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Author Topic: Anyone using the Raspberry PI for a TARPN station or network ?  (Read 26158 times)

W4KYR

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Anyone using the Raspberry PI for a TARPN station or network ?

Looks like hams are using the Raspberry PI for packet nodes. You can build an entire packet network with Raspberry PI's. Who is running this? What stations or networks do you have set up? Was it complicated? Any pros or cons?
Thanks


http://tarpn.net/t/faq/faq_packet_radio.html

"What do we need in order to operate a TARPN station?
There are four parts to a TARPN packet station: A radio link to a neighbor, a packet TNC, a Raspberry PI, and a display/control computer workstation.



Here is a 3 port node

http://tarpn.net/t/faq/faq_node_description.html




"You could build a node which uses TNC+radio combo boxes, or uses TNCs which are stand-alone units using USB to talk to the PI, and the radios could be handie-talkies or on the same band as one another. The antennas shown include a separate antenna for each radio. You could use a multi-band vertical. Or a mag-mount. The only required part of the node is that it uses a Raspberry PI. Everything else is dependent on the situation the node/switch is being built for. "

Also

"TNCs are described in detail in FAQ TNC. Each TARPN station has one or more TNCs.

Raspberry PI. The packet radio switch is a Raspberry PI running G8BPQ node software. John Wiseman, G8BPQ, is making changes and upgrades to his package and he's been doing so since the early 90s.

The Raspberry PI costs about $50 including the memory card. We're powering it from a 12v to USB converter widget which is available for about $3. The Raspberry PI can support USB-serial TNCs as well as a daughter-card (shield card) TNC made by Coastal Chipworks and designed in part by G8BPQ himself.

Workstation or HDMI screen
Each station needs a display and keyboard. The Raspberry PI can drive an HDMI monitor which can be a VGA monitor with the addition of a cheap adapter (see "builder" section) or a DVI monitor, also cheap adapter. Most people will be using a Mac or MSWindows box. Linux is also just fine. The operational instructions include using any of the above. "



TNCPI Information

http://tarpn.net/t/tncpi/tncpi.html

Using the TNCPI in a node stack!




"The cheapest solution for a packet radio TNC, and most popular in our group, is a shield card made for the Raspberry PI called TNC-PI. It is called a shield card because it has a stacking connector and completely covers the motherboard (Raspberry PI) when it is used with the stacking connector. Stacking connector means that it plugs in below the board, but presents a socket above the board for another board to be attached."
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KT4WO

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RE: Anyone using the Raspberry PI for a TARPN station or network ?
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2015, 04:29:52 PM »

I looked real hard at this system...spoke with a sysop...It's station to station....really no
"user" access. It's all a backbone and if your not part of it, then no access.

I just don't see it....it maybe faster but if one station is down then the system is broken.(more or less)

A user access port on VHF and a backbone port on 50mhz or 440mhz would be better IMO.

KT4WO
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KA2DEW

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RE: Anyone using the Raspberry PI for a TARPN station or network ?
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2015, 07:03:17 PM »

.really no "user" access. It's all a backbone and if your not part of it, then no access.

This makes it sound like the entire idea is rude to newcomers.  It's not.  The idea is that the newcomers get just as much access as everybody already in the system.  The big problem is a lack of transient access.  You pretty much have to coordinate with at least one other person in the network just to connect in, and then, while it isn't a life long commitment, the fun only really starts when you expand in the other direction beyond your station.  It's sort of a ham radio pyramid scheme haha. 

Hopefully when we get enough builders involved, we can attract some talent to solve some of the problems in the TARPN idea.  Transient access is a big one. 

Packet radio networks used to be expensive and used to be a class society. You were either of the owner class or the user class.  TARPN sets that right by making it a hasn't done it yet and has done it yet society.  If you can't find a TARPN to be part of, the design is so cheap you can start your own.  It's kind of a kick, using $40 computers and $40 TNCs with $40 radios to make a network.  The only expensive part is the people and a place to put an antenna.  Also, this totally falls apart if the enthusiastic participants are all over the country and not within simplex range.  However... this is real ham radio.  No Internet required or desired. 

I like to think of it as an off-the-grid instant-message system. 

--Tadd

P.S.  The web site author is really patient and a good person to talk with about the subject. 
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Tadd / KA2DEW / Raleigh NC

http://torborg.com/a   <<<=== local Raleigh info - new ham group
http://ncpacket.net    <<<=== north carolina packet radio network
http://tarpn.net          <<<=== terrestrial amateur radio packet network  (packet network recipe)
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