This release is largely a follow to the previous 2 major releases. It includes bug fixes and improvements to the new functionality – many suggested by you the end users – keep ’em coming !

• Display “DMR Hotspot Password” on main Digital Bridge Setup screen
• Your Nodes refresh button checks MQTT state and conditionally restarts it
• Individual deletes on “Notifications from your nodes”
• Replace 1999 with the TG # in notifications
• Notifications timestamp now in local time
• Notifications now include sounds (you many need to reinstall your app)
• Last heard displays a timestamp
• Last heard indicates if MQTT is live or offline
• Added “Revert to last” and “Revert to ex-factory” to node setup

Have fun !

73 … Gerry.

The ClearNode software is now available as a subscription for your SHARI device !

Check out the SHARI page for more information on the release and links to the store.

73 … Gerry.

Supermon Version 6 is installed on your ClearNode by default. HamVoIP.org recently released an upgrade that moves the version from 6.2+ to 6.2.2+. You can get the upgrade by tapping on “Node Details > Versions > Asterisk 1.4.23-pre …” > Accept the upgrade. DO NOT INTERRUPT POWER UNTIL THE UPGRADE COMPLETES AND YOUR NODE REBOOTS.

After the upgrade you will not see a change to “Asterisk 1.4.23-pre …” in the versions section. However, you will see the top strap of the Supermon landing page indicate the new version 6.2.2+.

We have not moved our default image to Supermon 7. There aren’t any immediate plans to do so. We generally focus people on using the mobile app for control and monitoring of the node. In fact, configuring the node via Supermon is in conflict with configuring the node via the mobile app and will lead to issues, potentially disabling your node.

73 … Gerry.

Looks like we have a handful of issues in the Android ClearNode app Version 1.33 This was released this last week to implement Push Notifications. It underwent some in depth changes as we moved away from the older Android SDKs and moved the AWS MQTT support to their current releases.

Version 1.34 is now available in the Google Play store. It is recommended that all users upgrade as soon as practicable.

73 … Gerry.

API version 91 and App ver 1.33 were released this last week.

Your ClearNodes, ClearZeros and ClearRPTs are now capable of sending Push Notifications to your mobile device. You can select the notifications you want to receive on a node by node basis – Node Details > Notifications Setup. This is a work in progress – if you dream up other events that you think should be part of the Notifications process – please let us know – we’ll try to make it happen in subsequent releases.

We’ve enabled a minimal set of standard notifications, so as not “bomb” your mobile device. But you’re in control – choose what matters to you !

For example – I run a ClearRPT on a 50W Alinco at my QTH. It provides access to various systems for the Hams in my neighborhood in San Francisco. I enabled notifications for “COSDETECT” – that way I know instantly when folks are busy on my system. That way I’m prompted to monitor for the usual misbehavior and swiftly bring it to heel.

73 … Gerry.

We lost 3 days in the workshop this week. Record temperatures – over 110 deg F – the space was not inhabitable. Solder paste doesn’t do well at those temperatures, so we called a halt.

However, that did mean we could focus a little longer on software ! News coming soon …

So have patience, we will catch up next week …

73 … Gerry.

I have temporarily suspended shipments by UPS in the store.

We have had problem after problem after problem with UPS over the last few weeks – their performance is lamentable. There doesn’t seem to be any common sense guiding what they are doing. We’ve had particular problems getting packages across the country to the East Coast.

Sorry for the inconvenience, but what they are charging us, and therefore you the customer, is quite unreasonable given their performance.

73 … Gerry.

And it’s not good … 🙁

It doesn’t look like there will any supply of the Raspberry Pi Zero 2 W until, at least, the 1st half of 2023 – and that’s only if the chip supply chain “recovers” within that time frame.

Given the conversation I had this morning – the prospects for the Pi 4 based ClearNode are also diminishing for the rest of 2022 – there’s a 6 month lead time for that board as well.

Challenging times …

73 … Gerry.

It had to come I suppose, we did our best to put it off as long as possible, but we really have to move the ClearNode Mobile App for Android up to a later minimum SDK version. This is mostly because we’re seeing more and more instability in the older version of the AWS IoT MQTT Libraries that our node control system relies on. We’ve been getting reports of poor connection behavior in the Android app – and we have been able to confirm this in our testing.

We just put out a “point” release for Android 9 (V1.32.8) – most of you will pick that up automatically – this should help with the MQTT connectivity issues. After that, if Android 9 is the most recent version your device will support, you will not be able to get subsequent versions of ClearNode for Android. Your Android 9 device and this version (1.32) of ClearNode will continue to function, you just won’t be able to update it as we move forward with new releases.

The only constant is change …

73 … Gerry.

You may have noticed that the vast majority of ClearNodes and ClearZeros have auto-magically upgraded to RedNode API 90. The ClearNode mobile app – Apple iOS and Android versions 1.32 are already in the App Store and Play Store respectively.

The major changes are “Fleet Last Heard” and “Fleet connection activity” – both available from the “Your Nodes” context/share menu. “Fleet” refers to ALL ClearNodes and ClearZeros currently running – a global view.

Fleet Last Heard

I’ve been impressed how most of the Digital Networks provide a live feed of where traffic is coming from – super useful if you’re looking for “action” or trying to verify if you’re making it into the system. So to make that happen we’re using the internal signaling data to provide a live feed of where nodes are active – i.e. receiving on their embedded radios and putting traffic onto a target system. This release targets the AllStar and EchoLink connections, with limited information for Digital connections. There will be another concerted effort to make the data from the Digital connections more useful – stay tuned – there’s a chunk of complexity in there that needs to be wrangled.

Fleet connection activity

We consistently see frustration among new users who are just getting familiar with Voice Over IP systems – where to go to get involved ? This functionality provides a sorted and time constrained list of where connections are being made and dropped. This is often a good indicator that a Net is getting underway as the inbound connections to a System Hub start ramping up. You can also start your connection and get involved – right there from Connection Activity list !

Other …

• More custom courtesy tones
• Voice ID as alternative to CW ID
• Node host name is exposed for configuration in Operating System Setup
• Fixed the “Change Pi ‘root’ pswd” which got trashed in an earlier release

A lot of work went into this release and it’s a certainty there are bugs … the sooner you report ’em the sooner we fix ’em … 🙂

This foundational work underlies this release and the next – so there’s more to come ! The next Major Release is already on the drawing board … exciting stuff in the works.

Have fun !

73 … Gerry.