#6 - Amateur Radio News and Announcements (28 July 2026)

1.  Reminder:  Do tune into the DMR-ZA Net this evening at 19h30 SAST

Herewith a list of different equipment / apps and images that cross transmit / receive the DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening. (Click on images for larger view.)

1.  ZS1I 49355 AllStar Hub Network which incorporates Echolink. (ZS1I-R)

2.  DMR / DVSwitch /AllStar Bridge (TG 65522)

3.  ZS1I MMDVM Digital Repeater (TG 65522)

4.  145.550 Mhz Analogue Simplex RF Link Mossel Bay area.

5.  DroidStar / VoxDMR Applications for DMR  TG655

6.  ASL3 to Mumble Bridge PC (Mumble Client) as well as Mobile Phone (Plumble Client) 

7.  BrandMeister - Hoseline Application (PC or Mobile Phone - Receive only.)

8.  DVSwitch Mobile Application (PC or Mobile Phone)

9.   Many Analog-Repeaters and Links are connected to the ZS1I Hub Network on a daily basis.  Some of these analogue repeaters will be connected to the ZS1I Hub Network on a Tuesday evening and they might also be linked to other repeaters country- and world wide.  So why not link up with your local analogue repeater.  You might just be able to connect to the DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening at 19h30 SAST. 

Finally:  There are an abundance of means illustrated above to connect to the DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening at 19h30 SAST.  The DMR-ZA Net is an open net and all radio amateurs are welcome to join / connect to the net.  Brian ZS5BR is the net controller and I would like to thank him for professionally conducting the net each Tuesday evening.  Highly appreciated!! 

2.   Linux Mint isn't the best Windows replacement anymore

And the replacement is ........ ?

ZorinOS is more modern and polished, making it easier for Windows/macOS users to switch.

Built-in Windows app support installs .exe/.msi with a click; Mint requires manual WINE setup.

Ships Wayland by default: crisper text, smooth animations, better scaling, NVIDIA and phone integration. 

ZorinOS has been getting a lot of hype ever since Microsoft dropped support for Windows 10. Turns out the hype is justified. Linux Mint has been my go-to recommendation.

Read more HERE about ZorinOS. 

3.  16-Year-Old ARRL Member Wins 2026 Student Coding Competition

 ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® is pleased to announce that member Ben Leovy, KC3ZPQ, of Ellicott City, Maryland, has been named the winner of the 2026 ARRL Student Coding Competition. Leovy, 16, recently completed his sophomore year at Howard High School. He designed a mobile application to help users prepare for their amateur radio license examinations.

Leovy will receive a $5,000 prize awarded by ARRL. His project was selected by a panel of judges based on usability, clarity, stability, and code quality. The judges also recognized his enthusiasm for software development and creativity by awarding him a new MacBook Neo to encourage his continued exploration of programming and technology.

“The ARRL Student Coding Competition was created to encourage young radio amateurs to apply their skills to a real-world opportunity that will benefit the amateur radio community and future entrants,” said ARRL Senior Director of Marketing and Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. “Ben’s project demonstrated the kind of problem-solving skills and creativity that will help shape the future of amateur radio.”

The judges were also impressed with the strength of Leovy’s technical approach and the potential value of continuing its development. ARRL has offered him a consulting project this summer, to further refine and improve the application in collaboration with ARRL employees – an opportunity to gain professional experience. Upon successful completion of the project, Leovy will earn an additional $5,000. He will also be eligible for a $5,000 ARRL scholarship when he enrolls in college after high school.

“I’m excited about the opportunity to continue improving the application and working with ARRL,” said Leovy. “I hope it helps more people, particularly students my age, to get involved in amateur radio and to join ARRL.”

Leovy became interested in amateur radio through his grandfather and through friends involved with the scouts who shared an interest in the hobby. In addition to amateur radio and programming, Leovy participates in his school’s robotics club and enjoys exploring technology through hands-on projects.

The ARRL Student Coding Competition was launched in January 2026 as part of ARRL’s ongoing commitment to developing the next generation of radio amateurs. The competition encouraged ARRL Student members ages 21 and younger, who already have ham radio licenses, to combine their interests in amateur radio and software development.

“Programs like this help young people discover that amateur radio is more than a hobby — it is a pathway that inspires hands-on, practical, and technical experiences,” said ARRL CEO David Minster, NA2AA. “By investing in students and their ideas, ARRL is investing in the future of amateur radio.”

The competition is another ARRL program intended to develop student interest in future education and careers in STEM/STEAM fields. Other ongoing initiatives include the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology, the ARRL Collegiate Amateur Radio Program, and the ARRL Foundation Scholarship Program. 

The competition judges were ARRL First Vice President Kristen McIntyre, K6WX; Hudson Division Director Ed Wilson, N2XDD; previous Director of Education and Learning Steve Goodgame, K5ATA; ARRL VEC Manager Maria Somma, AB1FM; and Education & Learning Support Specialist Max Freedman, N4ML. Additional support was provided by past Pacific Division Director Anthony Marcin, W7XM.

Since 2024, ARRL Student Membership has been free for full-time students ages 21 and younger. This no-cost membership opportunity makes it easier for students to become involved in amateur radio and access ARRL resources while they explore radio, technology, and STEM-related learning opportunities.

For more information about ARRL Student Membership, visit www.arrl.org/student.

- ARRL  

4.   Paper Logging

As an amateur radio operator, logging and QSLing are topics that keep me busy all the time. While I recently stopped confirming my radio contacts (QSLing), it’s still very important to me to log my QSOs. I’ve tried many different options for this and most recently used Wavelog, with which I was generally satisfied. However, I’m currently trying (not just in amateur radio) to simplify things and return to the original ways. That’s why I’ve decided to switch to paper logging, even though the drawbacks are obvious: no automatic generation of statistics, no search options, and no quick way to tell if I’ve had a QSO with a station before. However, I like having the maximum freedom to enter whatever I want into the logbook, however I want. It also feels somehow more personal to log the QSOs by hand.

After testing this out for a while with an existing paper logbook, it turned out that while I like this approach, existing logbooks don’t suit my needs. I make contacts both on shortwave and via satellites. For the latter, I need fields such as the locator or the name of the satellite. That’s why I first designed my own logbook template in OpenOffice Calc, exported it as a PDF, and then had it bound into a ring binder by a professional printing service.

The following image shows the finished logbook with 100 pages, a transparent plastic cover page, and a black plastic page as the last page for less than 10 Euro: 

My logbook design is based on the template by WD8DAS, which can be found here: https://www.wd8das.net/HamLogs/HamLogs.html

If anyone would like to use my template, they can download it from my server as an ODS file (logbook_a5.ods) or as a PDF file (logbook_a5.pdf)

Now all that's left is to see how long paper logging will keep me happy...

- DK1MI

5.   The Technology We Killed in the 1960s Is Now Worth $3.3 Billion 

In 1904, a British engineer built the first vacuum tube in a London laboratory. Within decades, it became the foundation of modern electronics. Radio, television, military radar, and the first computers all ran on vacuum tubes. Then in 1947, Bell Labs demonstrated the transistor, and by the 1960s the entire industry had moved on. Factories closed permanently, and the vacuum tube was declared dead.

But it never actually disappeared. It survived in places most people would never think to look, and in 2022 a geopolitical crisis exposed just how dependent the modern world still is on a technology it supposedly abandoned sixty years ago.

This is the full story of the vacuum tube, from the invention that started it all to the billion-dollar market nobody sees. 

  

6.  Listen to FreeSTAR SystemX Live No App Required [2026] 

 

Stream the conversation. Anywhere. Anytime.

FreeSTAR SystemX Live Activity Feature Directly From Your Browser,  No App is Required 

Listen To Any FreeSTAR SystemX Talk Group Or Set Up A TG To Listen Once It becomes Active. 

Web Brower Tool: http://hosepipe.freestar.network 

7.   The End of DMR Codeplugs? Z3DMR Application

 

Z3DMR is a free, mobile push-to-talk application designed for licensed amateur radio operators to communicate over Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) networks directly from their smartphones. 

Developed by the Radioamateur Club Z37CPR, it eliminates the need for physical DMR hardware, a hotspot, or an HT (handheld transceiver) to access digital ham radio networks

Key Features:

Network Support: Connects directly to major DMR networks, including BrandMeister and Homebrew

Talkgroup Management: Features network-specific talkgroup lists, alongside manual configuration options for master servers, contacts, and custom talkgroups.

Call Types: Supports both group calls and private calls.

Advanced Automation: Automatically activates Auto-Static talkgroups and allows multiple user profiles with Extended Service Set Identifier (ESSID) support.

Built-in APRS: Includes integrated Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS) functionality for location data transmission

Accessibility: Available in 24 languages with a modern, clean, user-friendly interface.

Platform Availability:

Android: The app is fully released and can be downloaded from the Google Play Store.

iOS: An Apple iOS version is actively under development

Official Resources:

For the latest updates, configuration guides, and community support, you can visit the Official Z3DMR Website or join their support community via the Z3DMR Telegram Group.

Z3DMR Website 
https://z3dmr.com/

Facebook Group - Click HERE.
  

- END 

 

HAMNET MeshCore Western Cape Tech Talk Video

 

 

 
HAMNET MeshCore Western Cape Tech Talk Video 

The Boland Amateur Radio Club (BARC) invited me to do this talk on 23 July 2026. HAMNET Emergency Communications provided the Zoom platform. The audience consisted of radio amateurs, citizens, and disaster management. MeshCore is a newer type of license-free decentralised radio network that allows citizens, government agencies including nature reserves, disaster management agencies, and amateur radio operators to all talk together, whether in public channels, directly to each other, or even in private encrypted channels. This is WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal without the Internet. The network is not only useful to make new friends across the city and stay in communication with neighbours, but more importantly it is a resilient network that will stay operation long after the Internet has ceased to work due to a disaster or lengthy power outages. This is achievable through solar-powered repeater nodes at high sites, and the fact that this network is not dependent on any central server or presence, and of course there is no approval or registration to use it. My talk highlights the similarities and differences between MeshCore and Meshtastic networks, and the reasons why such a network is so important to have in place across cities and towns. I highlight two recent outages we've had in the Western Cape where towns lost their electricity supply due to adverse weather conditions, and had their normal communications cut off for up to a week. In this time HAMNET does assist with communications but only from key points. Having a broader MeshCore network available, allows citizens and disaster management agencies to stay in contact with each other for essential services and assistance. The City of Cape Town and Western Cape Provincial Government, recognise the value of having fallback communications, and HAMNET already has emergency radio rooms at both sites, which are kept in operational readiness. We are aiming to have something like MeshCore also officially endorsed by the City and Province, so that citizens can equip themselves with these radios ahead of any potential disasters in the future. We also have some wilderness areas in and around Cape Town which have no cellular phone coverage, such as the top of Table Mountain. These areas are also ideal to have such radio networks operational, as they are easy to deploy, and radio nodes cost around R500 each (whether bought by citizens/tourist, or even available to rent for the day). The talk concludes with a comprehensive Q&A around various topics relating to MeshCore radio. 

Chapters:

Intro 00:00
What Is HAMNET 01:49
Context Intro 03:40
What is MeshCore/Meshtastic 09:50
What It Looks Like 12:44
Diagnostic Comparison 14:20
Path Routing 19:31
Noise Floor 12:12
Bandwidth and Battery Life 22:23
Strengths of Each Platform 23:39
Use Case Scenarios 27:31
MeshCore SAR App 31:57
Default MeshCore Radio Settings 33:10
Way Forward 37:08
Danie's Website Page 38:20
MeshMapper Wardriving 38:54
Flashing Firmware 41:42
SF and CR 43:15
Local Hardware 44:04
Importance for Amateur Radio Clubs 45:30
Discord Server 46:58
Meet Your Fellow Citizens 48:40
How Close Can Antennas Be 49:33
Reticulum Radio Network 51:55
Proximity To Other Antennas 44:59
Roof Nodes 58:54
Yagi Antennas 59:29
Why 868 MHz and not 433 MHz 01:00:37
Getting Out Of Repeater Shadows 01:03:52
Repeaters on Buildings 01:05:38
Disaster Management Endorsement 01:06:23
Permission To Put Repeaters Up 01:08:40
Motivation To Put Repeaters Up 01:10:10
HAMNET Emergency Comms Trailer 01:11:48
Cape Town Moving Forward 01:12:52


LINKS: 

MeshCore website https://meshcore.io 

MeshMapper CPT https://cpt.meshmapper.net/index.php?... 

South African Discord Server   / discord   

Danie's MeshCore Page https://gadgeteer.co.za/hamradio/mesh... 

OpenWebRx SDR Receiver https://openwebrx.gadgeteerza.co.za - Choose 'RTL-SDR Meshtastic' profile 

- Danie vd Merwe ZS1OSS 

My current thoughts on the Meshtastic and Meshcore "hype" and why I prefer AREDN!

Why all the hype about Meshtastic and Meshcore nowadays in Amateur Radio?  Is there really a hype in this regard?   To answer the hype question I must honestly answer yes, if you look around you will literally find hundreds of videos and articles in this regard. I have been watching and reading quite a bit regarding these two entirely different open-source software projects since Meshtastic started a few years ago and Meshcore joined in later.  A few local radio amateurs in the George area setup a few nodes and some information were exchanged amongst radio amateurs in the area.  I looked into the feasibility of setting up such a mesh network at the time but came to the conclusion that it will be of no benefit to me or the general public as I was already running a AREDN ( Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network) Network on 2.4 Ghz and 5.8 Ghz in the Mossel Bay area.  The benefits of an AREDN Mesh Network clearly over shadowed Meshtastic and Meshcore.   But you are talking a lot of rubbish now!  What about emergency communications?  Surely Meshtastic and Meshcore can be used during a disaster to assist in emergency communications?

Let me explain a few reasons why I decided not to go the Meshtastic or Meshcore route and let me make it very clear that I an not against any of these open source projects.  I might in future consider to join both these open source projects depending on further development of the software, hardware and a substantial price drop etc.

Here is a few reasons why I rather use AREDN: (I will only provide a cryptic explanation.)

• An AREDN (Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network) system is a high-speed, self-discovering wireless mesh network built specifically by and for amateur radio operators using commercial off-the-shelf radio hardware. It is fully open source.  Its source code, custom Linux-based firmware, and build tools are publicly available on GitHub under the GPL-3.0 license. This allows amateur radio operators to inspect, modify, and contribute to the network's software development.
• I already have all the equipment setup for the AREDN Mesh Network including a fully functional web-site and server. It can connect to the ZS1I AllStar Hub Network and DMR Repeater and Bridge Network even when the Internet goes down.  I can connect  AREDN to any repeater, radio link, digital radio link etc for emergency communication use.
• The AREDN Mesh Network has already been successfully used during the Knysna Fire Storm in 2017 and proved that it is up to the task of providing voice, video, image, text, email and data communications. (forwarding and storage)
• The AREDN Mesh Network can be split into several mesh networks.  For example the 2.4 Ghz network can be opened for public use and a person only needs his cellphone (without a cellular network connection) to communicate to the AREDN 2.4 Ghz Network or a node in his/her vicinity.  This will allow the public important direct access communications during a disaster.  Same as Meshtastic and Meshcore but with more power and directional gain antennas for AREDN.
• Video / Images / Email and Data Communications are vital during a disaster.  AREDN can provide these with ease having great bandwidth etc. One can even "tap" into existing CCTV Cameras that might be offline or install portable cameras on tripods if there is a need for it.
• Now let's look at the cost.  For what I am getting from a Meshtastic or Meshcore node / repeater I might just as well use commercial off-the-shelf radio hardware for AREDN which is found in abundance secondhand or sometimes as give-a ways.   On several occasions I received freebee's which I used as AREDN Mesh Nodes.  Older and redundant antennas for 2.4 Ghz and 5.8 Ghz can be obtained free from many Internet Service Providers and the general public.  All the antennas I currently use was free of charge. 
• I hear you say but the Meshtastic and Meshcore nodes are small and compact and can be used with solar battery power.  Yes the form factor is small and compact but have a look at the AREDN web-site to see how small and compact some of the AREDN nodes are and they can also use solar battery power.
• RF Power Output -  As radio amateurs we are permitted to use higher power than any of the Meshtastic or Meshcore nodes can provide.  Higher power is not always the answer but it is available if needed.  Always just use enough power that is needed to make a reliable connection / contact.  I am not a QRO operator by any means but it is good to know that one can use higher power if needed.
• Interconnection of AREDN to other amateur radio equipment and networks.  This is were AREDN is shining and I have touched on this earlier.  Bridging / interconnection / linking call it what you want has become very important in this day and age.  On many occasions in the past I have talked about the  disparity in radio communications among emergency responders—often called a lack of interoperability—occurs due to incompatible hardware frequencies, differing agency protocols, and decentralized funding. Police, fire, and medical teams often use completely separate networks that cannot talk to each other directly during a crisis.  
• In my opinion AREDN is a far better and trustworthy mesh network system.  Agree there are also some areas that need to be upgraded but the AREDN Team is working tirelessly to release software and hardware updates to keep AREDN in the loop and relevant today.

Finally:  I am not against Meshtastic or Meshcore.  Each one has it's own rightful, place and uses and I think that it is wonderful technology that needs to be developed even further.  So before I jump on the "hype wagon" several changes and new features need to be released to make it an attractive option for me to use as an emergency communications tool. By all means feel free to follow the Meshtastic, Meshcore or AREDN "route".  Let's see what the future will bring in this regard.

Setting up an auto Connect and Disconnect cron job in ASL3 to automatically connect one node to another node.

Some time ago I wrote and article on how to easily and automatically connect and disconnect an AllstarLink 3 (ASL 3) node on a schedule.  In that article you needed to leverage the ASL3 asterisk CLI tool (asterisk -rx) inside two basic bash scripts. Then, you map those scripts to system execution times using Linux's built-in crontab utility. 

The article is available HERE.

Note:  I know there are more than one way to effect these connections but here I concentrate on the newcomer to Linux and ASL3.

In this article I will provide an even simpler method to automatically connect and disconnect one node to another node.  We going to setup a cron job in ASL3 to automatically connect to other nodes.  Just a word of caution - you still need to monitor your dashboard as "murphy" can cause havoc at any time.  Please do monitor your dashboard or your radio for any connection issues. 

To set up an automatic connect and disconnect schedule on AllStarLink 3 (ASL3), you can execute Asterisk CLI commands directly inside the system's crontab. This method bypasses the older built-in Asterisk scheduler, making it highly reliable and easy to modify.

Follow this step-by-step guide to configure your scheduled connections.

Step 1: Open the System Crontab

Log into your ASL3 node via SSH. Open the root user's cron scheduler using your preferred text editor (like nano) by running:

bash

sudo export EDITOR=nano
sudo crontab -e

Step 2: Add Your Connect and Disconnect Cron Jobs

Scroll to the bottom of the crontab file and add your scheduling strings. Use the following format template:

text

# Structure: Minute Hour DayOfMonth Month DayOfWeek 

/usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun <YourNode> <Command><TargetNode>"

Example Schedule:

If your local ASL3 node number is 61234 and you want to automatically join a weekly net on Node 55555 every Monday night:

• Disconnect all active connections at 18:55 (6:55 PM) on Monday:

  text

  55 18 * * 1 /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 61234 *76"

  (Note: *76 is the standard command to disconnect all links, serving as a clean slate before your net starts).

• Connect to Target Node 55555 at 19:00 (7:00 PM) on Monday:

  text

  00 19 * * 1 /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 61234 *355555"

  (Note: *3 is the standard link command followed by the target node ID).

• Disconnect from the Target Node at 20:30 (8:30 PM) on Monday:

  text

  30 20 * * 1 /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 61234 *155555"

  (Note: *1 is the specific link disconnect command). 

Step 3: Save and Verify

1. Save the file in nano by pressing Ctrl + O, then Enter.

2. Exit the editor by pressing Ctrl + X.

3. Verify your entries are correctly loaded into the scheduler by running:

   bash

   sudo crontab -l

Quick Syntax Reference

• Time Format: Crontab requires 24-hour military time.

• Days of the Week: 0 or 7 = Sunday, 1 = Monday, 2 = Tuesday, 3 = Wednesday, 4 = Thursday, 5 = Friday, 6 = Saturday.

• Asterisk Path: Ensure you specify the full path /usr/sbin/asterisk so the cron daemon can find the execution file without environment paths.

Do I need a script file for this to work or will the above suffice?

The crontab lines provided above will work perfectly fine on their own without any external script files. For your goal of a simple but effective method, putting the commands directly into the crontab is the absolute best approach. It keeps your system clean because you do not have to manage, execute-protect, or worry about the file paths of separate script files.

Why this direct method is highly effective:

• Fewer moving parts: The system reads the time, triggers the Asterisk command directly, and connects.

• Easy to modify: If a net time changes, you just run sudo crontab -e and change the numbers in one single file.

• No permission bugs: Running scripts sometimes fails if you forget to make the file executable (chmod +x). Direct cron commands avoid this completely.

The only rule to keep it working:

Just ensure that your node number and DTMF steering prefixes match your rpt.conf file. (For example, if your system uses something other than *3 for connect and *1 or *76 for disconnect, change those prefixes in the crontab strings to match your setup).

Here is an extract, optimized text block for your information.

This is added to the bottom of your crontab using  

sudo crontab -e:

text

# ====================================================================
# AUTO CONNECT & DISCONNECT SCHEDULE FOR NODE 49355
# ==================================================================== 

# SARL BULLETIN (Sunday Morning)
# Connect at 08:00 SAST, Disconnect at 08:30 SAST
00 08 * * 0 /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 49355 *33373742"
30 08 * * 0 /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 49355 *13373742"

# AMATEUR RADIO TODAY (Sunday Morning)
# Connect at 09:55 SAST, Disconnect at 11:05 SAST
55 09 * * 0 /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 49355 *33373742"
05 11 * * 0 /usr/sbin/asterisk -rx "rpt fun 49355 *13373742"

Pro-Tips for Your Setup: 

• Time Zone Check: Ensure your underlying Linux operating system is set to South African Standard Time (SAST) by typing date in the command line. Cron follows the system clock. 

 • The Asterisk *3 and *1 commands: These lines assume your system uses standard Transmit/Receive (permanent or normal) linking prefixes. If you prefer to use Monitor Only (receive only) mode for the Sunday news bulletins so local transmissions don't interrupt the broadcast, change the connection prefix from *3 to *2 (e.g., *23373742). 

Verification Reminder:

After saving the changes, remember to type date into your SSH terminal to make sure your Linux system clock is actually synchronized to local South African time, as cron relies strictly on the system time to execute.

Finally: 

That's it you now have an automated connect and disconnect schedule that will assist you in connecting to other nodes.  Just a reminder to monitor you dashboard to ensure that the setup runs smoothly.

Compliments to the DMR-ZA Net Controller and Participating Stations - "ET phoned home last night during the Net!!"

Image:  ET phoning home, thanks to the DMR-ZA Net! 

Some time ago I "complained" in general about the operating procedures of some of our fellow radio amateurs in South Africa.  Articles  HERE, HERE and HERE. I indicated that ET cannot phone home from certain Nets in South Africa where bad operating practices exist.  This of cause all tongue in the cheek but these blatant transgressions and bad incidents is of great concern, not only to me but many others as well.  However one Net and that is the DMR-ZA Net is showing how it should be done.

Last night I listened to the Net and to Brian ZS5BR, the Net Controller. I would like to complement all those who participated in the Net and in particular Brian ZS5BR who "controlled" the Net.  This is how a net should function and on the forefront was the excellent operating procedures of everybody involved in the Net.  I listen to a few nets and also participate in some nets in South Africa but the DMR-ZA Net's outstanding procedures make it a real pleasure to listen and participate in.  Great practice by all those involved.

No I am not going to go into detail but join this Net on a Tuesday evenings at 19h30 SAST and experience the net for yourself.  The DMR-ZA Net has set the standard of how it should be done.  It took me back to the olden day's where it was of the utmost importance and pride to run a net professionally and using good operating procedures and practices.  

A big thank you to all involved in the DMR-ZA Net - "ET was able to phone home last night thanks to the DMR-ZA Net!! 

How to Install the No-IP DUC on a Raspberry Pi for ASL3 Node 49355

Lets install the No-IP DUC from No-IP but before we do that lets look at No-IP DUC, what it is and where can I obtain more information:

No-IP/DDNS (Dynamic Domain Name System) is a service that associates a domain name with a changing IP address. ISPs often assign dynamic IP addresses, which can be problematic for hosting services such as CurrentWare for a remote setup.

No-IP/DDNS solves this by mapping the domain name to the changing IP address using client software or network device configurations. It ensures consistent access to services by automatically updating the DNS record with the latest IP address information.     

Click HERE to obtain more information about No-IP.

Let's get started! 

Make an account with No-IP and Create Host Name.

You will be able to install No-IP’s Dynamic Update Client on Raspberry Pi in just a few minutes using Terminal. 

Installing the service is simple to do, and requires little knowledge of Linux.

You will need to create a directory for the client software to be installed.

Open Terminal and type the following. After each entry press “Enter“.  

sudo mkdir /home/ZS1I/noip [enter]

ls [enter] (noip will be listed)

cd /home/ZS1I/noip [enter]

After creating the folders for the DUC it is time to download the software.

Within the Terminal window  type the following. After each entry you will press “Enter”.

wget http://www.no-ip.com/client/linux/noip-duc-linux.tar.gz

tar vzxf noip-duc-linux.tar.gz

Next navigate to the directory you created to locate the downloaded files. (/home/ZS1I/noip)

cd noip-2.1.9-1

Now install the program.

sudo make

sudo make install

After typing “sudo make install” you will be prompted to login with your No-IP account username and password. After logging into the DUC answer the questions to proceed. When asked how often you want the update to happen you must choose 30 or more. The interval is listed in minutes, if you choose 30 the update interval will be 30 minutes. If you choose 15 the interval will be 15 minutes.

Please enter the login/email string for no-ip.com  ***********
Please enter the password for user  **********
 

3 hosts are registered to this account.

Do you wish to have them all updated?[N] (y/N)  N

Do you wish to have host [one.ddns.net] updated?[N]

Do you wish to have host [two.ddns.net] updated?[N]

Do you wish to have host [three.ddns.net] updated?[Y]

Please enter an update interval:[30]  30

Do you wish to run something at successful update?[N]

sudo /usr/local/bin/noip2

To confirm that the service is working properly you can run the following command.

sudo noip2 ­-S (Capital “S”)

Notes:

To start Noip2: sudo /etc/init.d/noip2 start [enter]

Test Service: sudo noip2 -S [enter]

Check if No-IP DUC is installed:

1. Modern noip-duc version = sudo noip-duc –version [enter] (49355 not using modern version)

2. Legacy noip2 version = sudo noip2 -S [enter]

Output:

ZS1I@49355:~ $ sudo noip2 -S

No noip2 processes active.

Configuration data from /usr/local/etc/no-ip2.conf.

Account configured for:

host dmrrepeater.ddns.net

host zs1iallstar1.ddns.net

host zs1imumble.ddns.net

Updating every 30 minutes via /dev/eth0 with NAT enabled.

ZS1I@49355:~ $

Quick System-Wide Search:

ZS1I@49355:~ $ sudo whereis noip2

noip2: /usr/local/bin/noip2

ZS1I@49355:~ $

#5 - Amateur Radio News and Announcements (21 July 2026)

Reminder:  Do tune into the DMR-ZA Net this evening at 19h30 SAST

Herewith a list of different equipment / apps and images that cross transmit / receive the DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening. (Click on images for larger view.)

1.  ZS1I 49355 AllStar Hub Network which incorporates Echolink. (ZS1I-R)

2.  DMR / DVSwitch /AllStar Bridge (TG 65522)

3.  ZS1I MMDVM Digital Repeater (TG 65522)

4.  145.550 Mhz Analogue Simplex RF Link Mossel Bay area.

5.  DroidStar / VoxDMR Applications for DMR  TG655

6.  ASL3 to Mumble Bridge PC (Mumble Client) as well as Mobile Phone (Plumble Client) 

7.  BrandMeister - Hoseline Application (PC or Mobile Phone - Receive only.)

8.  DVSwitch Mobile Application (PC or Mobile Phone)

9.   Many Analog-Repeaters and Links are connected to the ZS1I Hub Network on a daily basis.  Some of these analogue repeaters will be connected to the ZS1I Hub Network on a Tuesday evening and they might also be linked to other repeaters country- and world wide.  So why not link up with your local analogue repeater.  You might just be able to connect to the DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening at 19h30 SAST. 

Finally:  There are an abundance of means illustrated above to connect to the DMR-ZA Net on a Tuesday evening at 19h30 SAST.  The DMR-ZA Net is an open net and all radio amateurs are welcome to join / connect to the net.  Brian ZS5BR is the net controller and I would like to thank him for professionally conducting the net each Tuesday evening.  Highly appreciated!! 

Upgrading the ZS1I AllStar Hub Node to the "latest and greatest" firmware currently available.

Image above:  ASL3 Landing Page (Dashboard)  Click on image for larger view.)

"Latest and greatest"  firmware  ......  Huh?  Big deal?   No, but after  9 years of using HamVoip Firmware on the ZS1I AllStar Hub it is time to upgrade to ASL3 Firmware and also to update the Supermon Dashboard. 

Let me just make it very clear.  There is nothing wrong with HamVoip and it served me well, however there comes a time when new firmware does not "play ball" anymore with HamVoip and as I run the Hub I wanted to add new features to the the Hub Node.  Thanks HamVoip, Jim Dixon WB6NIL (SK), David K4FXC, Doug WA3DSP and the rest of the HamVoip Team for creating this wonderful application for Amateur Radio.

Well I upgraded to ASL3 firmware a week ago and has been working on and off on setting up the "new" ZS1I AllStar3 Hub.  I must apologize to many of the stations who during the past few days were disconnected after rebooting the 49355 Node several times.  Sometimes it was necessary to work on the node while stations were connected and this resulted in a few disconnects.

The final switch over took place on the 20 July 2026 and so far the Hub has been running without any issues.  I will make a few changes to the setup of the node and ASL3 firmware and will also be adding 2 x Dashboards to monitor and control several other nodes connected to the ZS1I AllStar Hub Network.  Echolink has been included and is available at ZS1I-R Node 929614.  Other nodes, links, bridges etc. is running great and has been linked to the ZS1I Allstar Hub.  I will in a future posting explain what new features ASL3 brings to the ZS1I Hub Network.

Finally:  If there are any issues please get in touch with me and I will look into them.  I trust that ASL3 will provide a great new service to the many radio amateurs that connect to the ZS1I Hub.

Images:  (Click on images for larger view)

Image above:  Out with the old.  Supermon 6.2+ served me well since 2017.

Image above:  In with the New.   Supermon 8+  Thus far it is running flawlessly.  So many new features and updates. 

Image above:  ASL3 Node Overview. 

 Image above:  AllScan Dashboard for the ZS1I Hub

 Image above:  Allmon3 Dashboard for the ZS1I Hub

ZS1I 40m WSPR Beacon is reeling in stations never spotted before in the Southern Cape

The ZS1I 40m WSPR Beacon is alive with stations never spotted before in the Southern Cape at the QTH of ZS1I.  This is great news and I wonder if this is a change in the winter HF conditions to the start of the Spring / Summer HF conditions?  Well let's see what happens in the next few weeks.  Great to see so much activity and new spotters on 40m WSPR.

 (Click on image for larger view.)

 (Click on image for larger view.)