[aprssig] PCI/USB Soundcard interfaces & Linux

[Curt, WE7U]

On Thu, 6 Jan 2005, Wes Johnston wrote:

> It could be expensive... but consider the likes of AGWPE... it does 9k6 on a
> sound card.  You can easily have 2 sound cards (ie 4 channels/radios) hooked to
> one PC.  Then you simply add a "real" 9600 tnc hooked to a heavy duty commercial
> converted rig for the 9k6 TX from the super digi site.
>
> AGWPE and UI-view work wonders.  UI-View allows you to define a number of ports
> and have rules about what comes from where and gets digipeater out to where.  I
> would _love_ to recommend a linux solution to this, but the linux sound modem
> (as far as I know) only allows you to use the sound card as a monophonic souce.
>  bummer.

With PCI soundcards running under $10, as long as you're working
with a desktop computer it's not a big deal.  You might have more
difficulty trying to rig up proper PTT controls for multiple
interfaces.

If you're dealing with a laptop with USB, you could use the internal
soundcard for one port, use USB soundcards for the others.  $14 and
up for each USB soundcard interface.

Disclaimer:  I have not tried these cheaper/newer soundcards so I
don't know which work and which don't.  I have heard that SB16 cards
work well, but a lot of these cheaper cards appear to be PCI-128
clones.

Perhaps people that have tried particular cards successfully could
report back on the success/failure of particular cards.

--
Curt, WE7U.   APRS Client Comparisons: http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
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