DigiPi - Amateur radio data hot spot

DigiPi allows you to operate your radio using nothing more than a Raspberry Pi and your wifi device. Things like wsjtx and js8call run like apps on your phone. All configuration is done via a web browser. DigiPi makes a great APRS TNC or digipeater. This mkII release makes a lot of changes under the hood, and provides additional modes/options since the last release.
craiger.org/digipi Download, instructions
rpilocator.com/ Buy a Raspberry Pi
groups.google.com/u/2/g/digipi Primary group/mailing list
groups.io/g/digipi/ deprecated mailing list for now
/ discord Live group chat

[@TCBdeepsixcycles]

Sayed up late with this video and got my 991a up and running Js8call and WSJTX! So far it's quite intuitive with the documentation you provide! I am looking forward to using mine in the field! Now to find time to figure out Pat and the packet stuff! Thanks!!!

[@Paddy_Roche]

Great release Craig, thank you.

[@BobSolimeno]

I'm setting up a digipi for my old Elecraft K2, and found out (the hard way) that the baud rate needs to be set to 4800 and device file to ttyUSB0. Had to re-flash two additional times to correctly configure it. This digipi will be dedicated to this radio, and sometime soon I'm getting a 705 and that will be set up easily. Hope this saves other K2 ops the hassle! I love the interface and can't wait to get this working. Thanks Craig!

[@KM6LYW]

w00t! thanks for letting us know the K2 is online. that's fantastic. only two reflashes? :) we need a faq for each radio imho.

[@VA3OSO]

I got it going today and it's very easy to use.

[@MI7DJT]

Got a wee uv-5r sitting on the shelf would be put to better use in this scenario. Just got an 878UVII Plus so the APRS TNC would come in useful. Gonna order the parts this week, you've me sold on the idea :)

[@KrzysztofStrug]

thanks for new version :-) Good job! 73 from Poland SP9RPS

[@speedymartin2]

Thanks Craig, very good video!

[@humanbagel]

yeah man digging the videos. subbed!

[@angelscomputers]

man, you are not the best camera man but you are a genius as a developer/programmer. I'm becoming a patron in 3...2...1.... I only wonder if I can add a screen to a regular pi4 that I have laying around instead of buying a zero.

[@arielswings]

I had some real troubles with PTT.. After much tearing apart, checking, etc., I finally replaced the image to find it worked! ..... Until I went through the Initialization stage. After many attempts, I finally discovered that if I change ANY of the "USB-connected radios only" settings, PTT will not work on a non USB device (I'm setting this up for Anytone-Raspberry Pi5.

[@cbjessee]

Sweet - thanks! I'll watch this evening but will ask here if I'll need to replace v1.6mkII rc3 with this final version?

[@KM6LYW]

DigiPi 1.6RC5 became digipi 1.6-2. If you're on RC3, please upgrade. Thanks to all your testing, I think we have a solid release!

[@juanjocastillo]

I got the image (Patreon)!!!!!!!! hope i can make it work for Decoding conected to my Malachite DSP (it has CAT, Audio/IQ Audio over USB) SO EXITED!!!!! it would be the ultimate tool for Digi - SWL on the go!!!!!!!!

[@stonebleeds]

Lol Beavis and Butthead

[@KM6LYW]

Winner!

[@Titan_23Leo-jw2bl]

what would the device file be for a kenwood Ts50?

[@1crazynordlander]

Thank you for the video. It makes the setup really clear. I don’t have an android stand alone tablet. I have a chromebook android combo Lenovo N23 Yoga. I have had issues using the android part of it. What tablet are you using here in this video?

[@craig9309]

its a simple android tablet... asus.. samsung.

[@brianhendrix]

After a lot of research, neither of your suggested sound cards are available. Amazon doesn't have the Audio Injector Z and Fe-Pi is not longer made. I'm not able to make anything as I don't have the equipment so I'll just have to wait until someone makes a completed board (top hat) that can be purchased. I have a DRA-100, digirig, and SignaLink. I'm surprised no one has found a way to make those work.

[@KM6LYW]

Fe-Pi audio board: www.wb7fhc.com/order-nexus-now.html . DigiRig and Signal Link, while not overtly supported by DigiPi can be made to work by adding one line to four files. (PTT line for direwolf).

[@brianhendrix]

@@KM6LYW I would LOVE to use my SignaLink . . . where do I find those "lines"?

[@brianhendrix]

@@KM6LYW I already use Direwolf as well as SoundModem and have them both configured to work with Yaesu HTs and Baofeng HTs.

[@KM6LYW]

@@brianhendrix In /home/pi, you'll find several direwolf.conf files (direwolf.tnc.conf, direwolf.winlink.conf, direwolf.node.conf). add "PTT /dev/ttyUSB0 RTS" under the existing lines that start with #PTT. DigiRig, and Signal Link both use the serial line "RTS" to activate push-to-talk, as far as I know. I don't have them myself.

[@brianhendrix]

@@KM6LYW I'll have to do some testing. My main soundcard is a Master Communications DRA-100 which uses all the same cables as SignaLink but uses "PTT CM108" for PTT.

[@brianhendrix]

So I'm a Technician and 99% of my time is packet radio on VHF/UHF. I have lots of HTs I've collected over the years (yes, numerous Baofengs), but my favorites are my Yaesu FT5DR and FT-70D. What exactly could I use the digipi for if HF were not an option?

[@KM6LYW]

APRS, winlink email, ax.25 networking. IP over ax.25 (telnet, IRC-chat), netrom, BBS, play Zork over ham radio --- all on the DigiPi, yup, I compiled Zork and put it on the DigiPi BBS (AX.25 node).

[@ewankennedy6663]

Hi Craig Great video and software. I have a Signalink interface. Is it possible to configure the digitpi software to work with it? Thanks Ewan GM0VMV

[@KM6LYW]

Yes, i don't have one myself, but the guys on the mailing list have it working. It's a USB sound card, but I think PTT is handled by serial RTS signal, so the direwolf.conf files need a "PTT /dev/ttyUSB0 RTS" line in them.

[@yungerallenelectricalcontr6415]

what If I have an external sound card? Will I need the addition parts?

[@KM6LYW]

Ideally you have a sound-card "hat" with line levels. the USB dongles can be made to work, digipi will drive them, but keep in mind they are typicallyi "mic" level.

[@MichelleGianni]

Great video, now finding a Rpi of any flavor is almost impossible unless you pay 10x prices. So I wonder if this will work with the alternative SBCs like the Libre or Banana Pi, Orange Pi etc. Any info on that? Thanks!

[@KM6LYW]

DigiPi will work on any Pi of any flavor (sans the original pi, and possibly the old PiZero if you want ft8/sstv/fldigi/etc). It will not work on other SBC's as they don't run Raspberry Pi OS. Also, there is hope for acquiring Pi's! watch rpilocator.com. I recently acquired a Pi4 and a Pi3A+, both of which run DigiPi splendidly!

[@theoview]

Great Craig, your Pi data modes. Is it possible connected to an iCom 703 Plus ? ( 1998 ) Thx. 73 Theo PA0HTY

[@KM6LYW]

I haven't tried an ic703, and I don't see a USB jack for audio/cat control, nor any radios of that vintage. You'd need to add the audio hat and fabricate a PTT circuit (see wiring diagram at craiger.org/digipi/). Essentially run the audio in/out and ptt line to the digipi, it will do the rest.

[@dornierGP]

Hi, I have several raspberry Pi's and a 7" screen that the pi fits into. Would that work to display the digipi displays or does it only work with the small display? Thanks

[@dornierGP]

Also if I just built a pi into a small case without a display and connect the HDMI to a monitor, would it work? Thanks again!

[@KM6LYW]

@@dornierGP Digipi will drive any ST7789-based display. They're all small, same size as Pi Zero as far as i know. Digipi will not drive an HDMI display (text mode only), since I steal graphics ram to run radio software. DigiPi is more of an appliance than a PC, by design. great questions!!!

[@speedymartin2]

The only issue I have is in APRSdroid it won't find the digipi based on TCPIP server setting : [digipi:8001] I have to replace that with the digipi ip-adress [IP-Adress:8001] not sure why that is, it might be network settings.

[@KM6LYW]

It really depends on the wifi router. digipi asks the router for nameservices for "digipi". if your phone doesn't use your router for DNS, you wont resolve "digipi" either. Pro-tip: press the upper button after the digipi boots into TNC mode, and you'll see the current IP address.

[@speedymartin2]

@@KM6LYW I am using a tablet via the Wifi network. I did see you were able to find it to type [digipi] in the browser. In my case it didn't find the digipi. I used indeed the TNC mode (IP-adress) via the buttons. Thanks!

[@hawkeyeCH53E]

I'm getting an ECONNREFUSED when I try either digipi:8001 or my pi's ip address:8001

[@direhavok8732]

Not familiar with the Lat and long format you have in this video. Is this same lat/long just without the negative value for long and inputting N & W?

[@craig9309]

yah, essentially. it's confusing. i'm changing everything over to positive/negative with the next release.

[@direhavok8732]

@@craig9309 The reason I ask is with the positive or negative setup, tried both. When using aprsdroid, it sends data but coordinates are zero’d out.

[@yv6eda]

Hello! I following the video but when I try to connect to the hotspot Digi pi ask me for a password? Help

[@KM6LYW]

Please see digipi.org the Wifi hotspot password is there ("abcdefghij")

[@jordan2you2]

Will the RASPIAUDIO Audio DAC Hat Sound Card work with the DigiPi?

[@KM6LYW]

Possibly, it has a microhpone-level in however, so you might as well go with a USB dongle. The Fe-Pi is in-stock according to Budd. It's ham-made and has line levels (high impedance) for input and output audio.

[@jordan2you2]

Thanks, I ordered it from Budd. Do you have the tutorial on modifying the program to see the sound card? Also, will I be able to use it as a USB device as well or would I need to modify the software again to ignore the sound card?@@KM6LYW

[@KB1QYH]

Beavis and Butthead!!! Greatest show of all time!

[@M9A1MAN]

New to this. Can I use a DigiRig with this setup? Thank you

[@KM6LYW]

Yes, it's not specifically supported, but we can put a single line "PTT /dev/ttyUSB0 RTS" in the /home/pi/direwolf*conf files to support it (under the existing PTT lines).

[@M9A1MAN]

@@KM6LYW Thank you

[@M9A1MAN]

@@KM6LYW Need your help. I can't for the life of me figure out how to add that line. I can't find direwolf config files

[@KM6LYW]

@@M9A1MANclick Shell. login as use pi, passowrd is raspberry. run sudo remount. run nano direwolf.tnc.conf.

[@M9A1MAN]

@@KM6LYW Figured it out, thanks! Last questions hopefully. Do I edit the conf before OR after I initialize the DigiPi with my information ? Also under “usb connected radios” should I change that to ttyUSB0 or leave it as is? Using digirig with ft60 btw. Thank you!

[@kleinbiker1]

Would this work on a PicoW?

[@KM6LYW]

Nope, raspberry pi's, specifically. Or anything that runs Raspberry Pi OS.

[@kleinbiker1]

@@KM6LYW I was referring to the raspberry pi Pico W.

[@KM6LYW]

@@kleinbiker1 ... which doesn't run Raspberry Pi OS

[@kleinbiker1]

@@KM6LYW ah, gotcha. I wasn’t aware of that. Guess it only runs the Pico pi software. New to all this and still learning.

[@twanner]

Deep Purple - Woman From Tokyo?

[@KM6LYW]

nope... think TV intro... think MTV intro