KD9YQK

DigiPi_Plus - March 17 2025

The DigiPi_Plus repo has been updated and patched to work with the newest version of the DigiPi OS v.1.9.3. Support for all the new features has been added, in addition to some minor tweaks and changes to the installer.

I am currently in the process of including Vara HF and Vara FM modem support, but am running into memory issues when attempting to run for the first time on raspberry pi zero 2w devices. I suspect this issue will also effect other low memory devices such as the Raspberry Pi 2 and 3. I have successfully installed on a Pi4, and it appears to be working. It only uses 300mb total ram when running, and others have reported running 'wine' and 'vara' on lesser devices, so I feel optomistic that this is a hurdle that can be overcome. In the meantime I have disabled the code that installs and configures these modems until I feel confident the install procedure is foolproof.

I have also created a 'run_once' script that gets installed on initial setup, which was intended to go along with the vara install process, but this may no longer need to be needed and will most likely be removed in the next update. It won't harm any functionality of the system. I will most likely create a seperate repo for future use, as it can be quite handy. It is a simple script, and makes me wonder why something similar isn't already an included feature in linux distros.

New repos added to GitHub - March 16 2025

I have added 3 more repos to my github of useful python scripts. aprsis_pw is a function that is used to create the password hash for accessing the APRSIS reporting network. Pass it a valid Ham Callsign and it will return the correct password.

The next repo is fcc_db which creates a local sqlite3 database of all GMRS and HAM callsigns, with their assoiciated public info. It will download the entire Ham and GMRS databases and combines them into a single local database with search optimizations. It also contains a function to facilitate searching for all records by callsign.

Finally NWS_API is a series of python Class Objects that help navigate the Natl Weather Service api. Pass it a valid lat/lon coordinate and it will collect the current weather, daily and hourly forecasts, and all active and past alerts. Includes a sample terminal application showcasing a few of the features.

MMBR Bug Report - Feb. 18 2025

MMBR has a bug concerning the APRS portion of the software. APRS has message length constraints, and any posts sent or received that are longer then around 60 CHAR will be cut off and not received correctly. This will require an update to add parsing of messages, and ACK replies. I didn't really intend to do this to keep traffic down, but at this point it is now going to be required. The server is also going to need a massive rework to be able to manage multiple APRS connections, ACK replies and the like. This is going to take a bit of time, but I hope to have it fixed in the next couple of months.

MMBR *Messages Must Be Received* - Dec. 26 2024

MMBR is a blog over RF utility intended for use with EMCOMM scenarios where communication is limited, but an important message must be passed along. It can interface with JS8Call, as well as APRS, and can inter-operate both at the same time in needed. Clients listen for posts sent over RF, and will update the local database with heard messages, regardless of origin. Clients can also request messages from other users directly, or indirectly through another known client. Clients with internet access can also send and receive post updates through an online server if desired. Click here to learn more.

DigiPi Plus - Dec. 25 2024

DigiPi Plus has been upgraded for the most recent version of DigiPi v1.9-2. Additional Infocom games have been added to the packet node, as well as CHIRP for programming radios. The installer has also been updated, and some other optomizations have been added. Click here to learn more. Merry Christmas!

DigiPi Plus - Nov. 12 2024

DigiPi Plus is an addon to a project created and maintained by Craig KM6LYW for the Raspberry Pi series computers. The goal is to add additional features and functionality to an already fantastic Ham Radio Operating System, while maintaining a user friendly experience. It includes a dialog driven installer which automates almost the entire setup process. Click here to learn more.

Browser Games Added - Oct. 26 2024

I have configured and added a couple of the web games I wrote to work with this site. These are functional, but by no means are considered complete or finished polished games, by are functional.

Castle Crusades is a card game I have been working on for the past few months in my free time. If features a customizable deck builder, and a few sample decks to fight against. Accounts are free, and receive a starter deck. New cards can be obtained by winning battles.
Learn more...

The other game FUEB-Mon is a functional recreation of an old crypto project I was once on the programming team for. This is a fan project designed to keep a small amount of life to a now dead project. Worthless to just about anyone without a Metamask Wallet and at least 3 Ethermon NFTs.

New Website Launched - Oct. 25 2024

Welcome to KD9YQK.com! Today is the official launch of my new website. I am designing this site from the ground up for a place to document and share some of the projects I have and am currently working on.