JS8Call on the Raspberry Pi and ICOM IC-705

I've been having a lot of fun with FT8 on the IC-705, on HF, VHF and UHF. However, the "rubber stamp" exchange on FT8 is a bit limiting, so I thought I'd try out JS8 mode.

To get started, visit the JS8Call official site, and watch the video there.

Unfortunately the IC-705 isn't yet supported on the pre-built releases, although it is possible to pretend it is an IC-7600 and change the CI-V setting on the rig (so that it "pretends" to be an IC-7600). I didn't fancy doing that as it would probably stop other things from working - such as WSJT-X and wfview - so instead I did my own build on Raspberry Pi so that I could have native IC-705 support.

The steps I took were:

  1. Download and build the latest Hamlib from the GitHub source: Release Hamlib 4.4 · Hamlib/Hamlib · GitHub. There are instructions for doing the build here: Setup Raspberry Pi for Ham-Radio (dl1gkk.com) - about a third of the way down the page.
  2. Download and build JS8Call. There are some instructions here: Building js8call and wsjtx under Raspberry Pi OS - Bullseye (groups.io)

On first startup, JS8Call will prompt you to enter callsign, locator, and standard messages.

Next, configure JS8Call to talk to the IC-705:

  • Under "Radio", select IC-705
  • Cat Control serial port is /dev/ttyACM0 (yours may vary?)
  • Any baud rate seems to work, but I set mine to maximum - 115200 bit/s
  • Data bits, Stop bits, Handshake all Default
  • Rig Options are PTT Method - CAT, Mode - Data/Pkt, Split Operation - Rig
Press the "Test CAT" button, and hopefully it will go green.

That's it; you should now be live on JS8Call.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Building a basic codeplug for DMR (DMR Part 2)

Image
What is a "codeplug"?  Confusingly, a codeplug is neither code, nor a plug! The term originates from a time when a physical plug was used to configure a radio's parameters. Nowadays it refers to a configuration file, which is typically prepared on an external PC and then uploaded to the radio. Overview This blog post continues from  Part 1 , and it assumes that you already have: A callsign A DMR ID A DMR rig - I will be using a Retevis RT3S for this example The programming software and cable for your rig. For the RT3S, the Windows software can be found here:  RT3S Software The example described below assumes that you are within reach of a DMR repeater on the Phoenix network, and that you know the details of that repeater (transmit and receive frequencies, color code). For now will configure the rig to access the DMR+ (Phoenix) network via a repeater. Subsequent posts will explain how to add analogue repeaters and simplex channels, hotspots, other networks, etc. The steps
Read more

Adding Brandmeister to the Hotspot (DMR Part 4)

Image
So far in this series of articles we have: Built a codeplug for the Retevis RT3S, enabling it to operate on the Phoenix (DMR+) network via a local repeater. Built a Hotspot and added a new zone to the codeplug, so that the RT3S can access the Phoenix (DMR+) network using the Hotspot. I chose Phoenix initially, because that is the network that my nearest repeater uses. Whilst this gives worldwide coverage, it is not the only DMR network. Confusingly, there are quite a few networks out there - including Brandmeister, TGIF, FreeDMR and probably others. Each has its own layout of talkgroups and timeslots. Sometimes these are similar, and there are links between networks so that some talkgroups are accessible on more than one network, but each has its own quirks and so they are different and mainly incompatible. With a Hotspot, it is possible to join more than one DMR network simultaneously - up to four networks - using functionality known as DMR Master. In this blog we will look at buildin
Read more

D-STAR, Pi-Star and IC-705

Image
Having got D-Star working via a local repeater, how about using a hotspot? It is pretty straightforward to activate. Firstly, turn on D-STAR in the MMDVM Host Configuration: Next, set your callsign and registered D-STAR password in the D-Star Configuration section. "B" is the suffix for a 70cm hotspot, and "G" because you are an internet gateway. You can set a default reflector, although I find this is of limited value (discussed later). I have left Time Announcements, Callsign Routing and D-Plus turned off mainly because I don't really understand them! Something for future experimentation. On the IC-705, now is the time to program in your hotspot as a digital repeater. Got to Menu / DV Memory / Repeater List - and choose an empty Repeater Group. Name this "Pi-Star" (or "hotspot", or whatever you prefer), and within the Group create a single entry as follows: Type: DV Repeater Name: Pi-Star (or whatever you prefer) Sub Name: Pi-Star (or whate
Read more