Digital voice modes without a Raspberry PI hotspot!

With just a couple of reasonably priced (and available!) parts, we can create a hotspot for Fusion/DMR/D-Star use with a digital radio. Access all talkgroups and reflectors. This will work with Mac/Win/Linux.
The kit I'm using here:
Aursinc MMDVM Board - amzn.to/3XkPiFk
Aursinc MMDVM Hat (Bridge) Board - amzn.to/3kdkPLd
CH34X Comm driver (via Sparkfun) - bityl.co/Gdk3
Previous BlueDV Video
• Digital Voice without ...
DV Dongle from NW Digital - bityl.co/GdiK
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[@BamaChad-W4CHD]

Very interesting. I had no clue i could use the hat without a raspberry Pi. Just replacing the pi with a mich bigger computer. Outstanding!

[@stuartnaulty6821]

When this video was made, Raspberry Pi's were virtually nonexistant. I saw RPi Zero W's for as much as $250 AT THAT TIME. The video author is showing a stop gap method to get on the air with digital radio for under $100.00. This was a big deal AT THAT TIME. Now RPi Zero 2W are available for $15.00 so this method is no longer necessary for a hotspot under $100.00.

[@BamaChad-W4CHD]

@@stuartnaulty6821 it's crazy there was a shortage just a year ago and the price was that high

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Glad I could help!

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Stuart is absolutely correct. There is almost zero benefit to doing this method now, and like he said, you can score a zero 2W for $15 from multiple vendors.

[@n8vox]

Really good stuff, Jim! This looks WAY easier than a pi hotspot. Thanks for sharing it!

[@MI7DJT]

You put an idea in my head yesterday. I have a Retevis RT3S running opengd77 which has a MMDVM/BlueDV Hotspot modes. Installed BlueDV on my laptop and connected the radio up. Had it working within 5 minutes! BlueDV really is a simple to use piece of software. I can see why it's so popular today. Thanks for the video and for pointing me in that direction ;)

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Glad I could help!

[@skeeterk7trd158]

That's GREAT Jim! I really want to dive into this. THANKS 👍

[@HisMadness_]

Digital hammification for cheap ... love it. Nice video Jim !

[@MikeG-js1jt]

with DMR channels/TG's are selected from the BM lookup tab on the right side.

[@theroguetomato5362]

Thank you for this information! My devices will arrive today and I'll give BlueDV a try.

[@KK6USYHamRadioAdventures]

Thanks Jim some great info!!

[@kennymurray3249]

this will work well with the bluedv windows program and also mmdvm thats made to work under windows... you can simply also use one of your previous serial cables for programming a radio that have a chip in it.. and solder it to the headers that come with many standard hat boards.. a better way it to use an openGD77 radio on an external antenna and power supply.. or also a hat board with a pi board because wpsd is simply a better dashboard and cross modes (-: 73 de vo1kjm.

[@n1kkri]

There are videos showing a $5.00 USB to TTL converter connecting 4 wires from it to the MMDVM and use free Blue DV software. The board in the video is just a USB to TTL converter

[@n1kkri]

I built one with the USB to TTL and it works exactly like the $25 board. There is also another add on to make it bluetooth letting you use your cell phone as the computer.

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Yep, pretty much the same thing. This doesn't require any wiring, other than plugging in the USB cable.

[@503Nick]

Very nice

[@W4TRI_Ronny]

Little cussing and Discussing later I got this going! Finest Kind! Thanks for your help!

[@lostbranchranch8646]

Cannot get the board to be found on my computer, tried installing driver, opened BlueDV and device not found, cannot even use device manager (on three different computers) to find the device... help, please?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

It is the ch341 driver, look on sparkfun.com - learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/how-to-install-ch340-drivers/all

[@One-Eyed-Willly]

Very tempting. I own two pi-zero mmdvm hotspots and amber stick. How is the performance compared to others. I was considering a rpi4 but a case with a fan I can't find. I herd you can use a shim fan for c4 labs but I can't find a link.

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Your best bet IMO, is to replace the pi-zero hotspots by just swapping out the zero for a zero2w pi. they're $15 almost everywhere, and I did a video on the upgrade. Easy to do, and much better performance. At the time I made that video, PI's were hard to find. Now, not so much.

[@daltonkatiehall1888]

I assume you can switch the board out for a Pi later if you wanted to change it to a hotspot to take on go?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Absolutely!

[@W4TRI_Ronny]

Any other cool software besides BlueDV this will work with? Specifically for Linux. I've had some fun setting this up. Great video!

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Not that I know of - but I hadn't looked around for it.

[@chrisrasmussen5018]

My one complaint after having the aurusinc board for about 6 months is the pickiness with usb cords. It is very convenient to be able to plug it into my media server at home and bring it with my laptop in the field.

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Funny you should mention that! In setting stuff up for the video, I could NOT get the dang com port to show up. I had installed the drivers previously, tried a different computer, nada. WTH?? Different cable fixed it. What I believe (i've seen this before) is that whatever cable I had, does not have the data lines connected up internally. I hadn't tested that yet, but I'd be willing to bet money. I have a zillion USB cables of various flavors laying around from different gadgets. Betcha some of those vendors saved .25 worth of time and wire by not connecting data lines.

[@chrisrasmussen5018]

@@FEPLabsRadio Yeah you troubleshooted with me on the Toads Discord for about 20 minutes until I switched USB cables. The crazy thing is both cables shipped with firesticks.

[@WilliamRHowell-f5l]

It won't do analog so one could use it with allstarlink or gmrsConnect©?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Blue DV? No. The USB serial piece? yes, with the right cable.

[@cmritchie04]

any way of using a thin client as a dispatcher station without no local RF?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Possibly - there are several ways to do it. @temporarilyoffline did a video in the last couple of weeks, where you have an AMBEserver, and use BlueDV - all over the local network. No RF at all. You can also use the NW Digital ThumbDV dinguses to do the same thing.

[@DonzLockz]

This is new to me Jim, very interesting. It would probably work with my duplex mmdvm.🤔

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Interesting question! I might have to give that a go.

[@Tump2010]

Can you change the talk group from the radio like you can a normal hotspot or do you have to select it on the computer every time?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

I haven't tried that. I could not get the FT5D to go into it's full control mode thing at all, so I suspect not. I'll try it later with a D-Star and DMR radio as well. Good question!

[@MikeG-js1jt]

So that rsync board basically replaces the raspberry pi?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

It does. It provides an interface between the mmdvm board (the RF piece), and your computer, using the bluedv software.

[@someguy1717]

Can ALLSTAR work on it under Windows?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Not to my knowledge

[@arkyump]

How can you use a portable radio and this device?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

You use this like you'd use any other hotspot. This setup takes the rf and put's it on the internet and vice-versa. Same as any hotspot. Any digital radio would work with this just fine. You're not plugging a radio into this at all.

[@arkyump]

@@FEPLabsRadio I guess I didn't make myself clear. How do you, when you are in the shack, use a portable radio with this device. e.g.: if i'm running a Anytone 578 hooked to an antenna, how can I use this device as a hot spot? I understand that it will work with a HT, but a full powered portable?

[@FEPLabsRadio]

@@arkyump Gotcha. Just like you would normally use your 578 (I actually have that same radio). Instead of the local repeater, you'd set up a simplex connection on whatever frequency this is set to. I use my 9700 (with external antenna), to connect to my d-star hotspot inside the house. Same way. Now, my antenna is right outside the window, but it's a brick house w/metal roof. I'm using a discone on a 20ft mast. The radio can hit the hotspot, and your outside antenna should also hit the hotspot back. Your other option is to put a small 2/440 mag mount or something similar inside the house.

[@TomKristiansen]

so you have to have this connected to the PC all the time??

[@FEPLabsRadio]

If you want to use it, yes. Basically, it's just a USB dongle. If you want to leave it on all the time, then yeah plugged in with the PC on. I'd see this getting used if you travel and carry a laptop. Bring your favorite HT, and have digital voice access from wherever you are, without the pi. As I said in the video, it's also cheaper than a new pi, and something you can get your hands on easily.

[@TomKristiansen]

@@FEPLabsRadio That makes sense. MMDVM USB Dongle. well i guess that is only a temporary solution because of the RPI shortage

[@K5YVY]

Helping Hams stay Cheap, that's a Ham's Ham 💪

[@KS0JD]

It looks like there is an app in the google app store as well

[@FEPLabsRadio]

Nice! I'm not much of an Android guy, so I never looked. No reason why it wouldn't work. I assume you'd need the OTG set up, and it's gonna suck more battery, but it should work.

[@AndyAAzeroAM]

If your stats show a pause about 30 seconds in.. it was me. Gotta go back to work.

[@MikeG-js1jt]

No Code plug required.

[@MI7DJT]

You still have to program your radio to the hotspot so technically you do still have a codeplug, albeit only 1 channel needed. My current codeplug has amost 4000 channels lol. Every DMR TG, BM, TGIF, DMR+, XLX Ref, YSF modes, SystemX. Took me ages to compile and sort it correctly!

[@MikeG-js1jt]

@@MI7DJT what radio is that codeplug for?

[@MI7DJT]

@@MikeG-js1jt The Anytone 878UVII+

[@MI7DJT]

@@MikeG-js1jt What radio do you have?

[@don_n5skt]

OK, that is not Jim. How do I know? Camouflage shirt. Maybe that is TO with a Jim voice over. I don't know but I know that is not Jim. Thanks Jim. This looks cool. If you can, maybe another video showing how this can be set up with DSTAR and a 705.

[@FEPLabsRadio]

HA! I don't have a 705 (there are a few of us), but I can do a quickie with a D74. Changing reflectors can all be done from the drop downs on the app. I also want to test the app on the quadra, and see how well that works. Couple more videos today probably (at least recorded).

[@mtbeers1670]

so you’re asking me to carry around a laptop to be able to make it go portable. That’s just as bad as using wire X. they expect you to carry around PC in order for it to connect up it’s not worth it. Go buy an open spot or a ClearNode.