I just bought this based on the recommendation of a reputable video blogger. I was looking for an alternative to the HotSpotRadio-USB because this device has a little more RF power output.
However the only instructions I’ve found so far require using an image to write to an sd card on a Raspberry Pi. But I already have a Pi 3B dedicated with the Pi Appliance image already loaded.
It came with instructions written in English. But the included url returns a 404 in German.
I’m about ready to return it and buy the I’m about ready to return it buy the HotSpotRadio-USB instead at HotSpotRadio-USB instead.
Is there anyway to use this device on the Pi Appliance? I’m sure it can be done, but probably not an easy integration.
I would recommend using a real HT instead of a SA818-based product, as the SA818’s are known to be noisier and are more complicated to configure. Why pay $90 for a no-name box with poor if any documentation when you could get an HT such as a Retevis RT-85 for under $20, which have an LCD display, keyboard, excellent audio quality (~60dB SNR) and are FCC-certified, and then get a small USB Radio Interface (< $50). Demo video of a Full-duplex node using 2 RT85s and an AllScan URI100. This demo video is of a full-duplex node but a half-duplex node is considerably simpler - you’d just need one HT, a URI, and a couple of ~$2 audio cables and you then have have a much better quality node at less than the cost of any SA818 node.
With the ASL3 Pi Appliance you should be able to plug it in, program it with sa818-menu, and be all set to go. The chip inside of it is an SA818 which is very common for hotspots. It works well and is pretty straightforward to configure.
I’ve personally never used one, but one of the USB ports should be for programming and one should be for the audio interface. You only need to program the chip one time and then move the cable over to the audio USB port for normal operations.
@NR9V
Actually I already have a Retevis RT3S with OpenGD77 firmware. It makes a great DMR HT. I’m planning on using it as one possible ASL3 client radio, but not as the node radio itself.
But I’m more interested in how use an RT-85 as the node radio for my Pi Appliance running on a Pi 3B. I’m not interested in using the Allscan device unless you think that would interface with my Pi Appliance.
You’d just need a URI to connect an HT to an ASL RPi/MiniPC. There are a number of URIs available from different manufacturers but the URI100 is designed for HTs and already has 3.5mm and 2.5mm connections that are wired for K1 HTs (Kenwood, Retevis, Baofeng, etc.).
N8AR has updated instructions to set this up with ASL3 please make sure to check them out.
Kits 4 Hams suggested SHARI settings for ASL3 (Version
1.04)
Our recommended settings for the SA818 are very similar to those suggested for HamVOIP. In
ASL3, SA818 programming is initiated by entering sudo sa818-menu at the terminal. The
recommended settings, displayed by this menu, are as shown below. Of course RF frequency,
CTCSS, squelch and Tail Tone are user choice.
1 Band : UHF
2 Bandwidth : Wide
3 Receive Frequency : 446.1000 MHz
4 Transmit Frequency : 446.1000 MHz
5 Squelch Value (0-8) : 1
6 Volume (1-8) : 6
7 Sub-audible tone : CTCSS
8 CTCSS RX Tone : 110.9 Hz
9 CTCSS TX Tone : 110.9 Hz
10 CTCSS Reverse Burst (Tail Tone) : Closed
E Pre-Emphasis/De-emphasis : Enabled
H High pass Filter : Enabled
L Low pass Filter : Enabled
P Serial Port : /dev/ttyAMA0
Note that the serial port shown is for a SHARI PiHat or PiZero. Serial port /dev/ttyUSB0 is used for a
SHARI PiXX.
Also, for a Pi5, the file config.txt located in /boot//firmware must be modified by deleting
dtoverlay=disable-bt and adding dtparam=uart0.
The recommended simpleusb settings that differ from the default ASL3 default settings are as
shown below. Of course the rxmixer (rxmixerset) and txmixer (txmixaset) settings are dependent
on the radio used to access the node.
These settings (changes from the template) were copied from the simpleusb.conf file
[44330}(node-main)
ctcssfrom = no
plfilter = no
ASL3 Tune Settings
rxmixerset = 650
txmixaset = 600
txmixbset = 0
The Interface Tune CLI presentation of the simpleusb settings is:
Active Simple USB Radio device is [44230].
Select active USB device
Set Rx Voice Level (using display)
Set Transmit A Level (currently ‘600’)
Set Transmit B Level (currently ‘0’)
B) Toggle RX Boost (currently ‘disabled’)
C) Toggle Pre-emphasis (currently ‘disabled’)
D) Toggle De-emphasis (currently ‘disabled’)
E) Toggle Echo Mode (currently ‘disabled’)
F) Flash (Toggle PTT and Tone output several times)
G) Toggle PL Filter (currently ‘disabled’)
H) Toggle PTT mode (currently ‘ground’)
I) Change Carrier From (currently ‘usbinvert’)
J) Change CTCSS From (currently ‘no’)
K) Change RX On Delay (currently ‘0’)
L) Change TX Off Delay (currently ‘0’)
P) Print Current Parameter Values
R) View Rx Audio Statistics
S) Swap Current USB device with another USB device
T) Toggle Transmit Test Tone/Keying (currently ‘disabled’)
V) View COS, CTCSS and PTT Status
W) Write (Save) Current Parameter Values
Exit Menu
Please enter your selection now:
Note that the Interface CLI menu is reached by typing sudo asl-menu at the terminal.
I would highly recommend reading the “AURSINC SR110 Allstar Node Evaluation” report that is posted to the kits4hams page. See aursinc-sr110-allstar-node-evaluation.
I now have a HotSpotRadio basic - USB device. It’s still SA818 based, but supposed to have better filtering. It came recommended from another ham. The business is nearby and I managed to get the device the next day after ordering.
I have one of Marshall’s full duplex devices – two SA818’s, one receives, one transmits. It’s about as good as you can expect an SA818, or two of them in a box, to be. The simplex boxes are good, too.
I’ve had good service from Marshall when it has been needed, mostly for cables and other stuff.