[Xastir] Bluetooth connection to D700!

[Tom Russo]

Dunnow how many of you read this month's QST, but there was an article
about a Bluetooth radio control program.  I have no interest in controlling
my radios with a PDA, but the application seemed cool and the interface he
described was very simple --- I started wondering if I could use it with 
Xastir to run APRS wirelessly with my D700.  The answer to that question was
yes.

I bought one of the guy's "BlueLync-Serial" interfaces, a BlueSMiRF bluetooth
module, and a bluetooth USB dongle for my linux laptop.  Turns out that 
while the BlueLync-Serial adapter doesn't provide true RS232 signal levels,
they're close enough for the D700.

Using the linux "rfcomm" module, I was able to connect to the 
BlueSMiRF/BlueLync adapter and create a virtual serial port that Xastir could 
connect to with no problem, and was able to control my D700 that way.

This is by no means an inexpensive alternative to a USB<->Serial dongle, but
it is pretty nifty to have a wireless link between my laptop and my D700. 
This will make it relatively easy for me to operate APRS outside my truck
using the D700 inside my truck without having to deal with long serial cables.
I expect that this could come in handy on SAR missions.

The BlueLync-Serial interface adapter is available from "Lynovation" at 
<http://ctr-remote.home.att.net>
for about $16.

You will also need a BlueSMiRF bluetooth modem from http://www.sparkfun.com/
This will cost you about $60.

And of course you'll need your linux computer to have a supported bluetooth 
adapter.  I was able to use the D-Link DBT-120 right out of the box.

The nifty thing about this is that if you have an application for which the
BlueLync's signal levels aren't good enough, you could always throw together
a quick adapter using a MAX232 IC to get true RS232 signal levels.  I suspect
that using a bluetooth link to a KPC3+ or other tnc might require that.  I 
think I might try to do so sooner or later.  

Once I built the BlueLync-Serial and hooked it up to the BlueSMiRF, it was
just a matter of doing 
  hcitool scan
on linux to get the address of the bluetooth unit and
  rfcomm connect 0 <address> 1
to connect /dev/rfcomm0 to the remote unit using channel 1.  Xastir can then
use /dev/rfcomm0 as if it were a 9600 baud serial port.

I still haven't explored it much, but it does work nicely.  

-- 
Tom Russo    KM5VY   SAR502   DM64ux          http://www.swcp.com/~russo/
Tijeras, NM  QRPL#1592 K2#398  SOC#236 AHTB#1 http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?DDTNM
"And, isn't sanity really just a one-trick pony anyway? I mean all you get is
 one trick, rational thinking, but when you're good and crazy, oooh, oooh,
 oooh, the sky is the limit!"  --- The Tick