A Lightweight M17 Hotspot

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Until now, CC1200 Hat users had to operate their M17 digital data/voice hotspot using the rpi-interface software on the command line, for example. To change this, Jim N1ADJ and I have spent the last few days developing a lightweight M17 hotspot based on the CC1200 and a Raspberry Pi. The heart of the hotspot is Jim’s m17-gateway, which he has now brought to a stable release. In the meantime, I have completely rebuilt the rpi-dashboard, started by Wojciech SP5WWP, and adapted it to Jim’s m17-gateway.

The following things can now be done via this dashboard:

  • Monitor incoming and outgoing calls

  • Read text messages

  • Edit the configuration of the dashboard

  • Edit the configuration of the m17-gateway and thus

  • Changing the reflector

  • Changing the module

  • Changing the hotspot frequency

  • and much more

  • Updating the M17 hosts file

  • Starting/stopping the m17-gateway

  • It offers all the essential functions you need for daily use while more features are already planned. Jim is also developing his m17-gateway further, whereby we both involve each other, as gateway and dashboard go hand in hand.

It is not a ready-to-use, downloadable Raspberry Pi image, but we provide an installation script, which I have already presented here. In the meantime, this has been adapted so that it no longer installs the rpi-interface but the m17-gateway.

If there are any problems with the installation or if you have any other questions, you can find us on the M17 Discord Server.

More Information - https://rz01.org/cc1200-m17-hotspot/?utm_source=amateur-radio-weekly&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter

Joint India-Us Satellite Eyes Natural Disasters

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An unprecedented joint satellite project between the Indian Space Research Organisation and NASA is giving researchers the hope of better studying the Earth's climate and helping improve responses to natural disasters by monitoring the most subtle changes on Earth, including in its glaciers and wetlands.

The satellite is known as NISAR, the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar mission. Its launch aboard an ISRO spacecraft on the 30th of July from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre sent it on its mission to send microwaves to collect data from different surfaces on the planet. When processed, the data will be visible in an exceptionally high resolution. An estimated 80 terabytes of data will be collected daily. Scientists have said that the method has "unprecedented accuracy."   Researchers and governments around the world will be able to view the data via a cloud platform where they will have open access.

Two WW2-Era Code-Related Events - One For Navajo Code Talkers, Another For Enigma Machine

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Two WW2-Era Code-Related Events - One For Navajo Code Talkers, Another For Enigma Machine

There was a time when US history lessons did not contain any mention of the Navajo Code Talkers because the presence of these brave Marines was still considered classified information by the US government. All of that changed – and now for many years the 14th of August has been designated as Navajo Code Talkers Day. A group of proud amateur radio operators are taking several days to honour this special unit of brave Marines who served in the US military during the Second World War.

Few of these hams could be prouder than Herb Goodluck N7HG, whose late father, John V. Goodluck, had been one of the Marines who used their own Navajo language to craft a wartime code that could not be broken.

Herb will be among those calling QRZ from the 10th to the 15th, using the callsign N7C. Operators will be using CW, phone and FT-8. Additional details, including operating frequencies, can be found on QRZ.com

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