ham radio support

[David2009]

For those who enjoy Parks On The Air (POTA), don't forget to add HAMRS.APP

https://hamrs.app/

[Pierre]

the RD Contest over the last weekend,
both here in Australia & over in New Zealand,
showed, as usual, the amount of Licensed Ham's that there really is.


apart from the usual suspects, there was an whole new group
that you would usually never, ever hear from.
- at least the CW segment, was alive & kicking, given the most activity being on SSB, of course.

[Charles_NL]

I'm also interested in the radio hobby, but I don't have a license. So for me it's mostly receiving from amateur radio stations. I use a RTL-SDR dongle with Gqrx software.
After reading your comments if Skywave a good linux version for hammen?

[richard-g8jvm]

Hi
G8JVM since 1974, I also build MSHV for ham use and its all compiled on LM
73 Richard

[amtravic1]

i am not a ham operator, although interested in the hobby. I am a dunce when it comes to electronics. I have two identical machines running Mint. One is the Debian version. I have found that the Debian version is faster with identical software, basically a clone of my main machine and there appears to be more debian based software for ham radio.

[citfta]

i am not a ham operator, although interested in the hobby. I am a dunce when it comes to electronics. I have two identical machines running Mint. One is the Debian version. I have found that the Debian version is faster with identical software, basically a clone of my main machine and there appears to be more debian based software for ham radio.

That is interesting. I have one machine that has LMDE5 on it. I will check out what ham related programs are available for it. Thanks for the info.

[aileron]

For installing on linux Mint 20 Ulyana :

SMALL RANT FIRST:
I don't use flatpak or snap unless I'm being super lazy. I loathe them and consider them to be anti-unix and usually wind up revisiting them and compiling my own packages.

Now days I am forced to compile a large collection of software because I try not to use them.

We seriously need to come up with a System 7 spec to stop this madness so developers and users can co-exist in peace. But for now to the distro's and developers; &*$%!
END RANT.

How I got this to work this morning because wow what a surprise like old hardware old software still needs old libraries or older version of 2.x python still. Who'd of thunk.

From Chirp website here:

https://chirp.danplanet.com/projects/ch ... nvironment

sudo apt-get install python-serial python-future python-gtk mercurial

BUT YOU CAN'T GET THAT TO WORK!!!

So can I get python 2.7x working with Chirp on Mint 20:

Code: Select all

sudo pip2 install --upgrade pip

# Intall python-serial and future:

Code: Select all

sudo pip2 install pyserial
sudo pip2 install future

NOTE: normally I would not do this but you cant install these with apt anymore. So...
NOTE2: Also I imagine in the near future PIP2 wont work and you will have to
compile these bastards. Major headache. I use to love python but its so
convoluted now I'm starting to look elsewhere. Clojure might be my next
solution.

# Install mercurial, gobject-2, cairo and python-libxml2:

Code: Select all

sudo apt install mercurial python-gobject-2 python-cairo python-libxml2

# Now we need gtk2:
# BTW found package here: https://ubuntu.mirrors.tds.net/ubuntu/p ... _amd64.deb
# Which I'm sure will disappear soon as most of the sites listed here did'nt work:
https://packages.ubuntu.com/bionic/amd6 ... 2/download

Finally install gtk2 using dpkg:

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg -i python-gtk2_2.24.0-5.1ubuntu2_amd64.deb

[a_hippie]

Hi aileron

Chirp solved ?? Not sure what you were shooting for but hurry for you!<?>

For those non-hams, look there are some really great online sites to get you started as well as clubs that typically still do in-person training. Really worth your effort and the amateur service is amazing in its diversity, education & social fun. You still can meet the nicest hams over the air

Back to "chirp" which is a program to make it easier to program various radios. It doesn't appear to be in the mint 20.3 repos, however, I was able to snag the deb package off of packages.debian.org which installed without issues on my xfce mint laptop. Just in case some might be wondering.

I am also avoiding snaps/wraps and whatever. Worst idea ever, especially for any dated hardware like my 2005 thinkpad!

73
Jaye

[AD5XJ]

Actually, there are quite a number of hams who now use Linux or are using a Raspberry Pi ( Linux Debian).
I use it every day in my shack for digital communication and application programming in Java and C++.

You will find quite a number of users who still use Chirp and other legacy apps on Linux.

I participate in a digital net via WebSDR Sat. Mornings where several in the NW NM and SOCAL area use Linux in one form or another.

Nice to see this kind of interest in Linux. BTW I divorced Microsoft 15 years ago and have been a Mint user since version 13, and I do
not regret a day of it. I only keep it around to run some of the digital apps that refuse to convert or share their code so someone else
can convert it. That is < 1% of my time on Windoz.

Ken AD5XJ

[JohnLL]

I've been running Mint since 2015/16 on my main PC (currently Mint 21) with ham programs. I use the following applications--- FLDIGI, WSJTX, JS8call appimage and js8call (this one installed using Synaptic), QSSTV, CHIRP and CQRLOG. Most were installed using synaptic or following apt install instructions. I have only a laptop running win10 and haven't turned it on for possibly 2-3 months.
John
VE3SJV

[supermag]

Hello, I am licensed and I am using wsjtx, and cqrlog.
I am using Linux mint 20 something,- works just fine.

I know that some software packages have stagnated and aren't developed any more, that is not good.

I wish that Vara and winlink was open source, but I have seen that it's possible to get those programs to work under wine. I haven't tried that myself.

[a_hippie]

Hi supermag,

You can do wine. Search (google) "k6eta wine" and you should find his help page.

I'm using pat for winlink -- okay needs a front end, but works.

73
Jaye

[bobalooie]

I am using Mint (from 17 to 21) successfully with fldigi, flrig, wsjtx and xlog. All work seamlessly with my West Mountain interface, which gives me software control over my ICOM radio.

73 de K8TYM

[grndplane]

FYI: Look like Chirp is in the standard repos.

[rattkjelke]

FYI: Look like Chirp is in the standard repos.

The Ubuntu repo version of CHIRP is ancient and never updated.
They have fixed a lot of things and added several radio models lately.
I would recommend using the flatpak version from their web site.
https://trac.chirp.danplanet.com/chirp_daily/LATEST/

[a_hippie]

I thought I'd mentioned chirp debs already.

I've been using the testing or unstable from:
https://www.debian.org/distrib/packages
just dig down into "ham radio" and grab the deb for your hardware. apt will pick up any dependencies.

So far, no issues on this mint 20.3 box.

Also just read chirp is doing a lot of python3 work. That came from debian-hams email list this AM. So I won't be too surprised if there will be another new entry in unstable.

73
j

[Pierre]

an exact hit is here:
https://packages.debian.org/search?keyw ... ection=all
for version 1:20200227+py3+20200213-3:

NB: if you want the latest version of Chirp,
- then you will have to use an *.tar.gz file ( or an flatpak )
https://trac.chirp.danplanet.com/chirp_daily/LATEST/

[bob_22]

I myself am a HAM (W1AV) and I just reverted back to MINT after using MX for a few years. I have successfully got many radio-related programs working, some after MUCH work and tweaking. Some of the programs: WSJT-X, FLDIGI, and for monitoring the statewide P25 public safety system here, SDR-TRUNK, and some acars/adsb plane stuff I have DUMP 1090, ACARSDEC and DUMPVDL2......these aircraft spotting ones run from a USB (rtl-sdr) dongle. I got CHIRP finally working after having to mod a python script. I like trouble shooting and configuring which is why I persevered to get these all working. I tried JS8CALL but really didnt see the point in using it. I like FLDIGI for doing OLIVIA on the weekend nets and for decoding WEFAX. I had to do A LOT of Googling to get some of these to work. It would be real nice to have a ham radio oriented distro that actually works! If I had the knowledge to respin my own distro with all my favorite ham and monitor software I would.

[citfta]

I found this thread that might be of interest to some of you. I have not had time to check this out myself, but it appears there is an OS just for Ham use. For some reason the link doesn't want to work. But go to eHam.net and look in the forum for the section on computers and software. There is a thread there about Andy's Ham radio Linux OS.

[Chaotajo]

Wow! I stumbled upon this post looking for something else. I have been an operator for a long time, mostly using a transceiver that I have. Not active for a while and have to renew soon and apply for a new Skywarn ID. Good to see so many on here!