Tindie

I am new to the digital radio world but the MMDVM board has worked great. Well engineered and built.
Only one minor issue, when I went to solder header on the board for a 5" Nextion display and found my header pins slightly larger then the holes.
It would be nice to have the pins offered loose or as a pre solder option.
My question was answered quickly. I removed one star in documentation because I was not aware the through holes were smaller then normal and I would need to find a different size header pin for the display port. Shipping is a 4 stars because of the USPS. Maybe offer another shipping option would help.
Theses are minors issues though, I love the product, great quality and workmanship.
I am buying a second board today.

Thanks,
73, Phil KB3UUL

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | Feb. 3, 2021

Thanks so much Phil for the nice review.

The holes are 0.031" in diameter which should be a good but VERY TIGHT fit for standard pins which are square pins that are 0.020" on a side. That makes the diagonal of the pin from one corner to the other 0.031". Granted there is absolutely no tolerance but this is by design. If you verify you have standard pins that are indeed 0.020 square, you can get them to press in with just a modest amount of force. Round pins that are 0.031" in diameter should fit exactly the same way.

I hope this is helpful.

Thanks again for the nice review.

Regards,
David

James | March 22, 2020

Super design, excellent build - great Duplex MMDVM board

Easy to get going. Calibrated before shipment with Rx Offset listed on the box. Stable, no drift, with all this quality on a small board that fits on a Pi Zero.

Got my first DV modem in 2010 and I've been through many others over the years. Dave's design is first class. And I'm glad I'm not experiencing the problems I read about the knock-off boards built by cutting corners. For the quality, the N5BOC MMDVM Duplex board is not expensive and well worth the price.

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | May 30, 2020

Thanks so very much James. You've been doing this long enough your words carry a lot of credability.
I hope you enjoy it for a long time to come.

David

Rob | Jan. 6, 2020

Great purchase and support!!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND

I am a total noob to pi-star and Digital Radio. I found the modem easy to use and the feedback from the seller to be most helpful. I'd highly recommend purchasing this hotspot.

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | Jan. 29, 2020

Thanks so very much Rob for your positive comments.
Glad I could be helpful.

Allan | Sept. 16, 2019

Yaesu FUSION Radio hot spot.

I am setting up the Yaesu FT2DR. the Yaesu FTM-400XDR and the HRI-200.
The N5BOC MMDVM is an integral part of a mobile hot spot I am building to complement the above equipment. As I have not yet completed it, I cannot give any report but I will say "The units my friends have built and which I am copying all work extremely well and I am endeavouring to match their results.
Thank you for your prompt response and delivery.
Allan VK5MAK.
South Australia

Eric | June 25, 2019

Have to make your own opinion.

I have several MMDVM boards. Several Jumbo Spot (China) boards in simplex and duplex configuration.

I tried the LS board to see if it was really better. Keep in mind I did not use any lab equipment for testing...just the Pi-Star dashboard and the same radio when comparing performance.

The LS is definitely a higher quality board. It is thicker and heavier with better components.
As far as performance, it is about the same as a few of the JumboSpot MMDVMs. There was no offset required with the LS board but I do have a few JumboSpots that also do not require offsets...some do, some don't. BER is about the same as well between the LS and JumboSpot.

What I do prefer about the LS board is the quality on-board antenna as I have dedicated the LS as my mobile/go with me everywhere board. I use it daily in the car and sometimes at work.
Lastly, the LS board required modifications to the C4 Labs case...I recall the regulator hitting. Not a big issue as it was easily fixed with a dremmel tool. While there I also added room for a slightly modified 1.3 OLED...had to sand the OLED board a little to get it to fit in the C4 Labs case.
To recap, I did not notice any performance differences between the LS and a few of the China boards I tried. However, I use the LS in my vehicle, harsher environment, and love the fact that I can't accidentally break the antenna.

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | Aug. 24, 2019

Thanks for the kind words Eric.

Just for anyone reading this, after Eric told me there was an issue getting this board to fit a C4LABs case, I worked with C4LABs and they have now modified their design to eliminate the interference with the voltage regulator on the bottom side.

Thanks again Eric for bring this issue to my attention.

Best Regards,
David

Tom | June 6, 2019

Excellent

Got it quickly, set up quickly on a pi zero hw with pi-Star using the recommended modem selection.
Zero offsets works excellent.
Thank you for a great economical alternative to the clones.
V.

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | June 13, 2019

I'm happy to hear it is working well for you.

Peter | May 5, 2019

MMDVM Simplex ( New and Improved )a great little performer..

After purchasing the Dual MMDVM Board and having excellent results using it both as a dual band repeater on 2M and 70CM I turned my attention to the New N5BOC MMDVM Simplex board which came with the Ceramic Antenna fitted. nicely built board with gold plated through holes...
Had it up and running within 10 Minutes using Pi-Star Software V3.4.17 ; First thing I noted was that I didn't have to make any adjustments for the Modem RX/TX; settings were left set at zero:(I always had to configure the modem RX/TX on the Chinese boards to make them work).
On Air tests using Yaesu F2Dr on C4FM for both RX and TX were excellent.
The Ceramic antenna worked well and I could access the board from 10M using 100MW.... (this was its maximum range) has option to fit external antenna.
Whilst listening to the Zombie Alert I was able to hear 2 stations from the US working cross mode; one was on "D" star the other was running NXDN....The "D" Star signal sounded harsh but the NXDN sounded excellent, the Audio was very clear.
The purpose of buying this unit was so that I had slim profile unit that can fit in my pocket with a small LIPO Battery and WIFI Dongle. This unit fits the bill and is a third of the cost of the Open Spot 2.......a compact solid little performer worth the price......
Pete VK5JP

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | May 10, 2019

Peter,

Thanks so very much for this detailed review. I'm sure quite a few people will find it very helpful. I really appreciate the support of my friends in Australia.

Lloyd | Feb. 20, 2019

Better than all I've seen

I saw this unit on FACEBOOK and the response by the community told me that this was a winner. Boy was I right!
Quick confirmation of order and shipping was the next day via USPS, I'm in SC and from TX was only a few days. I powered it up on a Pi zero and it's been working ever since no adjustments needed. I highly recommend this seller and product made in the USA!! ps I get .25 mile solid coverage of my home with the ceramic antenna. Satisfied Yep!!! May consider a dual one for DMR use exclusively.. KO4L

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | April 14, 2019

Lloyd,

Thanks so very much for the nice review. 0.25 mile coverage is quite impressive. It must have something to do with that great SC air. :-)
I personally really like the ceramic antenna. It makes for quite a clean looking install and as you state the performance is quite satisfactory.

Thanks again,
David

Douglas | Feb. 13, 2019

Great Product

Very satisfied with your product. The one thing I would change is have the power indicator non flashing. Flashing to me is irritating. Will be ordering another soon.

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | April 14, 2019

Thanks so very much Douglas for the positive review. I do appreciate it.

Just so you know Doug, the flashing LED is not a power indicator but instead an indicator of connection to the network. It will flash slowly until connected and then the flashing is sped up.

Thanks again and best regards,
David

Charles | Jan. 5, 2019

Outstanding Hotspot

Of all the hotspots I have, this is by far the best as far as performance.
The Pi Zero footprint makes it ideal for mobile operating.

Overall, I give it extremely high marks for quality and performance.

Chuck - WB2LMA

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | Feb. 22, 2019

Thanks so much for your support Charles.

Andrew | Dec. 17, 2018

MMDVM DUPLEX in Pi Zero Form Factor

Works as advertised. the best feature that i find useful is the full duplex. personally, i use it with P25. I always get a good signal report. more importantly... the product is compatible with the current pi-star image. doesn't require any special programming outside of the pi-star environment, requires no special licensing, requires no special initialization and no soldering (unless the Pi doesn't come with a header already soldered). Plug and Play on the Raspberry Pi Zero W with the Pi-Star image running.

Thanks for a superb product.

Drew
KC5EQX

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | Feb. 22, 2019

Thanks so much for your supportive words Drew.

Regards,
David

Mark | Dec. 15, 2018

Very fine product

The first hurdle was to make the purchase within about 15 minutes of getting the availability notice - these sell out really fast! The board was as advertised - follow the directions about being careful attaching the antennas. I was careful and I didn't break anything!!
I did have to do some Googling to come up with the information to download the correct image (links on the web site would help). Once imaged I did have to hook up a monitor (needs mini-HDMI adapter) and a keyboard because it didn't connect to my wifi automatically. That was corrected quickly and then it was just down to software configuration.

Once done, it's working great. I'm not seeing any issues with it.

Mark, AB7MP

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | Feb. 22, 2019

Thanks so much for the support Mark and thanks for taking the time to leave a review. I always find the reviews helpful when I'm making a purchase.

Best Regards,
David

Brett | June 30, 2018

Nice

Product arrived and I was using it in minutes. I added a oled screen and made a case for it and it's good to go. Seller was responsive to emails when I had questions. I'm enjoying it thanks.

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | July 11, 2018

I'm glad I was able to answer your questions Brett. I'm glad to know you are enjoying it.

Samuel | May 13, 2018

Wait list is not really a wait list!

Your wait list process is really just an invitation to try and purchase a limited availability item. In order to be successful you’d need to monitor your email 24/7 and who has time for that? I’d much rather pay for an item that I know I’m going to buy anyway and get on a waiting list to receive the item. It’s further frustration when you missed the item and then have to re-enroll on the wait list. I didn’t do that and the only reason I got my order completed was a friend texted me and told me item was available. There has to be a better way than what you’re doing. It’s not a true waitlist since you truly are not in line for anything but a notice that item is available and good luck with that!!!!!!

Response from N5BOC Store ( LoneStar Semiconductor Designs ) | May 22, 2018

First I want to say Thanks for your Order. I understand your frustration with the wait list. Please understand this is put in place and managed by Tindie. This is not something put in place or managed by me. I've contacted Tindie and notified them that that most people take the term "wait list" as they are in line to receive the product. It should be re-labeled to "notify me when back in stock". Sorry this was a point of frustration for you.

73's and Regards,
Dave

Steven | May 10, 2018

Works great!