Create an Allstar ECR Radioless Node Step-by-Step

Important: Create a text file for your pertinent information and to use to collect information during install

*/ GENERAL INFO /*

Callsign: YOURCALLSIGN

Go to QRZ Gridmapper and get your grid coordinates

Latitude: 34.8 degrees (positive value for North, negative for South)
Longitude: -86.5 degrees (positive value for East, negative for West)
Town: YOURTOWN, GRID# (ex. EM17q)
Country: YOUR COUNTRY (IE. USA)

QRZ Call Sign URL Profile: https://www.qrz.com/db/YOURCALLSIGN

Node Type: Public

!*/ //// ALLSTAR NODE Info /*

Root: root
Pass: xxxxxxxxxx (YourPassword)

IAXRP: xxxxxxxxxx (Your IXRP Password)

Asterix User: admin
pass: xxxxxxxxxxx (tip most people keep all three the same)

ALLSTAR NODE: ######## (Get this from AllstarLink.org)
pASS: ####****###*** Provided by AllstarLink.org
CALLSIGN: xx#xxx
Allocation IP: xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx (IP to the Pi)

Keep this up as you go through this Step by Step!!!!!! for recording in a notepad txt file!

Get a Node from https://www.allstarlink.org

  1. Log onto allstarlink.org/
  2. Signup
  3. Apply for a node.

This takes approximately 24 hours.

Parts List

  • 1 Phillips Screwdriver
  • Raspberry Pi 3B+    LINK
  • B+ Case with Fan Cooling Pi 3B Case   Link
  • MPOW Headset Model BH125A   Link
  • 16GB Mini Sd Card  Link
  • Cheap Card Reader Link

And that is it!

Putting Together the Pi and Case

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The first thing you do is lay all the part out and ensure it is all present.

Next grab your Heatsinks and put them on the top of the microchips.

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Next remove the four corner screws from the case and lay them above the case.

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Flip the box over as so and we will be installing like a book and turning the pages.

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Remove the first layer and remove the film from the plexiglass.

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Now grab the rubber feet and place them in the 4 corners as so.

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Next, flip over the bottom and place the feet down. 

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Next, like a book, grab the next layer and flip it on top the bottom layer like so.

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 Next grab the next layer and flip it like a page and place on top the second layer like so.

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Next grab your Raspberry Pi and place it in the 3rd layer Like So.

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Just like a book begin turning those pages and stacking the layers till the Black layer.

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Next, grab the top layer and remove the protective film.

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Next place 4 screws into the holes beside the fan opening like so.

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Using a piece of paper flip the cover and keep the screws in the holes. Now place the Fan with the sticker side up like so.

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Use the 4 nuts and put them on finger tight.

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Flip it back over and tighten slightly the screws on the fan then flip it over.  Connect the red and black connectors to the board pins 2 & 3 as so.

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 Now slide the screws back in on the corners and tighten them down.

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Congratulations you have now set up the Pi and the Case.

 

 

Download the required software for the install

1. Create a folder on Desktop “ALL STAR NODE SETUP” and place all the following in this folder:

      a. SanDisk Formatter SD Card Formatter 5.0.2 Click Here to Download
           1. Install the SDCARD Formatter

      b. HamVoip Installation file go to  https://hamvoip.org/

2. Click on Download 

1Hamvoip

and scroll down to the following:

2-Download-Image.png

3. Make sure you are on the desktop/ALLSTAR Node Folder and then Click Save

3-Save-Image-EXE-FILE

4. Go to the Desktop/ALLSTAR NODE SETUP folder and double click on the exe file

4-Open-Exe-File

5. Click on the Extract button

5-Extract-Button

6. Open the new extracted folder:

6-Open-New-Folder

These are the files you should see in this folder:
7-Filesincludedin-Ham-Voip

Prepping the SD Card

1. Use a card reader, mine is a cheap onOne card reader from Walmart.

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2. Put the mini SD card into the card reader (a file explorer window might open) Write down the drive letter or keep this window open for future need.

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3. Open SDCard Formatter
                                    8-Open-SDCard-Formatter.png

4. Click Yes to allow
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5. Make sure the correct Drive is selected, Use Overwrite format, Label volume AllStarNode
                                  10-Format-SD.png

WAIT TILL DISK IS COMPLETELY FORMATTED!!!
                                  10-Good-Format.png

6. Close Disk Formatter

MOUNTING THE HAMVOIP ISO TO SD CARD

1. Open the rPi Folder
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2. Right Click the win32diskimager and Open as administrator

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3. Click Yes to Allow App
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4. Accept the Agreement and Click Next
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5. Click Next
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6. Click Install
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7. Uncheck readme.TXT and make sure Launch is checked (May require a reboot of Computer)
17Launch.png

8. Check your folder for the correct drive should say “ALLSTARNODE” (EX. ALLSTARNODE (J:))

9. Select Correct Drive Letter for the Device and then Click the folder next to it.
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10. Select the RPi File and then Click Open
19-Select-RPi.png

11. Click Write Button
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12. Click Yes to Write
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Wait until the entire image is written on the card.

CLOSE ALL ERRORS WHEN THEY POP UP!

13. Remove SDCard from reader

Prepping the pi NODE

1. USE the MPOW HEADSET Model BH125A

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2. Connect the USB of the Headset to the far right bottom USB Port (In this image I also have a logi Wifi in the upper left USB, disregard unless yours is wifi) 

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3. Connect Ethernet Cable if using ethernet.

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4. Insert SD Card into Back of Pi

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Get ready to write down the ip address upon bootup! Put on your headset.

5. Plug in the pi to the power cord and it may take a minute or so to fully power up the first time.

6. Listen in the headset for the IP ADDRESS and write it down in your txt file        xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx  (example 192.168.0.101)

7. Go to RPi folder and run putty.exe
22Putty.png

8. Type in your IP address Port 222, then Type in ALLSTAR# and save. Then click Open
23puttysetup.png

9. ACCEPT the Certificate Key

24-Accept-Key.png

This opens the terminal for the pi

Programming the Pi

1. Login: root
password: root

NOTE: DO NOT USE THE NUMBER KEYPAD ON THE RIGHT OF THE KEYBOARD!!!!

2. Perform the Latest System Updates: Yes
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After Update the pi reboot hit OK to reboot

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3. Reopen Putty Using the following method:
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4. Login root, pass root

5. This time select NO to retrieve updates.

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7. Run First SETUP

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8. Set up root password you want and notate it on the txt file above so you do not forget it.

9. repeat the password

10. Select No for Private Node
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11. Go to https://www.allstarlink.org/portal/ and get your node and password

12. Enter Node NUMBER
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13. Enter you Call Sign and click Enter
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14. Select yes to report status
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15. Select Yes if you want voice or No if you want CW… We choose NO
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16. Bind port: 4569 Then Click OK
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17. Select 3 for full duplex so you can hear if someone is talking as you key up
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18. Set Node Password ( we set this the same as the root password for easy memory)

19. Select yes and Set IAXRPT Password (Again we use the same for ease of memory)
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20. Select YES for USB Config
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21. Select Yes to Continue
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22. Select 1 invert

23. Select No for eeprom
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24 Select Yes for Mic Gain
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25. Select YES for Carrier Default
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26. Select Yes for COR
27. Select No for CTCSS
28. Select yes for Grounded
29. Select yes for plfilter
30. Select No for deemphasis
31. Select No for preemphsis
32. Audio delay is 0 hit OK
33. Audio level 80% Click Yes
24. Mixer value 500 and OK
25. txmixer A is 500 click OK
26. TX Mixer B is 500 Click OK
27. Select Yes for Asterisk restart
28. OnMain Menu select Time Zone Option and hit enter
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29. Yes if you want to change or no if in East Time Zone
30. use arrow down key and go to your timezone and hit the spacebar and mark the timezone then click OK
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31. Click Yes to Confirm

///If you are going to use wifi here is where you set it up If not move to next section ////

32. Plug in Dongle for WiFi in top Left USB Port

33. Arrow down to 7 and configure the WiFi
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34. Choose “1 to setup SSID and Passphrase
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35. Select Yes to continue

36. Select No to auto setup and follow the prompts to get wifi setup

37. reboot system

Setup Supermon

Now you have completed the setup. Now there are two ways to edit the next. The easiest is using the WINSCP file
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After opening WINSCP you will come to the login screen

1. Click on New Site on the left

2. Enter IP Address to the Raspberry Pi, Port 222, Username root, and root password you set

3. Click Save
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4. Enter “AllStar Node #” Check Save Password, then click OK
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5. Next Double Click on the name of the Node you just saved.

6. It may ask you to accept a certificate, just accept it

7. The Left side is your hard drive on the computer, the right side is your Pi

8. First time, you may need to double click the folder with a back arrow.
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9. You should now see a tree with the following:
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10. Double click Folder called “etc” then double click “asterisk” then right click on manager.conf, Click properties
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11. In permissions, check all R’s and W’s and number should change to 0666 (this is called CHMOD and will be referred as CHMOD ### in the rest of this document. Then Click OK
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12. Right Click on manager.conf and Click Open
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13.

14. Put a semicolon “;” before the bindaddr = 127.0.0…..

15. Remove the “;” from the bindaddr = 0.0.0……..

16. Look for [admin] and password = xxxxxx

Change the password to whatever you want for login on your supermon. Again we make them all the same for ease of memory. Save and Close
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14. Now CHMOD 0666 rpt.conf file

15. Right Click and Open rpt.conf

16. Find your node number and below that add the following line

LOOK for this: [YOUR NODE #] ; Change this to your assigned node number

ADD THIS BELOW THE NODE LINE: outstreamcmd=/bin/sh,-c,play -t raw -r 8k -e signed -b 16 -c 1 –

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17. Now Go to the drop down and go back to /<root>
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18. Now Double click the following folders: srv, http, and supermon

19. CHMOD 0666 Allmon.ini

20. Right click and Open Allmon.ini

21. EVERYWHERE 1998 is Replace with your Node Number (Tip: Click Edit>Replace Find “1998” and replace with your Node number and replace all)
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22. Find passwd=
Add your password (ie. passwd=password here)

22. Click File and Save, then exit

23. Open putty software

24. Login as root

25. Change to the Supermon directory if not already there.  TYPE: cd /srv/http/supermon

26. TYPE: htpasswd – rm .htpasswd

27. Add an htpasswd file (Replace <UserID> with your admin username) TYPE:  htpasswd -cB .htpasswd <userID> 

28. Supply a password of your choice when prompted. We use the same password as the supermon.

NOTE: <userID> is the login ID and can be any username you would like to assign; admin for example. DO NOT enter the < or >. Do NOT use a ! (exclamation) in the password.

 

Edit the Favorites.ini

This is where you add all your favorite nodes like the east coast reflector

1. CHMOD 0666 favorites.ini

2. Right Click and Open favorites.ini

3. You will see several already included that are others in Allstar. But we are going to add the East Coast Reflector.

4. Right click and choose select all hit delete, should be a completely blank file.

5. Copy and paste the following code:

				
					; The %node% template will be replaced with your node number at run time.
;
; Put favorites in the [general] section that will show for all nodes.
; Put visible action in LABEL field between quotes
; put command in CMD filed between quotes
;
; Commented Examples are show below

[general]
;
label[] = "Disconnet all Nodes"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 6 xxx"
;
label[] = "East Coast AllStar HUB2 45192"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 13 45192"
;
label[] = "East Coast AllStar HUB3 45225"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 13 45225"
;
label[] = "East Coast AllStar HUB1 27339"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 13 27339"
;
label[] = "W2SO 147.550 Lancaster AllStar HUB 459200"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 13 459200"
;
label[] = "W2SO 147.285 Lancaster AllStar HUB 419730"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 13 419730"
;
label[] = "W2put Radar HUB Michigan AllStar HUB 45505"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 13 45505"
;
label[] = "Philadelphia AllStar HUB 27225"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 13 27225"
;
label[] = "US PARROT Audio Test Server 55553"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 55553"
;
label[] = "UK PARROT Audio Test Server 40894"
cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 40894"
;
label[] = "Shutdown"
cmd[] = "rpt fun %node% *B1"
;
;
; Example text non-action label field
; Adding a divider line
;label[] = "----------------------------"
label[] = "Edit Favorties.ini to add content"
cmd[] = "NONE"
;
;label[] = "KJ4QAL WIRES-X Room-21044 Bridge"
;cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 27019"
;
;label[] = "KJ4QAL DSTAR XRF727-A Bridge 29345"
;cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 29345"
;
;label[] = "KJ4QAL DSTAR XRF727-C Bridge 27018"
;cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 27018"
;
; Example text non-action label field
;label[] = "----------------------------"
;cmd[] = "NONE"
;
; IRLP Example - Must have IRLP enabled
;
;label[] = "East Coast IRLP REF9050"
;cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 89050"
;
;label[] = "ECHO-TEST IRLP REF9990"
;cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 89990"
;
; Example text non-action label field
;label[] = "----------------------------"
;cmd[] = "NONE"
;
; Echolink example - must have echolink enabled
;
;label[] = "*SCARS* Echolink 96140"
;cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 3096140"
;
;label[] = "*ECHO-TEST* Echolink 9999"
;cmd[] = "rpt cmd %node% ilink 3 3009999"
;
; Put favorites for specific nodes here.
;
; [1007]
;
				
			

// copy above this line//

5. Click File, Save

6. Close the file

Edit GLOBAL.inc

1. CHMOD 0666 on global.inc

2. Right click and Open global.inc

3. Change the following to your info:
// Your callsign
$CALL = “YOUR CALLSIGN“;

// Your name
$NAME = “FIRST NAME“;

// Your location
$LOCATION = “CITY, STATE, COUNTRY“;
//

Time to Adjust 3mm Jack Sound
(If you will use external speaker)

1. Open Putty

2. login root

3. Enter root password

4. Go to 9 Start Bash Shell Interface

5. type: alsamixer
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6. press F5 Key
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7. press up arrow to as close to 80 as possible.
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8. press right arrow

9. press up arrow to as close to 80 as possible
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10. press the ESC key

11. type: sudo alsactl store
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12. Type: exit  Hit the return key

13. Close Putty

To access supermon

1. Go to your favorite browser and enter in the address bar http://xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx/surpermon

xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx is your Pi’s IP Address

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2. Click on Login and use the admin and password you created

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3. Click on your Node number

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4. Look at the Node Connection box and ensure it says “No Connections”  If it says anything else one of the steps was missed.

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5.  Once you have no connections.  Push the button with inline …… on the fob to the headset and see if it looks like this:

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If yes, congrats your headset is properly connected.

6. Next Click on the favorites button

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7. Click the dropdown and choose a “PARROT Test Server”. Then Click Connect.   

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You should hear the voice pairing the connection with the server.

8. Close the Favorites Window

9. You should be back on the supermon Main screen.  Look at the Connection Node block and you should see this:

75.png

10.  Key up and say your Call Sign and 1, 2, 3, 4, fiiiiivvvvvvveeeeeee. 

When you unkey the Parrot will tell you if you are low, ok, or high.  If you need to adjust refer to the alsamixer and try again.

11.  Now we are going to disconnect from the node before going to another node.  Click the Favorites button again.

12. Ensure it says “Disconnect all nodes” and Click the Connect button

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13. Now your going to connect to the East Coast Reflector…..

14.  Click the dropdown and choose one of the 3 nodes for the ECR and Click Connect.

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Again you will hear the voice when connected.

15.  Close the favorites window

16. Wait for the opportunity and key up and say your Callsign and say hello!

 

To Adjust USB Headset Volume

  1. open putty and login as root
  2. Select 12 Run Simple-USB-tune-menu

  3.  Type 7 and enter

4. Type 500 then Enter

5. listen to the sound… If too loud reduce the sound to 450, if too soft for you increase to 600… and make adjustments as your preference.

 

Welcome to the East Coast Repeater!

73- KY4ATF