You accomplish this, and other functions such as adjusting the volume, by setting up a serial connection with the RS-UV3’s processor and sending it commands. Alternatively, you could wire an electret microphone, small speaker, and PTT button directly to the shield.īut most people who have a radio want to tune it to more than one frequency. Plugging in a handheld speaker/microphone with a push-to-talk (PTT) button via a jack on the RS-UV3 will let you talk back and forth on that frequency. The onboard processor then boots up in what’s known as simplex mode (where the same frequency is used for both reception and transmission) at a default frequency of 146.52 megahertz. First you have to choose how to turn it on, either by soldering a jumper across the power line, or as I did, by wiring in a connector to which I attached a switch. Unlike standard ham radios, the RS-UV3 can’t operate as a stand-alone device. To reduce interference, I housed the RS-UV3 in a foil-lined enclosure. A USB adapter allows audio to pass between the RS-UV3 and a Pi, while commands are passed via a DB-9 connector. Raspberry Pi Radio: The RS-UV3 was screwed to wooden supports and mounted. Photos, Top and Bottom: Randi Klett (3) Second from Top: Stephen Cass Depending on your country, you may also require a license to receive, so check your local regulatory regime.) (A quick legal aside: Using the RS-UV3 to transmit requires an amateur radio license. By itself, the RS-UV3 can transmit with only 0.25 watt, but HobbyPCB plans to sell an add-on amplifier for more powerful transmissions. As well as a legacy ham radio interface, the shield provides multiple ways to connect it to an Arduino, PC, or Raspberry Pi-and to two of those at once if required. It’s not the only radio shield available for the Arduino that works in the UHF/VHF frequency bands, but the RS-UV3 is the most flexible one I’ve spotted when it comes to interfaces. Except for high-end rigs, connecting a computer to a ham radio typically involves navigating legacy interfaces and connectors and can call for specialized additional equipment, a turnoff for makers who might otherwise be interested in the possibilities of radio.īut the US $90 RS-UV3 radio shield from HobbyPCB is an FM transceiver that’s welcoming by design and built for makers from the ground up. But linking the computers running such software to radios is often surprisingly fiddly in the age of painless USB and Bluetooth. Free desktop programs like Fldigi can work with the audio tones used in a smorgasbord of communications schemes, from the 1930s-era radio-fax Hellschreiber protocol to today’s complete bulletin-board systems. In some ways, trying out such digital modes has never been easier. This means that much of the appeal of ham radio is now in things like emergency response technically challenging exercises such as bouncing signals off satellites or ultralow-power long-distance contacts and exploring a host of digital communications modes. Mobile phones and the Internet have made the basic act of talking to a faraway person an everyday experience. The RS-UV3 is a shot in the arm for amateur radio. The RS-UV3 lets you build your own Arduino- or Raspberry Pi–based radio
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