Tracker receiver: KV4P radio for Android

[Paul Lowell]

Some of us in the group have been playing around with a recent fun kit that a local ham has produced:

https://www.kv4p.com/

It is a small board that clips on the back of an Android phone and turns it into a 2m ham radio.  As it also does APRS, I've found it useful during that last mile of balloon tracking.  Instead of having to cable my radio to an old iPhone and then transcribe the packets to a GPS map; I can just have my Android phone immediately plot the locally received tracker ping.  Too cool!

[Tim Wiwel]

Paul,

THat is cool.  

Tim

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[Aurora Toennisson]

Ooh!  Good to know!

On Mon, Jan 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM Paul Lowell <pa...@lowell.to> wrote:

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Aurora Toennisson

[Jim Conrad]

Hi Paul,

Hope I find you well. Has NCNEARSPACE gone inactive? 

I'm looking for some guidance. I want to fly a HAB during the ATGP event this year. https://www.atgoldenpacket.net/events/atgp2025/

It is Saturday, July 19, 2025 11:00 EDT/15:00 UTC so the goal would be to have it at peak altitude about 15-30 minutes prior to 11 EDT. I want to fly a digipeater that will digi the ATGP traffic on a separate frequency so as not to interfere with the event. I ordered an inexpensive APRS radio from China and they agreed to update the firmware to support duplex operations. It is self contained radio, tnc and digi with Li battery and weight is 150 grams. Likely could bring the weight down removing the case. Radio cost is $130 so I would like to recover the payload. Would also like video imagery and maybe some sensors. Launch from somewhere in the Raleigh Durham area.

Thoughts, interested?

Thanks,

Jim

On Mon, Jan 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM Paul Lowell <pa...@lowell.to> wrote:

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Jim Conrad - oceanv...@gmail.com
 757-560-5970 - 757-512-5710 Fax
  Amateur Radio Callsign N4WFP

[Paul Lowell]

Hey Jim,
It is really quiet out there.  The normal HAB hobby has quieted down, although around-the-world flights have picked up.

Perhaps folks who like to chase have switched over to just regular https://sondehub.org/ since those are flown twice a day.

Personally, I've been mostly flying out of state; and haven't put any of those up on the website.

Count me in for this flight!   I have gas :)    balloons, cameras, etc.

Are you getting one of AvrTx's boxes?  I still fly AP510s to do APRS, but do a lot with LoRa.

[Jim Conrad]

Paul,

This will be awesome! Appreciate the assist. The radio is a AVRT9 VHF Portable. I sent ebay messages to several of the sellers asking about duplex operations and two responded. One said it would take a week to update the firmware to support duplex. Since its coming from China I can't predict delivery but ebay said June 27th through July 9th. Even if in mid July that should enough time to test the unit, check out battery life and integrate into the payload before the event. 

I occasionally chase the NOAA balloons myself and have a small ESP-32 based Receiver/Tracker but with my limited time I have yet to actually recover one. The STEM NCNEARSPACE missions were more fun to chase. Sad that it has slowed down. I've looked at LoRa and would like to try that with a payload that downlinked still imagery at intervals. Might be able to build a payload that supports SSTV as the Raspberry Pi Zeros should be able to do that. But power/battery life with a Pi may be problematic.

I went to Dayton this year and the HAB presentation was really interesting as it always has been. But they mostly talked about the long duration WISP missions, not so much HAB.

With working in DC, losing my two telework days with a compromise with my Agency I now work Th/Fr in Chesapeake VA (have a house in Norfolk). No available spots in NC so it was the best they could do but beats 5 days in DC having to get up at 0430 to catch the train from Fort Meade. But now I'm only in NC at my place Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. My schedule and trying to spend quality time with my 19 month old daughter has me very limited in hobby activities. Normally I work a site for the ATGP event but decided not to do it this year as they rearranged the sites and the one I like is not going to be used. So the HAB flight is making up for it. Jill (WN4JIL) my girlfriend/Baby Moma who you've met before is coming along as is our daughter. 

Aside from a tested radio, what do you need from me and how can I contribute given the offer you made is very generous?

Thanks again,

Jim