Cardputer Zero as base station?

[Oliver de Peyer]

I have previously tracked HABs using HABbase (either on my phone or Windows) connected to a Uputronics LoraGo. I was able to pick up the flights from Westminster school in London and other flights as far away as Cambridge (a 70cm patch antenna helped a great deal)

More recently, I have also been experimenting more with ham radio in general using a QMX transceiver.

Both of these hobbies would be much more convenient with a really small laptop. I have an geriatric Acer One, which I even got working again, just, with a supported-ish 32 bit version of Linux (the aptly named AntiX distro), but it is barely working and is underpowered. I can't install the most recent version of fl-digi with a version of hamrig that covers the QMX for instance. I don't want to buy another laptop just for this.

I had thought instead of setting up everything on, for instance, a Raspberry Pi but this needed an enclosure, keyboard, screen, power supply etc and this wasn't a particularly portable or affordable project either.

Then I saw the Cardputer Zero - since this has an actual Pi Zero in it, this should actually have the umph to run HABbase or fl-digi (ham), dl-fl-digi (HAB) etc. I like the tiny all-in-one design and tiny in built keyboard and screen.
It also wasn't too expensive (as an early backer on Kickstarter)

So - quick question, will this actually work?

Also, do I need to add any of the various expander cards when it finally ships?

For instance, it has LORA and Meshtastic boards, but I have no idea really what you crazy kids are using now.

Is the LoraGo still the right bit of kit? Or can it be supplanted by one of the expander cards available?

Many thanks in advance

Oliver

Amateur radio callsign: M0LVR