RaspberryPi Introduction
This week begins a weekly series of posts related to the RaspberryPi and useful programs for Amateur Radio. If you aren’t familiar with the RaspberryPi this will be an introduction to what it is and what it can be used for. The RaspberryPi is a small credit card sized computer that is capable of running ARM versions of operating systems like Raspbian, Ubuntu, and Windows 10. The latest generation debuted in Feburary of 2015 and features these specifications:
- 900MHz Quad-Core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU
- 1GB RAM
- 4 USB Ports
- 40 GPIO Pins
- Full HDMI Port
- Ethernet Port (10/100)
- 3.5mm Composite Video and Audio Jack
- Camera Interface
- Display interface
- Micro SD Card Slot
The latest generation is much more powerful that earlier models and still sells for the same price, around $35 USD. With this small $35 computer you can do things like:
- Satellite Tracking
- APRS Tracker
- APRS Digipeater
- D-Star Digipeater
- Rotator Controller
- Digital Modes (PSK, Olivia, WSJT, WSPR, etc)
- SDR Receiver
- Radio Programming (CHiRP)
- Rig Control
- SSTV
- CW Trainer
- CW Encoder/Decoder
- Antenna Analyzer
- SWR Bridge
- And even more!
This is just a few ideas of what the RaspberryPi can do in the world of Amateur Radio without including the ability to program in many different languages and utilize the GPIO pins for control of almost anything.
If you are interested in getting started with RaspberryPi I recommend you purchase one in a kit form which comes with accessories like a WiFi dongle, power supply, protective case, etc. Listed below are the two kits I have personally purchased:
RaspberryPi Starter Kit (Amazon) $69.99
RaspberryPi Ultimate Starter Kit (Amazon) $84.99
Next week we’ll start off with Gpredict, a Satellite tracking app which tracks all amateur radio satellites including the International Space Station, complete with transponder and uplink/downlink information for each.
