So the finishing touches and the tweaks begin on the Naked Node. I went ahead this weekend and finished up the last little construction and configured the BeagleBone computer, as well as the echolink configuration as well.
The node works, proving that that circuits work. I was able to drive more than 3 miles away and get into the node from the car. I have discovered though that there is still an RF problem. When the radio keys, after receiving a signal, and then you try and talk into the node from a handheld, it seems that the micro-controller has a bit of a lag recovering from one mode to the other. Not sure if this is because of the code, RF getting into it, or a design problem. Sometime I have to key the radio a couple of time before the node responds. I noticed that the heartbeat LED on the micro-controller, stops for a second or two and then restarts back blinking. This is telling me the firmware is stopped running and then restarts. Im looking into both the code, and perhaps toning down the radios power output even more.
In the video, two fellow hams are talking. You'll notice that I slapped on the 20x4 LCD. I did this so I could go ahead and run some tests, before adding the touchscreen. Its all part of the design process, working out what bugs you might not have anticipated. The tow hams are located in Arizona, and Long Beach, CA. I didn't catch the calls.
So work continues, as I finish up this node, and make preps for a improved node in the future, as well as lessons learned for the continued repeater build coming later this summer.
In the meantime.........
Happy Coding ( and building)
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