Re: [MOBOKITS] Digest for MOBOKITS@googlegroups.com - 3 updates in 1 topic

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Sep 2, 2019, 11:35:38 AM9/2/19
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To those who may still need to look at stuff on site after the shutdown, I can confirm that the Internet Archive does have the important parts of the page saved (thus acting as a sort of "static archive").  This dates from 2015, which was really the last time the site was updated save for security fixes:

MOBO BOARDS:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130719205740/http://mobokits.stormwarning.org/content/mobo-43-documentation (documentation pages, useful for builders, has not been changed since 2013 so you should be OK)
https://web.archive.org/web/20130719205745/http://mobokits.stormwarning.org/content/mobo-43-files (Downloads, including firmware; again, not really changed since 2013 so you should be OK)
https://web.archive.org/web/20130719205430/http://mobokits.stormwarning.org/content/mobo-add-boards (Add-on boards, primarily only useful for people who already have those boards)

The old step-by-step build instructions are also available via I(http://www.wb5rvz.com/sdr/mobo43/) which would be a useful resource to folks who have unbuilt MOBOs yet.  This is also available via Internet Archive. This particular website hasn't been updated since 2010, which gives you an idea how long the trip's been :D

For those needing the MOBO firmware, the very latest version is at Alex Lee's Github (https://github.com/alexlee188/Mobo-Firmware) which has not been updated since 2013.  You will need to build this with AVR Studio in your own environment, and if you are building under Atmel Studio 7 you will need to specifically use the new Lofturj fork (https://sites.google.com/site/lofturj/mobo4_3_firmware) as apparently the old Atmel FLIP isn't easily available and only Atmel Studio 7 seems to exist.   An older version of FLIP is available via the Internet Archive (https://web.archive.org/web/20111103012236/http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/flip-2_4_6.zip) which MAY be usable.

SDR-WIDGET:
https://web.archive.org/web/20130717171322/http://mobokits.stormwarning.org/content/sdr-widget-audio-widget (The "About" page, mostly useful re featuresets for those who have an existing Widget)
https://web.archive.org/web/20130719205805/http://mobokits.stormwarning.org/content/widget-documentation (Documentation, including how to use the modified DFU programmer below)
https://web.archive.org/web/20130719205501/http://mobokits.stormwarning.org/content/widget-downloads (Downloads including firmware, again, this never changed beyond 2013)

The DFU Programmer for Linux users that has been modified for Widget use is also at Alex Lee's Github (https://github.com/alexlee188/dfu-programmer-sdr-widget) and likewise has not been updated since 2013.
The gerber files, BOM, and schematic for the SDR-Widget are still available at Yoyodyne Consulting (http://www.yoyodyneconsulting.ca/pages/SDR-Widget.html).

SR63ng:

This was always Yoyodyne Consulting's baby, a set of gerber files, schematics, and BOM are available (http://www.yoyodyneconsulting.ca/pages/SR63ng.html).  I would take the word of availability through a third source with a grain of salt as pretty much THAT site hasn't been updated since about 2016.

There is apparently a "tweaked" version of the original I2C control program used for the Softrocks and also the SR63ng (https://github.com/alexlee188/usbsoftrock-alex).  This may be useful.

For those who have the ORIGINAL RXTX6.3 (which the SR63ng was the spiritual successor)-- This site (http://www.wb5rvz.com/sdr/RXTX_V6_3/) is still up (and is also available via the Internet Archive if it ever goes down) and should be used as the build-a-long guide.  It should also be useful (with some minor mods, including not installing the old serial interface) for SR63ng users.

Lofturj actually still has a LOT of his original stuff and some tweaks online (https://sites.google.com/site/lofturj/Home) including specific changes to the MOBO control software and firmware to make it compilable under Atmel Studio 7.  (Anyone compiling themselves should be using this codebase.)  PE0FK0 software will also be required (https://pe0fko.nl/SR-V9-Si570/) and CFGSR (https://pe0fko.nl/CFGSR/) for the initial SR63(ng) setup.

Now, this mailinglist won't go away (I don't manage it), just my archive of documentation in an editable form--and there are multiple reasons I'm relying on the Internet Archive, and not hosting a "parked" version myself:

a) Pretty much the site has been under perpetual attack since 2013, largely by cybercriminals trying to probe for vulnerabilities and/or trying to post spammy links.  I've actually had to block three countries entirely due to being almost entirely sources of abuse (something I do NOT like to do), have had to block VPN and Tor users (again, something I do NOT like to do), install captchas, etc. just to keep the site functional.
b) Pretty much Drupal jumped two versions while Real Life interfered (in my case, a job and professional certifications runs that took most of my free time) a few years back.
c) Some of the security tools I use to keep the spam down on the forums end simply don't exist in Drupal 7 or 8.
d) Some of the non-security tools to give the site the same functionality simply don't exist in Drupal 7 or 8.
e) Some of the basic PHP security tools I use are in transition (with one tool becoming semi-abandonware save for filter maintenance, and one tool still in development which is to be its spiritual successor)
f) Within the past 2 years I've not really noticed too many legitimate users attempting to join up on the site.
g) The Internet Archive actually has a good archive of the site before the spam-gangs started becoming a serious problem, which should be useful for folks who have uncompleted MOBOs and still have Widgets to attach.
h) I...really at this point am not *entirely* comfy anymore hosting a site on a deprecated version of Drupal (with a rather tricky upgrade path for essential security tools and even basic site theming compared to its prior upgrades) for a project where pretty much all the components have been unavailable for the past half decade, where some of the essential parts in the BOMs for said parts are actually EOL/EOS at this point and thus unavailable outside of maybe Ebay or Aliexpress, and which was state-of-the-art ten years ago but Technology Has Moved On with SDR transceivers since (including the Hermes kit, the HackRF One for QRPp interests, many others, etc.).

Now, if anyone actually wishes to maintain the contents outside the Internet Archive, I'll be glad to give you a tar.gz of the site contents, no user DB (honestly this should be a static site at this point) and I'll leave it to you to figure out how to upgrade to Drupal 8 gracefully :D   For now, though, I'll let the Internet Archive handle the hosting of the "static" version.  This way, I don't have to worry about someone potentially compromising the site via some PHP vulnerability or someone trying to break the site or hack it.

But yes, the info will still be available.  Much like some of the tools to actually program the things, though, it'll be through the Internet's history archive.

Again, it's been real fun--and for those of you who still have unbuilt MOBOs out there, good luck, and enjoy a bit of the history of SDR experimentation. :D

-KI4QGJ

On Mon, Sep 2, 2019 at 5:45 AM <MOBO...@googlegroups.com> wrote:
N2AIE <vinc...@gmail.com>: Sep 01 07:19AM -0700

Sorry to hear I still have the filter kits still unbuilt waiting for me to getting a round tuit..
Loved the project. Mine ended up in the Netherlands!
Thank you for maintaining g this group for the duration
Can it just hover out there without closing it? Or switching moderators?
I might be willing
Thanks
DE
N2AIE
Vince
f6itu <marc....@gmail.com>: Sep 01 08:25AM -0700

Hi
Be thanked for your efforts and patience.
Alex, George, Loftür, yourself and many others gave to the ham community
an incredible gift : the ability to understand SDRs without spending a lot.
 
There's been a lot of water over the dam since december 2008 when the first
Mobo was born. New projects like KF7O 's Hermes Lite V2 or differents
versions of the original N2ADR HiQSDR bring us DDC/DUC technology, giving
QSD/QSE rigs a long kiss goodbye :- ))
 
Thanks again for maintaining the list and the server during more than a
decade. I wouldn't expect such a longevity
 
Kindly yours and VY 73' de
Marc f6itu
 
(ps : I gave my 3 Mobo, including 2 running "beta" versions of the board to
a radioclub approximately 8 months ago... they are still operational)
David Jones - KB9GPM <djon...@gmail.com>: Sep 01 09:48AM -0700

Thanks for keeping it up this long and giving us a heads up. I still have
mine :) Sounds like to to take one last look at the site as it is. Glad
you mentioned archive.org. People seem to forget about that site.
 
David
KB9GPM
 
On Saturday, August 31, 2019 at 11:38:24 PM UTC-4, windigofer wrote:
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