502 words, 3 minutes read time.
Since my initial blog post on September 18, 2024, about creating a receive-only APRS iGate using a Raspberry Pi and an RTL-SDR dongle, I’ve faced numerous challenges that have led me to conclude that the project has not met my expectations.
Initial Hopes and Aspirations
When I first embarked on this project, I envisioned operating a small, portable APRS iGate that would allow me to contribute to the APRS network while being mobile and accessible. I thought this would be a fantastic way to explore amateur radio and contribute to the community. IMHO, this project was doomed to failure from the start.
Power Supply and Hardware Limitations
Both the Mini PiTFT 1.3″ LCD Display (link to display) and the RTL-SDR dongle (link to dongle) have consistently put the Raspberry Pi into an undervoltage state, which I believe is a critical factor impacting performance. The display draws power upon startup, and unfortunately, it can exceed what the Raspberry Pi can provide, causing it to throttle and enter an undervoltage condition. When this occurs, the Pi struggles to maintain stable operations, which is crucial for a device that relies on consistent data processing.
The RTL-SDR dongle further exacerbates this issue. While it works seamlessly on my laptop, the combination of the dongle and the display proves to be too much for the Raspberry Pi to handle, often resulting in the dongle disconnecting or being unable to hold its frequency. This instability leads to dropped packets and missed information, severely limiting the effectiveness of the iGate. Moreover, the location of my setup has a lot of interference from nearby electronic devices, which further reduces the effective range.
On a positive note, I was able to test both the Mini PiTFT 1.3″ LCD Display and the RTL-SDR dongle in different environments, and both components functioned properly. This confirms that the hardware itself is capable and suggests that the issues I’ve encountered stem from power limitations in my specific setup. In an attempt to mitigate these power issues, I tried saving power by disabling the HDMI output and Bluetooth. However, this did not significantly alleviate the undervoltage problem.
Looking Ahead
Despite the setbacks, I am not ready to give up on this project. My long-term goal is to establish a tactical Winlink server, a tactical APRS iGate, and a DMR hotspot. I believe that with some adjustments to my hardware setup and configuration, I can achieve this vision and contribute meaningfully to the amateur radio community. After all, this is all part of the learning process.
Conclusion
In retrospect, my excitement for this project has been tempered by the realities of implementation. While the components seemed promising on paper, the actual setup has proven to be less reliable than anticipated. As I reflect on this experience, I’m left considering whether I should explore alternative approaches or perhaps revisit this project in the future with different hardware configurations.
If you have any insights or suggestions based on your experiences, I would greatly appreciate your feedback!
