KC5GFD - Rasberry Pi Computers

Howdy y’all from Arkansas. Another something techy that I am really getting into… yep, I’m baking up some ideas on how I can use a Rasberry Pi in my Radio projects and beyond. This is a very cool concept of utilizing a very compact / portable computer to do the thing you simply don’t need a large computer to do. On top of this, you can beat this thing up without endangering your bigger system that you might be using for work, other hobbies, etc.

KC5GFD - Rasberry Pi ComputersSo what is a Rasberry Pi, well it is a nifty little computer that allows you to access controls of a computer for projects in robotics, radio, photography, security, and so much more. From Rasberry Pi themselves, “The Raspberry Pi is a low cost, credit-card sized computer that plugs into a computer monitor or TV, and uses a standard keyboard and mouse. It is a capable little device that enables people of all ages to explore computing, and to learn how to program in languages like Scratch and Python. It’s capable of doing everything you’d expect a desktop computer to do, from browsing the internet and playing high-definition video, to making spreadsheets, word-processing, and playing games. What’s more, the Raspberry Pi  has the ability to interact with the outside world, and has been used in a wide array of digital maker projects, from music machines and parent detectors to weather stations and tweeting birdhouses with infra-red cameras. We want to see the Raspberry Pi being used by kids all over the world to learn to program and understand how computers work.”

What I really like about this little gem is that you could get them for around $50 pre-pandemic and even cluster them. The operating systems and software can simply be loaded on SD Cards and swapped out as needed. This mean super flexibility when switching projects. However, the cost has gone up but not because the manufacturing cost has, but because of what looks to be greed and price gouging. I highly recommend not using Ebay or Chinese based sources such as www.renhotecic.com (DO NOT USE). Their site said in stock for $135, then said they can’t build until 3 months out (NOT IN STOCK). I cancelled and poof it’s now IN STOCK at $195 on their site just 4 hours later. Several places are doing this, so be careful and always verify the company and stock status before even creating an account.

I have already used this in tandem with SDR (software defined radio) mentioned in my SDR post using my HackRF One or my RTL-SDR. This was after a painstakingly long installation of SDRAngel. However, the included list of selectable software has plenty of other SDR options. The BIG deal to me is nearly all of my Ham Radio operations and services I can do with this. WOW! You can use this at home, on the road, or you could put this in a bug out bag, operate HF and control your rig for FT8 and tons of other stuff from the Rasberry Pi with minimal power. I’m also going to try to build a small radio repeater as well. I’m planning to connect up to my Yaesu FTM-30DR for digital mode and my Yaesu FT-891 for rig operation and digital work after I pass my General.

Check out some of the Rasberry Pi projects on the web and on You Tube:

Multiple wireless and radio based projects – Link
Ultimate Raspberry Pi for your Ham Radio – Link
Raspberry Pi Build for Ham Radio Part 1 Step by Step – Link
Amateur Radio Uses for the Raspberry Pi – Link
Raspberry Pi Ham radio projects – Link

There is a lot more out there so go forth and connect.

73’s by friends…

KC5GFD