Testing at about 70 wats. Due to low height

25watt plot This looks pretty good at 39 ft 75 is just a little better…..

Just planning

The post 2 meter test mapping for repeater first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

Current version:

CAP‑Warn is a modern weather alert system designed as a full replacement for older Skywarn scripts like AutoSky. It uses the current National Weather Service (NWS) alert format and provides a far more reliable, automated experience for repeaters and AllStar nodes.

It is not Skywarn totally my own code. It is a replacement not written in python.

Because CAP‑Warn is distributed through an APT repository, your system automatically receives updates — no manual patching, editing, or file replacement required.

CAP‑Warn retrieves alerts directly from the National Weather Service CAP system and the National Hurricane Center (nhc.noaa.gov). These alerts are converted into high‑quality audio and played over your node, keeping operators informed even during rapidly changing weather conditions.

HISTORY
This is based on node manager I released in 2023 for GMRS Cap Warn was inside that as well as the CPU temp monitor
That was all based on MMWeather released in 2015. for COWP
This is a major improvement In that it no longer uses my custom installer its now using APT-GET.

2. Modern NWS API Compatibility

Although the NWS API returns alerts in GeoJSON/JSON‑LD, the underlying data is still CAP 1.2, the official federal standard for public warning messages. The API simply transforms the raw CAP XML into a clean, consistent JSON structure. This avoids the formatting issues, namespace problems, and broken XML that caused many older scripts to fail when legacy CAP endpoints were deprecated.

CAP‑Warn uses the modern, supported, and recommended NWS API format, ensuring long‑term compatibility with the current alerting system.

3. Automatic Location & Zone Detection

CAP‑Warn automatically determines your alert coverage using your device’s GPS position, then expands that location into the correct NWS forecast zone, county/parish zone, and fire weather zone.

This means the system always reports the alerts that actually apply to your area — without requiring you to manually enter UGC codes, county IDs, or zone numbers like older scripts did.

By combining point‑based alerts with zone‑level alerts, CAP‑Warn captures everything from hyper‑local polygon warnings to broader county‑wide advisories, ensuring complete and accurate weather alert coverage for your station.

Muting during nets by a chron script. This is a manual process you set timers

4. Text‑to‑Speech Options (VoiceRSS vs Piper)

CAP‑Warn supports two different text‑to‑speech engines:

VoiceRSS (Recommended) https://voicerss.org/

• Most natural, broadcast‑quality voice
• Very fast
• Requires internet
• Requires a free API key

Piper (Offline Neural TTS) asl-tts

• Works with no internet
• Included in the ASL3 repository asl-tts
• Slower and more CPU‑intensive on Raspberry Pi

If you leave the API key blank during installation, CAP‑Warn automatically switches asl-tts. Notice in testing on a pi 3b asl-tts overheated the cpu which will cause problems recommend VoiceRSS on a PI.

5. PI Hardware (Temperature, Voltage, Throttling)

CAP‑Warn includes a full Raspberry Pi hardware‑health monitoring system that checks for:

• High CPU temperature
• Low‑voltage conditions
• CPU throttling events

These alerts help identify:

• Weak or failing power supplies
• Overheating Pi boards
• Fan failures
• Heavy CPU load conditions

CAP‑Warn reads the Pi’s real‑time firmware flags to detect when the system is running too hot, when voltage drops below safe levels, or when the CPU has been throttled to protect the hardware.

PI hardware is autodetected fully Cloud server compatible

Installation Options

1. Automated Install (Recommended)

CAP‑Warn works on a wide range of systems. For example, it supports:

• ASL3
• Debian 12/13
• Raspberry Pi
• Cloud nodes
• Bare‑metal nodes

Just run:

curl -sSL [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tmastersmart/cap-warn/main/install_capwarn.sh](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tmastersmart/cap-warn/main/install_capwarn.sh) | bash

Once executed, this installer:

• installs the GPG key
• adds the repo
• installs dependencies
• installs CAP‑Warn
• places you in the correct directory
• tells you to run setup.sh

2. Manual Install (For those who prefer full control)

Step 1 — Install required PHP modules and tools

asterisk-core-sounds-en-gsm sounds may not be needed if you already have sounds.
We need numbers and sounds from the normal ast sounds.

sudo apt install php-cli php-curl php-xml php-mbstring php-json sox curl logrotate asterisk-core-sounds-en-gsm

core sounds may not be needed if you already have sounds.

Step 2 — Install the GPG key manually

curl -sSL [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tmastersmart/cap-warn/main/debian/public.key](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tmastersmart/cap-warn/main/debian/public.key) \
  | sudo gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/capwarn.gpg

Step 3 — Add the APT source manually

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list.d/capwarn.list

Add:

deb [arch=all signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/capwarn.gpg] [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tmastersmart/cap-warn/main/debian](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/tmastersmart/cap-warn/main/debian) stable main

After saving, continue with the next steps.

Step 4 — Update APT

sudo apt update

Step 5 — Install CAP‑Warn

sudo apt install cap-warn

Step 6 — Run setup

cd /usr/share/cap-warn
sudo bash setup.sh

At this point, installation is complete.

What About HamVoIP?

CAP‑Warn is now designed for Debian‑based systems. Originally, it was written for HamVoIP GMRS nodes, but much has changed since 2023. Today, the recommended platforms are:

• ASL3
• Debian 12/13
• Raspberry Pi OS

Final Thoughts

CAP‑Warn is built for hams who want:

• reliable weather alerts
• modern CAP parsing and hurricane support
• clean audio
• easy installation. You don’t have to know how to edit files.
• active maintenance. There will be updates.
• compatibility with ASL3 and Debian 12/13
• Works with apt-get and apt-get update cap-warn

Ultimately, CAP‑Warn provides a dependable, modern solution for weather alerts on AllStar systems.

CAP-Warn is a modern weather alert system for AllStar nodes that utilizes Common Alerting Protocol formats. It provides automated updates via APT-GET and retrieves weather data directly from the National Weather Service and National Hurricane Center. The software converts alerts into audio for broadcasting on repeaters and nodes.

The system supports Debian-based platforms, including ASL3 and Raspberry Pi OS, through automated or manual installation processes. While originally developed for HamVoIP, current versions prioritize newer operating systems for better maintenance and reliability. The software aims to offer a dependable replacement for legacy weather scripts.

Updates:

You will get updates through the update repo. Im still testing so there will be several updates until I am satisfied with the results. As time goes by I need to test this in actual storms not just with test data. If you see any strange errors or problems. or suggestions please write a comment.

Manual Upgrade Instructions (for existing CAP‑Warn installs)

To manually upgrade CAP‑Warn to the latest version, run the following commands: After running the first command you should see a message if the version has changed. Then run the second command it will not override your setup.

Code

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install --only-upgrade cap-warn or just 

sudo apt-get update cap-warn

That’s it — this will pull the newest package from your repository and upgrade CAP‑Warn without touching your configuration or logs.

If you see it doing anything strange please report. I use it myself so I should notice bugs but sometimes you may be setup different than me and the weather service may use different alerts in your area.

There is a file located at /var/log/cap-warn/words_to_add.log which will show the auto upgrade for any new alerts NWS.
Sending me this log will help so those sound files can be added to the release.

Cyclone Alerts. Tested in the past but this is new reformatted code, so it needs to be tested with a active storm. It should read the alerts as they come in and not repeat them. Expecting this will need to be adjusted.

UPDATES:

1. GPS support for the $17 gps units so your mobile node will report the local alerts not those back at your home. Great for travelers and truck drivers. Should be easy setup just plug in.
2. Pushover support. Pushover would work great at remote sites instead of over the air messages temp and low voltage messages they could be sent to your phone.
3. APRS I have working code for this just not sure how im going to configure yet. Im leaning toward privacy mode so you have to be a set distance from your home location before it starts posting. And it will post with a error factor so its not exact. Much later after GPS is all tested and working. APRS would post into the net server not over the air so it will work everywhere. optional. (This is going to be a separate install for all-star,Pi-Star & WPSD nodes look for it soon.)
4. Create a special desktop version for non hams to mimic a weather radio.(later still working on this code)
   
   

The post CAP‑Warn: Modern Weather Alert Software for AllStar & ASL3 — A Reliable Storm Replacement System first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

EchoLink is now LIVE on the Main Hub!

You can now join the system from anywhere using EchoLink. Just connect to:

KJ5MZL‑L

This links you straight into the Main AllStar Hub, the DVSwitch server, and TGIF DMR Talkgroup 28100 — all fully bridged together.

Perfect for mobile, HT, travel, or quick check‑ins. Jump in and say hello.

The post Echolink server is now online for Louisiana Nationwide first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

Take apart the radio. Remove the knobs remove the screws on the back.
Under the battery is a connector is a connector we will remove later. This will allow wires to enter the radio without removing the LED as you see in the old mod.

Remove the 2 belt clip screws and the plastic under them you will use these 2 screw holes to mount the radio to your case so it stays upright and stable.

We will not use the battery you cant use the charger and battery so what we do is use a regulator set for 3.7 volts this runs the radio just fine. Remember these batteries could explode if overcharged so don’t use it.

Once taken apart you can un sorder the speaker so you can remove the front.

Unsorder the connector for the battery so we can run in power round and cos. You may wish to use shielded wire for cos connection as noise may be on the wire.

There are several different versions of the BF888 so the COS point can be in several different locations. But its on pin 1 of the chip on the back side of the board. Take care in running the wire from behind around to the top because we want to reinstall the back which is the sheild and we don’t this wire to get pinched.

All audio in and out and PTT is handled by the mic cable so nothing else to modify. Get a mic cable off amazon i have been looking for uncoiled but cant find that the coined one will need some space to fold it around.

More photos later check back..

You need a voltage regulator likely a LM2596 However some packages may create noise. So you might try more than one version one of my LM2596 caused a buzz when I shared power with the pi. Position is very important place the pi a foot away from the radio in like a amno box. Some people lower the power in the radio but if thats what your gona do then just use a usb radio and dont use the bf888. we need max power in our moble so we can go inside wallmart and still get a signal.

Orginaly i built these with 5v in. But some cars will have low voltage so im now using 12v in and a 12v to 5vusb regulator this allows a 12v fan as on this old one it has a 5v pi fan. Fans are needed in cars it gets very hot when you not in the car. And i suggest the script to report hi temp back to you on the link..

The high temp alarm is built into my node manage but im going to release it as a stand alone script in a few weeks.

There is a new cable that works on VOX and has a built in sound card for those that dont want to modify at all.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DF8GSB4C?th=1

The post Modifying Bf888 for Allstar better mods first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

Here’s what’s actually happening, why it’s happening, and what it means for your nodes, hotspots, and packet setups.

What Linux Is Really Removing

The Linux kernel team is removing a handful of very old, unmaintained drivers that haven’t been updated in 10–20 years. These include:

• Obsolete AX.25 kernel drivers
• Old Baycom‑style serial modem drivers
• Legacy packet radio TNC interfaces
• Experimental soundmodem drivers nobody maintains

These drivers were written for hardware from the 1980s and 1990s — ISA cards, parallel‑port TNCs, and early packet radio devices that almost no one uses today.

They were removed because:

• They no longer compile cleanly
• They have no active maintainer
• They contain outdated or insecure code
• They clutter the kernel with dead modules

This is normal housekeeping, not an attack on amateur radio.

What Linux Is Not Removing

This is the part that gets lost in the panic.

Linux is not removing:

• AX.25 networking support
• KISS TNC support
• Direwolf compatibility
• USB sound cards
• USB serial CAT control
• Hamlib
• AllStar / Asterisk
• Pi‑Star hotspot support
• DMR / D‑Star / YSF digital modes
• APRS tools
• Winlink tools
• Anything used by modern ham radio systems

If your setup is newer than 2005, you are completely unaffected.

Will My Nodes Still Work?

Yes — 100% yes.

Your:

• AllStar node
• Pi‑Star hotspot
• Direwolf packet node
• APRS iGate
• Winlink RMS
• M17 reflector
• JS8Call / FT8 / WSJT‑X station

…all rely on user‑space software, standard USB/serial drivers, and ALSA sound.
None of that is being removed.

The removed drivers were for hardware that predates the Raspberry Pi by two decades.

Why People Think “Ham Radio Is Being Erased”

A few posts online took a kernel patch note like:

“Remove unmaintained AX.25 legacy drivers.”

…and turned it into:

“Linux is removing ham radio support!”

That’s not what’s happening.

The kernel team is removing dead code, not removing amateur radio from Linux.

Modern Ham Radio on Linux Is Alive and Well

In fact, Linux is still the strongest platform for:

• Digital modes
• Packet radio
• Hotspots
• SDR
• Remote rig control
• APRS
• Winlink
• AllStar
• M17

And the most important ham radio tools — Direwolf, WSJT‑X, fldigi, Hamlib, and Asterisk — are actively maintained and widely used.

Linux remains the backbone of ham radio infrastructure.

Bottom Line

Linux is not dropping ham radio support.
Linux is not erasing amateur radio.
Linux is not breaking your nodes.

What’s being removed are ancient, unmaintained drivers for hardware that almost no one uses anymore.

Your modern ham radio software and hardware will continue to work exactly as they always have.

The post Is Linux Really “Removing Ham Radio Support”? Here’s What’s Actually Going On first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

Join operators from across the region for a relaxed, friendly weekly net on BM TG 31225. Whether you’re local to Louisiana or checking in from across the country, everyone is invited to participate.

Bring your questions, your updates, or just stop by to say hello. We look forward to hearing you on the air!

The post Southeast Louisiana Net Thursdays – 8:00 PM CST BrandMeister DMR Talkgroup 31225 Open to Everyone – All Check‑Ins Welcome first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

If you’ve ever installed AllStarLink 3.x on a Raspberry Pi or x86 system and noticed your node randomly dropping off Wi‑Fi, switching between access points, or getting stuck in a strange “dormant” state, you’re not alone. I recently ran into this exact issue on two different nodes, and the root cause turned out to be something most users never think to check.

The good news: the fix is simple once you know what’s going on.

This post walks through the symptoms, the diagnosis, and the exact steps to fix the problem permanently.

The Symptoms

On both of my ASL3 nodes, I was seeing:

• Random Wi‑Fi disconnects
• The Pi jumping between 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz access points
• “DORMANT” mode showing up in iw dev
• Slow or failed reconnects
• Occasional audio dropouts on the AllStar node
• Unstable links even with strong signal

At first, I assumed it was a weak signal or interference. I even disabled the 2.4 GHz SSID on a nearby access point to force the Pi onto 5 GHz. That helped a little, but the dropouts continued.

Something deeper was going on.

The Real Cause: Two Wi‑Fi Managers Fighting Each Other

ASL3 is based on Debian 12, and depending on how the image was built, it may include:

• NetworkManager
• wpa_supplicant

Both of these services can manage Wi‑Fi connections. And on my nodes, both were active at the same time.

You can check this with:

Code

systemctl is-active NetworkManager
systemctl is-active wpa_supplicant

If both return active, you’ve found the culprit.

When two Wi‑Fi managers try to control the same interface, you get:

• roaming between APs
• DHCP conflicts
• interface resets
• “dormant” mode
• dropped packets
• unstable 5 GHz connections

This is exactly what I was seeing.

The Fix: Disable wpa_supplicant and Let NetworkManager Handle Wi‑Fi

NetworkManager is the more modern and stable option on ASL3, especially since it supports the nmtui Wi‑Fi setup menu.

Here’s the fix:

1. Disable wpa_supplicant

Code

sudo systemctl stop wpa_supplicant
sudo systemctl disable wpa_supplicant

2. Restart NetworkManager

Code

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

3. Verify Wi‑Fi is still connected

Code

iw wlan0 link

You should see your SSID and channel listed normally.

Once I did this on both nodes, the random dropouts stopped immediately.

Bonus Fix: Disable Wi‑Fi Power Saving

Raspberry Pi Wi‑Fi defaults to power‑saving mode, which is great for laptops but terrible for AllStar nodes. It causes latency spikes, missed packets, and sometimes disconnects.

Turn it off:

Code

sudo iw dev wlan0 set power_save off

Make it permanent:

Code

sudo mkdir -p /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d
sudo nano /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/wifi-powersave.conf

Add:

Code

[connection]
wifi.powersave = 2

Restart:

Code

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

This alone can dramatically improve stability.

Automating the Fix for Future Installs

To make life easier, I created a script that:

• disables wpa_supplicant
• enables NetworkManager
• disables Wi‑Fi power saving
• launches the Wi‑Fi setup menu

Here’s the script:

#!/bin/bash

echo "=== ASL3 Wi-Fi Fix Script ==="

# 1. Stop and disable wpa_supplicant
echo "[1/4] Disabling wpa_supplicant..."
sudo systemctl stop wpa_supplicant 2>/dev/null
sudo systemctl disable wpa_supplicant 2>/dev/null

# 2. Ensure NetworkManager is enabled and running
echo "[2/4] Enabling NetworkManager..."
sudo systemctl enable NetworkManager
sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

# 3. Disable Wi-Fi power saving (runtime)
echo "[3/4] Disabling Wi-Fi power saving..."
sudo iw dev wlan0 set power_save off 2>/dev/null

# 4. Make power saving OFF permanent
echo "[4/4] Making power saving permanently disabled..."
sudo mkdir -p /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d
sudo bash -c 'cat > /etc/NetworkManager/conf.d/wifi-powersave.conf <<EOF
[connection]
wifi.powersave = 2
EOF'

sudo systemctl restart NetworkManager

echo ""
echo "=== Wi-Fi services configured ==="
echo "Launching Wi-Fi setup menu (nmtui)..."
echo ""

sleep 1
sudo nmtui

Run it once after installing ASL3, and your Wi‑Fi will be rock‑solid.

Conclusion

If your ASL3 node is experiencing Wi‑Fi instability, the problem may not be your access point, your signal strength, or even your hardware. In many cases, the real issue is that NetworkManager and wpa_supplicant are both trying to manage Wi‑Fi at the same time.

Disabling wpa_supplicant and letting NetworkManager take over — combined with turning off Wi‑Fi power saving — results in a dramatically more stable connection.

After applying this fix, both of my nodes have been running flawlessly on 5 GHz with zero dropouts.

If you’re building or maintaining AllStar nodes, this is a must‑do step.

The post Wifi setup on ASL3 allstar wifi problems first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

The post APRS on DMR first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.

The AC voltage in converted to DC by diodes and then kept at the proper dv voltage by a regulator. In modern cars this is all built inside the alternator. The battery is charged by this voltage and the battory acts like a large capacitor to straighten out the signal. When you get a whine what you are hearing is called Ripple. Ripple is ac voltage riding on top of the DV voltage.

In the above example the 12 volts is present but its not a straight line it has ac in it. It could also have different types of spikes other unregulated voltage.

The sound in the radio will change as you speed up or slow down because the speed of the alternator is changing changing the frequency of the AC. A good technician can hear the ripple over the air because of the change of the frequency of the sound, nothing else does this.

So me people will tell you need to ground. Some will tell you to run straight to the battery. But they don’t know why. To understand how to fix alternator whine on GMRS you need understand what it is.

1. Its AC voltage or spikes riding on top of the DC.
2. Simple power supply theory taught in the 70s before IC power supplies.

In order to get rid of ripple you must remove the AC using a cap and a choke. They sell 12v noise filters for car audio that will remove this and there is no need to run heavy wires to the battery. .

When looking for a noise filter be sure it has 2 caps one on each side of the coil. Get the largest MFD value for the cap you can find. I make my own but I have lots of caps.
This is called a PI filter this circuit flattens out the dv voltage removing the ripple.

There do exist 12v noise filters with only one cap but I would not recommend them.

But you say what about running direct to the battery. When you do that the battery is acting as a cap partly flatting out the ac. However if the ripple is large then the battery cant fix it. So it is not necessary to run to the battery all you need to do is use a pi filter to remove the ripple at the radio.

But what about torids they say just put torids on it. A torid is an inductor just like a coil. The inductor blocks AC but the CAP stores voltage and releases in the the low point of the ac signal leveling out the voltage. A torid cant do that. You need both to filter out AC.

SO don’t waste your money it will cost less just to use a filter than to buy the wire to run to the battery and the battery can only do minor filtering so it still may not work.

But someone said that I should install .01 cap the radio. This is for something totally different. Old cars used to have a cap like this in many places under the hood to help stop noise from getting into lines from the points and such. The value is to small to stop RIPPLE loud enough for you to hear.

The post How to get rid of Alternator noise first appeared on Louisiana Nationwide.