Playing with Pi-Star: Revisions – Previous

CC BY-SA

Revisions: Recent · Previous

Dec 29, 2020

Revised 5c) General Configuration and 5i) POCSAG Configuration

Added additional information to the band plan bulleted lists:

• Band plan: See your country's band plan and your local frequency use plan. For example, for the U.S., see: U.S. Band Plan. For the U.S. State of Colorado, see: Colorado Frequency Use Plans (especially, CCARC Guidelines on Hotspots). To find links for other U.S. states, refer to the Amateur Radio: Frequency Coordinators list by Tom, W2XQ. See also the info posted by Ron, VE1AIC: Digital Voice frequencies.

Dec 21, 2020

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration

Added a note in the BrandMeister Master section:

Note: Bud, WØRMT, has a good article about how to find more information and support for BrandMeister U.S.A.: BrandMeister Support.

Dec 11, 2020

Revised 8) Updating Pi-Star

Revised Update notes:

mount: / is busy – The Update process automatically switches Pi-Star into Read-Write mode, writes the updates, and then switches Pi-Star back into Read-Only mode. Occasionally, the process will fail to complete the switch back to Read-Only mode, and a message is displayed:
mount: / is busy
Other times, Pi-Star will start up in Read-Write mode.
When this happens, it typically doesn't work to manually switch Pi-Star back into Read-Only mode using the "rpi-ro" command. To fix this, there's a couple things that might work:

• The most reliable solution I've found is to shut down Pi-Star, power off the hotspot, and then quickly power it back on. After that, it often starts up properly in Read-Only mode.
• Sometimes it works to re-run Pi-Star Update and then Pi-Star Upgrade (even if you're on the latest version).

Dec 8, 2020

Revised 5e) D-STAR Configuration

Updated D-STAR Configuration image and added a bullet for the new Callsign Routing option:

• Callsign Routing – Enable if you want callsign routing for D-STAR.

Dec 5, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20201205:
Added a jitter test:
sudo pistar-jittertest [requires a single argument, the prefix of the group of hosts you want to check as used in the /usr/local/etc/DMR_Hosts.txt file]
for example:
sudo pistar-jittertest BM_United_States
and other minor changes.

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration

Revised the note about BrandMeister SelfCare and added two additional bullets:

• Note: If you use BrandMeister SelfCare (and you should!):
  
  • Set up one SelfCare account for each CCS7 ID you use with BrandMeister.
  • For the U.S. servers and in some other countries (the list is growing), a BrandMeister Hotspot Security password is required as of Dec 2020. See the bullet point below about BM Hotspot Security for more details.

Dec 1, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star version 4.1.3 and dashboard version 20201201:
Changes related to the randomization of nightly update cron jobs. Updates now run between 3:00 and 4:59 AM locally.

Nov 28, 2020

Revised 5k) Firewall Configuration > Auto AP (Auto Access Point)

Added an additional note about Auto AP and re-ordered the notes:

• Auto AP is enabled by default.
• You can use Auto AP to connect to new networks, for example, when traveling.
• If you're not intending to connect to new networks, you don't need to leave Auto AP enabled. In fact, it can be advantageous to disable it in certain situations.
  
  • Thanks to Ron, AE5E, for pointing this out to me. He and a group of friends he helps out with their hotspots were experiencing a problem with their hotspots that they used to connect to their home and work WiFi networks, and while driving back and forth (via their cellphone hotspots). If Auto AP was enabled, the transition from one connection to another would frequently fail and the hotspots would go into Auto AP mode, requiring a power cycle to re-establish a connection. Worse, they experienced multiple instances of microSD card corruption during this process, so often that they started carrying spare cards with copies of their images. Once they disabled Auto AP, the problem completely disappeared. They report that once Auto AP is disabled, Pi-Star will search through all the saved wireless connections, and will then repeat the search seamlessly, so it never needs to be power cycled.
• Auto AP supports a few 3rd-party WiFi cards (limited by the Linux driver).
• Auto AP also enables connection sharing, so if you connect your hotspot via ethernet cable to a network or tether it to your phone via USB, you also can share the internet connection with other devices.

Nov 19, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20201117:
Changes related to ircDDB Callsign routing option.

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration

Added important note about BrandMeister Hotspot Security:

Per Corey, N3FE: "Due to issues that have been happening recently, we are going to need to start requiring users to set a hotspot security password to gain access to the US Masters. If you already have a hotspot security password set on the bm portal, you can ignore this post. We are going to start requiring this on master 3101 Nov 30, 2020; 3102 will follow on Dec 4, 2020; and 3103 on Dec 11, 2020. This is already implemented on the RU masters, and other Master servers will follow. At this time this will just be for hotspots. The API is being worked on to allow repeater owners to make this change as well, but it is not quite ready to go. Here is a link to a post on how to set your hotspot security on the BrandMeister portal: Please configure a personalized security password for your hotspots!"

Oct 29, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20201028:
Added a SkyBridge modem and an additional DAPNET server, which he describes as “reliable”: db0dbn.ig-funk-siebengebirge.de. Also fixed a “TOut” (timed out) issue for FCS traffic.

Oct 24, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20201021:
Some updates to YSFGateway.

Oct 5, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20201005:
Added options to General Configuration > Radio/Modem Types for the three LoneStar boards:

• LoneStar - MMDVM_HS_Hat for Pi (GPIO)
• LoneStar - MMDVM_HS_Dual_Hat for Pi (GPIO)
• LoneStar - USB Stick

Aug 26, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200813:
Minor updates

June 23, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200528:
Fixed a bug related to BM Hotspot Security passwords that contained certain special characters.

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration

• BM Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare, enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network. This provides an extra level of security, preventing others from accessing the BrandMeister Network using your CCS7 ID.
  Hint: In general, avoid using special characters in the password that may cause issues, such as: ?{}|&~!()^"

Revised 5m) Remote acess password

1. The user name is pi-star, and can't be changed. This is different from the Hostname that can be changed in the General Configuration settings.
2. In the Password field, type your new password, preferably something long and strong.
   Note: Some special characters work for accessing Pi-Star Admin and Configuration settings, but not for SSH. For example, a tilde symbol (~) works for logging into Pi-Star Admin, but not for signing in via SSH.
   Hint: In general, avoid using special characters in the password that may cause issues, such as: ?{}|&~!()^"

May 28, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200528: Fixed a bug related to MMDVM Display Port settings.

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The current status of Pi-Star note: removed the following sentence:
Note that there still are some issues you may need to deal with: Pi-Star 4.1 issues

Revised the The current status of Pi-Star note: added the following bullet:

• If you want to experiment, check out the Pi‑Star fork being developed by Daniel, F1RMB. More info: Pi-Star fork by F1RMB.

May 27, 2020

Revised 6a) Dashboard view and 6b) Admin view

Updated the screen captures of the Pi-Star dashboard that show the DMR Repeater module to reflect the change that the TG/REF field was eliminated. For the same reason, also deleted the note and screen capture titled "DMR links."

May 26, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200526: Among other changes, added a Nextion Driver service handler.

May 24, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200524

May 21, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200521

May 20, 2020

Revised release numbers

Noted the release of Pi-Star version 4.1.2:
Per Andy Taylor in the Pi-Star User Forum > RELEASE Pi-Star v4.1.2:

• Updates for the base OS already on-board, this should stop Pi 3A+ users from having issues out of the box.
• Cleaned up some left over issues from the Buster upgrade, some services have been broken and bleating at boot, so now removed.
• MobileGPS added in, and available on the dashboard, It may need some more work to get it perfect but its here at last.
• /boot/config.txt updated to bring a few of the settings up to date in line with upstream changes.
• Added a captive portal feature - if you use the AutoAP you will notice this :)
• There are lots of other new things in Pi-Star that are not unique to this build, link managers for almost everything for example

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200520:
Changes mainly related to a new overlay for DMRGateway to better support TGIF Rewrite Rules. For more info, see Andy Taylor's post in the Pi-Star User Forum: New Overlay for DMRGateway.

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The current status of Pi-Star note.

On Mar 26, 2020, Pi-Star V4.1.0 was released as a regular version. It can be downloaded from the Pi-Star website (now at V4.1.2):
Pi-Star_RPi_V4.1.2_20-May-2020.zip.

Revised 4c) For all boot ups

Revised step 2:

1. At this point, you can either click the Configuration link or wait 10 seconds to be redirected automatically to the Configuration page.
2. If you're running Pi-Star 4.1.2 or later, you won't need to authenticate (this applies only when using Auto AP). If you're running an earlier version of Pi-Star, Configuration requires signing in. The default user name is pi-star and the default password is raspberry (all lowercase). You can change the default password later on in the configuration process.

Revised 5c) General Configuration and 5i) POCSAG Configuration

In the notes in both sections, updated the link to the Colorado Frequency Use Plans, to match the new URL they are using.

Added 5j) Mobile GPS Configuration

Note: This is a new feature added in 4.1.2.

If you have a GPS unit attached to your hotspot, you can enable Mobile GPS to update your GPS coordinates.

Note: Also reindexed the following configuration features:

• 5k) Firewall Configuration
• 5l) Wireless Configuration
• 5m) Remote Access Password

May 19, 2020

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration

Changed Notes 3 and 4 under DMR Master > If you want access to multiple systems simultaneously:

• Note 3: From a Pi-Star User Forum post by Andy Taylor: "Keep in mind then when using DMRGateway, if a network is active … then DMRGateway is listening there until that traffic stops, it then stays listening there until the Net Hangtime for DMR expires. So, if you try to use [a different network] within that time, it really won't work. This is why less is more when it comes to pinning talk groups and using DMRGateway."
• Note 4: If you're comfortable tweaking Pi-Star expert settings, you can customize how DMRGateway is configured. See Github: g4klx / DMRGateway / Rewrite Rules. For example configurations, see the Pi-Star User Forum topic DMRGateway for a dumb smart person, especially the post by VE3RD dated Dec 16, 2019. For TGIF Rewrite Rules, see Andy Taylor's post in the Pi-Star User Forum: New Overlay for DMRGateway

May 18, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200518:
Minor tweaks.

May 16, 2020

Revised 2) Downloading Pi-Star

If your hotspot came with a microSD card loaded with the Pi-Star image, skip ahead to step 3a. Otherwise, download the image from Pi-Star Downloads to a Windows, Mac, or Linux-based computer (not the hotspot). If your hotspot uses a Raspberry Pi, download the RPi image. Pi-Star 4.1.x works for hotspots based on all Raspberry Pi boards, and must be used for hotspots based on a Raspberry Pi 3B+, 3A+, or 4B board.

May 15, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200515:
Minor tweaks.

May 13, 2020

Revised 5b) MMDVMHost Configuration

Clarified hang time bullet:

• Hangtime – Related to multi-mode use. Time to stay in mode after RF (Radio Frequency, measured from the beginning of a transmission) or network reception. For starters, the defaults are fine.

May 9, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200509:
Updates related to WiFi.

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The current status of Pi-Star note.

May 7, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200507

May 6, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200506

May 5, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200505:
Fixes to the dashboard layout in Firefox.

May 3, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The current status of Pi-Star note.

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200503. Per Andy Taylor in the Pi-Star User Forum:

Today has been a busy busy day, many many updates going into 4.1 at the moment…
 
All of the YSF2xxx have been updated to attempt to address the lack of audio back form reflectors that some users are experiencing;
Please give me feedback here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=2688
 
YSFGateway/P25Gateway/NXDNGateway updated:
Some minor upgrades based on changes up-stream, more information coming on this soon, but the short version is that it is now possible to drive the connected TG / Reflector from the command line, and that means I can build dashboard modules too. YSFGateway module is complete, update, head to the config page (dont need to make any changes) apply your settings and it will add-in the extra config to make it work.
 
DMRGateway updated:
Again just getting us in-sync with the upstream code base, adds in the new Dynamic TG re-write support, I don't yet have standard rules for this in Pi-Star, but we may well work something up soon, in the mean time you can update and experiment :)
 
MMDVMHost / MMDVMCal updated:
Just bringing us in-line with the upstream.

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration

Revised the DMR Master introduction:

• ☆ DMR Master (a master server connects you to the rest of the system):
  
  • If you want to use only a specific system – Choose a BrandMeister (BM), DMR+, or HB master.
    Or choose the FDARN_Network (Florida Digital Amateur Radio Network), Ozark_Digital (Ozark Digital Voice Network), or TGIF Network.
    With any of these choices, everything is simpler as you'll see only options specifically for the selected system.
    

Revised 6b) Admin view

Revised Info and manager modules paragraph, and added a new image showing the new YSF Link Manager:

Info and manager modules – The upper portion of Admin view shows Gateway Hardware Info and Service Status, as well as modules for D-STAR Link Info and Manager, BrandMeister Active Connections and Manager, and YSF Link Manager.

May 2, 2020

Revised version number

Noted the release of Pi-Star version 4.1.1:
"Fix up issues with missing ralink firmware." Per Andy Taylor: q"This minor upgrade to the OS adds in some missing WiFi device drivers. At the same time we also released the new DMRGateway binary that adds in the TGDynRewrite support that a few of you have been asking for."

Revised 5l) Remote access passwords

Updated the note to add info about caret symbol:

• Note: Some special characters work for accessing Pi-Star Admin and Configuration settings, but not for SSH. For example, a tilde symbol (~) works for logging into Pi-Star Admin, but not for signing in via SSH, and I read another user's post in the Pi-Star User Forum who had a similar issue with a caret symbol (^).

Apr 23, 2020

Revised version number

Changed back to 4.1.0. I made a mistake on Apr 23, 2020 and misread commit #784 to Pi-Star_Binaries_sbin. It was just a preparatory commit, not an actual version bump.

Apr 24, 2020

Added additional links to other website pages

I heard from someone who was having trouble finding the articles about the hardware that Pi-Star works with, so I added links in the first few paragraphs to the Hotspots, DMR, and D‑STAR pages.

Apr 23, 2020

Revised version number

Noted the release of Pi-Star version 4.1.1:
"Fix up issues with missing ralink firmware."

Apr 22, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200421:
Some minor updates to the way YSF2DMR is handled.

Apr 11, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200411:
Some minor fixes.

Apr 7, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200406:
I can't totally decipher the code, but I think Andy added the ability to handle overrides in a /root/XLXHosts.txt file (previously, it handled only room changes, and that option got moved onto the Configuration page). Second change has something to do with the way BrandMeister password is handled.

Note: I had a lot of difficulty updating to this dashboard version with a hotspot based on the RPi 3A+. It totally froze two times during the download and update process, causing me to have to do a hard reboot (pull the power plug). Third time was the charm. Not sure what was going on, though I have tended to have more update problems with the hotspots based on the RPi 3A+ and 4B. In general, I suspect either Pi-Star 4.1.0 or Raspbian Buster—or both—still have some wrinkles to iron out.

Apr 1, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The current status of Pi-Star note to correct the download link:

On Mar 26, 2020, Pi-Star V4.1.0 was released as a regular version. It can be downloaded from the Pi-Star website:
Pi-Star_RPi_V4.1.0_26-Mar-2020.zip.

Mar 31, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The current status of Pi-Star note:

• Pi-Star V3.4.17 is still available. If you're running a hotspot based on a Raspberry Pi 3B, Zero W, or earlier, you can still use the 3.4.17 release; however, it's not getting any new features and some Raspbian Jessie libraries have been deprecated, so updates may throw errors. Everything seems to be working okay still, but you probably should upgrade to 4.1.0 soon.

Mar 26, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star V4.1.0 as a regular version:
Nothing actually changed between the V4.1.0-RC8 release candidate and the release of the V4.1.0 regular release; it's just now the official regular release.

Revised the Introduction section

Made major revisions to the The current status of Pi-Star note to acknowledge the release of Pi-Star V4.1.0 as a regular release.

Feb 25, 2020

Revised 6e) Some great places to start playing with Pi-Star

Revised the paragraph about Telegram groups:

Additional Telegram groups

There's a good list of Amateur Radio Telegram groups that was compiled by Tom, W2XQ, which is posted on the Colorado Digital website's Resources page: Ham Radio Telegram Channels. One that I really like is for finding DMR nets: Ham Radio DMR Nets. It has a quite comprehensive list of active DMR nets. Each net is displayed an hour before it goes live, making it easy to find out what's currently on the air: https://t.me/HamRadioDMRNets

Feb 21, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200221:
Adds additional ZUM Radio Radio/Modem board options: the ZUMspot - Duplex Raspberry Pi (GPIO) and ZUM Radio-MMDVM-Nucleo (USB). Renamed the ZUMspot - Raspberry Pi Hat (GPIO) option to ZUMspot - Single Band Raspberry Pi Hat (GPIO).
Also changed the OLED Type of display option to OLED Type 3 (0.96″) and OLED Type 6 (1.3″).

Feb 19, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Minor revisions to the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note.

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star dashboard version 20200219:
Adds option for the ZUMspot - Duplex Raspberry Pi (GPIO) Radio/Modem board.

Feb 18, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star 4.1.8 and dashboard version 20200218:
Changes to fix issues with the BrandMeister API not connecting. For more info, see Active BrandMeister connections not showing. Also, added rng-tools to Pi-Star, which should fix issues with WiFi connectivity.

Revised the Introduction section

Minor revisions to the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note.

Feb 9, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Minor revisions to the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note.

Revised 4) Booting up Pi-Star

Minor revisions to the Overview of Pi-Star Auto AP boot-up steps for a new wireless network illustration.

Feb 5, 2020

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20200203:
Changes related to the handling of the DMR Master host ports.

Jan 31, 2020

Revised 5k) Wireless Configuration

Added the following hint:

Hint 2: If you need to set a static IP address for your hotspot, you can edit the /etc/dhcpcd.conf file to add the entries, for example:
interface wlan0
static ip_address=10.0.0.11/24
static routers=10.0.0.1
static domain_name_servers=10.0.0.1
Thanks to Dan, KA5TAA, for this hint.

Jan 24, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Significantly revised the The current status of Pi-Star note.

Rearranged the first sections

Moved the disclaimer to the top. Moved The current status of Pi-Star note to the first thing after the table of contents. Merged the Introduction into section 1, Learning Pi-Star.

Jan 22, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note to add:

• For those willing to experiment, you might want to check out the fork of Pi-Star that is being actively developed by Daniel, F1RMB and includes lots of new features : GitHub: f1rmb/Pi-Star_DV_Dash.

Jan 20, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note.

Jan 14, 2020

Revised 5d) DMR configuration

Revised the notes under the DMR Master bullet point, especially to add "It's important to note that your SelfCare settings are saved per master server. If you change to a new master server, you need to re-enter settings you want to use."

• ☆ DMR Master (a master server connects you to the rest of the system):
  
  • If you want to use only a specific system – Choose a BrandMeister (BM) or DMR+ master, or the TGIF Network. In this case, everything is simpler as you'll see only options specifically for the selected system.
    
    • Note: If you use BrandMeister SelfCare:
      
      • It's important to note that your SelfCare settings are saved per master server. If you change to a new master server, you need to re-enter settings you want to use..
      • You can turn on Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module, which gives you access to key BrandMeister settings in Pi-Star's Admin view. For more info, see: Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module. See also Using the BrandMeister API by Vladimir, AC2F.
      • You can turn off sending APRS info via BrandMeister. For more info, see the note: Prevent sending APRS info via BrandMeister.

Jan 05, 2020

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note to add a link to more info about the release candidate issues: Pi-Star 4.1 release candidate problems.

Jan 01, 2020

Happy new year!

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note to reflect that as of Jan 2020, Pi-Star's status is that the 3.4.x codeline is aging, while the beta 4.1.x codeline isn't quite ready for prime time.

Dec 21, 2019

Happy solstice day!

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note to reflect that, while progress is being made on resolving some of the outstanding 4.1.0 release candidate issues, unfortunately, some fairly significant issues remain. 4.1.x is definitely not ready for primetime yet.

Dec 20, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191220:
Minor fix to the Wireless Configuration country code field.

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the The awkward current status of Pi-Star note to reflect that progress is being made on resolving some of the outstanding 4.1.0 release candidate issues.

Revised 4) Booting up Pi-Star

Updated image #5:

Overview of Pi-Star Auto AP boot-up steps for a new wireless network:

Revised 4e) If using Auto AP and setting up a new WiFi connection

7. Click Save (and connect). When Auto AP is active, this step will only save; it won't connect. Wait a few moments for it to save (PSK field will turn white again), power off your Pi-Star hotspot, and then restart it.
8. While the hotspot is restarting, reconnect your computer to the regular WiFi network you're using.
9. After the hotspot restarts, Pi-Star will connect to the new WiFi network you added. On a Windows, Mac, or Linux-based computer (not the hotspot itself) that has WiFi enabled, open the Pi-Star dashboard by navigating again to: http://pi-star/ or http://pi-star.local/.

Dec 19, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of Pi-Star version V4.1.0-RC7:
Changes to startup process to improve connecting to WiFi.

Dec 17, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Renamed the The current status of Pi-Star note to The awkward current status of Pi-Star, and slightly revised the note itself.

Revised 5d) DMR configuration

Added a note to DMR Master > If you want access to multiple systems simultaneously:

• Note 4: If you're comfortable tweaking Pi-Star expert settings, you can customize how DMRGateway is configured. See Github: g4klx / DMRGateway / Rewrite Rules. For example configurations, see the Pi-Star User Forum topic DMRGateway for a dumb smart person, especially the post by VE3RD dated Dec 16, 2019.

Dec 7, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Renamed the Status of Pi-Star note to The current status of Pi-Star, and slightly revised the note itself.

Revised 12) Pi-Star – Summary thoughts

Updated section to reflect the current status of Pi-Star more accurately.

Dec 6, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191206:
Added the ability to set the country code in the Wireless Configuration section.

Revised 4e) If using Auto AP …

Perform this step when you start Pi-Star for the first time or when you need to connect to a new WiFi network, for example, when traveling.

1. If you're not already in Configuration view, click the Configuration link and log in with your Pi-Star user name and password.
2. In the Configuration view, scroll down to the Wireless Configuration section.
3. To add or modify your WiFi network connections, click Configure WiFi.
4. Select your country code and then click Scan for Networks. Wait 10 secs.
   Note: If the scan doesn't find the network you want, you can add it manually, as discussed below: 5k) Wireless Configuration.
   
5. In the list of networks found, select the one you want.
   
6. PSK: Type the wireless network password. The PSK field will turn green.
   
7. Click Save (and connect). When Auto AP is active, this step will only save; it won't connect. Wait a few moments for it to save (PSK field will turn white again), and then reboot Pi-Star. (If you're unable to reboot, power the hotspot off and back on again.)
8. While the hotspot is restarting, reconnect your computer to the regular WiFi network you're using.
9. After the hotspot reboots, Pi-Star will connect to the new WiFi network you added. On a Windows, Mac, or Linux-based computer (not the hotspot itself) that has WiFi enabled, open the Pi-Star dashboard by navigating again to: http://pi-star/ or http://pi-star.local/.
   If you can't re-open the dashboard, see the note Trouble re-opening the dashboard after updating.

Revised 5k) Wireless configuration

★ 5k) Wireless Configuration

1. To add or modify your WiFi network connections, click Configure WiFi.
2. You then have two options:
   Scan for WiFi networks
   1. Select your country code, and then click Scan for Networks. Wait 10 secs. If the scan doesn't find the network you want, you can add it using the manual method described next.
      
   2. In the list of networks found, select the one you want.
      Important! Some radio/modem boards require the WPA or WPA2 security standard, and won't work with WEP.
      
   Manually add a WiFi network
   1. Select your country code, and then click Add Network.
      
   2. SSID: Type the wireless network name. Note: A space in the network name can cause problems with connecting to some routers.
      
3. PSK: Type the wireless network password. The PSK field will turn green.
   
4. Click Save (and connect). It may not look like anything is happening, but give it time until it's finished and the PSK field turns white again.
   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
   Auto AP note: If you're setting up a wireless connection using Auto AP, this step will only save; it won't connect. Wait a few moments for the save to complete, and then power your hotspot off and back on again.
   
   1. While the hotspot is restarting, reconnect your computer to the regular WiFi network you're using.
   2. After the hotspot reboots, Pi-Star will connect to the new WiFi network.
   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
5. Optionally, you can add additional wireless network connections. If you have multiple wireless network connections, when you boot up Pi-Star, it will scan each one in turn based on its priority until it finds one to connect to:
   
   • Be patient, each connection attempt takes about 40 seconds.
   • The first wireless network connection you add is given an ID of 0 and a priority of 100. For each additional wireless network connection you add, the ID is increased by one and the priority is decreased by one. Thanks to Bob, N0YWB, for his post in the Pi-Star Users Support Group explaining how this works.
   • For more info, see: Manually adding WiFi settings to RPi.

Dec 4, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note.

Nov 22, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191122 ^ :
"Updated MMDVMHost to the current build."

Revised 6e) Some great places to start playing with Pi-Star

Slightly changed the section title from "A great place" to "Some great places" and added:

Ham Radio DMR Nets

Speaking of Telegram groups, there's another good group there for finding nets, Ham Radio DMR Nets, which has a quite comprehensive list of active DMR nets. Each net is displayed an hour before it goes live, making it easy to keep track of what's going on: https://t.me/HamRadioDMRNets

Nov 19, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note.

Revised formatting

Introduced a new icon for "Open in a new tab":

Nov 13, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191112 ^ :
Minor UI changes.

Nov 9, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191108 ^ :
Minor UI changes.

Nov 8, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191107 ^ :
Looks like additional improvements to ARIA handling on the Configuration page.

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note again.

Revised 2) Downloading Pi-Star

Revised the note and moved it above the screen capture:

Note: The regular Pi-Star RPi image doesn't support the new RPi 3B+, 3A+, or 4B; however, Pi-Star v4.1 supports them: Pi-Star Beta Downloads ^ .

Nov 5, 2019

Revised 8) Updating Pi-Star

Added a link to Andy Taylor's GitHub to the introductory paragraph:

One of the nice things about Pi-Star is that it's updated on a regular basis to add new features, options, and fixes, as well as to add hostfile updates that have been pulled from upstream sources (to view the changes, see GitHub ^ ). There are three ways to update Pi-Star: one automated and two manual:

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191105 ^ :
Looks like some improvements to ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) handling on the Configuration page. Update Nov 7: Confirmed by the developer who posted that he's working on an "issue with screen readers for users with limited sight…."

Nov 2, 2019

Revised 5c) General Configuration > Node Type

Added Note 2:

• Note: The Node Type controls each mode's SelfOnly setting in Expert Editor > MMDVMHost.

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note again.

Nov 1, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard 20191101 ^ :
Looks like some styling changes to dashboard.

Oct 23, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note again.

Oct 21, 2019

Revised document information section

Consolidated links to PDFs & standalone articles and Upgrading to V4 article, and added links to translations:

More: PDFs ^  · Upgrading to Pi‑Star V4.1 ^ 
Most up-to-date version: amateurradionotes.com/pi-star.htm
Translations: 简体中文 · Español · हिंदी · русский · 日本語 · 韓国語

Oct 20, 2019

Revised 5b) MMDVMHost Configuration

Added note about new OLED setting:

• LogoScreenSaver: 0 = off (blank screen) or 1 = on (logo displayed).

Oct 16, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of dashboard version 20191016 ^ :
Changes related to MMDVMHost.

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note again.

Revised 6a) Dashboard view

Updated the notes:

• Hint: Click on a callsign to open the related QRZ page (or other linked page).
• Bandwidth: The dashboard is optional and takes a lot of bandwidth. If you have a metered data plan, you might want to run Pi-Star without it most of the time.
• Src (source): Displays RF (Radio Frequency) when you transmit from your radio to the hotspot, which then sends it as data over the internet. Displays Net (internet) when data is being received from the internet by the hotspot, which then retransmits it as RF to your radio.
• Loss: Indicates data quality loss on data coming in from internet.
• Modes & cross modes: When enabled, their info is displayed in left column.

Oct 12, 2019

Updated the logo

Pi-Star Digital Voice Software has a fresh logo. Nice!

Revised the Introduction

Pi-Star is great digital voice software for hotspots and repeaters. It can handle DMR, D-STAR, and YSF, as well as P25, NXDN, POCSAG, and some cross modes when used with a multi-mode digital voice modem that supports those modes.

Revised 8) Updating Pi-star

Revised Update notes:

mount: / is busy or mount point is busy – The Update process automatically switches Pi-Star into Read-Write (rw) mode, writes the updates, and then switches Pi-Star back into Read-Only (ro) mode. Occasionally, the process will fail to complete the switch back to ro mode, and a message is displayed: mount: / is busy or mount point is busy.

When this happens, it typically doesn't work to manually switch Pi-Star back into ro mode using the "rpi-ro" command. To fix this, there's a few things that can work: re-run Pi-Star Update, run Pi-Star Upgrade (even if you're on the latest version), reboot Pi-Star, power off the hotspot and then restart it. Whenever this happens, I always re-run the Pi-Star update until it finishes normally.

Oct 11, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note.

Oct 8, 2019

Revised all references to the RPi 4B

I had been mistakenly referring to the new Raspberry Pi 4B as the 4B+. Have now corrected that everywhere. Apologies!

Oct 4, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note.

Revisions: Recent · Previous

Sep 28, 2019

Revised 5c) General Configuration > APRS Host note

• Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum: There are over 80 different T2 APRS Hosts around the world. A really good "Best Practice" is to select one of the Automatically Rotating T2 APRS Hosts. The Rotating Host will always get you to a working Tier2 APRS Server and if that link fails for some reason it'll move onto another working server.
  If you select an APRS Host without the Auto Rotate function and the server has a malfunction or goes offline, it can cause issues with your hotspot such as spontaneous disconnects.
  T2 APRS Host Servers that provide the Auto Rotate Function:
  
  • rotate.aprs2.net (World Wide)
  • noam.aprs2.net (North America)
  • soam.aprs2.net (South America)
  • euro.aprs2.net (Europe)
  • aunz.aprs2.net (Australia/New Zealand)
  • asia.aprs2.net (Asia)

Sep 27, 2019

Revised release number

Noted the release of 4.1.0-RC6: "Fix issue with sysctl.conf not being applied in Raspbian Buster."

Sep 18, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note.

Sep 14, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Revised the Status of Pi-Star note.

Sep 13, 2019

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration

Revised:

• BM Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare, enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network (avoid special characters). This provides an extra level of security, preventing others from accessing the BrandMeister Network using your CCS7 ID.
  Note: You can set up only one BM Hotspot Security per CCS7 ID (the first seven digits), so even if you set up multiple ESSIDs for one CCS7 ID, you can use only one password for all of them.
  

Sep 12, 2019

Revised the Introduction section

Added a Status of Pi-Star note.

Aug 29, 2019

Revised 7) Backing up and restoring Pi-Star

Added:

• Override hosts files – Override hosts files in the root directory aren't backed up. Make a copy of them if you want to manually restore them.

Revised 10) Expert Editor: advanced Pi-Star configuration

Added:

An additional note of caution: If you make changes to settings in the Expert Editor and click Apply Changes there, and then subsequently you make changes on the Configuration page and click Apply Changes there, your original changes in the Expert Editor might be reverted to their default settings. This is intentional behavior. Pi-Star is designed to be easy to use for users who won't normally use the Expert Editor. If you decide to use the Expert Editor, you'll be best served if you subsequently do all of your configuration via the Expert Editor.

Aug 27, 2019

Revised Upgrade version number

V4.1.0-RC4 ^ 

Aug 26, 2019

Revised 8) Updating Pi-Star > Manually launched updates

• Via the Pi-Star dashboard – You can run an update at any time by clicking Update in the Admin view (or in the Expert Editor). This type updates the radio binaries, gateways, hostfiles, and dashboard, but not the Raspbian OS.

Aug 20, 2019

Revised 5a) Control Software > Controller mode

Added a note:

• ★ Controller Mode – For a personal hotspot, choose Simplex Node. Or, for a dual hotspot, choose Duplex Repeater.
  
  • There's a detailed article "focused on the MMDVM board with dual (duplex) radios and the DMR protocol, operating on the Brandmeister network," which includes sections on using pistar-mmdvmcal for calibration, and on performance tuning, by COMMS Working Group.

Aug 16, 2019

Revised 5e) D-STAR Configuration > Time Announcements

• ☆ Time Announcements – If enabled and when D-STAR mode is enabled, you'll hear time announcements at regular intervals, by default every hour.
  
  • Note: If enabled, the TimeServer Status will be green. Interval can be set in the Expert Editor > TimeServer: 0 = every 15 minutes; 1 = every 30 minutes; 2 = every 1 hour.

Jul 29, 2019

Revised 2) Downloading Pi-Star

Note: At this time, the regular Pi-Star RPi image doesn't support the new RPi 3B+, 3A+, or 4B; however, the Pi-Star v4.1 release candidate supports the RPi 3B+, 3A+, and 4B: Pi-Star Beta Downloads ^ .

Jul 17, 2019

Revised 5i) POCSAG Configuration

Added:

• Local POCSAG – As of Pi-Star V4.x.x, it is possible to send a POCSAG message locally via your hotspot without using the DAPNET API. You must enable the Remote Control feature in MMDVMHost. The syntax is:
  sudo RemoteCommand <port> page <RIC> "<message>"
  
  • Per Andy Taylor in the Pi-Star User Forum ^ , "You need to specify the <port>, usually 7642, "page" specifies that this is a local page to be sent over RF only, <RIC> is the RIC number of the pager (NOT the callsign), and <message> is the message you want to send."

Revised 6e) A great place to start playing with Pi-Star

Added:

Recordings of the net are available at Colorado HD Net Recordings ^ , thanks to Vladimir, AC2F.

Jul 14, 2019

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration > DMR Master

• Turn on Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module, which gives you access to key BrandMeister settings in Pi-Star's Admin view. For more info, see: Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module ^ . See also Using the BrandMeister API by Vladimir, AC2F ^ .

Revised 6b) Admin view

• BrandMeister Manager module: If you use BrandMeister SelfCare ^ , you have the option to turn on the BrandMeister Manager. For more info, see the note: Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module ^ . See also Using the BrandMeister API by Vladimir, AC2F ^ .

Jul 13, 2019

Revised 7) Backing and restoring Pi-Star

Added:

Some settings are not backed up, so if you changed them to something other than the default, you'll find that they are on the default settings even after you run a restore, for example:

• SSH Public Key Authentication (PKA) – This is a bit of an edge case, but if you are using PKA to access Pi-Star via SSH, Pi-Star doesn't back up the custom settings (public key stored in an authorized_keys file in a custom folder named .ssh in the user's home directory). So if you do this (as an alternative to logging into Pi-Star via SSH using your Remote Access Password), you'll need to configure this again after booting up your fresh install.

Revised 1d) Using D-STAR?

For most simplex hotspots, you must use D-STAR Repeater (DR) or Duplex mode: set up RPT1, RPT2, and a zero offset (either +/−0.000). For more, see: Use DR mode ^ , and D-STAR Radio Primer for using Pi-Star ^  video by Craig, W1MSG.

Jul 9, 2019

Revised 6f) Digital radio courtesy

• If you're on a much used DMR talkgroup, like 3100, and you want to have a longer chat, consider moving to one of the TAC channels where ragchewing is allowed (313 – 319) to continue your chat.
• TAC channels should not be used as primary calling channels. In the U.S., the TAC channels (talkgroups 310 - 319) can't be added as static talkgroups, and also won't become auto-static. If you want a primary calling channel, try something like the U.S. Wide talkgroup, 3100. For more information, see the BrandMeister U.S. Wiki ^ .

Jul 4, 2019

Revised 7) Backing and restoring Pi-Star

Added:

Some settings are not backed up, so if you changed them to something other than the default, you'll find that they are on the default settings even after you run a restore, for example:

• General Configuration:
  
  • System Time Zone (default Europe/London)
  • Dashboard language (default English_uk)
• D-Star Configuration – Time Announcements (default: On) and Use DPlus for XRF (default: Off). If you change the Use DPlus for XRF setting, you must run a Pi-Star Update to put the new setting into effect.
• Firewall Configuration – Auto AP (default: On)
• Remote Access Password – Since Pi-Star backup does not back up this password, if you want to use your own password, which is a good idea, you'll need to enter your own password.
• Expert Editor > CSS Tool – Custom CSS settings aren't backed up. If you change CSS settings, write them down so you can manually restore them.

Jul 2, 2019

Revised 3a) Preparing to connect to WiFi

Changed the WiFi Builder tool link to https:

• Alternatively, use the Pi-Star WiFi Builder ^  tool on the Pi-Star website.

Jun 29, 2019

Revised section 6e) A great place to start playing

Their Colorado HD (Hotspot Discussion) net ^  is a great place to learn, ask questions, and have fun. It's held each 7:30p MTN each Tuesday:

Jun 27, 2019

Revised 2) Downloading Pi-Star

Note: At this time, the regular Pi-Star RPi image doesn't support the new RPi 3B+, 3A+, or 4B; however, there is a Pi-Star v4.0 release candidate version that supports the 3B+ and 3A+, as well as a v4.1 release candidate in development that also will support the 4B: Pi-Star Beta Downloads ^ .

Revised 3a) Preparing to connect to WiFi

Using the built-in Auto AP (Auto Access Point) method

If you're using Pi-Star 3.4.11 or later with a recent Raspberry Pi* and Auto AP is enabled (which is the default), you don't need to do anything else to prepare to connect to WiFi. For more info, see next section: 4) Booting up Pi-Star.

*Zero W, 3B, 3B+, 3A+, or 4B.
Note: Auto AP also works with some WiFi dongles: list of dongles that work ^ .

Jun 26, 2019

Revised Type of display section

Added:

• Scroll (mode label when active): 1 = Yes or 0 = No.

Jun 24, 2019

Revised Radio/modem Types supported in Pi-Star notes

Added:

• MMDVM_HS_AMBE (D2RG HS_AMBE) for Pi (GPIO)

Jun 21, 2019

Revised 1b) Some good resources for learning about Pi-Star

[XLX reflector changed back from module L to E.]

• Pi-Star: official website ^ , wiki, user forum ^ , support group ^ , and multi‑reflector ^  (BM, DMR+, YSF, NXDN, P25: 31672; D-STAR: XLX303 E)

Jun 13, 2019

Revised 1b) Some good resources for learning about Pi-Star

[XLX reflector changed from module E to L.]

• Pi-Star: official website ^ , wiki, user forum ^ , support group ^ , and multi‑reflector ^  (BM, DMR+, YSF, NXDN, P25: 31672; D-STAR: XLX303 L)

Jun 5, 2019

Revised 5b) MMDVMHost Configuration

Revised MMDVM Display Type > Type of display:

• Note 3: For info about Nextion Model 8 (supports touchscreen), see Rob's GitHub repository, Nextion_HAM-radio-screens/MODEL 8/  ^ , and the NEXTION DRIVER by ON7LDS FAQ ^ 

Revised MMDVM Display Type > Port you're using:

• Modem for a Nextion Model 7 display connected to the Serial through-holes.

Jun 4, 2019

Revised section 1b) Some good resources for learning about Pi-Star:

• Pi-Star: official website ^ , wiki, user forum ^ , support group ^ , and multi‑reflector ^  (BM, DMR+, YSF, NXDN, P25: 31672; D-STAR: XLX303 E)
• Official Pi-Star Tutorial Videos ^  by Craig, W1MSG
• DMR, Fusion, MMDVM and other DV NEWS ^  by Ron, VE1AIC

Jun 3, 2019

Revised section 1b) Some good resources for learning about Pi-Star:

• Official Pi-Star Website ^ , Wiki, User Forum ^ , and Support Group ^ 
• Pi-Star Multi-Reflector ^  (BM/DMR+: TG 31672; YSF, NXDN, P25: #31672)
• Official Pi-Star Tutorial Videos ^  by Craig, W1MSG
• DMR, Fusion, MMDVM and other DV NEWS ^  by Ron, VE1AIC

May 30, 2019

Revised the Controller Software option:

• Alternatively, if you'll be using only D-STAR mode, for example, with older hardware like DVAP or DVRPTR, select DStarRepeater.

May 27, 2019

Revised DMR Configuration

Revised the DMR ESSID option:

• ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension. Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, on the BrandMeister, DMR Plus, and TGIF networks, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that the network can distinguish between your logins. Some DMR Plus servers use single-digit extensions. Personal, low-power hotspots also can use ESSIDs (but repeaters don't).

May 24, 2019

Revised DMR Configuration section

Revised the BM Hotspot Security option:

• BM Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare, enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network. This provides an extra level of security, preventing others from accessing the BrandMeister Network using your CCS7 ID.
  Note: You can set up only one BM Hotspot Security per CCS7 ID (the first seven digits), so even if you set up multiple ESSIDs for one CCS7 ID, you can use only password for all of them.
  

May 21, 2019

Revised DMR Configuration section

Per another change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, revised the DMR ESSID option:

• ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension. Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, on the BrandMeister, DMR Plus, and TGIF networks, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that the network can distinguish between your logins. Some DMR Plus servers use single-digit extensions.

May 20, 2019

Revised DMR Configuration section

Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, revised the DMR ESSID option:

• ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension. Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, on the BrandMeister, DMR Plus, and TGIF networks, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that the network can distinguish between your logins.

May 19, 2019

Revised General Configuration section

Updated screen image.

Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, added the APRS Host option (from the D-Star Configuration section) to the General Configuration section:

• ☆ APRS Host – Select your preferred APRS host, typically one of the rotating hosts or a nearby host server.
  
  • Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum: There are over 80 different T2 APRS Hosts around the world. A really good "Best Practice" is to select one of the Automatically Rotating T2 APRS Hosts. The Rotating Host will always get you to a working Tier2 APRS Server and if that link fails for some reason it'll move onto another working server. T2 APRS Host Servers that provide the Auto Rotate Function:
    
    • rotate.aprs2.net (World Wide)
    • noam.aprs2.net (North America)
    • soam.aprs2.net (South America)
    • euro.aprs2.net (Europe)
    • aunz.aprs2.net (Australia/New Zealand)
    • asia.aprs2.net (Asia)

Revised D-Star Configuration section

Updated screen image.

Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, deleted the APRS Host option from the D-Star Configuration section (moved to the General Configuration section):

• ☆ APRS Host – Select your preferred APRS host, typically one of the rotating hosts or a nearby host server.
  
  • Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum: There are over 80 different T2 APRS Hosts around the world. A really good "Best Practice" is to select one of the Automatically Rotating T2 APRS Hosts. The Rotating Host will always get you to a working Tier2 APRS Server and if that link fails for some reason it'll move onto another working server. T2 APRS Host Servers that provide the Auto Rotate Function:
    
    • rotate.aprs2.net (World Wide)
    • noam.aprs2.net (North America)
    • soam.aprs2.net (South America)
    • euro.aprs2.net (Europe)
    • aunz.aprs2.net (Australia/New Zealand)
    • asia.aprs2.net (Asia)

Revised DMR Configuration section

Revised opening paragraph:
How you configure DMR depends on the DMR Master you select. All of the Master choices include four basic DMR options—ESSID, Color Code, EmbeddedLCOnly, and Dump TAData—displayed below the selected DMR Master:

Updated all four Pi-Star images.

Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, added the DMR ESSID option:

• ☆ DMR ESSID – If you are using an extended SSID (ESSID), select the extension.
  Note: Normally, you should make sure that you're logged into DMR in only one place, or else that you are using different CCS7/DMR IDs for each login instance (for example, if you're running DMR on one hotspot and YSF2DMR on another). However, if you're using the BrandMeister DMR network, you have the option of appending a two-digit extension (00 - 99) to your regular CCS7/DMR ID so that BrandMeister can distinguish between your logins. At least some DMR Plus servers support a single-digit extension.

Revised DMR cross-mode configuration section

Added a new introductory paragraph:
Pi-Star supports the capability to run DMR2YSF and DMR2NXDN cross modes. For more info, see Pi-Star cross modes ^ .

Moved remainder of DMR cross-mode configuration section to a new page. See: Pi-Star cross modes ^ 

Revised Yaesu configuration section

Per a change in the Pi-Star Dashboard Configuration page, deleted the APRS Host option from the Yaesu Configuration section:

• ☆ APRS Host – Select your preferred APRS host, typically one of the rotating hosts or a nearby host server.

Revised YSF cross-mode configuration section

Added a new introductory paragraph:
Pi-Star supports the capability to run YSF2DMR, YSF2NXDN, and YSF2P25 cross modes. For more info, see Pi-Star cross modes ^ .

Moved remainder of YSF cross-mode configuration section to a new page. See: Pi-Star cross modes ^ 

Added links to Pi-Star cross modes page

Added links in the opening TOC and the closing Quick links sections.

May 12, 2019

Revised D-STAR Configuration > Default Reflector option

• ☆ Default Reflector – You can select your default reflector, as well as whether you want Pi-Star to connect to it automatically when it starts up.
  
  • Note: Per Tom, W1TG, in the Pi-Star User Forum, you also can specify a reflector reconnect time in the Expert Editor > ircDDBGateway tab > reconnect1 setting, where you can specify a default time of inactivity after which Pi-Star will automatically reconnect to the default reflector: 0 = Never, 1 = Fixed (I'm not sure how this works), 2 = 5 min, 3 = 10 min, 4 = 15 min, 5 = 20 min, 6 = 25 min, 7 = 30 min, 8 = 60 min, 9 = 90 min, 10 = 120 min, 11 = 180 min. If this value is set to a time, it will "reconnect" even if it wasn't previously connected, for example, if the Default Reflector is set to Manual and you didn't manually connect to it.

Revised General Configuration > Radio Frequency > Band plan and POCSAG Configuration > Radio Frequency POCSAG > Band Plan

• Band plan: See your country's band plan and your local frequency use plan. For example, for the U.S., see: U.S. Band Plan ^ . For the U.S. State of Colorado, see: Colorado Frequency Use Plans ^ . For other U.S. States, see Amateur Radio: Repeater Coordinators ^ , a list by Thomas, W2XQ. See also the info posted by Ron, VE1AIC: Digital Voice frequencies ^ .

April 29, 2019

Revised DMR EmbeddedLCOnly option

• DMR EmbeddedLCOnly (Embedded Link Control Only) – The default is off. Turning it on disables the Talker Alias data that is sent by MMDVMHost. If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.
  
  • Note 1: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some models of radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving Talker Alias data from some stations.
  • Note 2: Link Control data = ID headers, talkgroup, and private calls.

April 28, 2019

Revised DMR EmbeddedLCOnly option

• DMR EmbeddedLCOnly (Embedded Link Control Only) – The default is off. Turning it on disables the Talker Alias data that is sent by MMDVMHost. If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.
  
  • Note: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some models of radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving Talker Alias data from some stations.

Revised DMR DumpTAData option

• DMR DumpTAData – The default is on. Controls whether Talker Alias ^  data is logged in the /var/log/pi-star/MMDVM-YYYY-MM-DD file. If you're not using Talker Alias, you can turn this option off.

Revised section 5d) DMR Configuration

Revisions reflect changes introduced in Pi-Star Dashboard v20190428, including the addition of an BrandMeister Hotspot Security option, and a change to the DMR+ Master list:

How you configure DMR depends on the DMR Master you select. All of the Master choices include three basic options—DMR Color Code, DMR EmbeddedLCOnly, and DMR Dump TAData—displayed below the selected DMR Master:

If you choose a BrandMeister Master, you'll also see the BM Hotspot Security password option, as well as links to BrandMeister Repeater Info and SelfCare:

If you choose a DMR+ Master, you'll also see a field for DMR+ Network Options:

If you choose the DMRGateway Master, you'll see options for three networks—BrandMeister, DMR+, and XLX—in addition to the basic options:

• ☆ DMR Master (a master server connects you to the rest of the system):
  
  • If you want to use only a specific system – Choose a BrandMeister (BM) or DMR+ master, or the TGIF Network ^ . In this case, everything is simpler as you'll see only options specifically for the selected system.
    
    • Note: If you use BrandMeister SelfCare ^ , optionally you can:
      
      • Turn on Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module, which gives you access to key BrandMeister hotspot settings right from Pi-Star's Admin view. For more info, see the note: Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module ^ .
      • Turn off sending APRS info via BrandMeister. For more info, see the note: Prevent sending APRS info via BrandMeister ^ .
  • If you want access to multiple systems simultaneously – Choose DMRGateway ¹ as your DMR master, and then you'll see options for BrandMeister, DMR+, and XLX.
    
    • Note 1: If you use DMRGateway, you can fine tune the settings for individual systems, which is discussed below: Expert Editor ⟩ Quick Editors ⟩ DMRGateway.
    • Note 2: The DMR2YSF and DMR2NXDN masters are discussed below in the DMR cross-mode configuration section.
    • Note 3: Using the TGIF network while using DMRGateway will conflict with BrandMeister because of the talkgroups used; however, if you're using a dual radio modem or repeater, there is a way to set up Pi-Star to make it work. For more info, see the Pi-Star User Forum post by Andy Taylor: TGIF Lands in Pi-Star ^ .
• ☆ Set up the options for the DMR system(s) you enabled:
  
  • BrandMeister Master – Choose a nearby master server.
  • BM Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare, enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network. This provides an extra level of security, preventing others from accessing the BrandMeister Network using your callsign.
    
    • 
    • 
  • BrandMeister Network Enable – Toggle the BrandMeister network on/off.
  • BrandMeister Network – Click Edit Repeater to edit settings via BrandMeister My hotspots for your CCS7 ID.¹
  • DMR+ Master – Choose a nearby master server.
    
    • Note: As of Pi-Star Dashboard v20190428 (and per a request of the DMR+ Admins), only IPSC2 hosts are available.
  • DMR+ Network Options= – Set up any options you want to use.¹
    
    • Note 1: If you don't want to auto-connect to any talkgroup (when Pi-Star is set up as a hotspot), use: StartRef=4000;RelinkTime=60;UserLink=1;TS1_1=9;
    • Note 2: If you turn off DMR Mode via MMDVMHost Configuration, these options aren't saved, so when you turn on DMR Mode again with DRM+ or DMRGateway set as the DMR Master, you'll need to re-enter these options.
  • DMR+ Network Enable – Toggle the DMR+ network on/off.
  • XLX Master – Choose the XLX master server you want to use.
  • XLX Startup Module – XLX reflectors are set up with default module (A, B, C, etc.). Optionally, you can select a different module.
  • XLX Master Enable – Toggle the XLX master on/off.
• DMR Color Code – Personal hotspots typically use color code 1.
• DMR EmbeddedLCOnly – The default is off. Per Andy Taylor in the Pi-Star Users Support Group: "this feature relates to some of the data passed in/out from some radios…. Some radios are affected by this (Connect Systems, for example) and some are not (Motorola). Most of us can take the default [off]."
  
  • Note: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving from some stations (I've heard of this affecting various models of radios and even one model of Motorola radio). If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.
• DMR DumpTAData – The default is on, which enables "Talker Alias ^ " information to be received by radios that support this feature.
  
  • Note: Apparently, this option controls whether Talker Alias data is logged in the /var/log/pi-star/MMDVM-YYYY-MM-DD file. If you're not using Talker Alias, you can turn this option off.

Revised YSF2DMR cross-mode configuration section

• Hotspot Security – If you have enabled a Hotspot Security password in BrandMeister SelfCare, enter it here to enable your hotspot to access the BrandMeister Network.

April 26, 2019

Revised section 10) Expert Editor

Added new option and rearranged options to match the UI:

The Expert Editor provides access to:

• Upgrade link
• Quick Editors:
  
  • DStarRepeater
  • IrcDDBGateway
  • TimeServer
    
    • Used by the ircDDBGateway service for time announcements.
  • MMDVMHost ⁴
  • DMR GW (Gateway)
  • YSF GW
  • P25 GW
  • NXDN GW
  • DAPNET GW
• Full Editors:
  
  • DMR GW (Gateway)
  • PiStar-Remote
    
    • Provides configuration options for RF (Radio Frequency):
      
      1. The Pi-Star Keeper remote control system, an RF KillSwitch for repeater keepers.
      2. Some basic remote control ability via RF. For more info, see the note: Watchdogs, Remote RF commands, and Keepers ^ .
  • WiFi (wpa_supplicant.conf configuration)
  • BM API Key
    
    • See the note: Pi-Star's BrandMeister Manager module ^ 
  • DAPNET API
    
    • Related to POCSAG.
  • System Cron
    
    • Hint for repeater owners: Andy Taylor posted the code for linking, fixed linking, and unlinking to reflectors via a cron job in the Pi-Star User Forum ^ .
  • RSSI Dat
    
    • Maps the raw RSSI values to dBm values to send to the DMR network.
• Tools:
  
  • CSS Tool
    
    • See the note: CSS Tool ^ .
  • Built-in SSH Access window
    
    • This is an implementation of Shellinabox, a web-based terminal emulator that runs a web-based SSH client. This can be convenient for some things, but it's best not to use it for running the Pi-Star Update process as it sometimes breaks it. Use an SSH app instead.

April 22, 2019

Revised General Configuration > Node Type

★ Node Type – Determines whether radios with callsigns (D-STAR, YSF), CCS7 IDs (DMR, P25), or NXDN IDs other than what is entered in the Pi-Star General Configuration Node Callsign, CCS7/DMR ID, and NXDN ID can access the hotspot. When selecting this, keep in mind the regulations in your country pertaining to the control operator function. For a personal hotspot in the U.S., you can set this to Public, but unless you actually intend to allow radios with other callsigns, CCS7 IDs, or NXDN IDs to access the hotspot, it may be best to leave it set to Private. See also Hotspot best practices ^ .
Note: Controls each mode's SelfOnly setting in Expert Editor > MMDVMHost.

April 20, 2019

Revised General Configuration > Node Type

★ Node Type – Determines whether radios with callsigns (D-STAR) or CCS7 IDs (DMR) other than the Pi-Star General Configuration Node Callsign or CCS7/DMR ID can access the hotspot. When selecting this, keep in mind the regulations in your country pertaining to the control operator function. For a personal hotspot in the U.S., you can set this to Public, but unless you actually intend to allow radios with other callsigns or CCS7 IDs to access the hotspot, it's may be best to leave it set to Private.

April 9, 2019

Revised section 6 note about regulations and best practices

Important! The regulations and best practices that apply to amateur radio—including use of frequencies, control of our stations, and on-air courtesy—also apply to our use of personal, low-power hotspots. It's our responsibility to understand and adhere to those regulations and best practices. My personal practice is that I power on my personal, low-power hotspots only when I'm monitoring and in control of them, adhere to my local band and frequency use plans, and leave adequate pauses between transmissions. For more about this, see Hotspot best practices ^ .

April 8, 2019

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration > DMR EmbeddedLCOnly

DMR EmbeddedLCOnly – The default is off. Per Andy Taylor in the Pi-Star Users Support Group: "this feature relates to some of the data passed in/out from some radios…. Some radios are affected by this (Connect Systems, for example) and some are not (Motorola). Most of us can take the default [off]."

Note: Apparently, different stations and radios encode and decode Talker Alias data in different ways. One way this variance manifests is that some radios can experience audio drop-outs when receiving from some stations (I've heard of this affecting various models of radios and even one model of Motorola radio). If you are experiencing audio drop-outs from some stations, you might want to try turning this option on.

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration > DMR DumpTAData

DMR DumpTAData – The default is on, which enables "Talker Alias ^ " information to be received by radios that support this feature.

Note: Apparently, this option controls whether Talker Alias data is logged in the /var/log/pi-star/MMDVM-YYYY-MM-DD file. If you're not using Talker Alias, you can turn this option off.

April 5, 2019

Revised 5c General Configuration > Hostname notes

• Note: You'll need to use the new hostname to open Pi-Star in a browser, for example: http://pi-star-2/ or http://pi-star-2.local/. However, this does NOT change the authentication user name, which remains pi-star.
• Important! If you run more than one hotspot at a time, in addition to using different hostnames, you must use different frequencies. If you don't, you can cause serious interference (looping) on the reflector, talkgroup, or room you're linked to, which prevents others from using those resources. You can get banned, sometimes permanently, from a resource for causing that kind of issue.

Added a hint to the end of 5k) Wireless Configuration

Hint: If you have one or more WiFi networks set up and choose to use an Ethernet connection instead of WiFi in location where both are available, you can temporarily turn off WiFi if you're running Pi-Star 4.x. Log into Pi-Star via SSH and then run: sudo rfkill block wifi. To re-enable WiFi, simply reboot Pi-Star, or run: sudo rfkill unblock wifi. Thanks to Tom, PA2TSL, for this hint.

Revised 5d) DMR Configuration > DMR DumpTAData

DMR DumpTAData – The default is on, which enables "Talker Alias ^ " information to be received by radios that support this feature.
Note: I've heard that this feature has caused problems with some radios including the AnyTone AT-D878UV and one of the Motorola radios.

April 2, 2019

Revised 5c) General Configuration > Node Type text

★ Node Type – Determines whether radios with callsigns other than the Pi-Star General Configuration Node Callsign can access the hotspot. When selecting this, keep in mind the regulations in your country pertaining to the control operator function. For a personal hotspot in the U.S., you can set this to Public, but unless you actually intend to allow radios with other callsigns to access the hotspot, it's may be best to leave it set to Private.

Revised section 6 note about regulations and best practices

Important! Be aware that the regulations and best practices that apply to amateur radio—including use of frequencies, control of your station, and on-air etiquette—also apply to your use of a personal, low-power hotspot. It's your responsibility to understand and adhere to those regulations and best practices. My personal practice is that I power on my personal, low-power hotspots only when I'm monitoring and in control of them, adhere to my local band and frequency use plans, and leave adequate pauses between transmissions. For more info, see the regulations governing amateur radio in your country, for example, in the U.S., see CFR Title 47: Part 97 – Amateur Radio Service ^ . See also your country's band plan and your local frequency use plan, for example, in the U.S. State of Colorado: U.S. Band Plan ^  and Colorado Frequency Use Plans ^ .

Added a note to section 6 about the Src (source)

Note 2: For Src (source), you'll see "RF" when you transmit from your radio to the hotspot, which your hotspot will then send out over the internet as data. You'll see "Net" when your hotspot receives a transmission as data from the internet, which it will then retransmit over RF so you can receive it with your radio.

Revised the section 8 Automated overnight updates text

Automated overnight updates – This type of update runs every night as long as your hotspot is on and connected to the internet. It uses standard Raspbian tools to update the radio binaries (MMDVMHost and DStarRepeater), gateways (DMRGateway, ircDDBGateway, etc.), hostfiles, and dashboard. If you are going to leave your hotspot on overnight, remember that you must adhere to the regulations that apply to amateur radio, including control operator rules.

March 24, 2019

Revised disclaimer re: focus on personal, low-power hotspots

Disclaimer:  These are my personal notes based on setting up and using Pi-Star hotspots as a non-technical user figuring things out as I go along, as well as by learning from what others are sharing. These notes are focused on personal, low-power hotspots, not repeaters. I'm not affiliated with the Pi-Star project, except as an enthusiastic user. If anything needs correcting, please let me know ^ .

March 23, 2019

Added note to section 6 about regulations and best practices

Important! Be aware that the regulations and best practices that apply to amateur radio—including use of frequencies, on-air etiquette, and control of your station—also apply to your use of a personal, low-power hotspot. It's your responsibility to understand and adhere to those regulations and best practices. My personal practice is that I power on my personal, low-power hotspots only when I'm using them, adhere to my local band plan, and leave adequate pauses between transmissions. For more info, see the regulations governing amateur radio in your country, for example, in the U.S., see CFR Title 47: Part 97 – Amateur Radio Service. See also your country's band plan and your local frequency use plan, for example, in the U.S. State of Colorado: U.S. Band Plan ^  and Colorado Frequency Use Plans ^ .

Revisions: Recent · Previous