(Both iOS and Android apps are now available in the respective App Stores.)

This release upgrade process might take a little time (depending on your internet connection) and will reboot a couple of times – don’t interrupt power ! Here’s what’s going on:

  • Installation of SkywarnPlus – all the files you need – minus a working configuration. That’s so we don’t stomp on any existing configuration if you have already installed SkywarnPlus. To get a working configuration, you need to go to Node Details > AllStar Setup > Weather Options … turn on “Generate SkywarnPlus configuration” and tap Save in the top right corner. The configuration will be generated with your call sign and the same NWS County Code you use for AutoSky. There are an awesome number of configuration options – so far we haven’t exposed any of them – let us know what you need – we’ll work on it. You also need to enable the Timed Event “SkywarnPlus Check Advisories” which was automatically installed during the upgrade. If you’re already using AutoSky, you should disable it if you’re going to use SkyWarn Plus – Node Details > AllStar Setup > Weather Options … turn off “Enable AutoSky at Boot” and tap Save in the top right corner. Also turn off the associated Timed Event “AutoSky Check Advisories”.
  • If you have multiple nodes and you use the Digital Modes – you no doubt have run into AllStar’s restriction that prevents creating a loop if you connect them together. That’s because we use the default “1999” node number for the pseudo-node that implements the endpoint for the Digital Mode audio. To get around that restriction, each of your nodes needs to use a different pseudo-node number. With this release you can go to Node Details > Digital Bridge Setup > Global Information > MMDVM Node NUmber and choose a new number. We suggest using a sequence such as 1999, 1888, 1777, etc. If you have a single node, you probably don’t need to deal with this.
  • Some of you have implemented a hardware vocoder on a separate piece of hardware and can use it over the network instead of plugging one in locally. To facilitate that we’ve exposed that in two configuration options – Node Details > Digital Bridge Setup > DSTAR Setup > Network Vocoder Address / Port ***
  • The live GPIO control settings have moved from the bottom of the Node Details > Node setup section to the top section “Radio” – Type: RedRPT – Tap to configure”. Just to keep the UI as consistent as we can from device to device.

*** Wah! – just spotted the bug – “Network Vocoder Address/Port” was mis-labelled in iOS. Will fix it in the next release.

Want to know more about SkywarnPlus : SkywarnPlus on Github.

73 … Gerry.