There was a time when a ham radio had a lot of dials and switches, and probably a lot of boxes. Computers have changed all that. Some transceivers now have only a few buttons or are even fully controlled by a computer. Where a ham can have a TeleType machine, a slow-scan TV monitor and a fax printer to receive satellite images at the same time, they can all be on one computer that can even if it’s a Raspberry Pi. [F4GOH] there is a publication that takes you from the basics to the installation of everything – from SDR to very common ham programs for digital modes, APRS, SSTV and more. You can also download the seven-part tutorial as separate PDF files.
Even if you are not a ham, you may find some of the software interesting. OpenWebRX allows you to listen to software-defined radio on the go. You can use other software to collect satellite weather data.
If you are an experienced Linux user, you will not need some of the early materials. But you will find some good notes on how to use ham-specific software and you will get a good overview of what is possible.
Radio Ham has changed a lot. If you think of it as people with noisy big radios, you may be surprised. The hobby is big enough to find everything from people talking on small radio stations around the world using a hybrid of radio and internet connection, to people bouncing off the moon or using radio satellites.
[Dan Maloney] has talked about how to start in the radio with ham for under $ 50. Then again you may need another $ 50 for the Raspberry Pi. Of course, there are many possibilities to hack the facilities.
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