Notes & Instructions

1. AllScan and AllMon are installed and have the same login: username=______ password=______, and can be accessed on your LAN at its mDNS URL [hostname].local ie. http://node567890.local/allscan/ in your browser or at its IP or DDNS Address followed by /allscan/ or /allmon3/. To update the AllScan password go to the Users page link. To update an AllMon3 password see this link.
2. When you first plug in the node and connect an ethernet cable, it should be assigned a DHCP address by your router. If you look on the router's web admin page it should show a list of connected devices and the IP Address assigned to the node. You can then 'reserve' that address for the node there so the IP Address does not change later. The *690 DTMF command can also be used to have the node say its LAN IP address, or *691 for the WAN address. It should not be necessary to know the IP address though if you use the mDNS [hostname].local URL.
3. The IAX Port number you defined for the node (4569 by default) in the ASL Portal should be forwarded to the node in your router (UDP & TCP). If this is not done you may get jittery audio or dropouts, or other nodes may not be able to connect to your node.
4. If you will want to use AllMon/Supermon/AllScan from external networks you'll also need to forward a TCP port in the router to the node TCP port 80, or for portable nodes use a Dynamic DNS service.
5. To access the node by SSH enter the node's IP Address in your SSH client, username=______ and password=______. This password should be changed. To do this, log into the node by SSH and type "passwd" and you will be prompted for a new password. Do not lose it - there is no easy way to recover or reset it.
6. AllStar nodes can take several minutes after first being turned on to register with the ASL Network and for connections to remote nodes to then be accepted.
7. The volume control on the RX RT85 should be set to 9 O'Clock ie. about 20% of fully clockwise. (The volume control on the TX HT does not affect the node.) The HTs should be powered on/off with the power switch on the URI rather than with the volume controls, or leave the power switch set to "Auto".
8. The node radios are set up to RX on 431.18 MHz and TX on 147.48 MHz, with a 88.5 Hz PL. This can be easily changed on the radios. Be sure to confirm that the frequencies are not being used by any repeater systems or other hams in your area. Your other radio(s) used to talk into the node should ideally support cross-band full-duplex, but if not you will want to enable both bands and dual-watch so that you can receive from the node on 2m and transmit to it on 70cm. I highly recommend Wouxun KG-UV9D Plus HTs for use with AllScan nodes. The UV9D Plus support cross-band full-duplex very well and are inexpensive and easy to use.
9. Using an outdoor antenna can greatly increase range and reduce possible RFI. An outdoor antenna can be connected to the HTs using a VHF/UHF Duplexer such as a Diamond MX72, Comet CF-416, or MFJ 916, and SMA to PL-259 cables/adapters.
10. Nodes should kept at least 10 feet away from large metal surfaces and electronics devices such as TVs, computers, file cabinets, appliances, exterior walls with aluminum siding or stucco, electrical panels, cars, various wires & cables, etc. If you experience any noise or other issues be sure the node has at least 10 feet of clear space in all directions, or use an outdoor antenna or put a 6-10dB attenuator on the Tx HT. It's also a good idea to keep transmit antennas at least 20 feet away from people and pets if the transmitter will be keyed for long periods of time eg. 1+ hours per day.
11. The Low power setting should be used when longer range is not needed.
12. Everyone's RFI environment can be different. If there is ever noise on the audio or other RFI issues you may need to experiment with adding or removing ferrite filters on various cables, moving the node around to different areas, adjusting URI settings, etc.
13. RX and TX level adjustments can be made in the ASL radio tune settings, by logging in by SSH and running "susbtune", then follow the prompts to adjust the level settings. An easy way to set Rx levels is to transmit into the node speaking very loudly and increase the Rx volume/gain control until the ADC Clip LED illuminates, then reduce the volume ~10% or so. Be sure the ADC Clip LED never lights during normal use.
14. You can check your audio using Parrot mode: Enter DTMF command *921 to enable, *922 to disable. (Be sure you're not connected to any other nodes when doing any testing.) N2DYI's Parrot Test Node 55553 can also be used. When setting levels keep in mind that it's better to be a little on the low side than to have possible clipping and distortion.
15. The audio levels on the node have been adjusted to good general levels, however your voice and your other radio(s) may be louder or quieter than average and you may need to adjust the Rx gain accordingly. You can also adjust the Tx gain to your personal preference or to better match audio levels with local FM repeaters.
16. For nodes with WiFi, it is recommended to use wired ethernet when available for best performance. In this case the WiFi module should be turned off with the SSH command "ifconfig mlan0 down" (for Dell 3040's - may differ on other MiniPCs) or DTMF command *692, and can later be turned back on with the command "ifconfig mlan0 up" or DTMF command *693. The WiFi will default to on when the node is next powered on or rebooted, unless this is changed in the networking settings. Nodes with > 8GB eMMC can be configured by connecting the node to a TV/monitor, mouse and keyboard. The KDE desktop has a network management utility in the taskbar where you can select and configure WiFi networks.
17. AllScan nodes also support the following DTMF commands: *694 to Reboot, *695 to Power Off.
18. If you have any questions be sure to review the How-To Guides at AllScan.info, which are frequently updated.