Amateur Radio

Installing into a venv (python virtualenv):

1. Install pip in current user profile (optional).

python3 -m pip install --user --upgrade pip

2. Ensure you are using Python 3.3 or greater. 

Note: For this exercise I recommend 3.11 or whatever the creator's GitHub states.

python3 -V
-or-
python -v

3. Create your venv, activate environment and confirm you are in the environment. 

python3 -m venv env 
source env/bin/activate
which python

After executing 'which python' you should see '.../env/bin/python' where ... is the full path to the environment.

4. Install aprsd within the environment created above.

python3 -m pip install aprsd

5. I created my 'aprsd.yml' in the directory above the 'env' directory using the following command.

aprsd sample-config > aprsd.yml

Using your favorite editor (mine is vim) edit the config file you just created. I read each setting and enabled most of them using default. Some parameters required me to get information from the web like: aprs.fi passkey and magicbug password. Once you're satisfied start the aprsd server with the -c flag and filename. Being that  I performed this in the environment above the env directory id did the following.

aprsd server -c aprsd.yml

Note: Do not close the command prompt window else you shutdown the server. If you want to shut down the aprsd server gracefully use ctrl+c keyboard key combination.

6. Install web client in venv where aprsd was installed above.

pip install gunicorn

7. Start the web client. I'm stuck here

gunicorn --bind 127.0.0.1:8080 "aprsd.wsgi:app"

8. To deactivate the venv.

deactivate

Usually when this happens, your messages are full. Delete some and you should be able to send.

Below is a link to a website about random wire antennas.

website

Using the supplied LDG cable attached the red end (radio) in to the left most mic jack input on the back of the radio, then attach the black end of the cable (tuner) to the Radio port on the back of the tuner. 

If you want the tuner to control the radio then update the Tuner Select property to LAMP (Linear Amplifier) in the FT-891 deep settings. Now when you press the tune button on the tuner it will lower the power and send a CW carrier to tune the frequency.

If you don't have cable the tuner will still try to auto tune when you transmit but it's sub-optimal. So you'll need to drop the radio's power down (below 35W, if you don't you'll ruin the tuner) and change the mode to CW by long pressing the BAND button. Then PTT and the tuner will perfomr a proper tune.

80M = 16 radials at 1/4 wavelength length = 2 wavelengths of wire

40M = 8 radials at 1/4 wavelength length, 16 1/8 wavelength length

It really doesn't matter try it out!

Reference DX Commander video

Listing of knots to know:

1. Stopper knot
2. Bowline
3. Alpine Butterfly 
4. Half Hitch

HackRF:

DVB-T+DAB+FM USB dongle (Realtek, RTL2838UHIDIR, SN: 00000001): A Generic RTL2832U OEM Rafael Micro R820T tuner.

On Ubuntu, I'm using the rtl-sdr package which contains the following command line utilities:

• rtl_adsb: a simple ADS-B decoder for RTL2832 based DVB-T receivers
• rtl_eeprom: an EEPROM programming tool for RTL2832 based DVB-T receivers
• rtl_fm: a narrow band FM demodulator for RTL2832 based DVB-T receivers
• rtl_sdr: an I/Q recorder for RTL2832 based DVB-T receivers
• rtl_tcp: an I/Q spectrum server for RTL2832 based DVB-T receivers
• rtl_test: a benchmark tool for RTL2832 based DVB-T receivers

Found this documentation at osmocom.org (rtl-sdr)

You can also use the GNU Radio Companion. I found these interesting links:

gr-rds

cgran

Some good Boston radio stations:

69.9 - Throwbacks, the Best New Hip Hop and R&B

94.5 - Boston's #1 For Hip Hop & Throwbacks

100.7 - Classic Rock

105.7 - Boston’s 80s & More

102.5 - Country

89.7 - WGBH Public Radio Boston’s Local NPR Station

92.9 - The Next Generation of Classic Rock

Started with this video

Using Pentoo on SD Card.  When you login start GUI by type startx and use defaults.