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zBitx installed softwares

Pierre - FK8IH
 

Is it possible to have JS8Call installed? Forme JS8 mode is far more important than JT9 mode as Hearteat can replace JT8 contacts and the plain use of JS8Call allows me to do real QSO with exchange of informations. I experienced a terrible civil war in New Caledonia since the 13th of May this year, with sometimes all communications lost - no more internet nor phone - and JS8Call was my only mean of communication with the outside world and it worked well with my QRP station - Hermes Lite 2 and QRP-Labs QDX which deliver 5 to 6 Watt - The small size of a zBitx with its integrated batteries would make a wonderful emergency transceiver.?
Anyway this product looks promising, congratulations f.
73 - Pierre - FK8IH
 

In principle, yes. I am back porting JJ and gang's 64 bit distro and all the software that it carries to zbitx hardware


On Mon, Dec 30, 2024, 3:44 AM Pierre - FK8IH via <jb.gallauziaux=[email protected]> wrote:
Is it possible to have JS8Call installed? Forme JS8 mode is far more important than JT9 mode as Hearteat can replace JT8 contacts and the plain use of JS8Call allows me to do real QSO with exchange of informations. I experienced a terrible civil war in New Caledonia since the 13th of May this year, with sometimes all communications lost - no more internet nor phone - and JS8Call was my only mean of communication with the outside world and it worked well with my QRP station - Hermes Lite 2 and QRP-Labs QDX which deliver 5 to 6 Watt - The small size of a zBitx with its integrated batteries would make a wonderful emergency transceiver.?
Anyway this product looks promising, congratulations f.
73 - Pierre - FK8IH
Pierre - FK8IH
 

Thank you very much .F you take a good decision to back porting JS8Call, which will make of zBitx a wonderful rig for emergency situations. I will order when it's done and the zBitx can be again ordered.
And Happy New Year
73 - Pierre - FK8IH
Pierre - FK8IH
 

I just want to add two quotes from this thread of a groups.io devoted to JS8Call:
QUOTE
Yes, JS8 is not the QSO king, but the messaging and relay features cannot be beat.?
I generally leave mine running 24/7 and sometimes switching bands at night, but with it running and I’m not sitting there leaves my system open to somebody messaging me or using me as a relay. These are the features of JS8 that are unique, and I constantly try to tell people to exploit them. This has led to me making some friends and if we don’t have a keyboard to keyboard QSO, we can at least send messages between each other that can be retrieved at our convenience.?
Kevin, K3VIN
UNQUOTE
QUOTE
I've had many great QSOs on JS8. I'm not sure why a station running persistent would mean there isn't a future for JS8Call. I often text my friends who may not be right at their phones, but if I don't get an immediate reply I've never thought that means cell phones are dead or going away.?
Last couple nights, propagation has been terrible. I bet when things get back to normal you'll find a fair number of people who want to have conversations.?
Drew
UNQUOTE
I have created a @SOUTH WEST PACIFIC group in JS8Call and one VK2.. OM had his station running continuously even unattended to relay a possible message from to a female relative in Massachussets by plain email and relay back her answer to me by JS8. A wonderful mode! Obviouslay relaying a message to this group means that any member would relay it to the final destinatory.
73 - Pierre - FK8IH
 

I am new to the Bitx world, having just ordered a zBitx, and don't know what software usually comes included but I typically use VarAC more than any other digital mode.?
?
I was an early adopter of JS8call and used it extensively for a couple of years, but eventually moved away from it for a variety of reasons once I landed on VarAC.?
?
Obviously everyone's circumstances are different and there is no "one size fits all" digital mode but let me lay out a few reason why I use VarAC.
?
1. The software is still actively being developed. New useful features and optimizations are being rolled out frequently. If you have a problem simply send an email to 4Z1AC and he'll get on it - usually within a few hours.?
?
2. Transmission deconfliction. VarAC listens before it transmits preventing stations from stepping on each other. The channelized system for QSO's and listening before transmitting increases reliability immensely. I don't know how many messages got messed up on JS8call because me or my QSO partner would accidentally start transmitting simultaneously and step on each other, or you'd be having a nice QSO and someone's heartbeat or relay would mask the entire message. Very frustrating.?
?
3. Automatic bitrate optimization. The software will automatically adjust its bitrate to reliably send your message as fast as possible. This works both ways - it will speed things up if the signal is strong, and it will slow things down if the signal are weak. This optimizes band usage and reliability.?
?
4. Automatic retry on missing packets. Using JS8call call for relay or even just a simple QSO you would often lose a single frame due to band fading or QRM and it would ruin the entire message causing a relay to fail completely, or the receiver scratching their head trying to figure out what's missing. With VarAC it will keep resending the missing packets until the message is received in it's entirety! 100% message reliability is so helpful, and I would argue that's is essential if you are going to use digital modes for emergency services.?
?
5. Relay, Vmail, broadcast, etc.
The ability to relay messages, send "emails", broadcast messages to all stations, etc. is much more streamlined on VarAC than JS8call. You lose nothing, and gain robustness with VarAC.?
?
6. File transfer. This is huge - a picture is worth a thousand words. When you consider the advantages of being able to send arbitrary files or software updates over the air, the capabilities go through the roof. If you consider this from an emergency services aspect where you might need to send spreadsheets containing supply requests, casualty information, etc. the advantages are clear.
?
For what's it's worth, this is purely anecdotal but while I was using JS8call I never had a successful DX ragchew or substantial message relay because the amount of dropped frames made it impossible. However, using VarAC I have been able to have casual ragchews with stations 7500 miles away using QRP levels, in poor band conditions, with less than perfect wire antennas, and 100% copy both ways. It just works so well.
?
All that being said - if you haven't used VarAC yet I would highly recommend it, and I hope to use VarAC on the zBitx!?
?
?
 

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So the question boils down to "is VarAC ported to RPi?" And "is the RPi Zero 2 W 'robust enough' to operate VarAC while controlling the zBitx?"

A quick peek at??leads me to believe VarAC is Windows-only software, and as such that renders the second question moot.

Ken, N2VIP

On Jan 6, 2025, at 10:46, Luke / AD0KI via groups.io <ad0ki@...> wrote:

?
I am new to the Bitx world, having just ordered a zBitx, and don't know what software usually comes included but I typically use VarAC more than any other digital mode.?
?
I was an early adopter of JS8call and used it extensively for a couple of years, but eventually moved away from it for a variety of reasons once I landed on VarAC.?
?
Obviously everyone's circumstances are different and there is no "one size fits all" digital mode but let me lay out a few reason why I use VarAC.
?
1. The software is still actively being developed. New useful features and optimizations are being rolled out frequently. If you have a problem simply send an email to 4Z1AC and he'll get on it - usually within a few hours.?
?
2. Transmission deconfliction. VarAC listens before it transmits preventing stations from stepping on each other. The channelized system for QSO's and listening before transmitting increases reliability immensely. I don't know how many messages got messed up on JS8call because me or my QSO partner would accidentally start transmitting simultaneously and step on each other, or you'd be having a nice QSO and someone's heartbeat or relay would mask the entire message. Very frustrating.?
?
3. Automatic bitrate optimization. The software will automatically adjust its bitrate to reliably send your message as fast as possible. This works both ways - it will speed things up if the signal is strong, and it will slow things down if the signal are weak. This optimizes band usage and reliability.?
?
4. Automatic retry on missing packets. Using JS8call call for relay or even just a simple QSO you would often lose a single frame due to band fading or QRM and it would ruin the entire message causing a relay to fail completely, or the receiver scratching their head trying to figure out what's missing. With VarAC it will keep resending the missing packets until the message is received in it's entirety! 100% message reliability is so helpful, and I would argue that's is essential if you are going to use digital modes for emergency services.?
?
5. Relay, Vmail, broadcast, etc.
The ability to relay messages, send "emails", broadcast messages to all stations, etc. is much more streamlined on VarAC than JS8call. You lose nothing, and gain robustness with VarAC.?
?
6. File transfer. This is huge - a picture is worth a thousand words. When you consider the advantages of being able to send arbitrary files or software updates over the air, the capabilities go through the roof. If you consider this from an emergency services aspect where you might need to send spreadsheets containing supply requests, casualty information, etc. the advantages are clear.
?
For what's it's worth, this is purely anecdotal but while I was using JS8call I never had a successful DX ragchew or substantial message relay because the amount of dropped frames made it impossible. However, using VarAC I have been able to have casual ragchews with stations 7500 miles away using QRP levels, in poor band conditions, with less than perfect wire antennas, and 100% copy both ways. It just works so well.
?
All that being said - if you haven't used VarAC yet I would highly recommend it, and I hope to use VarAC on the zBitx!?
?
?
 

I haven't tried yet but VarAC/VARA HF does appear to be working on Raspberry Pi's for some people (KM4ACK for example). I'll need to do a bit more research to see how viable it is.?
 

More info here:
?
https://www.varac-hamradio.com/forum/manuals-troubleshooting/installing-varac-on-linux-raspberry64-using-wine
 

One more comment - even if the little Pi Zero can't run VarAC natively I'd still recommend running it if you use an external computer or on your other rigs in the shack! It's a joy to use.
 

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VarAC runs on RPi under WINE emulation...

Ugh.

You'll want a speedy processor for that, I suspect, and as I noted previously in this forum, the RPi Zero 2 W has the exact same CPU as the old RPi 3B+ but only half the RAM...

Another concern would be the resolution of the display and the desire to operate independent of outboard devices. If you are going to add a keyboard and display, maybe trying to run it onboard the zBitx isn't so important?
Just a few thoughts...

Ken, N2VIP

On Jan 6, 2025, at 11:28, Luke / AD0KI via groups.io <ad0ki@...> wrote:

?
One more comment - even if the little Pi Zero can't run VarAC natively I'd still recommend running it if you use an external computer or on your other rigs in the shack! It's a joy to use.
 

I'll second the hope that JS8 will be able to be run natively. FT8 is OK for killing time but JS8 with its relaying and inbox is useful!
Daniel
 

I was an early uBITX fanboy. And I am a huge Farhan fanboy. So much to like here.? If JS8Call and Winlink had a baby, it would be VarAC. The evolving VarAC application is a killer diller if you like 1000% perfect comms, vmail, a million features and more. The greatest utility of VarAC may be the organic support for asynchronous comms. But there are a million other lovely slaying features.?
?
Running VarAC natively on a zBitx or SBitx would motivate me to purchase, build and use the new rigs. If I have to lug a laptop along, with all the complications (power, connectivity, bulk, etc. etc. etc.), then the radio becomes a USB dongle. And all my radios are USB dongles as is because I have to lug a laptop around. Free me from the laptop! Run any modern application (varAC this week, who knows what next week?) natively...oh great one...I beseech you. hahha.?
?
?
 

As a reminder, the zBitx has a functional, but limited display and no provision for an on-board keyboard (beyond an impossibly small on-screen keyboard, I suspect), the same as the sBitx, but the sBitx has a much larger (physically and pixel-wise) than the zBitx.
?
it is very likely either radio will, at a minimum, require/benefit from a USB or Bluetooth keyboard, if not a companion device (tablet, smartphone or laptop).
?
Ken
 

VarAC (unlike FT8, JS8Call, Olivia, etc.) is a privative, closed-source mode (which in my opinion should not be allowed on air, precisely because of that). Unless the author(s) decide to port it to the new architecture, there's little chance.?
 

On Feb 17, 2025, at 00:54, Daniel AB0ZY via groups.io <danielalmondtree@...> wrote:

I'll second the hope that JS8 will be able to be run natively. FT8 is OK for killing time but JS8 with its relaying and inbox is useful!
I haven’t yet looked into how different JS8 is from FT8. I wonder if there is any hope of adding it to ft8_lib. I think that would be the likely way I’d try to add it as a built-in feature; or else maybe js8call is already or could be nicely separated into a frontend and backend, so that we could just run it as a daemon and build a combined UI that connects both to sbitx and js8d?

To dream further: what if we could run multiple modes at the same time? 25khz bandwidth ought to be enough to simultaneously monitor JS8, PSK, Olivia, ardop etc. as long as activity is going on in nearby frequencies. But the software is all designed for one-at-a-time use, and expecting 3khz bandwidth. So maybe sbitx/zbitx could eventually provide several 3khz channels at the same time, by subdividing the 25khz bandwidth, and then these legacy programs can deal with that? Probably we could still only transmit on one channel at a time, of course, and time-sharing the transmitter might work.

On Mar 21, 2025, at 07:00, Mikel EA5IYL via groups.io <mikel.forcada@...> wrote:

VarAC (unlike FT8, JS8Call, Olivia, etc.) is a privative, closed-source mode (which in my opinion should not be allowed on air, precisely because of that). Unless the author(s) decide to port it to the new architecture, there's little chance.

I get the impression that ardop / pat may be the way to go so far, for email over HF: it’s open, and seems to be widely supported by winlink gateways in my area. (Not that I got it working yet!) What are the disadvantages? How’s the resistance to noise? Will it still be useful during solar-minimum conditions? Who’s using it on sbitx now? Is there anything better?
 

It's a shame that the ROS / VaraC software hasn't been ported to Linux.
Surely the fact that the licenses have a price is, in large part, the reason.
At one time, its use was limited/banned in the USA, for more than debatable technical reasons, but it seems that this is already overcome when it is used as a de facto standard in emergency communications, precisely due to its excellent operability.
Using it on wine can be done, I do it on my PC, but it is still annoying, and each new version requires a lot of work. It may be that in a closed environment like zBitx/sBitx it is easier to port it.
In fact, what really complicates life is the ROS modem, I think that VaraC would be less complicated to move to Linux, but as long as the modem is not rewritten we will have to live with wine.
 

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When I get my zBit, I will be using an official Pi keyboard and mouse - won't need an on-screen one.

Gerry

On 2025-03-21 05:11, Ken N2VIP wrote:

As a reminder, the zBitx has a functional, but limited display and no provision for an on-board keyboard (beyond an impossibly small on-screen keyboard, I suspect), the same as the sBitx, but the sBitx has a much larger (physically and pixel-wise) than the zBitx.
?
it is very likely either radio will, at a minimum, require/benefit from a USB or Bluetooth keyboard, if not a companion device (tablet, smartphone or laptop).
?
Ken
 

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I think it’s a reasonable expectation, as long as bluetooth is working well. ?There are enough pocket-sized bluetooth keyboards. ?I got one like this:??physically that one is not so great to type on: some keys are just a bit sticky. ?Maybe they aren’t all like that, and anyway I can get by with it for SOTA, not having to do much typing anyway. ?It has all the keys to use the terminal or any other application when I need to. ?Next time I would try one that uses a Blackberry keyboard, since actual Blackberry devices were known for having pretty good keyboards, and the keyboards are apparently still in production. ?https://www.tindie.com/search/?q=blackberry

On Mar 21, 2025, at 09:16, Gerald Sherman via groups.io <ve4gks@...> wrote:

When I get my zBit, I will be using an official Pi keyboard and mouse - won't need an on-screen one.

On 2025-03-21 05:11, Ken N2VIP wrote:

As a reminder, the zBitx has a functional, but limited display and no provision for an on-board keyboard (beyond an impossibly small on-screen keyboard, I suspect), the same as the sBitx, but the sBitx has a much larger (physically and pixel-wise) than the zBitx.
?
it is very likely either radio will, at a minimum, require/benefit from a USB or Bluetooth keyboard, if not a companion device (tablet, smartphone or laptop).
 

If the details of the mode are not publicly available, that actually is a violation of amateur radio regulations, at least here in the US.? ?Either a protocol spec or an open source implementation will satisfy?that requirement.

You could argue that all of the modes that use digital voice codecs from DVSI (which include DMR, D-STAR, System Fusion, P25, and more, but not M17 and FreeDV which use an open source codec) should also not be used on ham radio by the same logic. Though they are not quite as undocumented because they are patented, which means that the details that are disclosed in the patent applications are available. Perhaps more important, the wide availability of commercial equipment that implements the DVSI codecs means that the FCC has no difficulty monitoring transmissions so long as the optional encryption (which is NOT allowed on ham radio) is not used.

On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 2:00?AM Mikel EA5IYL via <mikel.forcada=[email protected]> wrote:
VarAC (unlike FT8, JS8Call, Olivia, etc.) is a privative, closed-source mode (which in my opinion should not be allowed on air, precisely because of that). Unless the author(s) decide to port it to the new architecture, there's little chance.?
 

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You know it sends VARA right?
Gordon kx4z. ?

On Mar 21, 2025, at 04:43, Shirley Dulcey KE1L via groups.io <mark@...> wrote:

?
If the details of the mode are not publicly available, that actually is a violation of amateur radio regulations, at least here in the US.? ?Either a protocol spec or an open source implementation will satisfy?that requirement.

You could argue that all of the modes that use digital voice codecs from DVSI (which include DMR, D-STAR, System Fusion, P25, and more, but not M17 and FreeDV which use an open source codec) should also not be used on ham radio by the same logic. Though they are not quite as undocumented because they are patented, which means that the details that are disclosed in the patent applications are available. Perhaps more important, the wide availability of commercial equipment that implements the DVSI codecs means that the FCC has no difficulty monitoring transmissions so long as the optional encryption (which is NOT allowed on ham radio) is not used.

On Fri, Mar 21, 2025 at 2:00?AM Mikel EA5IYL via <mikel.forcada=[email protected]> wrote:
VarAC (unlike FT8, JS8Call, Olivia, etc.) is a privative, closed-source mode (which in my opinion should not be allowed on air, precisely because of that). Unless the author(s) decide to port it to the new architecture, there's little chance.?

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