ATAK 4.7.0.2 / HAMMER v1.1 / Samsung Note 9 running Android 10 / digirig with the Yaesu HT cable and a 100watt high speed usb-c to usb-c cable (with a toriod added to each end of the usb-c cable to prevent interference THE TOROIDS ARE ESSENTIAL) / Yaesu VX8-DR with an adapter cable to change the speaker/mic. plug to a 3.5mm plug to match the digirig Yaesu HT cable. No changes were required in the ATAK app just run the calibrate volume function in the Hammer plugin.
Jeff, congrats on your success!
Can you please share the links to the software involved and maybe the screenshots of the configuration screens.
Thank you.
Update… Download ATAK 4.7 and the Hammer Plugin from TAK.gov. Turn Radio Squelch setting to 2, and the Mic. Gain to 5. Then run the calibrate volume setting. It should handshake almost immediately. Differing radios will need differing settings.
Hello, just stumbled upon this while working on a project that I’ve got going so I figured I’d ask.
I have a Raspberry Pi 4B running Android OS and ATAK with HAMMER and I’m looking for a radio to use with it to enable ATAK use offline/off-grid. I’m trying to do as much research as possible and hopefully get something that someone has used with a similar combo before so I’m not spending a bunch of money getting a radio that doesn’t work.
Are you able to recommend whether the Yaesu FT-65R might work for this application if I use the same cable configuration you have there? The reason I ask is because I’m looking to drive costs down as much as possible, since I’m hoping to outfit multiple people with this setup and $100 here and there makes the difference to getting them on board.
Finally, when you’ve been using this setup, are you pretty much limited to sending text messages and simple map drawings over ATAK, or can you send pictures? I know bandwidth is a concern when not using military-grade radios with ATAK. Furthermore, how are you handling voice transmission? I’m wondering if I can use the dual band functionality of the FT-65R to send ATAK data on one channel and simplex voice on the other. Thanks for your help!
I’m sorry I haven’t responded before now. I’m having mixed results. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. No matter which setup I use. I have the ft65r but it doesn’t have a vox setting, so you have to use the digirig, since it’s a Motorola plug not a kenwood plug you have to get the specific digirig plug for it. Currently I’m using the btech aprs cable, with retevis rt3s radios. I have had zero luck with atak over digital on the rt3s, but am leaning towards it because it has the ability to do digital “encryption” (it’s proprietary and there is no stated standard but it can’t be understood by other digital radios without it.) Im not concerned with legality, if it comes to a point where Im using it, it wont matter. Voice comms over digital and atak over analog. My intent with the vx8dr was security by obscurity and flexibility. 6meters 2meters MURS 1.25meters 70Cm and GMRS in one radio. I think in order to send image or video you need to use high speed radios like Harris or Motorola that atak was designed around, or use a tak server. Which is cost prohibitive or prohibited by the need to remain off grid. Best of luck to you, if you find the magic combination, please let me know.
No worries, I’ve actually had some minor progress since then. I’ve got an FT-65R and tested ATAK transmissions between that and a Baofeng, but not the UV-5R, it was a different model that my buddy has. It was not fully successful, but went in the right direction. Transmissions from the FT-65R to the Baofeng would go all the way through, we could see both radios lighting up as they were sending and receiving, but it didn’t produce a message in ATAK. It makes me think that the Baofeng we used just isn’t compatible with the cable we got, since when he said he had a Baofeng, I assumed he meant a UV-5R, so instructed him to get the UV-5R cable. I have a UV-5R, so I’m going to use that cable to test transmissions at my house this weekend.
My setup will be a Raspberry Pi 4b with the FT-65R and my cell phone with the UV-5R. I’ll post back here if I can get a test message to work.
I’m still really new to all of this, so my goal for now is to just send and receive ATAK data over analog radio, just radio to radio, no mesh or anything. The only other thing I desire is a way to use voice comms over those same radios without having to disconnect from ATAK, change settings in ATAK whenever I want to talk, or use a second radio.
I wonder a bit if I should’ve gone for digital/analog handhelds like you did, or if I can just allocate one band for voice and one band for ATAK. I don’t know how to do that though.
Yeah, without getting some kind of splitter that allows incoming transmissions to play into a headset and into your atak device, you’re stuck carrying 2 radios. I did have someone remark that having the atak radios too close together when they transmit interferes with it. Of course, anything to make testing and setup more of a pain in the ass. I like the idea of using the APRS cable because it’s a simple one cable solution, rather than needing a cable from the radio to the digirig and then another from the digirig to the atak device. It just means that you have to use a radio set up with a kenwood plug. Another idea is the BTech 25x4. It comes with a splitter that allows both the mic. and a kenwood plug at the same time. I have two of these but I got them before they started selling with the splitter, and of course you cant buy just the splitter anywhere. And because its a mobile radio you need to run it with a lifepo battery from a backpack, and work out an antenna. And that particular radio gets pretty hot. Atak forwarder and meshtastic work great until there is ANYTHING that blocks line of sight. Even going into another room. I’m looking at getting a better transmitter. I’m happy to help, even if it’s just to bounce ideas around.
Jeff
