SDR vids.

[@backofficeshow]

Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment, appreciated

[@panzer_d1v]

wow i ordered one of these so long ago i forgot i ordered it until i saw this video. i wonder if i will ever see the day that it arrives

[@jayzo]

watching this makes me think a dedicated SDR add-on module would be a cool idea. You could probably fit a whole SDR onto a custom add-on module PCB the size of the blank one.

[@backofficeshow]

SDR + GPS + Additional flash storage / Sd card would be perfect

[@nuxboxen]

so jelly.... thanks for sharing

[@backofficeshow]

To be honest, the fun is in the making, it will probably end up an expensive doorstep soon 😆

[@iblackfeathers]

i’m a bit torn on doing this project or getting the usb c port expansion slot when stock returns. with a usb hub it can provide more ports for other versatile functionality as well as a way to plug in an sdr (but less elegantly than this way). i love that you don’t have to drill on the case (just widen a hole) for the antenna like how others have done so with theirs.

[@backofficeshow]

It's a good question to ask yourself. A USB hub would emulate the Usb c expansion, but both are a pretty ugly solution if you can mount your peripherals in the case itself 🤣 I would love an expansion with GPS, SDR and LoRa that would sell like hotcakes. I would consider designing one, but I think I would probably get bored of this device and it would be mega niche for the effort involved, but who knows what the community will develop

[@minigpracing3068]

Very happy that you said micro console... u as in mu as in micro.

[@backofficeshow]

I'm glad to hear it!

[@peterarnfield7300]

Very cool Dr A

[@backofficeshow]

Thank you, very kind of you to say!

[@bassobalalaikka636]

Great video thanks. some comments at 10:28 you attempt to use your fingers while you just put away the tool that could do separation of flat cable better than knife: the side cutters, just align them accurately in the middle between two wires and you get what you need. 10:52 the cut bit blade (Utility knife 9mm) gets particularily sharp if you cut a new portion off the blade when you need sharpness.

[@fcf8269]

great video; what other connections can you get out of that PCB?

[@mikecarlson6416]

never expect that

[@gregkrueger331]

Could you use an inexpensive vehicle radar detector for the GPS unit? The one i have has a micro usb for updates and has built in GPS with an internal antenna. I feel it would be fairly easy to utilize those circuits?

[@whiteb0rd]

Very Nice!

[@backofficeshow]

Thank you

[@inoutmodule]

Great job

[@backofficeshow]

Thanks, it's a nifty thing

[@inoutmodule]

@@backofficeshow you inspired me to do the same once I get my device, it's 10 months since I ordered

[@backofficeshow]

@inoutmodule hopefully it should arrive soon!

[@pdahandyman]

Very, very cool, but DUDE, get a third hand for soldering! You can get them online for cheap. Heck, even some gator clips on the end of a gooseneck will work :)

[@backofficeshow]

I feel that might take all the fun out of it 🤣

[@pdahandyman]

@@backofficeshow 🤣🤣🤣

[@jub8891]

ive been waiting for mine for almost a year.. apparently they cant produce them fast enough..

[@backofficeshow]

It was a big surprised when this arrived, like I mentioned in my first video about this, I had totally forgotten I when ordered it! If they never shipped it, I would have never realised. Lucky I didn't come across it in the mean time online and order a second one 🤣

[@Chungis_relaxasaurus]

This is so sick! I bet you could get a sdr and a gps in there with ext. ant. if you figured out a way to make a custom daughter board. I bet pcb way would make it for you for free if you asked them to collaborate with you.

[@backofficeshow]

@@Chungis_relaxasaurus the cost of the PCB would be nothing Vs the cost of the time to design it 🤣

[@0xKruzr]

since the LilyGo T-Deck seems to still be largely a disaster, I think it could be really interesting to investigate Meshtastic hw/sw with this!

[@backofficeshow]

Is that the one with the blackberry keyboard? Honestly after playing with it, I think meshtastic has been hyped beyond all sensibility. Unfortunately it is not as out of the box friendly as it could be and certainly not as capable as most laymen imagine. Great project with a lot of great effort, but seemingly being abused by a few vendors

[@0xKruzr]

@@backofficeshow that's the one, yes. I think Meshtastic has a lot of potential but agree that it's so far been very difficult to get practical use out of it.

[@gregskuza7166]

Great job! How is your battery holding while using it?

[@MickeyD2012]

The CAM pins are for the Raspberry Pi camera connection, I think it's safe to assume.

[@backofficeshow]

I'm sure they can be multiplexed for a variety of other functions, perhaps gpio or various busses. An ADC would be a neat feature, could make a nice portable oscilloscope

[@armisis]

Wonder if it can be upgraded to the Cm5

[@backofficeshow]

As long as they maintain the same pinouts, it should be a pretty simple swap?

[@BeckiMuttley]

will you sell one of these please in the UK? This is awesome.😊

[@MotownBatman]

This is Wikid Awesome, I dont have the Spare change for one of these just yet

[@madmax2069]

I ended up just using a raspberry pi 400, a cheap touch screen, and a RTL-SDR blog dongle. With a 20k battery bank it will run for quite a while. I had planned on putting the dongle inside the Pi 400s case and figuring out how to mount the screen up to the Pi 400 case. But i just keep them lose right now. I ended up running SDR++

[@backofficeshow]

Sounds a lot like this one I cobbled together. A pi 400 would have done decent performance kzbin.info/www/bejne/poawq5aqbJ2nh8ksi=g1sCGBKBKCqUVjcR

[@asurupenn]

This is awesome! I’m getting a uconsole, but am an absolute novice. It reminds me of an old blackberry curve. Any chance you considered making videos on basic stuff like steps for installing software, games, updating the OS? A lot of people have assembly videos and a few have posted cool projects like this. But there really isn’t much for basic operations/maintenance. I know the product is more geared toward knowledgeable people, but basic tutorials would be helpful for the rest of us who like weird tech, without a tech background.

[@backofficeshow]

That's a great idea, I guess we could think about some specific use cases?

[@asurupenn]

@@backofficeshow Installing ROMs and getting a bluetooth controller to work with them, would be cool.

[@chuckybob1984]

Please investigate GPS receivers with external antenna connections!

[@nyet_maker7948]

This!

[@settlece]

how cool

[@Llchrisw87]

Can you put a link to this schematic so we can follow along with the mod.

[@memphisartguy2]

10:50 using wire cutters to strip the wires then struggling with separating the wires, just use the same cutters to cut the wires apart. Done it millions of times.

[@Alex-x6q5b]

Wow!

[@ErikMoon1]

Which SDR make/model?

[@backofficeshow]

This nooelec model amzn.to/4bMkMLr

[@InfernalWheel]

Holy crap thats cool! Subb'd

[@RobR386]

Team it up with a Bias T ham it up module and you can listen to HF bands

[@daveclavsell6123]

Hi man, great video. What about the battery? What brand and model do you use? I haven't had a good performance yet

[@backofficeshow]

I don't recall, but, I looked at my first video on this in the description. Never measured the hours it lasts, but I've not had any issues with it dying on me. That's pretty subjective though!

[@zacharyruben1852]

Does this do anything that the HackRf One Portapack cant do?

[@grandpoobahfpv4817]

Where can we get all the extra parts besides the uconsole? Could you make a list/links if you have time please?

[@backofficeshow]

Really you just need the usb SDR dongle of your choice, amzn.to/3Su2GHl is the one I used. If you search for antennas, you can find kits like this as donor parts amzn.to/4dofiHZ

[@grandpoobahfpv4817]

@@backofficeshow awesome thanks!

[@markmascaro6892]

I am looking at doing the same thing except using the ISB for a large USB drive and loading the Pi OS from the USB drive.

[@backofficeshow]

Does CM4 support USB boot? That's pretty neat if it does

[@RuhulOnTheGo]

Is it possible to install windows os on this device?

[@backofficeshow]

@@RuhulOnTheGo I am not sure if Microsoft makes an ARM version of windows anymore, but your may be able to get an x86 CPU board

[@ElaisAinsworth]

@@backofficeshow Windows 11 for ARM exists I use it

[@chrisb.t.9670]

@@ElaisAinsworth Would you be interested in making a video?

[@ElaisAinsworth]

@@chrisb.t.9670 No

[@JJ-ur7uu]

Is the speaker loud enough?

[@王007]

Cubic SDR is not installed successfully on uconsole. Is there any detailed installation procedure

[@WylieWiggins]

From the little I know of Linux, it seems that some distros are not as Cubic friendly as others.

[@backofficeshow]

What messages are you seeing when you install it?

[@backofficeshow]

You are not wrong, but also there may be a few manual steps that require some implied prior knowledge and that can make it tricky. Really is quite amazing how software generally works out of the box on anything 🤣

[@sakepro3973]

link to the red white cable

[@Circus2999]

Im so impatient! Lol, can anyobe tell me where he got the blank expansion board?

[@backofficeshow]

It came in the pack, it's how they get audio to the speakers

[@Circus2999]

@backofficeshow oh hi! Cool! Thank you for answering! Well, I have the expansion board, but it has the wifi, 4g sim tray, etc. did you just remove everything?

[@backofficeshow]

@Circus2999 If you don't have those options, the board doesn't have any of those components fitted.

[@Circus2999]

@@backofficeshow I have the wifi module. But I thought they sold a just a blank one like yours

[@backofficeshow]

@Circus2999 maybe they do, can always check with them

[@3DRC-707]

The cut to ADSB 😂😂 couldn't help yourself could you

[@backofficeshow]

Most of my content seems to come after I have concluded my videos 😆

[@Fynn-Victus]

What was the total cost of this product and the upgrade parts?

[@RolieKloeOlie]

Great video! Do you know the difference between the smart and the nano? I’d love to mod my uconsole with sdr!

[@backofficeshow]

Not really, but if you are going to make the mod, I'd suggest the best one!

[@fsaad1984]

Do you have a link for the antenna that you are using?

[@backofficeshow]

Unfortunately, I don't. However, there are plenty of similar antennas on Amazon

[@fsaad1984]

Do you know the frequency of the antenna you are using? And does it work across the whole frequency range of the Nooelec? UF VHF and UHF all require different antennas am I right?

[@backofficeshow]

@fsaad1984 It's best to choose an antenna that's more tuned in the areas you're interested in rather than trying to get something so wide. Do you have anything in particular you're trying to do

[@fsaad1984]

@@backofficeshow I am entirely new to the radio world, but would like to play around with CubicSDR and ADS-B like in your video. What do you recommend to go with?

[@backofficeshow]

@fsaad1984 amzn.to/4cMIwiT something like this would be a good start. I should think it'll probably pick up a lot of interesting things

[@blackIce504]

I love the Uconsole but i would go with a different form factor, but that been said does anyone know of a SD frequency generator for Rpi or Rpi like devices?

[@backofficeshow]

I'm not really sure what an SD frequency generator is 🤔

[@blackIce504]

@@backofficeshow software defined frequency generator basically the opposite of an SDR.

[@JWimpy]

I would like to see someone build a TinySA into a uConsole.

[@mastermoarman]

Would it do aprs?

[@backofficeshow]

There are APRS decoders for Linux, so yes

[@guardianzx9640]

What SDR software are you utilizing?

[@backofficeshow]

Cubic SDR

[@lelandclayton5462]

I would 3D print a bigger rear cover and slap in a USB hub.

[@backofficeshow]

What USB devices would you be adding to your uConsole?

[@lelandclayton5462]

@@backofficeshow I'm a low voltage guy by trade doing anything from alarm systems to home automation. If I was to buy one, I would probably add a thumb drive for added storage, Ethernet, SDR and a endscope camera.

[@freem4nn129]

1234 :D hahaha you crack me up good sir

[@Scriven42]

Just need someone to demonstrate using usb4, so we can add usb with the 4g chip. It's a shame it's not broken out anywhere else on the board!

[@inkgeek007]

OMG how much to build and ship me one post mod? Completely serious.

[@backofficeshow]

Might be something I, or someone on my discord would consider

[@JustJacob-kt]

think its going to overheat in that case

[@backofficeshow]

No problems so far

[@JustJacob-kt]

@@backofficeshow that’s good to hear. Great job on the video. I pre-ordered a uConsole sometime last year but cancelled it when they were facing so many delays. May have to try again.

[@gshockhodinky]

👍

[@黑夜T]

哇！

[@backofficeshow]

Thank you

[@veerbhogyavasundhra6056]

This was exactly what i am thinking but my country imposes a lot of taxes

[@fe8769]

You never specify you have to buy a CM4 clockwork pi . Others won't run . I have an A06 . I spent hours to install GNuradio and to be at 20 % of the dragon OS raspi PI . I have many trouble with standard update (apt-get update) . I wait one year to get this .These is no support . You should better buy a raspi 5 faster and running with standard SDR radio suite

[@mansonm2]

my goodness, so many words

[@RickO.-vq8oh]

Maybe add SPELL CHECK to it

[@squelchtone]

I'm sorry but why would they make a device like this, charge almost $200, and not even include a USB port for plugging something in?

[@backofficeshow]

Don't be sorry, I didn't invent it 😆 It does have a usb port on the outside. Did the inside, in guessing they expected people to make cards for it, someone on Etsy has done exactly that with a bunch of usb slots. Though to be fair, a handheld with half a dozen usb ports filled with devices isn't exactly portable either 🤷

[@squelchtone]

@@backofficeshow ah, I see, I thought it just didn't have any USB ports so you had to craft your own. and yes, external dongles would not be as cool as what you built. You've changed my mind about this device.

[@jhonremcur7831]

ovnis view? xD

[@StracheyWade-i4v]

Lopez Daniel Hall Linda Anderson Susan

[@PansyMarcia-p5r]

Lopez Amy Miller Scott Thompson Lisa

[@kpmy]

Well, soldering skill is awful)

[@energymarketchile]

Too bulky, too expensive! A Chinese living in Germany produced an affordable, compact one for cad 150, with a colour screen...

[@backofficeshow]

Do you have a link?

[@energymarketchile]

​@@backofficeshow I can't reply directly here. Look my new comment with it...

[@energymarketchile]

Smaller & cheaper functional version: Search for video "I built a cyberdeck handheld - HackberryPi" de ZitaoTech. En video description you will find his store.

[@TobyOrville]

Hall Christopher Perez Amy Jackson John

[@chrisb.t.9670]

Pretty cool! You've inspired me to get one of my on uConsoles! Just a couple questions: Is it possible to add a sim card to this? I'd like to replace my iPhone with a uConsole if possible.. Also, how would one go about using GPS? I see you have a GPS dongle... is that something I'd have to install? Say... if I wanted to use Google Maps for navigation? Best regards - you've earned a new subscriber 👍

[@Хуенкоглеб]

Freebsd os?

[@moellerjon]

You need to align the heads on your printer 🖨️