Sun Coast Amateur
Radio Club Society

echolink

Echolink

Echolink is a program that allows phones and computers to connect to a repeater or simplex radio node, or two repeaters to connect to each other over the internet. The program can run in either Single-User (client) mode or Sysop (server) mode.

Single-User

The Single-User mode is what you need to use to connect your smartphone or computer to a repeater over the internet. It's very useful to check in to nets or connect with other hams when you're out of reach from the repeater.

The Windows program can be downloaded from the Echolink Download page
The Android app can be found on Google Play (Click here to see Android Settings that are known to work).
The iOS app can be found on the App Store

In addition to downloading the right software, you'll have to validate your callsign with EchoLink to prove that you are licensed. Also see the authentication page for more details.

Audio Levels

To adjust the Echolink levels on the app:

Select *ECHOTEST*
While the introduction is playing, adjust your phone volume so the level is comfortable: Loud enough, but not too loud that it's distorted.
Press TRANSMIT and record a short message and press the PTT again to end. Your message will replay.
Now compare your sound level to the level of the introduction earlier. If it's different (quieter or louder), click the three little dots on the top right corner, select Settings, and scroll down to Microphone Gain. Adjust higher or lower depending of the situation and retry. On my phone, I had to crank up the gain to +18 dB and my voice is still a little quiet so I know I have to speak a bit louder. Every device will be different, but keep in mind that how you hear yourself is how others will hear you.

Sysop

The Sysop mode is used to interface a radio (or repeater) to the echolink system via the internet. The VE7RXZ-R node consists of:

Yeasu FT-2500M radio
A 4-element 2m yagi antenna pointed towards VE7RXZ
SignaLink USB unit
DreamQuest N95 Mini PC (512 GB HD / 16GB Ram) Windows 11 computer

The numbers on the white tape are the “o'clock” positions of the dial in case I bump them, which I've done before.

Sound Configuration

Modem

For this setup, I had to tweak the network settings of my router to allow traffic to find the Echolink computer. See more here.

Windows 10

The first step is to configure the Signalink unit properly in Windows. At first, it'll probably show as a USB sound device, but I changed the name to “Signalink”, which is what you'll see in the screenshots here.

Right click on the speaker icon on the lower right corner and select “Sounds”
Under the Playback tab, I changed the name of the USB device to “Signalink”, set it as the default, and disabled all the other playback devices since this computer isn't used for anything else than Echolink.
- The levels should at 0.0 dB
- There should be no Enhancements
- The audio quality can be at FM Radio Quality.
- The Spatial Sounds should be Off
Similarly for the Recording tab
- Levels to 0.0 dB
- Format to 1 channel, 16 bit, 11025 Hz
In the Sounds tab, I selected No Sound otherwise, Windows sound would be transmitted on the air. Here, if you don't disable the other playback devices, you could simply ensure that the windows sound go to the speakers, but I wanted to keep things as simple as possible.

Echolink Program

Under Tools → Setup... → Audio
- Also check the 300 Hz TX High-Pass Filter (which might help with the Subaudible Tone for VOX below).
- Select the Signalink devices for the Input and Output devices and click the Calibrate button which will change the Fine Tuning number automatically.
Under Tools → Sysop Settings... → RX Ctrl, set all three delays to 0 and add the Squelch Crash Anti-Trip to 50.
Under Tools → Sysop Settings... → TX Ctrl, check the Use Subaudible Tone for VOX, which will enable Echolink transmit as soon as the user taps the TRANSMIT button on their phone, and will only stop when the tap the STOP TX button, regardless of whether they are speaking or not. With this option, the delay on the Signalink device can be lowered to its minimum setting.

I found that the tone transmitted by Echolink is 77Hz, which could cause issues with the tone of the repeater. However, the 300 Hz TX High-Pass Filter might help.

Under Tools → Sysop Settings... → DTMF, I also disabled the DTMF so as to not conflict with the IRLP node.
Finally, under Tools → Sysop Settings... → Options I disabled both announcements, which can be quite disrupting. The operators themselves are responsible for id'ing.

Radio and Signalink

This next part is trickier. We need to adjust the transmit and receive volumes of the rest of the equipment. To do this, we'll need:

Access to the Echolink radio and Signalink
A second radio to listen and transmit
A phone with the Echolink client app.

The first step will be to adjust the receive of the echolink system.

On your phone, make sure the volumes are adjusted properly. Go through the steps above again to make sure the audio is good (that'll be important for later).
Tune the Echolink radio to a busy frequency like one with a net for example.
You should now be hearing the conversations on your phone via Echolink.
Turn off the power of the Signalink (little red button) and roughly adjust the volume of the Echolink radio until you can hear the conversation at a good level. We'll fine tune this again later.
Now turn on the power of the Signalink again and adjust the RX dial until the volume is the same as when it was off. You might have to turn it on and off a few times until you find this spot. For me, it was in the 12 o'clock position.
You can now leave the Signalink turned on.
Adjust the volume of the radio until the volume through your phone is similar to that introduction when you tested the *ECHOTEST* on your phone. Also watch the meter on the Echolink computer to make sure that you're not over driven. Ideally, the level should be around 2/3 or so.
Also, when no-one is talking, the level should stay below the slider (which is like an audio squelch). Anytime the level exceeds this, there will be a beep on the phone and it'll be impossible for the user to use the TRANSMIT button. I found that using the computer for other tasks creates “noise” that can be heard on the phone.
Once the radio volume is set, make a note of it.
We're done with this part but before we move on, tune the second radio to the net and adjust the volume to a comfortable level. This is simply to adjust the volume. We'll be comparing the echolink volume to this later.

The final step is to adjust the Signalink TX knob:

Disconnect the echolink from the node and reconnect it (still on the simplex frequency).
Adjust the TX volume of the signalink until the volume of the announcement is similar to that of the net on the other frequency earlier.
You can also try talking, but depending on your phone, that volume might be weaker, which is not very reliable. The node ID is a better measure of transmit volume.
Make a note of the Signalink TX volume.

echolink_back_online

Echolink Back Online

Yesterday, the Echolink computer froze mid-net. I tried to restart it, but it kept rebooting into the BIOS.

It's now back and running, but here's an outline of the steps I took to fix the issue (for future reference).

Re-install Windows

From a working Windows computer, I downloaded the Windows 11 USB boot drive program from the “Create Windows 11 Installation Media” section of this Microsoft page.
Following section 3 of these instructions, I booted the Echolink computer using the USB boot drive and tried to “Troubleshoot” the computer that option wasn't available.
I decided to do a full re-install, but first I had to find the original Windows Product key (since Windows came pre-installed on that computer).
- If Windows had been working, I could have used regedit to navigate to Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\SoftwareProtectionPlatform, and lookup BackupProductKeyDefault. (See Method 3 from these instructions for more details)
- But I couldn't boot into Windows so I used a Linux Mint USB boot drive and tried to
```
 sudo strings /sys/firmware/acpi/tables/MSDM | tail -1
```
  Unfortunately, the MSDM file didn't exist on that computer. I tried that command on in my personal computers and it worked so I made notes of these keys in case I ever wanted to install Windows on them. (See these instructions for more details.)
- Finally, following these instructions, I installed reglookup on the Linux boot drive and ran:
```
reglookup -p "/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/SoftwareProtectionPlatform/BackupProductKeyDefault" \
[YOURMOUNTPOINT]/Windows/System32/config/SOFTWARE 
```
I rebooted the computer using the Windows boot drive to re-install Windows 11 from scratch on its old partition (leaving the other partitions alone), but it again booted to the BIOS.
I rebooted back to LinuxMint and used GParted and delete every partition on the Echolink computer.
I rebooted back using the Windows boot drive and this time Windows re-installed properly.

Configure Windows

I used these instructions to load Windows without a Microsoft account:
- At the sign-in page, press Shift+F10 to open a command prompt window and type:
```
oobe\bypassnro 
```
- While the computer rebooted, I disconnected the ethernet cable.
- Then chose I don't have internet
I used Raphire's script to debloat Windows: Windows Key+R and type cmd to open a command prompt window and type:
```
& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm "https://debloat.raphi.re/")))
```
Run Windows updates
Turn off device sleep and hibernation

Install and Configure Echolink

Download and install Echolink
Add Echolink to the startup folder:
- Press Windows Key+R and type shell:startup to open the startup folder.
- Copy (not Move) the Echolink link from the Desktop into that folder
With the radio turned off, plug in the Signalink device and configure the audio settings.

home

Download an up-to-date PDF version of this page.

Meshcore

Introduction

From Wikipedia:

MeshCore is an open-source mesh networking protocol and software platform designed for off-grid, low-power text communication using LoRa (Long Range) radio technology. The system enables decentralized, multi-hop wireless messaging without reliance on cellular networks or internet infrastructure.

Use cases include emergency and disaster communications, outdoor and remote activities, [...] and experimental and educational deployments of low-power mesh networking.

[It] is designed to [...] operate in unlicensed ISM frequency bands such as 868 MHz and 915 MHz, depending on regional regulations.

The idea is that each person has a small companion device C paired to their cellphone via Bluetooth, and via that device, they can text each other or post public messages using the 915 MHz band, all without a special license. The signal can travel directly between companion devices if they are close enough, or via a series of repeaters R to extend coverage.

MeshCore devices used as companion.

A MeshCore device setup as a repeater.

Getting Started: Companions

¹⁾

What is needed to use MeshCore?

The MeshCore app downloaded to your cellphone or computer.
A device with the MeshCore companion firmware paired to your cellphone.
If needed, a device with the MeshCore repeater firmware to extend messaging range.
Each person who wants to send messages needs their own companion device.

Download the MeshCore App

Search for “MeshCore” by “Liam Cottle” on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Alternatively, download for Windows, MacOS and Web from https://meshcore.io.
You should save an offline copy of the software so it’s available without the internet.

Where to buy MeshCore devices?

Recommended devices are listed at https://meshcore.io
Alternatively, supported devices listed on https://meshcore.io/flasher can be purchased online from overseas suppliers such as AliExpress or SeeedStudio, or in Canada from Robot Shop.

Flash the Firmware

You should also use a Chromium based web browser like Brave.

On Linux, you may have to add the “dialout” group to your user. To do that, type the following in the terminal replacing “USER” with your username and reboot your computer:

sudo usermod -a -G dialout USER

If you already have Meshcore installed, download your current settings:

Open the MeshCore app (Android, iOS, Web App, NodeJS, Python)
Navigate to the Settings (the gear in the top right corner)
Scroll down to the “Extra Tools” section and select “Export Config”
“Select All” and click on the check mark in the top right corner to save the “.json” file to your phone.

Flash the Meshcore Firmware:

Connect the companion device to your computer via USB.
Go to https://meshcore.io/flasher (using a Chromium Browser).
Select your device
Select Companion Bluetooth
Select Enter DFU Mode
Select Erase Flash
Select Flash

To re-load your previous config file:

Open the MeshCore App
Connect to the companion device, but it probably had a different bluetooth name now
The PIN might be listed on your companion's screen
Skip Setup
Navigate to the Settings (the gear in the top right corner)
Scroll down to the “Extra Tools” section and select “Import Config”
Click on “Select File”
Select the “*.json” file
“Select All” and click on the check mark in the top right corner.

See Scott Baker's article for more information.

Connect to your MeshCore Device

Turn on your device.
Open the MeshCore App.
Tap the “Connect” button in the top right corner.
Tap the “MeshCore-XXXX” device that matches the name shown on your MeshCore device’s screen.
Enter the PIN displayed on your MeshCore device’s screen.
If your device doesn’t have a screen, the default pin is 123456.
Once pairing is successful, you’ll be taken to the main screen.

Tap “Connect” in the top right corner.

Tap “MeshCore-XXXX” which matches the name on your MeshCore device.

You are now connected!

If you’re having trouble pairing with Bluetooth, try rebooting your phone.

Set your Public Display Name

You should now rename your MeshCore node. The name you choose will be seen by other users on the MeshCore network.

Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
Tap the name field, backspace until it’s empty, then type your name.
After entering your name, tap the tick icon in the top right to save it.

Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.

Tap the name field, and enter your name.

Tap the tick icon in the top right to save.

The device name in Bluetooth results will not update until you reboot your node.

Configure Radio Settings

MeshCore can be used all over the world. Different countries have different regulations on which radio frequencies can be used for public, license free communication. To ensure your node is operating legally, please make sure to select radio settings that are compliant in your country.

The MeshCore app provides a list of radio presets that have been suggested by the community for use in specific countries/regions.

To configure the radio settings for your MeshCore node:

Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.
Tap the “Choose Preset” button in the radio settings section.
Tap the radio settings that match the name of your country/region.
You will be taken back to the settings screen.
Tap the tick icon in the top right corner to save your settings.

Tap the settings icon in the top right corner.

Tap the “Choose Preset” button in the radio settings section.

Tap the radio settings that match the name of your country/region.

In the South West BC area, edit the settings to the following:

	Until Sept 30, 2026	From Oct 1, 2026
Frequency	910.425	909.000
Bandwidth	62.5 kHz	62.5 kHz
Spreading Factor	7	7
Coding Rate	5	5

See here for more details.

Send a public broadcast message

Messages sent to the Public channel can be seen by anyone on the MeshCore network. They are repeated across the mesh by all repeaters that hear them. Other mesh nodes in range of you or a repeater that rebroadcast the message, should receive it.

The public channel can be used as a large group chat for general conversation amongst all users on the mesh. It could also be used to send emergency alerts.

It’s not recommended to send confidential information on the public channel as anyone can read these messages.

To send a message:

Tap the channels tab at the bottom of the screen.
Tap the “Public” channel.
Type a message and press the send icon.

Tap the channels tab at the bottom of the screen.

Tap the “Public” channel.

Type a message and press the send icon.

Outgoing messages will show “Heard 1 repeat” if your node heard a nearby repeater passing on your message. If there are no nearby repeaters, it will show “Sent”. It’s not possible to know who received a channel message.

Share your Contact Details (via QR Code)

Before you can send private, encrypted, direct messages to someone, you and the person you send the message to must both add each other as contacts. If the other person doesn’t also add you as a contact, your messages to them will fail to deliver.

Contacts can be added in multiple ways:

Privately in person by scanning QR Codes.
Publicly via the mesh by sending and receiving an “Advert”.

To share your contact details privately via QR Code:

Tap the 3 dot menu in the top right.
Tap the “My Contact Code” menu item.
Show the QR Code to the other person.

Tap the 3 dot menu in the top right.

Tap the “My Contact Code”menu item.

Show the QR Code to the other person.

The QR Code contains your Node Name, Node Type and Public Identity Key. Your contact details will not be transmitted over the mesh. Only the person who scans your QR Code will receive your contact details.

To add a contact via QR Code:

Tap the 3 dot menu in the top right.
Tap the “Add Contact” menu item.
Tap the “Scan QR Code” button.
If requested, grant access to the device’s camera.
Point the device’s camera at the QR Code.
The contact details will be automatically added to your contacts list.

Tap the 3 dot menu in the top right.

Tap the “Add Contact” menu item.

Tap the “Scan QR Code” button and point the camera at the QR Code.

You may need to accept a permissions request for the MeshCore app to access your camera. This permission must be granted to be able to scan the QR Code.

Share your Contact Details (via Advert)

If you are unable to privately share your contact details in person via a QR Code, you may alternatively share them publicly to everyone on the mesh by sending an “Advert”.

An advert is an unencrypted packet transmitted by your MeshCore node. It includes your node name, node type, public identity key and a cryptographic signature to prevent anyone from tampering with the information as it’s sent across the mesh.

You can send two types of adverts:

Zero Hop	Flood Routed
The advert won’t be retransmitted by any repeaters.	The advert will be rebroadcast by all repeaters that hear it.
Your contact details will only be received by nearby nodes.	Your contact details could be received by everyone on the mesh.

To share your contact details publicly via the mesh:

Tap the signal icon in the top right.
Tap the “Advert (Zero Hop)” or “Advert (Flood Routed)” menu item.
Your contact details will be transmitted to the mesh.

Tap the signal icon in the top right.

Tap the “Advert (Zero Hop)” or “Advert (Flood Routed)” menu item.

Your contact details will be transmitted to the mesh.

Adverts are not encrypted. Sending an advert will share your contact details with everyone in range.

Send Private Messages

Once you’ve added a contact, and that contact has added you back, you can send private messages to each other across the mesh. These messages are encrypted and only the intended recipient can read the message contents.

To send a private message:

Tap the contact you want to send a message to.
Type a message and press the send icon.
The app will try several times to deliver your message to the recipient.
If it’s successful, it will show “Delivered” with a check mark.
If an automatic acknowledgement from the recipient is not received after some time, the message will turn red and show as “Failed”.
When messages are received, they will show up in the conversation viewer.

Tap the contact you want to send a message to.

Type a message and press the send icon.

Received messages will show up in the conversation viewer.

A message may get marked as failed even though it was successfully delivered to the recipient. This happens if we did not receive the acknowledgement reply from the recipient node. In this case, it’s recommended to send the message again. Once you see the delivered check mark, you know for sure it was received.

Retry sending a failed Direct Message

When you send a direct message to someone, it’s possible that it may not go through after several automatic attempts. This can happen for many different reasons, such as:

Being out of range of the intended recipient.
There are no repeaters in between you and the intended recipient.
The intended recipient’s radio might be turned off.
There might be interference on the radio spectrum.

To try sending the failed message again:

Long press the failed message shown in red.
Tap the “Retry Sending” button shown in the message actions popup.
Your message will try sending again.

Long press the failed message shown in red.

Tap the “Retry Sending” message action.

Your message will try sending again.

When sending direct messages, you must both add each other as contacts first. The recipient's companion radio must be turned on to receive the message and to provide a delivery report. You must also be in radio range of each other, or have a working path of repeaters between each other.

Ping a Repeater

To check the signal strength to and from a nearby repeater, you can run a ping test.

Tap the 3 dot menu icon next to a repeater contact.
Tap the “Ping (Zero Hop)” menu item.
A green popup will show signal strengths if successful.
A red popup will show “Timeout” if your companion didn’t hear the repeater.

Tap the 3 dot menu icon next to a repeater contact.

Tap the “Ping (Zero Hop)” menu item.

A green popup will show signal strengths if successful.

Ping tests do not hop through multiple repeaters. You must be in range of the specific repeater you are ping testing. For a ping test to be successful, the repeater must hear your companion signal directly, and your companion must hear the repeater signal directly. If you’re not in range of the repeater, the ping test will fail with a timeout error.

Next Step: Repeaters

Install a repeater like the SenseCAP Solar Node P1-Pro from seeed studio or RobotShop
Use an antenna like this one, this one or one of these.

If you already have Meshcore installed (but not the bootloader), download your current settings:

Go to https://config.meshcore.io/
Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable.
Click on Connect
Click on Export
Click on Disconnect
Locate the .json file (probably in your Downloads folder).

Download the bootloader:

Go to https://meshcore.io/flasher
Select your device
Select Repeater (or Room Server)
Click on Download
Select the *bootloader-x.x.x-OTAFIXx.x.uf2 file
Locate the .uf2 file (probably in your Downloads folder).

Copy the bootloader over to your device:

Connect your device to your computer with a USB cable.
Double click on the reset button.
Open the drive that just mounted on your computer
Copy the .uf2 file to the drive.
The drive may close on its own right away. This is normal.

Flash the Meshcore Firmware:

Go to https://meshcore.io/flasher
Select your device
Select Repeater (or Room Server)
Select Enter DFU Mode
Select Erase Flash
Select Flash

Re-upload your settings:

Select Configure via USB from the previous page, or navigate to https://config.meshcore.io/
Select Connect
Select Import
Select your .json file
Scroll down to the Access section and retype your New Admin password (it doesn't remember it)
Scroll down and select Save settings
Select Disconnect

Setup the Over the Air (OTA) update app (first time only):

Download the “nRF Device Firmware Update” app by “Nordic Semiconductor ASA” (Android, Apple)
Open the DFU app
In the settings, check Packet receipt notification

Perform an OTA update:

Using your phone's browser, navigate to https://meshcore.io/flasher
- Select your device
- Select Repeater (or Room Server)
- Select Download
- Select the firmware zip file (not the bootloader file)
Using the Meshcore app, login to your repeater (or room server) using the admin password.
- For Room Servers: go to Remote Management
- Go to the Command Line
- Type start ota, you should get a message that says: OK - mac: xx:xx:xx:xx:xx:xx
Open the DFU app
- Under File click Select to chose the firmware .zip file
- Under Device click Select and chose the device that has DFU in the name. If there are no device with DFU in the name select the device with OTA in the name.
- Under Progress click Start
- If you selected a device with OTA, the process will fail at DFU initialization. Not to worry, go back to the previous step and now you should be able to select a device with DFU in the name.

See Scott Baker's article for more information.

More Advanced: Sensors

Install sensors.

Maps

Repeater Project

Here's how to use MeshCore's Antenna Coverage tool to model line of sight coverage:

Navigate to the web version of the MeshCore App
You don't need to connect to an actual Meshcore device.
Click on \$\quad \vdots \quad \$ on the top right corner and then select Tools
Enter the Antenna Coverage tool
Where it says 0 Coverage Layers click on \$\quad \vdots \quad \$ and select Import JSON
Import this file

Tools

Resources

Official MeshCore Website and Github
Youtube Presentation by Liam Cottle
Scott Baker's Website
Vancouver Island Amateur Radio Discord Meshcore tips & Tricks NEW
Salish Mesh Website
Forum
MeshCore vs Meshtastic
Channels vs Rooms vs DMs

¹⁾

The Getting Started section used Liam Cottle's MeshCore Quick Start Guide from November 2025 (CC-BY-SA) as a starting point. We then updated and expended his guide with regional settings used on the South West Coast of BC.

va7ilo_meshcore_repeater_build

VA7ILO Meshcore Repeater Build

Here is a little write up about the repeater I decided to build for Meshcore using a Heltec V4 board, I could have bought an off the shelf one, but I thought it would be more fun to build and design.

I am very new to Meshcore so there are still quite a few things I am learning about it and consequently after starting on this I revised a couple of things and also realized that there are a few things hardware wise I would have done differently. Some of the things I bought I wanted a shorter lead time so either bought more than I needed or paid more to get things in a timelier manner. The links are put there to illustrate what I used, not necessarily a suggestion to where to buy them from.

First off, the Heltec V4 has a built-in solar input so this could be used to interface it (using caution that the maximum voltage is 6 V) the downside of doing this is the charging current is maximum 500 mA and there is a risk that even a 5-volt panel might have an open circuit voltage that exceeds this 6 V maximum. In light of this I opted for a charge controller board rated at 3 amps, which takes advantage of the maximum charge that the solar panel can put out as well as over voltage protection etc.… The board has ntc pads on it for freeze protection and high battery temperature protection (by default on the variant I have this is bypassed with a surface mount 10K resistor, which could be removed and pads soldered to with the yellow or white wire from a battery that has an onboard 10K thermistor or alternatively adding a thermistor against the battery casing if it doesn’t have this) this could be useful to use but I opted to not bother with it as I decided to use a separate freeze protection method, the charging board has overcharge and over discharge protection, the battery has its own high temperature and other protections too. The remaining consideration that is left is freeze protection (not sure if this is overkill or not if I insulate things somewhat but better safe than sorry) so I ordered some small temperature switches from Aliexpress that are normally closed 0 degree centigrade rating, these should open up if the battery temperature reaches 0 degrees and halt charging until it warms up again, I will open one of the lines from the solar panel and install it there and put it against the battery case with some Kapton tape. I chose this board originally for the NTC part but abandoned that idea as I preferred to have the freeze switch instead, I could have chosen a different board for my purposes due to this. I think it is better to go with minimum 3A board as I tested this one by plugging it into a usb charger and it drew 2.6A at first charging the battery so if you want to pre charge the battery good to know, as charging progressed it did switch to a much lower charging current.

Another thing worth noting, is using a custom firmware tuned to ultra low power consumption like EasySkyMesh, below is a link to a separate article I am writing (bit of a work in progress), an excellent way to go for a solar node to really bring the draw down incredibly. Actually EasySkyMesh has affected another hardware choice, I was going to put a voltage monitor circuit to ground out the RST pin when the voltage dropped too low to prevent brown out boot loops, but this firmware virtually eliminates this concern so another advantage.

EasySkyMesh Firmware for Meshcore

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FFS9WXQG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

To prepare the board I soldered a PH 2.0 connector to the battery terminals B+ and B- and then I soldered a JST 1.25 pigtailed connector to the J+ and J- pins on the charging board so I could plug directly into the Heltec V4 battery input connector. I decided since the solar panel has a USB C connector, I would just plug it directly into there and make a USB C adapter later on for the temperature switch. I also left the solar panel cable full length to give me the option of moving it around for the best sun location.

I used this for a case:

This for SMA to N connector (I should have used one a little shorter but not a huge problem)

The antenna I chose was this one, it was probably not the best value for what it was but I had it so I used it (got rid of the 20 foot cable) there are many similar or better outdoor antennas that are less expensive, so this is one of the things I would have done differently.

This is the solar panel I used:

This is the battery I used, 5200 mA with BOM protections, battery plugged in nicely to the PH connector I soldered to the board, I might opt for a larger capacity battery later on, will see how this works out first.

This is the Heltec V4 I used:

This was my first step, installing the N connector with SMA pigtail and the solar panel cable.

Next I mounted the charge controller board and battery:

I didn’t want to put a GPS in it as it is fairly power hungry, so I set the coordinates manually and added a real time clock module to keep the time in synch. This is the module I used, doesn’t have indicator LEDs so that is helpful with power consumption too. The Power Win (99% Less Drain): A GPS module constantly pulls 24 mA to 30 mA to track satellites. The DS3231 RTC pulls a near-invisible 0.2 mA when updating, a huge power saving.

This is the module I used:

(I removed the details about installing this temporarily as I will need to give a better explanation on how to install it and with which firmware, GPIO3 and GPIO 4 work well for EasySkyMesh for instance after remapping but not the stock MC firmware, I will add this back with more details later). Latest update, I actually am going to remove the clock module as it doesn't seem to be capturing the time correctly anyways. Since I am using EasySkyMesh firmware, I will put the GPS module back as it is off something like 99% of the time with this firmware so the overall draw is miniscule.

Next, I mounted the Heltec board and clock module, plugged the connector from the battery terminal on the charging board into the Heltec onboard battery connector, the battery into the charging board connector and the solar panel USB C connector into the charging board.

For good measure sealed around the N connector and the strain relief for the solar panel wire, finally mounted the box on my roof and the solar panel on the sunny side.

The location I mounted it has a rectangular metal chimney cap, I worry that it might affect the radiation pattern too much so most likely will mount it a little above this, but for now it is getting out fairly well. I used high temperature double sided tape to mount everything and also adhesive clips to organize the wires better.

Here are some of the links, I am sure if you shop around, you can get much better prices on things if you are willing to wait a little for them to arrive.

Heltec V4: (cheaper on Aliexpress)

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0G3P28F1N?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Enclosure:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07KXSPRGC?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Charging Module:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FFS9WXQG?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Battery:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0C2VFTDPY?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

Antenna:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B09N2H166D?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title

N connector to SMA:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0FDB2BN1R?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Real Time Clock Module:

https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B08X4H3NBR?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title&th=1

Temperature Switch:

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005007233738243.html?spm=a2g0o.order_detail.order_detail_item.4.83eb126a15Xgpz

These kind of clips are nice for arranging the wires in the box:

https://www.amazon.ca/Xetree-Cable-Adhesive-Transparent-Organizers/dp/B0H6X1JCVL/ref=sr_1_10?crid=3UCHVA81WV822&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.fTut_kH-4qwM99Dn_5CoABaRd8lb4TaQzRcnM3Z82PC0koK5gfiEi54jE1cfZEUX8i8kPdPgbKv1yTTlO4wCB9uxItRV_PK-1UzhPQ7GkP2DKUghHtCe7hrr7JEbIVw9zH9h9Q5dVIdCgt5FZaMLpQHi5MWHsW7CJl_WD1A770f65GAe2rqbynOESzunYzUOR2aIJonm__p-VL3ciYim7juKtMenmbcYvfZbYsCy5nNJSQF9mhNL3L3GqEOliztzdLO4xoT3JrzMUvBUd7cL3Vts5rplJHErdNmsAvXFWSE.kxa4dI1Yqi0_EDjx-75AmOzfLNqB6bqxngdtlsrJ844&dib_tag=se&keywords=adhesive+clips&qid=1787703074&refinements=p_85%3A5690392011&rnid=5690384011&rps=1&s=electronics&sprefix=adhesive+clip%2Celectronics%2C154&sr=1-10

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Under Construction

FreeDV with IC-7300MK2 and Linux Mint

FreeDV Initial Setup

Tools → Easy Setup

Step 1:

Radio Device	alsa_card.usb-C-Media_Electronics_Inc._USB_Audio_Device-00
Decoded audio plays back through	Speaker or Headphones
Transmitted audio records through	Mic

Step 2:

Rig Model:	Icom IC-7300MK2
Serial Device:	/dev/serial/by-id/usb-Icom_Inc._IC-7300MK2_IC-7300MK2_12006115-if00
Radio Address:	00
Serial Rate:	default
PTT uses:	CAT

Computer Audio Settings

Playback:

System Sounds		Mute
FreeDV: FreeDV to Radio on	USB Audio Device Analog Stereo (ie. the radio)	100% (0 dB)
FreeDV: FreeDV to Speaker on	Headphones / Speaker	100% (0 dB)

Recording

FreeDV: Mic to FreeDV from	Microphone	100% (0 dB)
FreeDV: Radio to FreeDV from	USB Audio Device Mono (ie. the radio)	100% (0 dB)

Configuration:

Headset	Mono Output + Mono Input
USB Audio Device	Analog Sterio Output + Mono Input

temp

The Contact List

DRAFT

Unlike texting on a phone, two companion nodes cannot exchange private messages with each other unless they are both in each other's contact list.

A standalone way of building a contact list of neighbours is to:

Advert(ise) your node with precise (or close enough) location for others to find you.
Discover other nodes based on their location.

Setup your name and location:

Tap the gear in the top right corner to go to the settings pages.
Write a name that is someone descriptive (your name, callsign, etc...). You can change this anytime.
Tap the map icon to pick your location. This will be shared online so you might want to select a street corner that's close to your house but not exactly where you live. It should be close enough to be useful for your neighbours to identify you as part of the neighbourhood.
Check the “Share Position in Advert”
Tap the ✔ icon in the top right corner.

Tweak the Contact Settings:

Scroll down to “Contact Settings”
Select “Auto Add Selected”
Uncheck all four options.
Tap the ✔ icon in the top right corner.

Turn off the GPS:

Scroll down to “Position Settings”
Select “Disabled”
Tap the ✔ icon in the top right corner.

Advert(ise) your name and location to the network:

Tap of the “wave” icon just on the left of the gears at the top
Tap “Advert • Flood Routed”

After a few minutes other nodes on the network will be able to see you on a map.

2. Discover

There are three kinds of maps in MeshCore:

The map at the bottom of the main page only shows nodes in your contact list.

The map under “Discover Contacts” shows all the nodes that your companion has heard so far.

The “Internet Map” shows a map of all the nodes heard by “observers” that are shared to the Internet.

We'll use the “Discover Contacts” map to populate your contact list, but keep in mind that you might have to leave your node on for a bit for it to hear all the nodes in your area since they need to advert or transmit for your node to see them:

In the “Discover Contacts” “Map View”, tap on the filter icon and select “Users”.
Tap on a node
Under the node's name, tap on “Add”

If you go back to the main page's “Map”, you should now see that contact.

ic-7300mk2_remote

IC-7300MK2 Remote

To remote into my IC-7300MK2, I connected its LAN port to my AREDN hAP, then used wfview (a free and open source program), to access it anywhere on the AREDN mesh.

The settings I had to get from the radio were:

Hostname
Control Port
Username
Password

This page lists settings that should be adjusted in the radio to get better results. I haven't played with that yet.

printed_references

Printed References

Computers are great, but for some things, there's nothing like paper... Here's a list of references that I have printed at my station:

Page 1‒3 of my Radio Frequency List found on the Radio Programming page under the “Refs” section. On that page, I've got the repeaters that I use the most circled with some hand written notes.
The radio “Reference Guides” for the three kinds of radios I have at my stations from the Radio Programming page. These are single page print outs that show me how to setup a frequency, repeater offset, and tone in the VFO in case I need to work a repeater I don't have programmed. This is the kind of stuff that's important to know but really easy to forget.
Page 2‒3 of the nets page using the PDF output command. I also hand wrote the channel numbers for quick cross reference.
A paper copy of the Sunshine Coast Emergency Communications page filed in my emergency binder.
I also have my Grid Square taped to my desk. A Grid square is a series alternating pairs of letters and digits like CN89. The more characters are listed, the more precise the location, which is a good way of giving your location to any desired level of resolution and keep any level of privacy you like. At my latitude:
- 4 characters covers an area of about 16,000 km²
- 6 characters covers an area of about 28 km²
- 8 characters covers an area of about 0.2 km²
- 10 characters pretty much pin points my house.

school_amateur_radio_club_network

School Amateur Radio Club Network

SARCNET is really cool site that lists activities and projects to explore the world of ham radio. I stumbled on it searching for an 2-axis antenna rotator.

cyd_ham_dashboard

CYD Ham Dashboard

This project seems really interesting:

A HamClock-inspired ham radio dashboard for the ESP32 Cheap Yellow Display, supporting both the 2.8“ ESP32-2432S028R and the 4.0” 320×480 ST7796S variant from a single source tree.

Here are the seven screen it displays:

If anyone is thinking of building one, let me know, I'd love to have one of the 4“ ones!

Sun Coast Amateur Radio Club Society

echolink

Echolink

Single-User

Audio Levels

Sysop

Sound Configuration

Modem

Windows 10

Echolink Program

Radio and Signalink

echolink_back_online

Echolink Back Online

Re-install Windows

Configure Windows

Install and Configure Echolink

home

Meshcore

Introduction

Getting Started: Companions

What is needed to use MeshCore?

Download the MeshCore App

Where to buy MeshCore devices?

Flash the Firmware

Connect to your MeshCore Device

Set your Public Display Name

Configure Radio Settings

Send a public broadcast message

Share your Contact Details (via QR Code)

To add a contact via QR Code:

Share your Contact Details (via Advert)

Send Private Messages

Retry sending a failed Direct Message

Ping a Repeater

Next Step: Repeaters

More Advanced: Sensors

Maps

Tools

Resources

va7ilo_meshcore_repeater_build

VA7ILO Meshcore Repeater Build

home

FreeDV with IC-7300MK2 and Linux Mint

FreeDV Initial Setup

Computer Audio Settings

temp

The Contact List

1. Advert

2. Discover

ic-7300mk2_remote

IC-7300MK2 Remote

printed_references

Printed References

school_amateur_radio_club_network

School Amateur Radio Club Network

cyd_ham_dashboard

CYD Ham Dashboard

Sun Coast Amateur
Radio Club Society