Allstar - 2026

I've put an Allstar node back on the air!

I built a Shari-Pi 3U node last year, to use as a portable Allstar/Echolink node - accessing the internet via my mobile phone hotspot. At that time I also had a “hig power” 2m node running at home.

After a while I became disenchanted with radio and turned everything (even HF) off…

In May 2026 I became interested in the hobby again, and started to re-build a few parts of my station. Once the HF gear was up and running I put the Shari-Pi 70cm Allstar node online. The range is rather limited, given the low, low power and short stubby antenna - it's only intended for “within the house” coverage, after all. On a walk today I found I could hear still access, and hear it up to a mile away, almost line of site!

At the same time I'm starting to think about HF Selcall and hoping to find some other people around Europe (or further?) who might be interested. The thought struck me that Allstar would work as an “Engineer Order Wire” - a back-channel for co-ordination and discussion.

How could I make the Allstar node have a better range, around my local - remote, rural, isolated - area? Should I resurrect my other Allstar node - a R.Pi, CM108 modified sound-dongle, 2m radio?

I have in the shack a TM-D710 V/UHF radio capable of cross-band repeat, I have a TH-D72 and together these make a great remote-controllable cross-band repeater system. Could I use a 2m frequency for access, cross-banding to the Shari-Pi's 70cm frequency?

Yes, it works!

Using the “Wireless Control” functions built into the TM-D710/TH-D72 it's possible to have a cross-band repeater that can be enabled & disabled over the air from the handheld, and effectively make the Allstar private 70cm hotspot into a high power 2m Gateway. (Where “high power” = 5 watts).

TH-D72 and remote control

• Make the Left Side of the TM-D710 the Active side, set to the Shari-Pi's 70cm Frequency/Tone : 430.050MHz / 77Hz CTCSS
• Put the Right Side of the TM-D710 on 2m : 144.9125MHz / 77Hz CTCSS
• Turn off
• Hold “Rev” and power on
  • Radio should be in Remote Control mode
• Use the TH-D72 to start/stop the Repeat function, change TX power on the 70m port, etc….
  • Put the TH-D72 on the chosen 20m frequency : 144.9125MHz / 77Hz CTCSS
  • Turn off
  • Hold MR and PTT and power on
  • This should be “Moblie Ctrl” mode
    • To Enable Cross Band Repeat : Press C (aka MR) (No need to hold PTT button)
    • To Disable Cross Band Repeat : Press D (aka Call)
  • To exit “Mobile Ctrl” mode - reverse the porcess
    • Turn Off
    • Hold MR and PTT and power on
  • Now it's possible to use normal Allstar DTMF commands to control the linking etc. of the Shari-Pi node, transparently it seems to be on 2m

Page created : 06/06/26 22:19 BST

Page updated : 06/06/26 22:44 BST