PiStar-Remote Setup & Configuration

To control Pi-Star using RF commands, you can setup the commands at http://pi-star/admin/expert/fulledit_pistar-remote.php
In any event, you go to your PiStar dashboard then click Configuration > Expert > PiStar-Remote.

In that text box that comes up will be the configuration file. You will need to change the following:

enabled=true
callsign=N3TDM

PiStar-Remote Configuration File

Whatever callsign you enter is the callsign that must be in the transmitting radio as My Callsign in order for PiStar to initiate the commands. In other words, if the callsign in this file is yours, I would not be able to initiate these RF commands using my callsign in my radio.

Then for each service you are using (DSTAR, DMR, etc) you can either add a # in front of a line that you don’t want enabled or remove the # from the front of the line to enable a given command. For instance, if you want to enable the shutdown command for DSTAR, you would go under the DSTAR section/stanza and remove the # symbol from before the word shutdown. Then when you’re done, click Apply Changes at the bottom of the page.

To use this Shutdown RF Command, in DSTAR in your radio’s UR call field, you would put the word SHUTDOWN in all capital letters. And in your RPT1 and RPT2 call fields would be the same as they are in your standard Talk channel, likely something like RPT1: N3TDM B and RPT2: N3TDM G. When you press PTT on this channel/memory it will again cause the Pi to shutdown and halt. Just remember you will need to physically unplug and plug it back in to restart it. The RF commands can’t turn it back on once it has been turned off.

You can enable the other options as well and I’ll briefly describe them here:

[d-star]
# UR fields

svckill=SVCKILL
This turns off DSTAR, kills the ircddbgateway service.

svcrestart=SVCRSTRT 
This restarts the ircddbgateway service.

reboot=REBOOTPI
This reboots/restarts the Raspberry Pi.

#shutdown=SHUTDOWN
This causes the Raspberry Pi to shutdown.

getip=GETIP
This will cause Pi-Star to announce via DSTAR the LOCAL IP address of the Pi – helpful to get into the Pi or get to the PiStar dashboard if http://pi-star/ doesn’t work.

#hostfiles=HOSTFILE
This will cause Pi-Star to update the host files that map DSTAR reflectors/repeaters to their IP addresses.

#8Ball=8BALL
This will cause ircddbgateway to connect to a random reflector or other DSTAR station.

PiStar-Remote Configuration File

Even if you’re not using DSTAR, the same descriptions above apply to the lines under the other services, just in regards to that service and not the DSTAR services.

I hope you find this helpful and as always, if you need assistance don’t hesitate to reach out to me via my contact page or the comment section.

Author: Tyler Morris

I am a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. I earned a B.S. in Computer Information Systems & Technology with a minor in Digital Graphic Design in Dec. of 2018. My focus is on computer repair and web design. I also earned my extra class amateur radio (ham radio) license in 2008. I currently spend my time helping other hams setup DSTAR/Digital repeaters, maintaining a local DSTAR hotspot, taking photographs, occasionally volunteering on committees at Pitt-Bradford, and keeping goldfish and koi.

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