Random Wire Review: Issue 133

May 30, 2025: Another abbreviated issue as I focus on my wife's rehab after her medical incident. I did find some radio time. Coming up: new AllStar node, FT5DR batteries, and more.

WPSD hotspot troubles — resolved!

I broke my hotspot

My hotspot, built in March and April 2024, has been a solid performer for months and months. And now it won’t boot.

I caused this problem. I made a 200-mile drive from the rehab facility to home to grab some things and then drive back to continue caring for my wife. One of the things I brought back with me was my hotspot. Did I shut it down properly? No, I was in a hurry and just unplugged it. And now it won’t boot. Yep, I did that.

Updating the node

Last month, I updated the hotspot last month, as detailed in RWR issue 172. That process went well. I thought: I can restore the node to working condition if I simply follow that process again. However, when I looked at the official WPSD website, I saw that a Debian 12 “Bookworm” image is now available, so I downloaded the new .img file for my Raspberry Pi 3B+.

I used the Raspberry Pi Imager application to burn the image file onto the only microSD card I have with me, which is the 16-gigabyte SanDisk card I broke when I unplugged the hotspot. For directions, I followed those published at https://w0chp.radio/wpsd/#installing-wpsd and the special Bookworm instructions at https://w0chp.radio/articles/wpsd-bookworm-for-rpi-released/.

By the way, using the WPSD User Manual is highly recommended. Find it at https://manual.wpsd.radio/.

So: burn the image, put the microSD card into the hotspot, connect the Ethernet cable, and insert the microUSB power plug into the port. Then wait…but the hotspot did not load the new system. I burned it again with the RPi imager app, and still it didn’t load. I burned it again, this time making sure that all customizations on my end were disabled. Nope, still did not work.

I knew I had a backup image of the working node on my home server. That was an earlier version from July 2024 but at this point I just wanted the node to work. I remotely accessed my home server using Remote Desktop Protocol on a Tailscale connection and downloaded the backup image. Then I burned that image to the microSD card with Balena Etcher and the node booted up, but when I ran updates, it froze.

This was a mystery

What in the world was going on? By now I was really, really, REALLY puzzled. One of these attempts should have worked. It had worked before, so why not now? What was different? Well, there was a difference: I was working within my sister’s home network instead of mine. What was different about her network?

And then it hit me. When we set up her network, we couldn’t get her voice-over-IP phone to work with an Ethernet cable directly from the router. That particular phone service did not like private IP addresses. (More specifically, it did not like NAT — the network address translation system.) At the time, I worked around this problem by adding a dumb switch to the system and connecting the phone to the switch, configured like this:

Cable modem -> Eth cable to dumb switch -> Eth cables to phone & router

Public IP address

If you are familiar with home networks, you’ve probably already identified the problem. By placing the unmanaged switch immediately downstream from the cable modem, the switch was essentially serving up public IP addresses. When I plugged the hotspot into the switch, it was connected to the internet with a public IP address. Meanwhile, I was trying to access the hotspot over a private IP address.

To make sure this was the problem, I bypassed the switch and plugged the hotspot into the router. Since she doesn’t have that awful phone anymore, I removed the unmanaged switch and used a port on the back of the router for the hotspot. Once I connected the hotspot Ethernet cable directly to the router, the hotspot finally booted. Since I had installed the new Bookworm image, I had to reconfigure it, but having done this a few times before, finding and entering the appropriate information went very quickly.

I want to be very clear that the problem I had with getting the new Bookworm-based WPSD system working was not with WPSD. It was a PICNIC situation: Problem In Chair Not In Computer.

Selecting the correct modem

I did have to make sure I was specifying the correct MMDVM modem. To do this, I ran this command from an SSH shell:

sudo wpsd-detectmodem

Here’s what that looked like in the shell window:

This allowed me to select the correct modem in the WPSD configuration screen. For the Nextion display, I remembered that it was connected directly to the modem through the GPIO pins, so I specified that, and then I was off to the races.

Why use a hotspot?

Why spend so much time fiddling with the hotspot? Because it allows me to connect to my favorite nets and test my M17 reflector. My sister’s place (where I’m staying while my wife is in rehab after her medical event) is in some kind of radio hole. I call it “The Vortex.” Whatever it is, RF energy doesn’t get in or out very well at all, for both VHF and UHF frequencies. Using the hotspot gives me crystal clear reception, and I can walk more than half a mile away with my handie talkie and still have conversations over the little hotspot. Just as important is I get to remain in contact with a great bunch of amateur radio operators, despite The Vortex.

In the broader sense, hotspots and other internet-connected systems provide ways for radio amateurs to communicate and connect with others when other options are not available. See the next topic for more on this.

AllStar node 578492 is at the lake

While my hotspot gives me Yaesu System Fusion and M17 access, I also like AllStarLink. I brought my AllScan ANH100 node device to my sister’s lake house…and it didn’t work! That’s because I had node 578492 tied to the IP address it uses at home. Once I changed that and added port forwarding to the lake house router, it worked perfectly. I have my TIDRADIO H8 handheld with a long, flexible whip, allowing me to go on long walks and still participate in nets.

Node 578493 is at my Portland, Oregon QTH.

The importance of internet-connected systems for amateur radio community and connections

My recent Random Wire Review issues are turning into an ongoing saga of how to “play radio” while in restricted environments. In my case, that environment is a skilled nursing facility where my wife is receiving treatment. My M17 reflector access is blocked by the facility security appliance. DroidStar is blocked. My VPN clients don’t work (although I note with some glee that Remote Desktop Protocol over Tailscale works fine). The IP cameras set up in a few places at home for security also don’t work through the firewall appliance. This is a bit of a challenge. To avoid these restrictions, I have a cellular hotspot, but my data cap is too limited for me to use it every day.

This experience is helping me better understand what so many radio amateurs face, either daily or intermittently. Boiled down to its essential bits, amateur radio is about the technology of communication, the styles of communication, and community. It seems like most of us are more comfortable talking first about the tech — our radio, the tuner, one or more antennas, etc. Less frequently, I hear hams talk about their preferred means of communication — Morse code, FM repeaters, high-frequency single side band, and more.

But what I almost never hear amateurs talk about is the importance of community that is deeply embedded in our hobby. It is foundational. We are part of a community, even though we spend most of our time alone, in basements or garages or spare rooms, focused on the technology of what we are doing, and communicating in our preferred ways. How does spending so much time alone help to build community? Community is created by connecting with other people. Maybe you like to do that through a Morse code key. It could be FT4 and FT8 connections that work for you. Maybe it’s a local repeater or a regular simplex net. The important point is: you are contacting stations that have a human at the other end of that connection.

For people who are in a nursing home or assisted living situation, or in a neighborhood with restrictive HOA covenants, or on vacation, or temporarily in a nursing or rehab facility, that sense of connection becomes even more vital.

Loneliness affects nearly 40% residents of the [nursing] homes surveyed. Quality of their residents’ lives is reduced. Relations with their families and levels of motor efficiency imply a sense of loneliness. Degrees of illness acceptance, ability to adjust to change, and life satisfaction influence the level of loneliness felt.

I don’t have statistics on how many hams are in such situations, but it is probably a larger percentage than I have previously thought. I’ve written before about hams with mobility problems who painfully make their way to a monthly club meeting so they can be with like-minded people, and perhaps have their attention diverted from their daily burdens by the radio hobby they love.

Loneliness is the hidden killer of the elderly. Those of us who survive long enough will be elderly someday. (By the way, there is a frequent assumption that people in these situations are elderly. That is not always the case. There are plenty of younger hams who have impaired vision, challenges with hearing, or mobility issues.)

In this context of restricted environments and personal challenges, internet-connected systems provide exceptional value. Communicating with fellow hams can be as simple as a smartphone running an app (e.g.: Repeater Phone, DroidStar, DVSwitch Mobile) over a local wifi connection or over a good cell signal. Maybe there is a DMR repeater that can be reached with a handie talkie, perhaps helped by using a simple roll-up J-pole antenna. If you’re lucky, there is a D-Star or Yaesu System Fusion repeater nearby. Maybe you have an AllStarLink node in your room, or even just EchoLink on a phone, tablet, or laptop. With any of these systems and a Technician license (in the United States), you can “work the world.”

What is important, though, is the low level of installed technology required and the high level of access to the rest of the world such systems provide.

People in restricted situations are often folks with incredible life experiences. I am amazed at how many times my own history has intersected with another ham’s history. Hams in restricted environments who can only use internet-connected radio systems are a rich resource. They are often hungry for that sense of connection, even across generational divides.

While we tend to focus on the new and interesting radio and antenna systems of the moment — who doesn’t enjoy getting a new Ham Radio Outlet or DX Engineering catalog? — please don’t forget about the many radio amateurs who can’t use those systems. While our hobby is about communication, it is also about connecting with other humans who share an interest in amateur radio. Using all the resources available to us, whether those be RF-based or internet-connected systems, helps us make those connections and support our fellow amateurs.

I wrote the following paragraph, then deleted it, then wrote it again, and finally I set it aside so the idea could marinate a bit more in my brain. I think I need to say this: I don’t care that internet-connected systems are not “real radio” to some. If you want to be an RF-only ham, that’s great. However, hams that want to take a stand on this should probably unplug their computer and not use it for DX spotting or looking for POTA or SOTA activators, because that’s not RF. Don’t use the internet or your landline phone to order radio stuff, because that’s not RF. Don’t buy a new, modern radio, because some of the functionality of that radio probably depends on being connected to the internet; certainly firmware updates depend on internet connectivity. My point is that the internet is now so deeply ingrained in almost every aspect of our amateur radio hobby that there few ways to pursue an RF-only experience. In trying to do so, you may cut yourself off from many interesting radio amateurs. Again, if you want to do this (and believe me, I do understand that desire), go for it.

As radio amateurs, we like to align with people who share our interests. If you’ve put in the work to learn Morse code and like to communicate that way, you’re going to look for others who know Morse, too. Maybe you’ve invested heavily in chasing DX, so of course you’re going to lean toward others who have done the same. That’s human nature. All I’m suggesting is to think about other community members who can’t enjoy what you like to do. It doesn’t make them less than other hams. They form an important part of our amateur radio community, too.

I’d like to hear what you think about these thoughts. I know some of us take great pride in pursuing “real radio,” to the point of shunning internet-connected systems. Others seem happy to explore anything that is even remotely considered to be amateur radio, even when it doesn’t involve RF communications. What I do know is there are plenty of challenges to overcome, whether you love radio-based communication or are involved in programming and configuring internet-connected systems. The key, to me, is simply connecting with others, enjoying the hobby in ways that make sense to you, and welcoming others who may enjoy other aspects of amateur radio.

Internet radio listening

I made an offer on a C. Crane CC WiFi radio. It looked like it was in good condition and this was something I wanted to try. Well, it arrived, and I discovered that for the very low price I paid, I got a radio with the Ethernet port torn out. This was one those “returns not accepted” things, so I set out to figure out if I could get some utility from the thing.

And the answer is: not very much. It is receiving one station and the audio sounds pretty good for such a small device. No remote was included (I knew that when I made the purchase) but I found one in excellent shape that will arrive soon. Perhaps that will allow me to adjust settings more easily.

Despite the destroyed Ethernet port, wifi still works. I got it connected to my local area network fairly easily.

I also learned a few things I would not have discovered. First, many similar internet radios use a service called Skytune as their database (see https://www.skytune.net/). Skytune is an internet radio station aggregator. My understanding from some older posts on the interwebs is Skytune is a subscription service, but also Ocean Digital internet radios include Skytune with no subscription cost.

Now I may be completely wrong as verifying this would require more time than I have at the moment, but it was enough to send me on a journey to find alternatives to the C. Crane internet radios. My second discovery was that other vendors make good internet radio devices. Ocean Digital products look pretty good at their low price points. If you’re feeling flush, the Choyong LC90 looks pretty amazing. It comes in a mini version and a larger variant.

If you’d like to fiddle with internet radio without shelling out cash, take a look at Radio Garden, TuneIn, and RadioSide. I found RadioSide on SWLing and was immediately attracted to it because the interface looks more like a radio.

I was planning on getting a used internet radio for my sister’s lake house because radio doesn’t seem to work very well there. If the CC WiFi device can be made more functional, that will meet that need. But I find myself thinking about some old tablets and the RadioSide web-based interface. That would make for a very slick internet radio at the lake!

That’s about all I have time for right now. I have parts for a new AllStar full-duplex node arriving soon and hope to build that out in the next couple of weeks. I also ordered some large-capacity batteries for my Yaesu FT-5DR and Kenwood D74 handheld radios. (The FT-5DR is my “daily driver” with the hotspot I use mainly for C4FM contacts.) I’ll let you know how that goes.

This time helping my spouse might also present an opportunity for me to pull one of my HF radios out of the closet and try portable (sitting inside my truck, parked) operations. I’ll evaluate whether I can quickly throw the things I need into the truck at my next trip home. I’ve been in a sleeping bag on the couch with an inflatable camping pillow for three weeks straight. It doesn’t look like that is going to change in the immediate future!

73 to all and remember to touch a radio (even an internet radio) every day!

https://www.qrz.com/db/kj7t