Radio/Audio Interface Board (Now Available!)

Let's take a look at a pre-production sample of the "DigiPi Hat" from elekitsorparts.com . This is the first solder-less way to hookup your dual-band rig to a Raspberry Pi, giving you access to all radio data-modes from the convenience of your phone or wifi device.
Update: Now Available! DigiPi Hat - Solderless Radio/Audio Interface Board $41
elekitsorparts.com/product/ne...
Works with DigiPi 1.8-2
Rig number: DTR
Device: ttyUSB0
Baud: 115200
Howto: digipi.org
DigiPi SD Card image: digipi.org (thank you patrons, / km6lyw )
Raspberry Pi Zero 2 Wireless: rpilocator.com/
Radio interface board: n7ebb.org
FE-Pi Audio Board: wb7fhc.com/order-nexus-now.html
Battery board: www.amazon.com/dp/B09JZH16WH
LCD Screen: www.amazon.com//dp/B08F9XTKGK...
Ham radio: www.amazon.com//dp/B074XPB313...
Winlink Email account: winlink.org/user

[@w1frdradio]

Gave a presentation yesterday at my club meeting. Raspberry Pi ham radio builds. Talked about the Pi-Star and Allstar Node. Then showcased my DigiPi builds and how easy it is to setup. Everyone was amazed with it.

[@MI7DJT]

I used this very HAT for circa 3 years until just 3 weeks ago when I upgraded to a Pi5 with a better radio. This HAT ran 24/7 for 3 years without issue combined with a UV-5R. Highly recommended!! Also has connectors for Yaesu and Xiegu radios :)

[@user-yh6oy1mr7y]

This thing looks amazing. Good work!

[@KN4VA]

Excellent. Looking forward to getting one. Thank you for all your work on the software for the DigiPi. 73, KN4VA

[@recondo3265]

I have absolute all the love of the bumper music that you use!

[@KM6LYW]

What's with the fascination with the bumper music??? are you guys laughing with me or laughing at me??? :)

[@recondo3265]

@KM6LYW I think it's a good intro into your show. It makes your channel unique.

[@DonzLockz]

Great😐... more stuff to buy!😂👍 Thnx Craig. ;)

[@HamTechRadioScannerDrones]

Looks excellent many thanks posibly use a Quansheng UV-k5 -M0FXB Andreas

[@thuff3207]

Cool l look forward to get the board.

[@russharmon6635]

Hi Craig, I do a lot of mobile support for bike ride and foot races called SAG. With a pre defined course and net control APRS is invaluable in tracking moble assets. Can some of the APRS mapping software such as PinPoint APRS or APRS32 be used with digipi for asset tracking? Someting like Tinytracker product?

[@thearchitect4726]

Just ordered the pi zero, wish I knew about hat

[@LeeMcc_KI5YPR]

I guess ella-kits-or-parts. Maybe?

[@user-py6sp4gu5h]

This really upgrades the whole concept. Looking forward to its launch. Richard G8ITB.

[@JamesP6084]

This is amazing after playing with it for a few days a great piece of programming:-) living it hot part of the world and have a shack about 200 meter's from the house it would be great to be able to use remote when it is over 45 degrees C eg TX and RX audio :-) any chance of this happening in the future

[@davidverheyen6635]

Thank you for this movie. That little pi looks like some kind of pi zero. Is it fast enough to send everything duplex to and from a tablet or pc? Because with the digipy you use a pi 4.

[@KM6LYW]

Great question, you want a "Pi Zero 2 Wiresless" (not the Original Pi Zero). PiZero2Wiresless, Pi3B+, Pi3A+, Pi4 and Pi5. If all you want is aprs/ax25/packet modes, the original Pi Zero will work.

[@DO1BTW]

I'm from the Netherlands and never heard from DigiPi, can it also be funktion as an DMR hotspot ?

[@speedymartin2]

Great stuff. What is the reason for the LoRa chip on the board?

[@KM6LYW]

because Li had space left over? The final board may-or-may not have all these options.

[@bradgreenwood2588]

Any special settings to change on the Baofeng? Like turning on VOX? Same with the N7EBB kit? Also any advice for someone who has never made their own trss or ps3 cable?

[@KM6LYW]

No, the n7ebb.org board makes it so you DON'T have to use VOX. Using VOX is really poor form as it jams the channel with lots of dead air after a packet. the n7ebb board has a PTT circuit digipi will activate during transmissions.

[@bradgreenwood2588]

@@KM6LYWgot the old 2015 BaoFeng HT working with the board. Red LED doesn't light up, but everything else works great. I'm using the TRRS connector. As always, thanks for the help.

[@jaycollins2425]

Do you have to connect the small USB-A to USB-C on the side of the Digipi Hat? Is it necessary to work properly?

[@KM6LYW]

yes, that little USB jumper cable is necessary for audio and gps... iirc, easy to overlook too

[@KM6LYW]

Update: Now Available! DigiPi Hat - Solderless Radio/Audio Interface Board $41 elekitsorparts.com/product/new-digipi-hat-ham-radio-digi-modes-aprs-ft8-ft4-winlink-from-raspberry-pi-km6lyw-digipi-image/

[@scottboyce]

Does this work with a zero 2W?

[@KM6LYW]

@@scottboyce I've not tested this, but it should work. The trick will be providing your own USB cable between the PiZero2W and the DigiPi Hat. it'll look funny too :)

[@cchalfantusa]

Does anyone use digipi with an FT-891? I usually hear dual band radios mentioned or those with USB that happen to be shacks in a box (991A or 705) so I’m not sure if people are using those for VHF/UHF exclusively with digipi. Since FT8 is relatively uncommon on VHF/UHF, I assume HF use of digipi is common.

[@KM6LYW]

@cchalfantusa DigiPi can be made to work with any radio and any data mode. USB-based radios are the easiest, supported by hamlib. Dual-band rigs will need a ptt/audio solution (a new interface card is available today, see my video on "DigiPi Hat"). Dual banders can use aprs/ax25/winlink/netrom modes. FT8/JS8/sstv/fldigi lend themselves to hf rigs. All of it is supported on DigiPI.org.

[@crandac]

Can this be setup to interface with QRZ for the contact log?

[@KM6LYW]

I suspect it can, though I don't have direct experience. If it can be done on a raspberry pi, digipi can do it also. ft8 lots are stored in /home/pi/config/WSJTX/wsjtx-log.adi ?? (or something like that)

[@empireoutdoors7298]

SO... WHY NOT JUST USE A DIGIRIG BETWEEN THE RADIO AND PI?

[@Pahrump]

You said this doesn't exist as of today February 24th. At this moment we're not anywhere near February 24th. 😊. I'd pronounce it Ele-kits Thank you for this video.

[@KM6LYW]

February '24 (2024)

[@KM6LYW]

Available now (March 31st, 2024)

[@oc7414]

Please implement VARA

[@KM6LYW]

VARA is closed-source, with licensing/redistribution issues, and is windows-only and x86-only (no Linux, no ARM support). I'm not saying it's not a really interesting technology, but it's kind of a genetic dead-end from an "advancing the art" perspective. Guys have it running under both windows and x86 emulators, but it requires a Pi4 at a minimum, and the DigiPi project maintains a 512MB memory budget.