Random Wire Review: Issue 132

May 23, 2025: A shorter issue than normal because of medical issues. A little DroidStar and AllStarLink, and more about M17. Avoid tariffs by buying used radio gear. I bought a ToughBook.

May 22, 2025

Medical issues limit topics

Since I am focused on assisting my spouse with her recovery, please don’t expect a lengthy newsletter from me for a while. She is in a facility that is not radio friendly and I don’t have much gear with me. Nevertheless, there are things I can do or try to do, and there are some teachable moments in those experiences.

The first difficulty I encountered in the skilled nursing facility (SNF) was that I could not access the web interface of my M17 reflector at http://m17pnw.net. It turns out this is blocked by the SNF’s security appliance.

But I note the reason it was blocked is because the domain was recently registered (true). Will browsing to the IP address work? Why yes, yes it does. IP: http://144.202.93.220/#/

I also tried to use a VPN to bypass the SNF’s security appliance. I tried two VPN clients and both were blocked. I applaud the SNF for being security conscious, even if it creates a few frustrations for me.

DroidStar and AllStarLink

DroidStar can link directly to AllStarLink. Here’s how.

I tested this with my “node in the cloud,” an AllStarLink node built on a remote server in a Vultr.com data center in Seattle. It costs about $6/month for this service (although I pay $7.20 to include the automatic backups of the node). Node 57945 is a Debian 12 “Bookworm” system that runs AllStarLink 3. I have Allmon 3 and AllScan installed. I generally use AllScan for my lists of favorite nodes and to see if there is recent or current activity on them.

To the point of this note, how does one connect DroidStar to AllStarLink? There are two methods I’ve tested so far: a direct IAX connection and a WT (web transceiver) connection. For the IAX connection, you need the IP address of the node, the port, the name of the IAX client, and the IAX password. If you don’t own the node, you would need special permission from the node owner to use this method.

For WT mode, you need the IP address of the node, the port, and your login password to AllStarLink.org. If the node owner has allowed WT connections, you don’t need the IAX password.

Node 57945 is WT enabled. Find it at https://kj7t.net.

Thank you, M17 reflector testers!

I appreciate the help of several radio amateurs who helped test the new M17-PNW reflector (also see https://dvref.com/mrefd/m17-pnw):

Jeff Scoville (Oklahoma): https://www.qrz.com/db/AE5ME
James Moen (California): https://www.qrz.com/db/K6JM
Bill Baron (Washington): https://www.qrz.com/db/K7WFB
Steven Smith (Texas): https://www.qrz.com/db/KI5YNS
Jeffrey Porter (Maryland): https://www.qrz.com/db/KC3YGF
Steve Davidson (Pennsylvania): https://www.qrz.com/db/K3FZT

Apologies if I missed someone! Next up, let’s try a group conversation.

ECHO in M17

When I started this section, I thought I’d have more time to perform deeper research. Life has thrown me a curve ball, so my radio time is more limited than I had expected. What I was looking for was how to create a parrot for M17. It turns out a parrot of sorts is already included in M17. It is called ECHO.

I started by looking at the M17 specifications at https://spec.m17project.org/ for information about the ECHO. The key aspects of ECHO in M17 are:

This is transmitted from M17 repeaters and gateways, not from clients.
ECHO should not appear over M17 internet links. They are intended to be used over the air from a repeater or gateway.

Given these parameters, ECHO could be useful for client stations using over-the-air (RF) means to send and receive M17 data. Conversely, it won’t be useful for clients with radio-less systems such as DroidStar.

Let’s look at the M17 Protocol Specification, dated April 28, 2025.

ECHO is mentioned just twice in the spec, once on page 35 and again on page 42.

On page 35 of the spec:

On page 42 of the spec:

That is as far as I got before unexpected events consumed my time. In my notes, I told myself to also look at these resources:

M17Gateway at https://github.com/g4klx/M17Gateway/tree/main
mvoice at https://github.com/n7tae/mvoice

I have not been in a position to dig into my M17-PNW reflector to see whether I could enable a mode (like E for ECHO or P for Parrot) that would echo back RF-based transmissions. I hope to do that soon.

DigiRig support for M17

I was surprised to stumble on this tidbit: DigiRig Mobile works with the M17 protocol. The source: https://forum.digirig.net/t/digirig-m17-support/772/18?page=2

It looks like the DigiRig (https://digirig.net/product/digirig-mobile/) would work with my Yaesu FTM-300DR if I bought the mini-DIN cable for it (https://digirig.net/product/yaesu-ftm-cable/). I have a DigiRig (somewhere!) so this might be an interesting way to use one of my Yaesu FTM-300DR radios.

Want to avoid tariffs? Buy used gear!

I’m not going to opine on whether tariffs are good or bad. You can make up your own mind on this point, if it’s important to you.

What I do know is that saving a buck is important to many radio amateurs. You can get modern equipment without the additional cost of tariffs by buying used gear. While I’m pretty sure many of us have already thought of this, I want to point it out for our radio friends who may not have had this thought. Ask around in your amateur radio club, get on one of the several ham radio sites that have classifieds, and check out your favorite radio retailers for used gear.

And I had to chuckle when I listened to the Ham Radio Workbench Podcast episode 235. I had planned to write about buying used gear to avoid tariffs, but the fine folks at HRWB beat me to the punch. That’s a good thing because the HRWB team took a deeper dive than I would have. They provide a good overview and explain several important “gotchas” in episode 235 so if you’re interested in this idea, consider investing some time listening to the expert advice shared in the podcast.

I bought a used ToughBook

My new Surface Laptop 7 is a wonderful machine. I love the long battery life and the processing speed. It has quickly become my favorite daily driver. It’s also one of the more expensive computers I’ve purchased in a good long while. That means I am treating it carefully.

There are times, though, when I need to have a computer available but conditions aren’t great for my expensive laptop. For example, when I’m touring farm operations and conservation projects, I often need a computer for documentation. For those situations, I bought a Panasonic Toughbook CF-54 MK2 i5-6300U DUAL BATT 16GB 512GB SSD Touchscreen W11Pro. This was an eBay refurbished unit.

While it isn’t a speedy computer, it is fast enough for what I need it to do. Unlike my older CF-31 ToughBook, it is fairly light. With two batteries in it, it runs for several hours. Everything works as it should.

This unit will go on the boat and in the camping trailer with me because I don’t have to worry about a little dust, moisture, bumps, or motion.

73 to all and remember to touch a radio every day!