FT-7900 ZUM Repeater Build - Part 4

 

Now that I have moved into the new house, I thought I would try getting the homebrew repeater back up and running. While going through the hardware and software, I decided to upgrade the software from Pi-Star to WPSD, change the controller-to-transceivers wiring harness, and put the Raspberry Pi and MMDVM in a new HighPi Pro case.

For the wiring harness, I decided to get rid of the RJ-45 ends and have the mini DIN cables come directly out of the HighPi case. I drilled two holes in the end of the case, passed the snug fitting cables in, and connected them to the boards wiring harness as they were previously, as described below.

After connecting all the hardware, a firmware upgrade was done on the ZUM Radio MMDVM board using the tool in the WPSD software. In my case, the ZUM Radio board is the v1.0 with the F4 chip. If you aren't sure what you have, the board version is printed on the board itself, and the chip, the largest one with connections on all four sides, has the model information laser etched on its face. 

The chip number is seen directly under the wire harness as "STM32F446", an ...F4... chip

With all things updated and secured, the repeater fired right up and is working fine. The final process will be working with the Wisconsin Association of Repeaters to get coordination approval for my new location in Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin.

Conform to His Image

Fathers, look for opportunities to encourage your children regarding things of eternal value, not about physical or mental attributes which can change with a single car accident, but about the decisions they make, the values they espouse, and for the older ones, their parenting skills, etc. Reflect the model of Jesus, because that is the single most important thing to build up your child. Just like Paul said, encourage each other in our faith. And if they are not following Jesus, continue to encourage, regardless. Magnify eternal values and virtues, and because you are their father, your words of affirmation are weighty. Your words make lasting impressions. Live by example, like Jesus' example. Show them what is important and worth pursuing in life. And never forget to tell them, "I love you!".