That is an awesome setup. I like the direction you're taking the Emcomm Tools. An easy to use all in one appliance is the way to go. Great job Gaston! 73!
Thank you! Finally, someone who understands the need for a simple to use appliance. I am trying to take a page from Steve Jobs and make this platform something that you can hand to your grandmother. 73
@@TheTechPrepper great analogy! In a true emergency, one would have a lot going on. The less someone needs to do to make the desired communication happen, the better. That should make sense to anyone.
I love my tough book. Have used my cf-31 for years and for off grid work a thermal 8.5 inch printer and brother small form duplex scanner, am independent of power.
I'm here because I'm literally online looking for a setup like this. I love building and designing things myself. I wanted to come here and get some advice from someone who has gone through, the trial and error of setting up the perfect rig. Any information that can be provided to help me avoid the same mistakes are always appreciated.....Keep these great videos coming.
All my tips are sprinkled in my "digital modes" and recent field testing multi-part series. You may want to go to my video channel page and scan the videos starting with the most recently released.
Excellent delivery and extremely informative. It is refreshing to watch a video which takes a practical, realistic and serious approach towards successful field comms using tools which are genuinely fit for purpose and are readily available off the shelf. Well done
Thank you and well said! Can I borrow this quote for my presentation or website? You absolutely get the vision. I've had complaints that I'm not supporting FT8, contesting,... This is a purpose-built tool with a specific mission and operating style in mind. Take care.
@@TheTechPrepper You most certainly can use my response for your presentation/website. I fully undestand what you are trying to achieve and I am 100%behind you.
I like your philosophy about designing the software around simplicity in terms of settings/modes/etc. There are some amazing applications out there, but so few put much thought into the user interface and making operation and setup simple.
Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who struggles with the user experience. Good timing, I just posted on Instagram and Twitter about some challenges I had this morning checking into Winlink while wearing wool gloves. Little experiences like will be solved and addressed the product. 73's
Found your channel on instagram. I use this computer everyday at work due to being in ems. It’s a excellent computer for field operations. Battery life is very good.
Welcome to the channel and thanks for the support on Instagram. The dual batteries are great. I'm still seeing great battery performance and mine are second hand units with thousands of service hours. Be safe out there.
@@TheTechPrepper Yep - they're good for sure. My team tested them for the road warriors we had at work - they loved them, we bought them, they were nearly impossible for them to break them. Keep it going man!!
Awesome video, looking forward to seeing more about your software and its usability. As a FF/mil and ham radio operator I see the usefulness of your idea. Keep up the great work.
That is an awesome setup, what more can I say. I really like where you are taking this and given that I already have the Yeasu FT-8800R and everything that I need for digital modes it might make sense for me to swap computer systems. Currently I am running a cheap Lenovo Win10 system for CERT which works well but is not sturdy for field use. This would also allow me to use my rig for SOTA and POTA as well as the additional Public Service Events I want to support.
Did you finally find an FT-8800R at a good price? This setup will need to be tested more, but I believe this is a step in the right direction. I forgot to mention that there maybe some bonus features for SOTA. More on this later. The Lenovo's are great machines for amateur radio. I have an older model myself.
Well No and Yes. No, the FT-8900 that I want I am still searching for. Yes I do have an Ft-8800R that I can use for development but for sentimental reasons I will keep it in the shack. It was was left to me along with my VX-7R by my best friend and I want to protect them.
I am definitely looking forward to more videos on this setup! Hopefully I'm able to source one of those Toughbooks for myself sooner than later, as it would come in extremely handy for me doing weather ops and public service for my local club/amateur radio service, especially connected to either my D710 or D72. Also, it's so awesome to see you're a fellow code geek! I'm not a React guy myself (although I do know it well enough), but I do sling Angular at my day job and Vue on my side projects. As always, thanks for sharing! I look forward to all of your videos. 😊
This setup should work well with both radios. I have it on my list to test with the D710 and D74. I'm a software engineer, but certainly not a front end developer. React is way out of my comfort zone, but it's the right solution for the consumer-facing application. The backend and packaging of the full app is all done with Spring Boot.
@@KenReynolds Cool. Spring Boot is a great way to package the entire app as a single runnable unit. You'll dig the design once I make the Git repo public. Don't laugh at my front end code. 😂 Cheers!
I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of disappointed that Julian and now you are moving away from the Raspberry PI. At least you aren't going to Windows. I under stand your reasons, but it's cost prohibitive to a lot of hams. The RPI is a standardized platform that a lot of hams have adopted for that reason alone. Will the tool still be compatible with the RPI? I think your RPI failures might be due to the extreme heat of your climate. in that case I wonder if the laptop will be effected. The specs for the laptop say the max environmental operating temperature is 122F. It will be interesting to see.
I completely understand, Tom. The Pi will be supported, but it will come later. I lost focus last year on this project by trying to make EmComm Tools "all things to all people." I had challenges with the software packaging even when using something like Build-A-Pi. For this to be an appliance, it needs be bundled as software/hardware unit for the initial beta phase. For phase I, it will be an Ubuntu ISO with all the software pre-configured. I need to prove that it works first in a wilderness environment across a team of communicators over the course of a multi-day public service event. To make this happen, I need to be able to hand out these pre-configured appliances (with the sound interface and cables included). Everyone in our group has a VHF/UHF mobile rig with a data port. HF will be supported(and already works), but for this phase it's all FM. I also want to use these units with my local prepper group and community. These guys don't care about the ham radio for the sake of "playing radio, " but they are all working on getting licensed. They just want an effective communications platform that is simple to use.
@@TheTechPrepper I agree with your group’s assessment. Simple simple simple like the atak type approach. Forgive me if it’s been asked but will emcomm do ft8 or other digital modes in a “simple” approach like you outlined?
@@WisconsinGabe There will be no support for FT8 as there is no emergency communications use case. Also, FT8 is weak signal mode over sideband and I want to target FM on VHF/UHF for the initial release.
To answer the environment question: yes, the Toughbook CF series will last in his environment. As a regular user of these computers CF-31/33 in the same area I can personally attest to them working after being in environments upwords of 150F. Now the device will shut down before that temperature to prevent damage but once it cools off a little it will fire back up like nothing happened. Their pricy but durable.
@@ImLost-s4b Thanks for sharing your personal experience with this line of Toughbooks. I'm looking forward to our triple digit Sonoran Desert summer, so that I can really benchmark the CF-20.
I love the new focus and direction. My old comms field craptop needs to be replaced. Looks like I'll be shelling out $500 for a Toughbook. Thanks for the excellent work you're doing.
Not a problem. It's my pleasure. I'm really enjoying this new direction. I even enjoyed filming this video while recovering from a cold (hence my nasally voice). ;-) Jump on those laptops at the current price. That eBay seller must be wondering what the heck is going on given the recent demand. I hope you get a low mileage unit. It seems like a crap shoot. The BIOS shows the lifetime hours. Maybe ask the seller to check a couple of units?
@@TheTechPrepper - Have you had a chance to check the quality of the internal GPS? I'm wondering if a newer external GPS might provide better coverage under trees or in canyons.
@@Liberty4Ever Not yet. The machine is still running the default Windows 10.1 install. I have an external USB GPS that I am going to benchmark against it. Thanks for the idea! Heck, since it's still running Windows, I plan to see what the fuss is about regarding Winlink and VARA. More updates coming.
G-Man, FB on the new approach. This will be very interesting. Your creative problem solving is producing a serious package and capabilities. TNT (tools not toys)
Thanks for the support. I like this new direction, too. There are plenty of ham radio channels dealing with tinkering and the latest and greatest. This is not a ham radio channel. This is a prepper channel. I am using ham radio as a tool to communicate. Heck, we're even going to get into MURS soon as there's an application for prepper comms that is very appealing like encryption.
Just found your channel and I am very impressed. Watch OH8STN but he is way above my knowledge/experience level. Have tech and GMRS licenses, working on general. Ft818 is my field radio, but learning to use my 705. Ordered my CF-20 tonight to replace my 19.
Welcome to the channel and to the hobby. I hope my style and content is inline what you're looking for. I'll be covering the FT-818ND manpack as the last radio in this series. That should be a little over 2 weeks out. Enjoy!
Thanks. I've been using it for several weeks now and love it. I am trying to secure two more, but I'm on the waiting list at the moment. According to the creator, Christoph HB9ZHK, there's a new batch in production.
@@TheTechPrepper I'm trying to convince him to add CAT to this interface. If he does, it'll be the Ultimate interface. Hopefully enough of us can convince him.
Thanks! There's the DigiRig. Since I'm running this setup on the FTM-6000, the DigiLink worked great as this radio has no CAT control. But another product with both options would be great. How long have you had your unit? Any issues?
That's a sold laptop. Thanks for your interest. Development on EmComm Tools is moving at a snail's pace. Family, maintaining an active lifestyle, and UA-cam are eating up all the hours. It will be nice to get it into wild at some point. Take care.
Sounds great. It's still a long way from a public beta. This best place to follow is on buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper. No need to buy me a coffee. That's simply where I manage the newsletter and provide more frequent updates to this project. I will announce the public beta there first.
i like the idea of making software for off grid use. is there already a software for finding your location based on the stars and polarity of the earth?
That looks like a nice robust laptop. With a lot of laptops on the market looking like they are so fragile, that's nice to see there is a good option that can withstand travel and outdoor elements.
I hope it turns out to be a robust platform. I'm going to starting taking this portable and logging some field time. I shall the good, the bad and the ugly.
I've thought about it and have a slightly different approach compared to most hams. Spoiler alert: It would by an offline cyberdeck with first-class all-band capabilities. I'll tackle this next year.
@@TheTechPrepper would you integrate any of the offline programs, like the downloaded wiki pages or gps drive? (I’m asking while pretending to not hoping my favorite tech page will make the content so I can copy his)
Great job. I've been looking at this kind of thing. I would like to see one of these in person. I've been frustrated for a while by the pi in amateur radio digital.
I'll be presenting this setup and EmComm Tools at the Chandler Amateur Radio Club on March 12th. Come on down. I'll announce it again as the date approaches.
ah man I was listening to he went out of the way to shit on the raspberry pie calling it a "toy" sorry to tell you this but the quality of hardware and durability of the two is only different because the toughbook has a protective shell.....other than that internally and their reliability are all the same.......the fact that its much smaller and much lighter and can be put in a protective case too puts it ahead as a portable "SHTF" or "offgrid field computer" and tbh its also a lot more versatile, the toughbook requires certain OS and drivers to function properly they are notorious for behaving badly because you don't have their specifics installed
Looking good Gaston. Question about EMCOM tools. Will it be compatible with Windows? While I dislike Windows in general, the VARA suite of tools is amazing and is only available on Windows. Thanks for all you're doing. I'm look forward ti seeing just what you've created with EMCOM tools.
Thanks. Unfortunately, no for a number of reasons that I will explain in a future video. If this was my full time job, then yes I would support Windows. It may be an option down the road. Everyone wants Windows because of VARA. I challenge the author of VARA to allow and accept John Wiseman's offer to port VARA to Linux. Thanks for the comment! Great question.
I just downloaded the ISO to a thumb drive, updated the BIOS to boot off the USB drive, then installed it. Very simple. There will be a video and/or a write up. I will post updates about the project on buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper. No need to buy a coffee. That's just an easy way for me to provide technical details without tainting my UA-cam channel with low-level details.
I find I can buy used laptops for less than putting all the pieces of a Pi together, and have a lot more capabilities,in general I run the Linux Mint OS on them. No they are not as power thrifty,but I am not a "bug out" kind of guy anyways.
I agree. The older laptops are a great option and are easier to source than Raspberry Pi's these days. As you said, they are often more capable especially if you run lighter weight Linux distributions like Mint or lubuntu. I personally love the older Thinkpad's. It's great when you can interface older ham radio gear with serial interfaces found on these older laptops. 73
awesome. im not licensed yet, but the decision how to "design" emcomm tools is perfect. plain, easy and straight forward -> perfect for emcomm stuff. which bands and radio´s and modems are supported? or are there no restrictions about that besides legal ones of course?
Technically, all bands and modes can work depending on the radio. I did this last year, but lost focus as it was too much to handle all the modes. For the system as shown in this video and for what I am releasing for the first beta, I am targeting VHF/UHF and FM. This decision will allow me to focus on the equipment and mode that we use in our county for public service. This will also allow anyone with the an entry-level Technician license to use it. My preferred radio for the current setup is the Yaesu FTM-6000R. That radio plus the "DigiLink Nano" soundcard along with this Toughbook is what I am considering the "reference implementation".
Technically any radio will work that can be interfaced to a sound card. Heck, I've been using straight packet (with reduced capabilities) using the Mobilinkd TNC 2/3. HF already works, but I am not going to package it for the beta as I am 100% focused on testing this first with a local group using VHF/UHF over FM. I will open up the platform once I make sure the core design goals work in the field during actual public service events.
I don't have a good scale, but it feels to be about half the weight. I would assume ~2lbs. The full unit with keyboard is 3.9 lbs. On one of my units the LTE/GPS module is internal and installed behind the battery on the tablet. There are number of GPS options for the CF-20 that can be added depending on the generation.
I am very interested in your program. I have an FT 891 ready for a run at it, looking forward to this for sure. Will you be selling the lap top with your program as a package?
Glad to hear you're looking forward to it. Yes, I'm considering selling a full kit. But, It was more along the lines of the computer with the manpack. This will be a logistical nightmare and will likely require that I quit my day job, so nothing is set in stone. These packages will be expensive, so it's unclear if there will be a demand. I have not considered just selling a preconfigured laptop, but that could be an easier first step. I'll keep the community updated on this front.
@The Tech Prepper Well then I will hold off on buying the laptop and wait for word to see if you will be selling the laptop with the program installed ready to go. You're definitely making the digital side of ham radio a lot easier.
How do you know when the Bioenno battery is fully charged? I've used lipo battery's with my Passport P2 charger and balance board and it always knew when it shut off. Is it ok to just plug it in and charge it without monitoring when it's done? Are the more simple chargers like one you suggest smart enough to know when the batt is full? Thank you
I had to lookup VK on my map. Australia! I hope you find a source at a good price. I contacted the eBay seller earlier today. He's offering $20 USD off with the code "TECHPREPPER". I'm wondering if he can ship internationally. 73
I HAVE A CF-19 AND HAS SOME EXTRA EXTERNAL HARDWARE SCREWED INTO 1 OF THE PORTS DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT THINKING ITS EXTERNAL WIFI ADATAPER CAUSE IT WILL NOT CONNECT THROUGH WINDOWS, ITS TOUCH SCREEN AND ROTATING SCREEN AND STYLES WHICH SHOCKED ME FOR THIS OLD OF A PC I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT HAS AND WHAT UPGRADES AVAILABLE, WHEN I SCANNED THE BOTTOM OF IT A $3000 PRICE TAG POPPED UP HAS DIFFERENT STICKER BAR CODES LOOK LIKE ADDED AFTER
Is there a reason you do not use your 857D as your uhf/vhf radio, and also your HF radio? I dont know enough about the 8900R or the FTM 6000R. Do they each serve a different purpose. Sorry if you've mentioned this in a different video. Love your videos!
Glad you enjoy the videos. I will actually be covering the FT-818 (next video) and the FT-857D (after the 818 video). This is an excellent question. There is no one radio that works for every application. The one that use depends on my goals. The FT-8900 has a much smaller footprint than the FT-857D but only does FM on four bands. Its strength is that is supports crossband repeat and has dual VFO. The FT-857 does not support x-band and only has a single VFO. So, for public service events in the backcountry, the FT-8900 is the tool for me. The FT-857D is really a Swiss Army Knife as it is all-band, all-mode with plenty of power to make just about any contact. It's size and weight has been a problem for me on some of backcountry operations. I primarily use the FT-857D when I need to operate SSB on 2m or 440 or need to run HF on higher power. I'll make the point in the next two videos that every radio has it's trade offs. However, if I could only have one radio it would either by the FT-818ND or FT-857D.
@@TheTechPrepper I look forward to those videos explaining the advantages of each of those radios. I get the need for FM for local groups during an emergency or a shtf type of senario. Local intel to your local groups to pass along will be crucial for the safety of their families and others, especially during the first 24-48 hrs to any emergency situation. I haven't delved into FM digital yet, so looking forward to more videos. At the present time, my 897D is my shack radio with a pi4 using js8, fldgi, flamp, flmsg, fsq and gARIM. I have 2 signalinks that I use although I have the digirig, I just haven't gotten used to adjusting the audio when using the digirig. The sl just works every time. I have an 857D and 817nd for portable, using the pi4 or a Linux laptop. I'm hoping that VARA will come to the pi or Linux soon. I do have the digirig cable for UHF/VHF and will hopefully set that up soon. Thank you for all that you do and keep those awesome videos coming!
@@mtngr1 I believe people like Jason, KM4ACK, are having decent luck with VARA on the Pi. I've had a few viewers send me info getting VARA to run under Linux, but sadly I do not have time yet to be an early adopter and go through the pain of setting that up. Given that you are a digital user, you may want to search my channel for "EmComm Tools". It's a simplified UI and abstraction layer that runs on top of most of the tools you already use. It also included a bunch of other custom tooling like offline maps, callsign lookups and VHF and UHF predictions. I am working on offline HF predictions by using vocapl under the hood. It's not released yet as I barely have time to work on it these days. Yes, the SignaLink, while clunky, is great for dealing with audio levels. When I first go started a couple of years ago, I found the monitor port on the back to be very useful for debugging the audio with a pair of head phones.
@@TheTechPrepper Yes, I follow KM4ACK, like you, time is not on my side. I am waiting for it to be out of beta testing. I will look for your EmComm video. Have you thought about if there is a grid down situation, and repeaters are down, how many repeaters run on solar or are able to still stay up? Do the repeater books or websites tell you if their repeaters run on solar? Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.
Great minds sir. I ended up doing a CF-20 for my kit and then came across your video while looking for a solution for my display. My stylus does not work with Linux Mint....What did you do to get it to work with Ubuntu? Was it functioning out of the box? And lastly, is your stylus just a plastic pen that is all one piece with a plastic tip, or is the tip some other material? I've found mixed parts..some with a plastic tip, and some with kind of a capacitance type tip.
The stylus does not work under Ubuntu either. This has been low on my list of to-do items. My stylus is a plastic pen that is all one piece with a plastic tip. Everything else functions mostly out of the box. The only exception which required some work was the LTE/GPS module. I still have a few items I am working though on the GPS front to get it to handle hibernation correctly. It will be a couple of months before I revisit these pending items as I am tied up with some GIS/map work for the software project I am working on--EmComm Tools.
@@TheTechPrepper I found a solution. I have a dual boot system with windows (that was licensed with the toughbook, and has the panasonic utilities on it). I opened the panasonic utility in windows, and selected "stylus only" instead of stylus and touch...It shouldn't make sense that a program inside windows would effect inside linux, but maybe it has a bios trick in it. Now it works fine in Linux, but the finger wont work. Whereas in Windows, both works.
@@paulb9179 Thanks for sharing. I'll stick with my solution as I like to use my fat fingers. ;-) Glad to hear you found a workaround. I'll let the community know when I find a solution that covers both touch and stylus.
It is. I almost pivoted and switched to using ATAK as the platform for EmComm Tools. If my vision works, I will create a plug-in for ATAK (2023), but that will be commercial product. It would be nice to quite my day job and create a small business around an ATAK plugin.
@@TheTechPrepper I have seen some videos of atak on aprs which is cool. That sorta app is what aprs is all about. Thank you for the videos, they are very inspiring.
I have and do have plenty of Docker experience given my day job, but I unfortunately do not have enough hours to support another installation option. In order to stay focused and make use of the little time I have for this project the initial release will be a custom Ubuntu ISO image. Great question.
@@TheTechPrepper That's probably a better choice for a lot of users as they won't have to overcome the hurdle of running docker if they don't have experience.
I've been thinking of getting an older toughbook for portable base station use, but I am worried that the keyboard will be terrible to type on. What are your thoughts? Thanks.
I can't speak to any Toughbooks other than the CF-20, but I am really happy with the keyboard. It was one of the selling points that I failed to mention. It's small, but the keys are raised and perfect for anyone who touch types.
Hi, do you have any idea on how to remove the Bios password on this model? the one I got came without HDD and to install it requires to unlock the bios but it's locked... online there's plenty of "CF-30" bios unlock vids but none abt the cf-20. maybe you can help me. thanks
Not sure about that, but the CF-20 is MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461F certified. I'd have to read the standards to see if EMP protection is part of the certification.
That was worth reading the comments 😂. EMP proff is a hard no but some model's can be made "intrinsically safe". Which basically means sealed up tight and could probably survive a few more seconds in the microwave when you're trying to kill that spider on the keyboard.
It's not ready for distribution yet. I will be releasing it later this year. There are too many changes at the moment. I'll let everyone know when it's ready.
Yes. I am using the RPi as a dedicated digipeater. If I had a 3D printer and the ability to design rubber components I would absolutely design a purpose built all-weather enclosure.
They all sold out a few days after this video was released. It looks like all the prices doubled and are around $1,000 USD if you can find them. Good luck. You might want to try another seller on eBay.
Great question. I love it. I have three of them and take the main one to the field all the time. It's a great little platform. I am working on a custom Ubuntu distribution for the CF-20 (very slowly) as I have a number of friends that want their's setup identically.
@@TheTechPrepperThat custom Ubuntu setup sounds very interesting especially since I just picked up a CF-20 as a result of your videos. Keep up the good work!
@@GunFanactic Excellent choice. Enjoy! I found that a nice sweat spot is to dual boot the CF-20. I run a very small partition for Windows 10 (20-25% of the drive) as there is some software that is Windows only. In practice, I rarely use the Windows partition. Ubuntu 22.04 works very well with the CF-20 and allocate the other 75%-80% of the drive. The only thing that I have not figured out is the stylus, but the touch experience works very well. My customized OS will be called EmComm Tools OS and is scheduled for a private beta in 2023. I talk about it occasionally on www.buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper/posts
I don't have an opinion at the moment. I plan to dive into in 2023. I'm pretty sure it does not have the range we're getting now with our VHF simplex setups. I'll make some videos next year.
I did when I ran lubuntu the first time. I have a to-do to figure out to get the stylus working under Ubuntu. It likely needs calibration. I figured out how to get the internal GPS working last week. It's documented on my site. Use approach #1. www.thetechprepper.com/cf-20-gps-configuration
The ones that I sourced are all running 16GB of RAM which should be more than plenty. I'm still writing the software so I don't have firm specs yet. I would say 8GB would be the minimum required given software I'm running so far.
All the software on the laptop works with out the internet. Simply put, It uses the radio for sending/receiving digital traffic. I have a network of about 40 amateur radio operators that I can pass messages. It's more efficient than passing voice traffic in a lot of cases.
I have a version that runs on the Mac, but sadly will not release it as I can't support it. It will be distributed as a custom Linux distribution that can run off a USB drive from a clean reboot.
Any chance you would be willing to share how you got ubuntu up and running on your cf-20? I've managed to get ubuntu onto the cf-20, everything seems to be working well with the exception of the gps unit. I've tried looking at the system profiler app, and it's showing the module incorrectly listed (shows as EM7305, actual unit is EM7355). `rfkill list all` is not showing the mobile/gps module, haven't been able to flash the firmware as it's not mounting properly. Online hasn't been much help with figuring this out. I've tried to update the firmware, but I keep getting permission denied errors when trying to do a `qmi-firmware-update`. Was this something you experienced as an issue? BIOS seems to be pointing correctly. I'm at a loss.
I plan to do a high-level video on the CF-20 and before the fall as I have worked through a number of issues over the last 4 months. My GPS unit is working, but it's not perfect. I am hesitant to share one of my CF-20/Ubuntu posts as there are still issues related when the system is suspended or started with the tablet removed., but here you go: www.thetechprepper.com/cf-20-gps-configuration I need to rewrite this article, but sadly don't have a lot in the way of time. It should help a little. I plan to update the above post once everything is squared away.
@@TheTechPrepper I have been through your config, but it's not returning anything because I think the devices item isn't correct. There is nothing showing up under '/dev/ttyUSB' at all. Been through this 12 ways till sunday but can't figure out why it's not mounting as a ttyUSB device when it's showing when I run 'lsusb'. My next step may be simply running an older version of ubuntu (currently on jammy) in hopes that cures my ills. Thanks for the help thus far though. Love the channel, you'll be receiving a coffee from me later.
@@603Cummins The GPS integration under Linux is rough. It took my two weeks to get as far as I did with that original write-up. Did you try the alternate option I proposed without using gpsd? Also, did you verify that the GPS worked under Windows first? Thanks for the support and good luck!
@@TheTechPrepper I sadly did not confirm the GPS worked on windows. I confirmed the computer was functioning with some basics but then flashed Linux the same day. I didn't even realize this unit had GPS until I opened the back. The odd thing is that I'm not seeing a single ttyUSB. I did download the firmware update from Sierra, however I'm struggling to get the unit to accept it, the files don't seem to want to run but that could be due to my not being super familiar with Linux beyond server use. I'll keep stabbing away at it, my only other thought is that I may need to downgrade to an older version of Ubuntu rather than Jammy, perhaps there is a conflict that is not clear yet, although I'm not sure what it would be.
I am not a Windows developer. I've been using Linux since the mid 90's. Also, all of this work is done in my spare time and makes no money. So, sadly, I can't support another operating system. I am planning on making a commercial plugin for ATAK later, so the there may be hope for a Windows version.
Nice. I'm a Mac guy, too, but the ham radio software ecosystem is richer on Windows and Linux. There is some software that is Windows only like VARA, but if you don't need VARA for Winlink, both Windows and Linux are solid options. The Raspberry Pi has also served me well, too for the last couple of years. My main digital station at home will still continue to run on the Pi. Good luck!
I read an article on how to derive the year and series from the serial number and it indicated 2008, but then again, you can't trust everything you read online. I'll have to double check.
I am an outsider when it comes to amateur radio. I guess that's why this projects is taking the form that it is. I love voice, but digital is also needed for effective communication for our public service events and emergency response scenarios. ;-)
@@TheTechPrepper hey since you are a tech guy you can also start on scanning local area videos and go into encryption/decryption explaining stuff. just giving u food for thought.
@@TheTechPrepper Fair enough, I still personally wouldn't let that software touch any computer hardware, internet connected or not. Plenty of other Debian based distros that aren't shilling out to garbage data farms like Amazon.
@@longdongvondiqenbaum You make a good point. If this was designed to be an Internet connected platform, Ubuntu would not be my choice. The primary motivation for Ubuntu is that it works very well with my reference hardware (Panasonic CF-20 Toughbook) for this project. The main goal is distributing this as an offline communications appliance that works well with the reference hardware. All devices including the touch interface and GPS worked the best based on my testing compared to other distributions. Sadly, this project will not be all things to all people. Thanks for the counterpoint.
@@TheTechPrepper Counterpoints are quite fun, we could talk about this forever as us Linux users tend to do lol. As long as you're happy with how it works and is field expident that's all which really matters in the end, I didn't know at first if it was connected to the internet so I thought to make the point but should've figured you had a reason to use it in place of something else. Personally I'm not a HAM operator, I use SSH which as I'm sure you know is much more secure since there is no encryption for amateur radio however it's reliant on the internet which could go down of course. For now though ssh-chat is my go to.
@@longdongvondiqenbaum I have fond memories of sniffing telnet traffic (usernames/passwords) while at the university 20+ year back. As a sysadmin I was happy when SSH was finally widely adopted. I still use SSH every day. I am ham, but still plan to include AES-256 bit encryption (in a private build) my EmComm Tools OS for all the digital traffic passed over RF. It's an SHTF safety net. Happy Friday!
Would the CF19 work as well? Does it matter for Emcomtools which version ? In the future will there be a Win version of your tool? Just asking - if I have to “learn” ubuntu 🤒 73 de HB3XBL 👍🇨🇭
It's only been tested on the CF-20 and FZ-M1. I had some minor driver issues to solve for both, so I am not sure if other Panasonic's well work. It's a full blown operating based on Ubuntu 22.10. Great questions.
I have the same problem as you do. Touch works fine, but the pen does not. I had a viewer report they have been able to get touch or the pen to work, but not at the same time. Apparently, there's a configuration utility under Windows that allows you set which one is used, then they boot into Linux. My apologies if this is a bit vague, but this was the gist of their message to me last year. Good luck!
@@TheTechPrepper I was thinking it was something at the bios level as I do get a kernel error regarding a pointer device during the first few seconds of boot. I'll work on it a bit and see if I can get anywhere. Just installed Ubuntu today so haven't put much time into it yet.
The eBay seller was kind enough to make a coupon code for $20.00 off on the CF-20 Toughbook. Use coupon code: TECHPREPPER
Friend your title says "Offgid" I believe you meant "OffGrid"
Is that still available,? the coupon cos I'm about to buy one of those
@@pipboy456 No, these sold out shortly after this video was released.
@@TheTechPrepper thx, from tijuana México
That is an awesome setup. I like the direction you're taking the Emcomm Tools. An easy to use all in one appliance is the way to go. Great job Gaston! 73!
Thank you! Finally, someone who understands the need for a simple to use appliance. I am trying to take a page from Steve Jobs and make this platform something that you can hand to your grandmother. 73
@@TheTechPrepper great analogy! In a true emergency, one would have a lot going on. The less someone needs to do to make the desired communication happen, the better. That should make sense to anyone.
Would love to know more about EmComms
I love my tough book. Have used my cf-31 for years and for off grid work a thermal 8.5 inch printer and brother small form duplex scanner, am independent of power.
I'm here because I'm literally online looking for a setup like this. I love building and designing things myself. I wanted to come here and get some advice from someone who has gone through, the trial and error of setting up the perfect rig. Any information that can be provided to help me avoid the same mistakes are always appreciated.....Keep these great videos coming.
All my tips are sprinkled in my "digital modes" and recent field testing multi-part series. You may want to go to my video channel page and scan the videos starting with the most recently released.
Excellent delivery and extremely informative. It is refreshing to watch a video which takes a practical, realistic and serious approach towards successful field comms using tools which are genuinely fit for purpose and are readily available off the shelf. Well done
Thank you and well said! Can I borrow this quote for my presentation or website? You absolutely get the vision. I've had complaints that I'm not supporting FT8, contesting,... This is a purpose-built tool with a specific mission and operating style in mind. Take care.
@@TheTechPrepper You most certainly can use my response for your presentation/website. I fully undestand what you are trying to achieve and I am 100%behind you.
@@moorlandmule9327 Thanks!
My CF 19 and CF 31 I love. I'm in the process of converting CF 19 to Linux.
Looks good! Can't wait to see what you do through this year with your new direction in comms.
Thank you. This is year is all about focus, so that I can make projects like this happen. 73!
I like your philosophy about designing the software around simplicity in terms of settings/modes/etc. There are some amazing applications out there, but so few put much thought into the user interface and making operation and setup simple.
Glad to hear that I'm not the only one who struggles with the user experience. Good timing, I just posted on Instagram and Twitter about some challenges I had this morning checking into Winlink while wearing wool gloves. Little experiences like will be solved and addressed the product. 73's
Bought for my ic705 QRP setup. Thank you for all you do!
Enjoy that combo. What a nice digital station. 73
Found your channel on instagram. I use this computer everyday at work due to being in ems. It’s a excellent computer for field operations. Battery life is very good.
Welcome to the channel and thanks for the support on Instagram. The dual batteries are great. I'm still seeing great battery performance and mine are second hand units with thousands of service hours. Be safe out there.
Good direction you are heading! Thanks for taking us along.
Thanks for the view. This feels like the right direction. More content like this on the way.
Love the change in direction. 2008? That thing IS tough in deed. 😄 Keep up the great content Gaston!!
Happy New Year, Jim! The fact that these systems are still running strong 13+ years later says everything.
@@TheTechPrepper Yep - they're good for sure. My team tested them for the road warriors we had at work - they loved them, we bought them, they were nearly impossible for them to break them.
Keep it going man!!
I believe the CF-20 is from 2016. Not quite that old. I own a CF-19 from 2012 and they are great.
Awesome video, looking forward to seeing more about your software and its usability. As a FF/mil and ham radio operator I see the usefulness of your idea. Keep up the great work.
Thanks! Given your experience, any ideas welcome. 73
That is an awesome setup, what more can I say. I really like where you are taking this and given that I already have the Yeasu FT-8800R and everything that I need for digital modes it might make sense for me to swap computer systems. Currently I am running a cheap Lenovo Win10 system for CERT which works well but is not sturdy for field use. This would also allow me to use my rig for SOTA and POTA as well as the additional Public Service Events I want to support.
Did you finally find an FT-8800R at a good price?
This setup will need to be tested more, but I believe this is a step in the right direction. I forgot to mention that there maybe some bonus features for SOTA. More on this later. The Lenovo's are great machines for amateur radio. I have an older model myself.
Well No and Yes.
No, the FT-8900 that I want I am still searching for.
Yes I do have an Ft-8800R that I can use for development but for sentimental reasons I will keep it in the shack. It was was left to me along with my VX-7R by my best friend and I want to protect them.
@@averageguysradio Makes sense. Good luck finding an 8900.
I am definitely looking forward to more videos on this setup! Hopefully I'm able to source one of those Toughbooks for myself sooner than later, as it would come in extremely handy for me doing weather ops and public service for my local club/amateur radio service, especially connected to either my D710 or D72. Also, it's so awesome to see you're a fellow code geek! I'm not a React guy myself (although I do know it well enough), but I do sling Angular at my day job and Vue on my side projects. As always, thanks for sharing! I look forward to all of your videos. 😊
This setup should work well with both radios. I have it on my list to test with the D710 and D74. I'm a software engineer, but certainly not a front end developer. React is way out of my comfort zone, but it's the right solution for the consumer-facing application. The backend and packaging of the full app is all done with Spring Boot.
@@TheTechPrepper Nice! Yeah, I'm a front end dev who is not very comfortable with the backend. LOL We u se Spring Boot for our backends at work.
@@KenReynolds Cool. Spring Boot is a great way to package the entire app as a single runnable unit. You'll dig the design once I make the Git repo public. Don't laugh at my front end code. 😂 Cheers!
@@TheTechPrepper Awesome! And I don't laugh at anyone's code, unless it's my own. 😊
Good mrorning Gaston & happy 2022 to you and yours. Your beard grows well. 73 & stay safe. Your Friend Uncle Guenter
Thanks. Yes, the beard is making a come back. 73!
I'm not going to lie, I'm kind of disappointed that Julian and now you are moving away from the Raspberry PI. At least you aren't going to Windows. I under stand your reasons, but it's cost prohibitive to a lot of hams. The RPI is a standardized platform that a lot of hams have adopted for that reason alone. Will the tool still be compatible with the RPI? I think your RPI failures might be due to the extreme heat of your climate. in that case I wonder if the laptop will be effected. The specs for the laptop say the max environmental operating temperature is 122F. It will be interesting to see.
I completely understand, Tom. The Pi will be supported, but it will come later.
I lost focus last year on this project by trying to make EmComm Tools "all things to all people." I had challenges with the software packaging even when using something like Build-A-Pi. For this to be an appliance, it needs be bundled as software/hardware unit for the initial beta phase. For phase I, it will be an Ubuntu ISO with all the software pre-configured.
I need to prove that it works first in a wilderness environment across a team of communicators over the course of a multi-day public service event. To make this happen, I need to be able to hand out these pre-configured appliances (with the sound interface and cables included). Everyone in our group has a VHF/UHF mobile rig with a data port. HF will be supported(and already works), but for this phase it's all FM.
I also want to use these units with my local prepper group and community. These guys don't care about the ham radio for the sake of "playing radio, " but they are all working on getting licensed. They just want an effective communications platform that is simple to use.
@@TheTechPrepper I agree with your group’s assessment. Simple simple simple like the atak type approach. Forgive me if it’s been asked but will emcomm do ft8 or other digital modes in a “simple” approach like you outlined?
@@WisconsinGabe There will be no support for FT8 as there is no emergency communications use case. Also, FT8 is weak signal mode over sideband and I want to target FM on VHF/UHF for the initial release.
To answer the environment question: yes, the Toughbook CF series will last in his environment. As a regular user of these computers CF-31/33 in the same area I can personally attest to them working after being in environments upwords of 150F. Now the device will shut down before that temperature to prevent damage but once it cools off a little it will fire back up like nothing happened. Their pricy but durable.
@@ImLost-s4b Thanks for sharing your personal experience with this line of Toughbooks. I'm looking forward to our triple digit Sonoran Desert summer, so that I can really benchmark the CF-20.
I love the new focus and direction. My old comms field craptop needs to be replaced. Looks like I'll be shelling out $500 for a Toughbook.
Thanks for the excellent work you're doing.
Not a problem. It's my pleasure. I'm really enjoying this new direction. I even enjoyed filming this video while recovering from a cold (hence my nasally voice). ;-)
Jump on those laptops at the current price. That eBay seller must be wondering what the heck is going on given the recent demand.
I hope you get a low mileage unit. It seems like a crap shoot. The BIOS shows the lifetime hours. Maybe ask the seller to check a couple of units?
@@TheTechPrepper - Have you had a chance to check the quality of the internal GPS? I'm wondering if a newer external GPS might provide better coverage under trees or in canyons.
@@Liberty4Ever Not yet. The machine is still running the default Windows 10.1 install. I have an external USB GPS that I am going to benchmark against it. Thanks for the idea!
Heck, since it's still running Windows, I plan to see what the fuss is about regarding Winlink and VARA. More updates coming.
G-Man, FB on the new approach. This will be very interesting. Your creative problem solving is producing a serious package and capabilities. TNT (tools not toys)
Thanks for the support. I like this new direction, too. There are plenty of ham radio channels dealing with tinkering and the latest and greatest. This is not a ham radio channel. This is a prepper channel. I am using ham radio as a tool to communicate. Heck, we're even going to get into MURS soon as there's an application for prepper comms that is very appealing like encryption.
Just found your channel and I am very impressed. Watch OH8STN but he is way above my knowledge/experience level. Have tech and GMRS licenses, working on general. Ft818 is my field radio, but learning to use my 705. Ordered my CF-20 tonight to replace my 19.
Welcome to the channel and to the hobby. I hope my style and content is inline what you're looking for. I'll be covering the FT-818ND manpack as the last radio in this series. That should be a little over 2 weeks out. Enjoy!
Thank you Gaston. 👊🏽
Any time! 👊
Congrats on the DigiLink Nano! Awesome to see you've bought it!
Looking forward to your experience with the Toughbook
73 de Luis, HB9HJU
Thanks. I've been using it for several weeks now and love it. I am trying to secure two more, but I'm on the waiting list at the moment. According to the creator, Christoph HB9ZHK, there's a new batch in production.
@@TheTechPrepper I'm trying to convince him to add CAT to this interface. If he does, it'll be the Ultimate interface. Hopefully enough of us can convince him.
Thanks! There's the DigiRig. Since I'm running this setup on the FTM-6000, the DigiLink worked great as this radio has no CAT control. But another product with both options would be great. How long have you had your unit? Any issues?
I had no idea that the Toughbooks were still in production. Might end up getting one sometime this year.
The trick is finding a unit that's not too beat up for a good price on the secondary market.
Great stuff, thank you.
No problem. You're welcome!
Following with interest for my cf30
That's a sold laptop. Thanks for your interest. Development on EmComm Tools is moving at a snail's pace. Family, maintaining an active lifestyle, and UA-cam are eating up all the hours. It will be nice to get it into wild at some point. Take care.
Edited, it’s a CF30
I have a toughbook and all the radio equipment. I’d like to help in testing. Great new direction for emcom
Sounds great. It's still a long way from a public beta. This best place to follow is on buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper. No need to buy me a coffee. That's simply where I manage the newsletter and provide more frequent updates to this project. I will announce the public beta there first.
i like the idea of making software for off grid use. is there already a software for finding your location based on the stars and polarity of the earth?
Morning my brother.
Morning!
That looks like a nice robust laptop. With a lot of laptops on the market looking like they are so fragile, that's nice to see there is a good option that can withstand travel and outdoor elements.
I hope it turns out to be a robust platform. I'm going to starting taking this portable and logging some field time. I shall the good, the bad and the ugly.
New to the channel.. Fantastic that you dumped windows! I'm very interested to see how your tools work under Linux and what they are.
Welcome! This build is several months old, but here's the demo of my EmComm Tools platform.
ua-cam.com/video/HFdXTk8Zp5c/v-deo.html
Do you think you’ll ever take a crack at the off grid computer in a pelican case concept? I’d love to see what you could come up with.
I've thought about it and have a slightly different approach compared to most hams. Spoiler alert: It would by an offline cyberdeck with first-class all-band capabilities. I'll tackle this next year.
@@TheTechPrepper would you integrate any of the offline programs, like the downloaded wiki pages or gps drive? (I’m asking while pretending to not hoping my favorite tech page will make the content so I can copy his)
Great job. I've been looking at this kind of thing. I would like to see one of these in person.
I've been frustrated for a while by the pi in amateur radio digital.
I'll be presenting this setup and EmComm Tools at the Chandler Amateur Radio Club on March 12th. Come on down. I'll announce it again as the date approaches.
@@TheTechPrepper I'm going to see if I can get off work early enough.
@@douglasvamateurradioandmore Also, I'll be at the Thunderbird Amateur Radio Hamfest next week.
@@TheTechPrepper what time is your presentation?
ah man I was listening to he went out of the way to shit on the raspberry pie calling it a "toy" sorry to tell you this but the quality of hardware and durability of the two is only different because the toughbook has a protective shell.....other than that internally and their reliability are all the same.......the fact that its much smaller and much lighter and can be put in a protective case too puts it ahead as a portable "SHTF" or "offgrid field computer" and tbh its also a lot more versatile, the toughbook requires certain OS and drivers to function properly they are notorious for behaving badly because you don't have their specifics installed
Looking good Gaston. Question about EMCOM tools. Will it be compatible with Windows? While I dislike Windows in general, the VARA suite of tools is amazing and is only available on Windows. Thanks for all you're doing. I'm look forward ti seeing just what you've created with EMCOM tools.
Thanks. Unfortunately, no for a number of reasons that I will explain in a future video. If this was my full time job, then yes I would support Windows. It may be an option down the road. Everyone wants Windows because of VARA. I challenge the author of VARA to allow and accept John Wiseman's offer to port VARA to Linux. Thanks for the comment! Great question.
as you now have an almost mil-spec digital device[might even be mil-spec]. if it were myself a used mil-man pack rafio would not be a weak link.
I've been looking at the new Harris HF/VHF/UHF rig, but man are they pricey. Some day I'll secure one. 73's
I also found the tough books on Amazon
Good price?
@@TheTechPrepper, $900. to right at $1200.00
@@esincl52 Ouch. That seller I found has them at $500. I think he still has about 70 units.
Do you still recommend the CF-20 or would the 8gb CF-54 be a better choice. Any advice would be helpfull. Thank for all you do
Great video Gaston! Never thought of using a Toughbook. How did you manage to install Ubuntu? Looks like an option for me :-) 73, Stephan, DF6PA
I just downloaded the ISO to a thumb drive, updated the BIOS to boot off the USB drive, then installed it. Very simple. There will be a video and/or a write up. I will post updates about the project on buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper. No need to buy a coffee. That's just an easy way for me to provide technical details without tainting my UA-cam channel with low-level details.
I find I can buy used laptops for less than putting all the pieces of a Pi together, and have a lot more capabilities,in general I run the Linux Mint OS on them. No they are not as power thrifty,but I am not a "bug out" kind of guy anyways.
I agree. The older laptops are a great option and are easier to source than Raspberry Pi's these days. As you said, they are often more capable especially if you run lighter weight Linux distributions like Mint or lubuntu. I personally love the older Thinkpad's. It's great when you can interface older ham radio gear with serial interfaces found on these older laptops. 73
awesome.
im not licensed yet, but the decision how to "design" emcomm tools is perfect.
plain, easy and straight forward -> perfect for emcomm stuff.
which bands and radio´s and modems are supported? or are there no restrictions about that besides legal ones of course?
Technically, all bands and modes can work depending on the radio. I did this last year, but lost focus as it was too much to handle all the modes. For the system as shown in this video and for what I am releasing for the first beta, I am targeting VHF/UHF and FM. This decision will allow me to focus on the equipment and mode that we use in our county for public service. This will also allow anyone with the an entry-level Technician license to use it. My preferred radio for the current setup is the Yaesu FTM-6000R. That radio plus the "DigiLink Nano" soundcard along with this Toughbook is what I am considering the "reference implementation".
@@TheTechPrepper thanks for your reply! interesting to see where it goes :D
@@TheTechPrepper sounds solid as a starting point *thumbs up*
This sounds like an interesting project. What uhf/vvhf radios are or will be compatible? Also, Will HF be connectivity be included?
Technically any radio will work that can be interfaced to a sound card. Heck, I've been using straight packet (with reduced capabilities) using the Mobilinkd TNC 2/3. HF already works, but I am not going to package it for the beta as I am 100% focused on testing this first with a local group using VHF/UHF over FM. I will open up the platform once I make sure the core design goals work in the field during actual public service events.
Ive been looking for a toughbook that can run Linux. Ive recently been looking at the CF-30
Take a look at the CF-33 as well.
Great video! Say could you tell us how much just the tablet weighs? And I’m assuming that the gps module is inside the tablet?
I don't have a good scale, but it feels to be about half the weight. I would assume ~2lbs. The full unit with keyboard is 3.9 lbs. On one of my units the LTE/GPS module is internal and installed behind the battery on the tablet. There are number of GPS options for the CF-20 that can be added depending on the generation.
Dammm.... you.... just got a cf-20c to replace my cf-19...lol..... gps, lte,
I am very interested in your program. I have an FT 891 ready for a run at it, looking forward to this for sure. Will you be selling the lap top with your program as a package?
Glad to hear you're looking forward to it. Yes, I'm considering selling a full kit. But, It was more along the lines of the computer with the manpack. This will be a logistical nightmare and will likely require that I quit my day job, so nothing is set in stone. These packages will be expensive, so it's unclear if there will be a demand. I have not considered just selling a preconfigured laptop, but that could be an easier first step. I'll keep the community updated on this front.
@The Tech Prepper Well then I will hold off on buying the laptop and wait for word to see if you will be selling the laptop with the program installed ready to go. You're definitely making the digital side of ham radio a lot easier.
How do you know when the Bioenno battery is fully charged? I've used lipo battery's with my Passport P2 charger and balance board and it always knew when it shut off. Is it ok to just plug it in and charge it without monitoring when it's done? Are the more simple chargers like one you suggest smart enough to know when the batt is full? Thank you
Great looking solution but the CF-20 is very expensive here in VK land. Any VK's know of a good source of 2nd hand units?
I had to lookup VK on my map. Australia! I hope you find a source at a good price. I contacted the eBay seller earlier today. He's offering $20 USD off with the code "TECHPREPPER". I'm wondering if he can ship internationally. 73
I HAVE A CF-19 AND HAS SOME EXTRA EXTERNAL HARDWARE SCREWED INTO 1 OF THE PORTS DONT KNOW WHAT IT IS BUT THINKING ITS EXTERNAL WIFI ADATAPER CAUSE IT WILL NOT CONNECT THROUGH WINDOWS, ITS TOUCH SCREEN AND ROTATING SCREEN AND STYLES WHICH SHOCKED ME FOR THIS OLD OF A PC I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IT HAS AND WHAT UPGRADES AVAILABLE, WHEN I SCANNED THE BOTTOM OF IT A $3000 PRICE TAG POPPED UP HAS DIFFERENT STICKER BAR CODES LOOK LIKE ADDED AFTER
Is there a reason you do not use your 857D as your uhf/vhf radio, and also your HF radio? I dont know enough about the 8900R or the FTM 6000R. Do they each serve a different purpose. Sorry if you've mentioned this in a different video. Love your videos!
Glad you enjoy the videos. I will actually be covering the FT-818 (next video) and the FT-857D (after the 818 video). This is an excellent question. There is no one radio that works for every application. The one that use depends on my goals.
The FT-8900 has a much smaller footprint than the FT-857D but only does FM on four bands. Its strength is that is supports crossband repeat and has dual VFO. The FT-857 does not support x-band and only has a single VFO. So, for public service events in the backcountry, the FT-8900 is the tool for me.
The FT-857D is really a Swiss Army Knife as it is all-band, all-mode with plenty of power to make just about any contact. It's size and weight has been a problem for me on some of backcountry operations. I primarily use the FT-857D when I need to operate SSB on 2m or 440 or need to run HF on higher power.
I'll make the point in the next two videos that every radio has it's trade offs. However, if I could only have one radio it would either by the FT-818ND or FT-857D.
@@TheTechPrepper I look forward to those videos explaining the advantages of each of those radios. I get the need for FM for local groups during an emergency or a shtf type of senario. Local intel to your local groups to pass along will be crucial for the safety of their families and others, especially during the first 24-48 hrs to any emergency situation. I haven't delved into FM digital yet, so looking forward to more videos. At the present time, my 897D is my shack radio with a pi4 using js8, fldgi, flamp, flmsg, fsq and gARIM. I have 2 signalinks that I use although I have the digirig, I just haven't gotten used to adjusting the audio when using the digirig. The sl just works every time. I have an 857D and 817nd for portable, using the pi4 or a Linux laptop. I'm hoping that VARA will come to the pi or Linux soon. I do have the digirig cable for UHF/VHF and will hopefully set that up soon. Thank you for all that you do and keep those awesome videos coming!
@@mtngr1 I believe people like Jason, KM4ACK, are having decent luck with VARA on the Pi. I've had a few viewers send me info getting VARA to run under Linux, but sadly I do not have time yet to be an early adopter and go through the pain of setting that up. Given that you are a digital user, you may want to search my channel for "EmComm Tools". It's a simplified UI and abstraction layer that runs on top of most of the tools you already use. It also included a bunch of other custom tooling like offline maps, callsign lookups and VHF and UHF predictions. I am working on offline HF predictions by using vocapl under the hood. It's not released yet as I barely have time to work on it these days. Yes, the SignaLink, while clunky, is great for dealing with audio levels. When I first go started a couple of years ago, I found the monitor port on the back to be very useful for debugging the audio with a pair of head phones.
@@TheTechPrepper Yes, I follow KM4ACK, like you, time is not on my side. I am waiting for it to be out of beta testing. I will look for your EmComm video. Have you thought about if there is a grid down situation, and repeaters are down, how many repeaters run on solar or are able to still stay up? Do the repeater books or websites tell you if their repeaters run on solar? Thank you for your time. I really appreciate it.
What do you think of the touchpad fz-f1? They are 40$ and the size of a phone
Great minds sir. I ended up doing a CF-20 for my kit and then came across your video while looking for a solution for my display. My stylus does not work with Linux Mint....What did you do to get it to work with Ubuntu? Was it functioning out of the box? And lastly, is your stylus just a plastic pen that is all one piece with a plastic tip, or is the tip some other material? I've found mixed parts..some with a plastic tip, and some with kind of a capacitance type tip.
The stylus does not work under Ubuntu either. This has been low on my list of to-do items. My stylus is a plastic pen that is all one piece with a plastic tip. Everything else functions mostly out of the box. The only exception which required some work was the LTE/GPS module. I still have a few items I am working though on the GPS front to get it to handle hibernation correctly. It will be a couple of months before I revisit these pending items as I am tied up with some GIS/map work for the software project I am working on--EmComm Tools.
@@TheTechPrepper I found a solution. I have a dual boot system with windows (that was licensed with the toughbook, and has the panasonic utilities on it). I opened the panasonic utility in windows, and selected "stylus only" instead of stylus and touch...It shouldn't make sense that a program inside windows would effect inside linux, but maybe it has a bios trick in it. Now it works fine in Linux, but the finger wont work. Whereas in Windows, both works.
@@paulb9179 Thanks for sharing. I'll stick with my solution as I like to use my fat fingers. ;-) Glad to hear you found a workaround. I'll let the community know when I find a solution that covers both touch and stylus.
An Atak still app would be great
It is. I almost pivoted and switched to using ATAK as the platform for EmComm Tools. If my vision works, I will create a plug-in for ATAK (2023), but that will be commercial product. It would be nice to quite my day job and create a small business around an ATAK plugin.
@@TheTechPrepper I have seen some videos of atak on aprs which is cool. That sorta app is what aprs is all about. Thank you for the videos, they are very inspiring.
@@daleurban4059 APRS and maps are like peas and carrots. Although APRS offers so much more than geolocation tracking.
Have you considered making a docker image with all your software/configuration?
I have and do have plenty of Docker experience given my day job, but I unfortunately do not have enough hours to support another installation option. In order to stay focused and make use of the little time I have for this project the initial release will be a custom Ubuntu ISO image. Great question.
@@TheTechPrepper That's probably a better choice for a lot of users as they won't have to overcome the hurdle of running docker if they don't have experience.
I've been thinking of getting an older toughbook for portable base station use, but I am worried that the keyboard will be terrible to type on. What are your thoughts? Thanks.
I can't speak to any Toughbooks other than the CF-20, but I am really happy with the keyboard. It was one of the selling points that I failed to mention. It's small, but the keys are raised and perfect for anyone who touch types.
What’s the chances of an apple version of this?!?!
Hi, do you have any idea on how to remove the Bios password on this model? the one I got came without HDD and to install it requires to unlock the bios but it's locked... online there's plenty of "CF-30" bios unlock vids but none abt the cf-20. maybe you can help me. thanks
Correct me if I'm wrong. I know the toughbook was used by the Military and am I correct in assuming it is EMP shielded?
Not sure about that, but the CF-20 is MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461F certified. I'd have to read the standards to see if EMP protection is part of the certification.
Best comment on the channel to date. Love it!
That was worth reading the comments 😂. EMP proff is a hard no but some model's can be made "intrinsically safe". Which basically means sealed up tight and could probably survive a few more seconds in the microwave when you're trying to kill that spider on the keyboard.
Anyway to get you tool on my cf-20? Also for my emcomm gobox with vara hf.
It's not ready for distribution yet. I will be releasing it later this year. There are too many changes at the moment. I'll let everyone know when it's ready.
Would RasbPi be good for a emcomm deployable repeater/station-in-a-box type setup?
Yes. I am using the RPi as a dedicated digipeater. If I had a 3D printer and the ability to design rubber components I would absolutely design a purpose built all-weather enclosure.
Another Raspberry Pie, bites the dust. Julian OH8STN has come to the same conclusion, larger screen and power.
There's nothing wrong with the Pi, but it has its limitations. The CF-20 runs circles around it.
Where did you get the DC to DC power supply for the CF 20?
I bought this one on eBay. I typically charge via A/C, so I've only used this a handful of times.
www.ebay.com/itm/384163437798
do you have a link for the seller, the one in the description doesn't work
They all sold out a few days after this video was released. It looks like all the prices doubled and are around $1,000 USD if you can find them. Good luck. You might want to try another seller on eBay.
How’s the performance of the CF-20 doing for your needs?
Great question. I love it. I have three of them and take the main one to the field all the time. It's a great little platform. I am working on a custom Ubuntu distribution for the CF-20 (very slowly) as I have a number of friends that want their's setup identically.
@@TheTechPrepperThat custom Ubuntu setup sounds very interesting especially since I just picked up a CF-20 as a result of your videos. Keep up the good work!
@@GunFanactic Excellent choice. Enjoy! I found that a nice sweat spot is to dual boot the CF-20. I run a very small partition for Windows 10 (20-25% of the drive) as there is some software that is Windows only. In practice, I rarely use the Windows partition. Ubuntu 22.04 works very well with the CF-20 and allocate the other 75%-80% of the drive. The only thing that I have not figured out is the stylus, but the touch experience works very well. My customized OS will be called EmComm Tools OS and is scheduled for a private beta in 2023. I talk about it occasionally on www.buymeacoffee.com/thetechprepper/posts
Do u have an updated link for a new ebay seller it isn't there anymore
Sadly, no. This deal is long gone. The prices are now double. Good luck.
What's your opinion about meshtastic?
I don't have an opinion at the moment. I plan to dive into in 2023. I'm pretty sure it does not have the range we're getting now with our VHF simplex setups. I'll make some videos next year.
Did you succesfully manage to use the stylus? I have the same pc and ubuntu 21.10 and it doent work.
I did when I ran lubuntu the first time. I have a to-do to figure out to get the stylus working under Ubuntu. It likely needs calibration.
I figured out how to get the internal GPS working last week. It's documented on my site. Use approach #1.
www.thetechprepper.com/cf-20-gps-configuration
whats the bag holding the radio on the thumbnail?
It's the Helikon-Tek E&E pouch with a 5.11 6x6 pouch on the front. Check out my FTM-6000 manpack videos. I do a full breakdown on the first video.
Gaston how mini GB's of ram do you need to run that set up?????????????
The ones that I sourced are all running 16GB of RAM which should be more than plenty. I'm still writing the software so I don't have firm specs yet. I would say 8GB would be the minimum required given software I'm running so far.
@@TheTechPrepper Thank you kind Sir.that was a big help.
i dont understand this. what are you using the computer for? your SOL if shtf and the internet goes out.
All the software on the laptop works with out the internet. Simply put, It uses the radio for sending/receiving digital traffic. I have a network of about 40 amateur radio operators that I can pass messages. It's more efficient than passing voice traffic in a lot of cases.
What’s the chances of an apple version of this?!?! I’m not smart enough to use PC !!!
I have a version that runs on the Mac, but sadly will not release it as I can't support it. It will be distributed as a custom Linux distribution that can run off a USB drive from a clean reboot.
Do ever use sdr ?
Yes. I did a mini series on the RTL-SDR last year.
Any chance you would be willing to share how you got ubuntu up and running on your cf-20? I've managed to get ubuntu onto the cf-20, everything seems to be working well with the exception of the gps unit. I've tried looking at the system profiler app, and it's showing the module incorrectly listed (shows as EM7305, actual unit is EM7355).
`rfkill list all` is not showing the mobile/gps module, haven't been able to flash the firmware as it's not mounting properly. Online hasn't been much help with figuring this out. I've tried to update the firmware, but I keep getting permission denied errors when trying to do a `qmi-firmware-update`. Was this something you experienced as an issue? BIOS seems to be pointing correctly. I'm at a loss.
I plan to do a high-level video on the CF-20 and before the fall as I have worked through a number of issues over the last 4 months. My GPS unit is working, but it's not perfect. I am hesitant to share one of my CF-20/Ubuntu posts as there are still issues related when the system is suspended or started with the tablet removed., but here you go: www.thetechprepper.com/cf-20-gps-configuration
I need to rewrite this article, but sadly don't have a lot in the way of time. It should help a little. I plan to update the above post once everything is squared away.
@@TheTechPrepper I have been through your config, but it's not returning anything because I think the devices item isn't correct. There is nothing showing up under '/dev/ttyUSB' at all.
Been through this 12 ways till sunday but can't figure out why it's not mounting as a ttyUSB device when it's showing when I run 'lsusb'.
My next step may be simply running an older version of ubuntu (currently on jammy) in hopes that cures my ills.
Thanks for the help thus far though. Love the channel, you'll be receiving a coffee from me later.
@@603Cummins The GPS integration under Linux is rough. It took my two weeks to get as far as I did with that original write-up. Did you try the alternate option I proposed without using gpsd? Also, did you verify that the GPS worked under Windows first? Thanks for the support and good luck!
@@TheTechPrepper I sadly did not confirm the GPS worked on windows. I confirmed the computer was functioning with some basics but then flashed Linux the same day. I didn't even realize this unit had GPS until I opened the back.
The odd thing is that I'm not seeing a single ttyUSB. I did download the firmware update from Sierra, however I'm struggling to get the unit to accept it, the files don't seem to want to run but that could be due to my not being super familiar with Linux beyond server use.
I'll keep stabbing away at it, my only other thought is that I may need to downgrade to an older version of Ubuntu rather than Jammy, perhaps there is a conflict that is not clear yet, although I'm not sure what it would be.
Why not windows?
I am not a Windows developer. I've been using Linux since the mid 90's. Also, all of this work is done in my spare time and makes no money. So, sadly, I can't support another operating system. I am planning on making a commercial plugin for ATAK later, so the there may be hope for a Windows version.
@@TheTechPrepper I am a mac guy. Would windows or Linux be a better slash easier to migrate to for ham radio stuff?
Nice. I'm a Mac guy, too, but the ham radio software ecosystem is richer on Windows and Linux. There is some software that is Windows only like VARA, but if you don't need VARA for Winlink, both Windows and Linux are solid options. The Raspberry Pi has also served me well, too for the last couple of years. My main digital station at home will still continue to run on the Pi. Good luck!
2008 laptop…..
You sure 🤔
I read an article on how to derive the year and series from the serial number and it indicated 2008, but then again, you can't trust everything you read online. I'll have to double check.
computer?
real ham would never touch A COMPUTER!
😄
I am an outsider when it comes to amateur radio. I guess that's why this projects is taking the form that it is. I love voice, but digital is also needed for effective communication for our public service events and emergency response scenarios. ;-)
@@TheTechPrepper
hey since you are a tech guy you can also start
on scanning local area videos and go into encryption/decryption explaining stuff.
just giving u food for thought.
Ubuntu is spyware.
Very productive comment. This is an air gapped computer not connected to the Internet.
@@TheTechPrepper Fair enough, I still personally wouldn't let that software touch any computer hardware, internet connected or not.
Plenty of other Debian based distros that aren't shilling out to garbage data farms like Amazon.
@@longdongvondiqenbaum You make a good point. If this was designed to be an Internet connected platform, Ubuntu would not be my choice. The primary motivation for Ubuntu is that it works very well with my reference hardware (Panasonic CF-20 Toughbook) for this project. The main goal is distributing this as an offline communications appliance that works well with the reference hardware. All devices including the touch interface and GPS worked the best based on my testing compared to other distributions. Sadly, this project will not be all things to all people. Thanks for the counterpoint.
@@TheTechPrepper Counterpoints are quite fun, we could talk about this forever as us Linux users tend to do lol.
As long as you're happy with how it works and is field expident that's all which really matters in the end, I didn't know at first if it was connected to the internet so I thought to make the point but should've figured you had a reason to use it in place of something else.
Personally I'm not a HAM operator, I use SSH which as I'm sure you know is much more secure since there is no encryption for amateur radio however it's reliant on the internet which could go down of course.
For now though ssh-chat is my go to.
@@longdongvondiqenbaum I have fond memories of sniffing telnet traffic (usernames/passwords) while at the university 20+ year back. As a sysadmin I was happy when SSH was finally widely adopted. I still use SSH every day. I am ham, but still plan to include AES-256 bit encryption (in a private build) my EmComm Tools OS for all the digital traffic passed over RF. It's an SHTF safety net. Happy Friday!
windows is a waste
No comment, but yes. ;-)
Would the CF19 work as well?
Does it matter for Emcomtools which version ?
In the future will there be a Win version of your tool?
Just asking - if I have to “learn” ubuntu 🤒 73 de HB3XBL 👍🇨🇭
It's only been tested on the CF-20 and FZ-M1. I had some minor driver issues to solve for both, so I am not sure if other Panasonic's well work. It's a full blown operating based on Ubuntu 22.10. Great questions.
How did you get the CF-20 stylus to work with ubuntu? No issues with the touch screen just the pen.
I have the same problem
as you do. Touch works fine, but the pen does not. I had a viewer report they have been able to get touch or the pen to work, but not at the same time. Apparently, there's a configuration utility under Windows that allows you set which one is used, then they boot into Linux. My apologies if this is a bit vague, but this was the gist of their message to me last year. Good luck!
@@TheTechPrepper I was thinking it was something at the bios level as I do get a kernel error regarding a pointer device during the first few seconds of boot. I'll work on it a bit and see if I can get anywhere. Just installed Ubuntu today so haven't put much time into it yet.