Bits, Bytes, & Radio Waves

A quiet journey through discovery and understanding.

  • RTL-SDR Blog V4 on Raspberry Pi OS

    Introduction I do have to admit that using the word blog with a physical device is a little odd to me. Nonetheless, this little dongle is quite a nice addition to a new amateur radio operator like myself. Even if you do not have a license, you can try this out since it is a…

  • CHIRP on Ubuntu

    Installing CHIRP is relatively easy. It’s connecting the radio to the computer that can be troublesome. I needed a cable that did not rely on Windows since I go between Ubuntu, macOS, and Windows. I found a MIRKIT FTDI USB Programming Cable Model 3 on Amazon.com that has worked without any fuss with Windows and…

  • Automatic Packet Reporting System (APRS)

    Note:This is a living page; the information may be confusing, incomplete, out of order, or possibly incorrect at this time. I am still learning and researching this technology. Background The Automatic Packet Reporting System, or APRS, was developed by Bob Bruninga (SK) for the US Navy back in the early 1980’s. Protocol AX.25 – https://www.tapr.org/pdf/AX25.2.2.pdf…

Notes from practice

I use this site to document systems, configurations, and lessons learned as I work through real problems—both professionally and through personal experimentation. The goal is clarity: understand how something works, explain why it behaves the way it does, and make it reliable and repeatable.

These notes are written primarily for myself, but shared openly in case they help someone else avoid a dead end or reduce frustration. If you’d like to learn more, visit the About page.

If you have questions or comments, you’re always welcome to contact me.

Aaron Rombaut

Technologist & Writer