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Sept 24, 2024. More from the Land of Oz (Amazon)

Lauren Sanchez's boyfriend has done it again! Behold a Single Board Computer (SBC) for about $30. The price point is in the range of an Arduino Mega 2560!


Meet the Orange Pi Zero, 2W 1GB with expansion board. A Quad Core 1.5 GHz, 64 Bit machine with Wi-Fi and Bluetooth is sitting on that small board assembly. 

Having a choice of operating systems, it has some real possibilities for integration with your existing ham gear. I mention this since those who are addicted to FT-8 and POTA/SOTA ops, this SBC can do the job in the field! 

To make this work with your existing rigs you will need to build a digital adapter using a few readily available parts that won't set you back a king's ransom. Its small size makes it perfect for dragging along up that small hill so you can send CQ SOTA on FT-8. You will also need a small display and a keyboard/mouse.

[If you want more info on my homebrew digital adapter, send me an email.]

Our hobby is changing and even though you may be inclined to resist the change, there is inexpensive hardware that is now available to you so that cost is no longer an excuse. From a quick look at the specifications, it appears that you could load QUISK and run your homebrew SDR from this SBC assembly.

A scary thought: A desktop computer for $30. Read the reviews as that is important to understand what other users are saying. It seems like some users did not get all of the hardware pieces. Of import while this product may have some start up issues, other manufacturers will be jumping into the fray and soon we will have more choices. A new page is added to our hobby.

You can read about the Orange Pi OS here. Most likely you would need to load the Unbuntu or Debian OS software to use QUISK.

TYGNYBNT. Don't eat your pet!

73's
Pete N6QW

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