The Club has decided to hold a 'flea market'

This 'flea market' coincides with the 'Ham Comp - Raspberry Pi' session...

So the last session was the last one for the year. Sorry guys. But it will give you a chance to visit the club and purchase things as well as socialise. [OK that was annoying, Google/Blogger decided that my language is Canadian English.]

I shall be there to support and chat.

Hopefully it won't be as hot as this last week or this one is going to be.

73

John ZS6WL

This time I have no intention of missing the meeting...

So this coming Saturday, is the Ham-Comp / Raspberry Pi Meeting.

I have some developments for you to look at. 
Romeo has sent his apologies already. He and his wife will be in Paris [the Free State one]

Any items that you would like to discuss? Please let me know beforehand.

73
John ZS6WL

Club House at 13:00 +/- RAE revision

I know why the Leopard went up the tree. But how did they get the girl up there?

Due to unforseen circumstances the Clairvoyant's society will be closed tomorrow. Sorry!

I cannot make it to Ham-Comp/Raspberry Pi tomorrow afternoon...

The week has been a chaotic one with fireplace removal and preparation for new floors. With yesterday being an absolute disaster, they had to screed the rooms floors. The floors are drying as I type this... they have just phoned to say that they can install tomorrow afternoon. Which is good news for me.

Of course I shall probably see you all at the flea market next week. But this carpet replacement has been coming for years!

Sorry for the delay...see you next time.
73
John ZS6WL
 

Ham-Comp / Raspberry Pi Session 7

Tomorrow is the postponed meeting at the Club House for Raspberry Pi and Ham-Comp. I say both because the Pi' is starting to get used for 'other' things...

I am going to be there from 13:00 to 17:00 with a short presentation on Peripherals and SPI/I2C. 

This all assumes I can defrost in time...

73

John ZS6WL

 

So tomorrow is SCOPEX not Raspberry Pi

So you have to wait another week for the Raspberry Pi session. Any thoughts on what we might cover?

• Maybe the use of an LCD panel with the Pi?
• Maybe a temperature monitor 'app' ?
• With a web server page that can be accessed from the Internet? [Oh sorry that's been done...maybe that is a project in itself?]

Hardware - I found an HDMI to DVI connector adapter at the China Mall. I also found that I could install REAL ENGLISH Dictionary into Firefox. So the spell checker in this blog does not consider me a Canadian!

Nico phoned me this week with an application for the Pi that measures pressure in a pipe. Unfortunately the sensor is an analogue sensor. So I went looking for an A2D chip that can do the job... maybe that is another subject for Saturday week?

73

John ZS6WL

Raspberry Pi - Getting the temperature sensor to work.

I had 'issues' with getting the temperature sensor to work with the Raspberry Pi. So I did some more searching...

Add the following line to /boot/config.txt
dtoverlay=w1-gpio

Then you can 'probe' the Pi...

sudo modprobe w1-gpio
sudo modprobe w1-therm

To check this has 'worked':-

 
cd /sys/bus/w1/devices/
ls
 

This should show the temperature file:-
10-00080254a833 [ or similar file name][IF it doesn't, you need to check everything.]

Change directory to it:-

cd 10-00080254a833
 

To 'read' the DS18x20 [mine is so old...]
cat w1_slave

This should show something like this :-

pi@raspberrypi /sys/bus/w1/devices $ cd 10-00080254a833
pi@raspberrypi /sys/bus/w1/devices/10-00080254a833 $ cat w1_slave
23 00 5d 58 ff ff 04 10 3d : crc=3d YES
23 00 5d 58 ff ff 04 10 3d t=17500
pi@raspberrypi /sys/bus/w1/devices/10-00080254a833 $

Yes! It really was 17.5C in the study. Cool now to find a C program to get the reading...

Brad's Raspberry Pi Blog - has the answer. 

But only one 'gotcha'! The temperature sensor in current day use is a DS18B20 and mine is a DS1820. The 'output' is not '28-' but a '10-'. This requires a small change to the C program. A recompile later and all is well. Reading the sensor to three decimal places. Hmm.

 

Raspberry Pi - Session 5

Well it has reached the time again...meeting tomorrow at the club house. 13:00 after the club's session - maybe you have something to contribute. So see you there early.

I have good news and bad news for you. But some good stuff for your interest.
Those of you with the later model [B+] have got a better processor than I have.

73
John ZS6WL

Check on the web site for the Icom interface - kindly supplied by Nic ZR6AEZ
Ham Pages - jbcs.co.za 

Coming soon to a clubhouse near you!

Raspberry Pi Session [next]

[I am getting tired of the Blogger assuming Times New Roman... there seems to be no way to set the 'default font'. - spurious comment.]

So I read about the RSGB making a kit for a 20 metre PSK31 receiver for use with a Raspberry Pi. But it seems as if they chicken out. As I cannot find any reference to a page about it...

I suggested to Nick [chairman] at the RAE session last night that we [the club] should look into making/designing one locally. With the Pound at near 19 to the Rand, this kit is beyond the financial reach of most of our members.

I believe that 20 metres is the best 'all round' band for this. For several reasons.

One; the aerial [antenna in U.S. English] is a reasonable size.

Two; the frequency and components are pretty stable at 14 MHz for an amateur constructor to handle.

Whilst crystal operation would be nice and a DDS design would be 'nicer', I don't think that would be a good starting project for a 'newbie' Radio Amateur.

What do you think? Your comments would be appreciated. 

 

Yes! It is that time of the month again...Raspberry Pi on Saturday.

A recap would be good. Also an update on the Linux 'sound' system and it's use for Amateur Radio.

The main items are :-

• Morse 'transmission' from the Raspberry Pi. Using the sound output for 'side tone'. Program 'cwbeacon'.
• Using a USB sound adaptor on the Raspberry Pi. Checking it out.
• The 'xoscope' program to show functionality etc.

Any 'issues' you [the audience] would like to raise. Questions welcome.

See you there at 13:00 at the Club House.

John ZS6WL

Watch out! April the 1st has many NEW applications for the Raspberry Pi.

I am listening to John Robbie on 702. He is dubious about a 'story' that has supermarket trolleys with gps tech to guide you in-store. 

Sounds like an application for 'Raspberry Pi'! My USB GPS works well on my Pi. Using 'gpsd' the daemon and gps client software is a piece of cake to implement.

The last weekends session had 'Troubleshooting' as its main item. Well attended the session went very quickly. I was amazed to find that I was closing up at 17:00!

We [the club] need to encourage the youngsters to visit the Raspberry Pi sessions. So next session, why not bring a youngster to the club?

Every 4th Saturday at the club house in Kroton street at 13:00.

73

John Brock ZS6WL

Raspberry Pi - 3rd Session

So this time (if I get it right), on Saturday, we shall discuss the following:-

• Troubleshooting... Using the Linux (unix) commands to 'search out' bugs.
• A Linux (unix) crib sheet.
• A Morse transmit/training program install.
• A Sound (USB) / Low frequency 'input' for the Pi.
• What you can do with a USB sound 'input'...

If you have any suggestions, please email me at zs6wr.club@gmail.com

See you there!
13:00 at the Club House in Kroton Street.

73
John ZS6WL
 

Raspberry Pi - 2nd Session

So the time has come to prepare a second session on the Raspberry Pi for Radio Amateurs.

Its not so easy to put all this together with so much going on in the Pi's universe. For example: I hear that they have sold 5 million units!

rPi, meet face: You're probably NOT Blighty's biggest PC maker!Pi guys claim crown after five million sales but Reg says AMSTRAD STILL KING

Anyway the session will deal with the following aspects:-

1. Blink an L.E.D.
2. Take a Temperature
3. Record a Sound.
4. Compile a Program.
5. Backup your data.

I think that whilst the order is as it should be, maybe I need to deal with 5 first.

Still I hope to see you all at the club on Saturday at 13:00.

73

John ZS6WL

 

 

 

Just what can the Raspberry Pi do for me? An introduction to the Pi.

So the club's committee meeting last night decided that we would do an intro to the Pi on the 24th.

This will be at the club house in Kroton Street at 13:00.

The club is also purchasing some Pi's for the members on the list.
Make sure - if you want one - to put your money into the club's account before the 24th...

73
John ZS6WL