Well…. It’s working but not as easy as I thought to build. Modifying the little sound fob is difficult as it requires removing some surface mount components and adding some some 33ga wire leads to pins on a super-small IC. Not something I can poop out quickly as my eye’s even with glasses are pretty bad I’m finding. I have learned a TON though by building it and have enough parts to build another of the BF-888/CM108 version. Since the CM108 fobs are so cheap, I have a few coming and will likely get better and faster at modifying them.
Taking the Baofeng BF-888 apart and doing the needed mods isn’t difficult and makes for a great CHEAP platform for a node radio at $8-$10 each on Amazon.
I also still have a DMK URI and am making up a 25-pin connector for another BF-888. This is the easiest way to build one. The DMK URI (universal Radio Interface) runs about $120 and there are similar offerings from Repeater-Builder for a wire-configurable interface that they call a RIM (Radio Interface Module).
If you happen to have a Kenwood or Alinco radio that has the 9-pin serial on the back, Repeater-Builder has a plug-n-play option called an Alinco-RIM. This is a 9-pin to USB affair and it makes this SUPER simple. This is what my high-power node at home 548950 is running. Antenna is a 17′ co-linear and it has great audio and great coverage.
I’m definitely having some RF issues with my home-brew BF-888/CM108 node. Ended up buying a cheap shielded network cable that I’ll cut up and use as shielded cables in the next version. I also hot glued the radio on its side with the RF board on the opposite side of the Raspberry Pi. This puts the BF-888’s heatsink between the radio board and the computer as some extra shielding.
It’s a bit frustrating as there are a bunch of videos of people twisting these types of nodes together and ‘having no issues’… assuming they are sparing all the trials and tribulations for the sake of a ‘look what I did’ video. 🙂 Each version I have played with so far has some sort of issue that needs worked out. Mostly audio quality and RFI.
I’ll keep plugging away at it….
nothing about allstar is ever easy, those that know dont share with those that dont