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Winter Field Day Winlink with the Xiegu G90

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by WY6Y, Jan 28, 2025.

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  1. WY6Y

    WY6Y Ham Member QRZ Page


    In this video, I will use my Xiegu G90 ham radio to participate in a simulated emergency test for Winter Field Day 2025. I will be using the ham radio email application Winlink to send different forms over the HF airwaves. I am only using emergency backup power in the form of my homebrew LiFePO4 batteries, which I took from my solar shed. I’m the kind of guy who likes to use whatever I have on hand for the project I’m working on, so for the PC monitor, I used a 6” monitor I sometimes use with a raspberry PI and a mini-bluetooth keyboard/trackpad. To power the Beelink mini-pc, I used an inverter I pulled out of a piece of old photo equipment. Obviously the small monitor and keyboard made the task more difficult, but hey, its a simulated emergency test, and this is how we work out the bugs, right .

    I will show you how to connect the Xiegu G90 to Winlink using the DigiRig sound card for CAT control and PTT.

    I will also share my thoughts on the VARA modem. I truly wish it was an open-source or cross-platform application. I am not a fan of Windows, but unfortunately, VARA modem is only available on Windows. Imagine the possibilities if you could use Winlink on a Raspberry Pi.

    Here's how to connect your Xiegu G90 to Winlink:

    1. Open Winlink and start a VARA HF session.
    2. Click on Settings, then Radio Setup.
    3. Use the Icom 7200 for the rig, select USB Digital.
    4. Find your DigiRig's COM port in Device Manager and select it here. The baud rate is 19200.
    5. Open the VARA HF modem and go to Settings -- Soundcard.
    6. Choose the DigiRig soundcard and test the PTT. (Use Windows Sound settings to determine the name of the soundcard).
    7. You should now be ready to start a session!

    73 WY6Y
    Stephen in Oklahoma
     
    KO6DOY, KE0N, DO1FER and 1 other person like this.
  2. DO1FER

    DO1FER Ham Member QRZ Page

    The solution can be the SB-2000MK2 Soundcard/CAT-Interface. Runs with the disliked Windows OS and drivers . To this directly with the prefered Mac OSX and Linux without any driver.
     
  3. WY6Y

    WY6Y Ham Member QRZ Page

    I’m trying to understand… does the SB-2000MK2 have windows installed internally somehow. Where do you install VARAHF? That is the main problem. VARAHF will only run on windows. I know some people have gotten it to work on Linux using WINE, but I never have been able to do it. 73 WY6Y
     
    N8NOE likes this.
  4. DO1FER

    DO1FER Ham Member QRZ Page

    I dont use these kind of HAM-radio, but the modem is without any Windows software. There are only some special drivers for this.
    But to your questions, maybe the following links are useful.

    https://www.varac-hamradio.com/downloadlinux

    https://oe7drt.com/posts/2021/18-winlink-and-vara-on-linux/
     
    KJ7OES likes this.
  5. W7DGJ

    W7DGJ Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

    Nice video, thanks. Totally agree with you on the need for these programs to move to Mac . . . Dave, W7DGJ
     
    K9JDN and WY6Y like this.
  6. WY6Y

    WY6Y Ham Member QRZ Page

    Thanks buddy. It sure would be nice to have some options. One of my visions is a minimalist HF and VHF Winlink/VARA station that only requires a radio and a phone. The inclusion of the built in bluetooth KISS TNC on the BTECH UV-PRO and the VERO/N76 is very very interesting. I hope it will bring a resurgence of packet radio for this very purpose. I made another video about using the BTECH UV-PRO for Winlink. So far I am very impressed with this radio. 73. WY6Y.
     
  7. DO1FER

    DO1FER Ham Member QRZ Page

    Mac and Linux found its beginning in UNIX. Mac OS became just a special version.
     
  8. WY6Y

    WY6Y Ham Member QRZ Page

    Right. I remember that. Remember when Jobs left Apple and Started NEXT. That was it.
     
    DO1FER likes this.
  9. NY6U

    NY6U XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    what HF frequencies are you using for this ?
     
  10. WY6Y

    WY6Y Ham Member QRZ Page

    Winlink operates from 80m to 10m. I cannot remember the exact bands I was using that day but likely some 40m NVIS and 20m and 17m. One of my best Winlink RMS’s is on 17m and is out of Mexico City. I can almost always hit it during daylight hours. As I said in the video, Winlink is a challenge on Field Day because you have so many people on the air that your best bet RMS’s are likely already in use or the band is just too jammed. It took me quite a bit of time to find one I could connect with, but as this was a Simulated Emergency Test, it is a good exercise to do it when bands are jam packed as that it is how it might be during an emergency. 73 WY6Y
     
    K9JDN likes this.

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