VARA FM / Packet Dual-Mode Winlink Gateway in Linux
As you might have read earlier in this blog, I put up a VARA FM / packet VHF dual-mode Winlink Gateway AD6DM-10 at the tail end of 2021. This system is still going, through both a Windows Update-induced tiny PC death, and more recently, a bloated aging laptop battery. It runs on Windows 10, and is currently on an Evolve III “jankapotamus” laptop. Moreover, I managed to fry my Windows 10 ruggedized tablet that I got from Huntsville Hamfest last year. (I thought I was trying a safe voltage while testing a barrel plug, but after 2 seconds I heard a pop and then saw the magic smoke.) Anyway, with the latest problems with these PCs, though not related to Windows, I decided it was a great chance to find a replacement system and use an operating system that is known for uptime and reliability: Linux.