Allstar Node using Baofeng BF-888s, a RIM-Lite, and a Raspberry Pi.

If you don't know what an Allstar Node is...join the club.   I went from hearing the term Allstar to building the node in a couple of months.

Allstar is a way to link a repeater to the Internet...or more specifically for the user to link through an analog repeater via the Internet to another analog repeater.

If you are familiar at all with Echolink...it is similar.

If you have perused my other posts, you have seen me play with DMR, D-Star, and Hotspots to connect both of those Digital radio formats to the internet.

Allstar is taking an analog radio and putting it on the internet.   So in my case an analog HT connecting via RF through the Allstar node pictured below.

The question is always WHY?   I can't give you all the good reasons...but my local linked repeater system is using Allstar nodes to both link remote repeaters to the system...AND as a backup in case the RF link drops, or a repeater in the link chain gets locked out.

One of the repeaters in the linked system has an Allstar node that is accessible to 'whitelisted' users.   That means that even though I am out of range of the link system in my house, I can link in with an Allstar node and be on the linked repeater system.

And tonight the NWS is using the linked repeater system for getting storm spotter info from remote locations...because I am linked in, I get to hear all the NWS transmissions.

This article is about building the Allstar Node I am using.

(Pictured...large battery, Pi, RIM-Lite, Baofeng BF-888s.   also powering Baofeng using modified battery replacement car adapter, note I left the mic on the HT, and plug a 3.5mm plug into the mic socket to disable it.)

I would say the first thing to do if you plan on building an Allstar Node is to get an account and Node number at  https://allstarlink.org/  

They usually have a good turn around, and are pretty good about responding to emails to fix problems.


I won't duplicate the already well documented info out there...I will however fill in the blanks...

I am using a Baofeng BF-888s UHF HT.  This radio goes for $24 a pair on Amazon.   It is a low power 16 channel preprogrammed radio...no display.   You program it using the standard Baofeng programming cable.

https://hamvoip.org/ has full documentation on the radio mods and software downloads for the Pi.

(this one has a variable resistor on the RX output, for troubleshooting a problem I didn't have...)

Once you have the radio modded (you need audio from TX and RX, a COS input, and a connection to the HTs PTT circuit.) you need a way for the Pi to talk to it.   There are two ways, home brew and commercial.   I elected for commercial (but I do have the parts for homebrewing it).

I am using the RIM-Lite by Repeater Builder 

$50 USB plug in board with DB-9 connector...and even includes the unpopulated male connector for attaching to the modded radio.

Finally you need a Raspberry Pi.

There is a good image available, but the hard part is understanding the software.

I will make a new post about the software part.

Note:  Allstar uses DTMF tones to connect and disconnect and do other admin items...so I am using an HT with a keypad to punch in the codes...I will cover that later also.

Baofeng UV-5R...how do I program it?

I bought the famous (?) $50 Baofeng UV-5R Dual-band amateur HT (walkie talkie) 70CM and 2M.

Because it is $50 the menus for programming it are painful to use, but programming it using software is pretty much like programming any other radio using software.

I will show some steps, and screenshots to walk it through, but for now here is the quick list.

BTW mine has the BFB251 version of the ROM (power on holding the "3" button down).  I just got it about a month ago...they are up to version 293 I believe.


I just got a 251, and just programmed it. Make sure you have the basics
covered.

This blog post has, how to set up USB cable, basic CHIRP instructions, VIP instructions.  (and I am always willing to improve it...just let me know)




   
Important links

Baofeng UV-5R Yahoo Group

Miklor's Baofeng UV-5R page full of resources

-Miklor's USB driver page

-Miklor's  VIP software page

-Miklor's CHIRP software page

Danplanet THE CHIRP site.




Plug in USB adapter.

1. make sure that your USB cable was installed as a "Prolific USB-to-Serial Comm
Port" (look in Device Manager/Ports)

2. make sure that the driver for that port is Prolific 3.2.0.0
(Properties/Driver)

3. Note what comm port is assigned to that Prolific USB-to-Serial Port (COM )



CHIRP software instructions.

(CHIRP as of 6Oct12, may not support BFB291 or later to to vendor detection issues)

4. When you start CHIRP, make sure it is using the correct serial port.

5. An 'unable to connect to comm port' or some error like that probably means that the driver is wrong

6. An 'unable to connect to radio' type error means you need to make sure the plug is installed all the way (I had to trim a bit of plastic off the bottom of the plug. (or in this case I selected the wrong comm port).

7. make sure you are using the very latest 'daily build' CHIRP software (I have the 5 Oct 2012 version)


Note:  It was suggested to me on the Baofeng yahoo group by Jim (KC9HI) that the latest 'daily build' may not suit your needs.  If it doesn't work, take a look at the Danplanet CHIRP 'Activity Page' to see which version may suit you.

I am not in the CHIRP users group, so I don't follow what is going on there.

I followed the Miklor Chirp page.




VIP Software instructions.



1. Use correct version for radio...the software even tells you which version it is for.

2. The older version opens up in Chinese fonts (which most of us do not have installed...just go to the second pull down menu on the right, and select English.

 Close that front window...don't worry you can get it back later.

3. Now select Comm Port, click the Communication Menu and this window will pop up.

 My adapter was on COM3








4. Download from radio...do this before editing your channels.

 Select 'Read'

Now you can edit if you want.

These are the programmed channels on your radio.

This menu has other optional settings.

This menu lets you change your power on message...as it says, Read from radio first, then edit and Write back to radio.















How to save and load your hard work...

To save your work, File, then "Save".

"Save As" didn't work for me.








 



It looks like an old Windows 3.1 interface,
so finding the directory you want is a bit clunky...but it works.


And just type in the name. (.dat) 








 








That gibberish means it saved correctly. 

To open a file it is the same clunky menu system.



But this time just select the file you want.

And this means you correctly loaded it.









For editing the memories etc...you are on your own, I copied the ones from my other radios, and had to edit them with excel in a format that matched what I downloaded from the radio using CHIRP. (save as csv...then after you are done editing IMPORT back into CHIRP.

I only used the VIP software for changing the power on message.

A couple of projects, BaoFeng Dual band HT and FCD Convertor

The BaoFeng UV-5R HT is a dual band (70cm-2m) walkie talkie that can be bought new for under $50. Not many extras, but it is small and cheap. I should be getting one in the mail in the next few weeks. I will give my opinion at that time.

...a few weeks later...

The Baofeng radio is nice, small, works great...but  the programming is a serious pain...so I use the computer and even that has a bit of complexity to it...

Here are my instructions...

Second project is a FCD Convertor (sic) made by Tony CT1FFU (Antonio Matias). This connects to the RTL-FCD dongle radio to allow it to receive the HF bands. Now they sell them as completed items...mine was sent as a kit...so it will be a bit before I can test it...also now they have a version 4.1...mine is the 3.1...oh well timing is everything.

Stay tuned...