Node Mapper, Meshtastic Mapping Application

My AUXCOMM group has been playing around with the idea of using Meshtastic to supplement our resource tracking. At net control we normally use Windows computers and found the mapping capability of the Meshtastic web client to be a bit lacking. I decided to try and roll my own to give us nicer looking maps with offline capabilities and a way to track resources around the map in near real time. Here's what I came up with!

Linksys 54G Still Useful?

I was recently supporting a bike ride event called the Appalachian Journey. I was assigned to help out in the communications trailer as net control. It's always nice to have internet access for information. When Randy, KE4RL, built his communications trailer, he designed it to be a Faraday cage so it's impossible to receive a wifi or cellular signal inside. This gave me an opportunity to see if my old trusty Linksys 54G Router was still useful.

Comm. Trailer with Linksys sitting on top.

 

HamRadio.AI, An AI autoresponder for Winlink.

With AI infiltrating all aspects of our lives, I figured it was time to make use of it with ham radio. In this article I'll walk you through how I setup an AI bot to reply to messages received through Winlink.

Iron Mountain Jubilee 2024

The annual Iron Mountain Jubilee has come around again. This year the event was an extra day longer with events occurring on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Because of this, I've added a new item to my kit and decided to setup camp for the entire weekend. 

truSDX for Digital Modes - Review

There's a lot a cheap radios on the market today and many turn out to be poorly constructed junk. However, every now and again you come across a gem. This seems to be the case with the truSDX, especially if you are into digital modes or CW. 

APRS Services and Tools

The Automatic Packet Reporting Service (APRS) is probably the most common use for packet radio today. While many believe APRS is just for tracking resources, there are lots of other uses for it which makes it a valuable addition to your ham radio tool box. 

3D Printed Yagi for ISS

I've been playing around with using the amateur radio capabilities of the International Space Station for about as long as I've held my ham radio license. The ISS is one of the easiest satellites to work and while I've had success with a simple antenna on my handheld radio, having a directional antenna makes the task much easier. In this article I'll show you how to make a lightweight, portable antenna that is well suited for working the ISS.