pyrepeater

a software controller for radio repeaters on raspberry pi

tested with:

• Raspberry GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
• serial interface board from gmrstwowayradio.com
• FTDI USB -> Serial cable
• Retevis 97S

installation

1. Install Raspberry Pi OS 12 (Bookworm).

2. Install the system dependencies:

   sudo apt update
   sudo apt install --yes multimon-ng pipenv sox

3. Blacklist the HDMI drivers by editing /boot/firmware/config.txt and commenting the following lines:

   # Enable DRM VC4 V3D driver
   #dtoverlay=vc4-kms-v3d
   #max_framebuffers=2

4. Blacklist the headphone driver by editing /etc/modprobe.d/blacklist-alsa.conf and adding:

   blacklist snd_bcm2835
   

5. Reboot:

   sudo reboot

6. Clone the repository and install its Python dependencies:

   mkdir -p ~/src
   git clone https://github.com/emuehlstein/pyrepeater.git ~/src/pyrepeater
   cd ~/src/pyrepeater
   pipenv install

configuration

1. Replace the files in the pyrepeater/sounds directory with WAV files crafted for your repeater.

2. Copy the example environment file and edit it to reflect your preferences:

   cd ~/src/pyrepeater
   cp pyrepeater/.env.example pyrepeater/.env
   $EDITOR pyrepeater/.env

usage

Run the controller from the repository root:

cd ~/src/pyrepeater
pipenv run python -m pyrepeater

Press Ctrl+C to stop it.

DTMF remote commands

When enabled, the repeater decodes DTMF digits from each completed recording. Transmit one of the configured sequences below to run a command:

Sequence	Command	Behavior
999	Toggle parrot mode	Enables or disables immediate playback of recorded transmissions.
312	Force CW ID	Queues an immediate CW identification message.
73	Toggle sleep	Forces the repeater into or out of sleep mode.
311	Status	Queues the repeater information announcement.

Recognized commands play sounds/command_ack.wav as an audible confirmation before any command-specific result, and are not played back as recordings. Toggling parrot mode follows the ack with sounds/parrot_mode_on.wav or sounds/parrot_mode_off.wav to announce the new state. The default sequences can be changed in .env; command matching is exact, and the current implementation does not provide PIN protection.

deployment with ansible

The checked-in Ansible playbook targets repeaterpi.local and installs the application as a systemd service. Update ansible/inventory.yaml if your Raspberry Pi uses a different hostname or connection settings, then run:

cd ~/src/pyrepeater
ansible-playbook -i ansible/inventory.yaml ansible/site.yaml

After deployment, manage the service on the Raspberry Pi with:

sudo systemctl status pyrepeater
sudo systemctl restart pyrepeater
sudo journalctl -u pyrepeater -f

settings

the following ENV variables should be set in the .env file prior to entering the pipenv virtual environment

• SERIAL_PORT=/dev/ttyUSB0

  • the location of your serial device

• PRE_TX_DELAY=1.0

  • the number of seconds (float) to wait between enabling the serial pins and beginning the transmission audio

• POST_TX_DELAY=1.0

  • the number of seconds (float) to wait between ending the transmission and disabling the serial pins

• FCC_ID=WRXC682

  • currently unused (future: CW ID generation)

• SCHEDULE_TOH=False

  • currently unused (future: timed periods relative to top of hour or start time)

• ID_MINS=15

  • period of CW ID announcements in minutes (int)

• RPT_INFO_MINS=60

  • period of repeater info announcements in minutes (int)

• ID_WHEN_ASLEEP=False

  • send CW IDs when repeater is idle for a prolonged period

• RPT_INFO_WHEN_ASLEEP=False

  • send repeater info messages when repeater is idle for a prolonged period

• SLEEP_AFTER_MINS=10

  • after this many minutes of inactivity, put the repeater in sleep mode

• WAKE_AFTER_SEC=2

  • if repeater is asleep and becomes busy, wait this many seconds (int) before transitioning back to active state (prevents short key ups from disrupting sleep)

• MIN_REC_SEC=2

  • minimum seconds for a valid recording (WAV file will be deleted if it does not exceed this length)

• PARROT_MODE=False

  • when enabled, the repeater plays back each recorded transmission immediately after it ends, useful for range testing while mobile

• DTMF_COMMANDS_ENABLED=True

  • decode configured DTMF sequences from recordings for remote control

• CMD_PARROT_TOGGLE=911

  • DTMF sequence for toggling parrot mode

• CMD_FORCE_ID=912

  • DTMF sequence for forcing an immediate CW ID

• CMD_SLEEP_TOGGLE=913

  • DTMF sequence for forcing a sleep/wake toggle

• CMD_STATUS=914

  • DTMF sequence for playing the repeater status announcement

roadmap

• repeater modes (day/night/net)
• ansible
  • systemd service
  • blacklist headphone jack modules
• single command install (ie. homebrew/ohmyzsh curl .....)