Bits, Bytes, & Radio Waves

A Journey Through Discovery

  • RTL-SDR Blog V4 Dipole Antenna Kit

    Introduction Since this was all new to me and the price was relatively attractive, I picked up the RTL-SDR Blog V4 kit from Amazon. I am based in the US, so it was convenient and extremely quick. I also purchased a Raspberry Pi 5 to use for my amateur radio hobby to keep things separate…

  • RTL-SDR Blog V4 on Raspberry Pi OS

    Introduction I do have to admit that using the word blog with a physical device is a little odd to me. Nonetheless, this little dongle is quite a nice addition to a new amateur radio operator like myself. Even if you do not have a license, you can try this out since it is a…

  • Bundle Transfer Utility (v 5.2) Cheat Sheet

    Overview I have a couple other posts on my site regarding this tool. The documentation in the wild is…well wild. Unfortunately, the vendor doesn’t make the instructions very clear, at least for the paths to use when uploading to SDDC Manager. This could be just me, but I have a suspicion that more than a…

  • CHIRP on Ubuntu

    Installing CHIRP is relatively easy. It’s connecting the radio to the computer that can be troublesome. I needed a cable that did not rely on Windows since I go between Ubuntu, macOS, and Windows. I found a MIRKIT FTDI USB Programming Cable Model 3 on Amazon.com that has worked without any fuss with Windows and…

  • Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)

    Note:This is a living page; the information may be confusing, incomplete, out of order, or possibly incorrect at this time. I am still learning and researching this technology. Background The Automatic Packet Reporting System, or APRS, was developed by Bob Bruninga (SK) for the US Navy back in the early 1980’s. Protocol AX.25 – https://www.tapr.org/pdf/AX25.2.2.pdf…

  • Amateur Radio License Journey

    I had some downtime recently with work and decided it would be a good time to get my amateur radio license. I started to look into the requirements with a serious focus. When I tell people I went from Technician Class (August 8, 2024) to Amateur Extra Class (September 17, 2024) in 40 days, naturally…

This is how it all started…

I started this site with the intent to aggregate as much information as possible in one place. I use this to record lessons learned or frustrating configurations I have experienced on the job or just tinkering (learning) and just couldn’t find a better resource available. I have tried to be as thorough and accurate as possible, but technology is rapidly evolving and every environment is different. I may miss things along the way and my setup most likely differs compared to yours.

I hope you find this site has some value to you.

Welcome to Bits, Bytes, and Radio Waves! 

If you have any questions or comments (or just want to give me a shout-out), please feel free to contact me!

Aaron Rombaut

Writer & Technologist