Hi,
Welcome to my PA7LIM website! I’m David and I live in Utrecht with my wife and beautiful daughter.
My occupation is Linux/Network/Cloud consultant at a large company in The Netherlands. Certified in VCP, Cisco CCIE Enterprise, CCNP datacenter, CCNP Enterprise, CCDP, LPI II, RHCE (almost RHCA).
In May 2013 I passed my Novice HAM license ( PD7L ) and 4 months later I bought my ICOM ID-51E and red dongle. The combination of my two hobbies HAM radio and programming brought me to the idea to write an android application called ircDDB remote.
In March 2015 I passed my Full license ( thanks to PA3GER and PA3FMN) . My new call is now PA7LIM.
In the summer of 2015 I started a new project. I tried to make a DSTAR hotspot/dongle on an Android phone. ( Learned Android programming via YouTube )
I received an AMBE3000 board from Guus PE1PLM en started to build the software. After a few weeks of wiresharking (network sniffer) the G4KLX software, I was able to make my first QSO from an Android phone. Then I started to make a hotspot with the DVMEGA singleband transceiver, so I could make a QSO from an ICOM transceiver. In 2016 I got in touch with Rudy PD0RZY, who helped me to understand the Brandmeister DMR part. In the meanwhile Guus PE1PLM made the DVMEGA DMR firmware ready and Ruud PE1MSZ made the Bluetooth board. In February 2016 I had a working DSTAR and DMR hotspot on Android. End of 2016 I started with a new programming language and made BlueDV for Windows and Linux.
Begin of 2017 I started iOS programming and made BlueDV for iOS. Took me a lot of time to make this because of issues with BLE timing. The development of Apple apps is fun but deployment to the store is really a nightmare.
In Jun 2017 I started coding with the AMBE3000 chip. BlueDV Windows supports the AMBE chip now ( ThumbDV and other DV3000 chips ). Windows can do now DSTAR and DMR.
October 2017 I added the AMBE chip for Android. This project is not supported because of all other projects. Take a look at the garage page on my website.
November 2017 I added DMR simple mode on the Windows version. No need anymore for a codeplug. Just enter the talkgroup and G/P in the screen and PTT on your radio.
December 2017 waiting on a new WIFI/3G radio to arrive so I will try to add AMBE to it ( OTG or AMBEServer ).
Begin 2018 Working on Android AMBE. Lot of challenges. Also started on learning C++. I also learned JavaScript, CSS and HTML and made a web listener. Now I can listen to DSTAR, DMR or/and C4FM.
Mid 2018 DSTAR and DMR is working on Android with AMBE. working on now C4FM on AMBE and rewriting the OTG module.
Aug 2018 Going to JARL Tokyo HAM vention with Guus!! Yeah! Looking forward to this! I am receiving a lot of help from the Japanese Reflector club! I am looking forward to meet them!
The visit in Japan was amazing!! It was an amazing experience to meet so many friendly people! The XLX reflector club gave us an amazing experience! Looking forward to meet them again! During the visit in Japan, I designed the peanut project.
End 2018 I created the Peanut project. You can make a QSO with an DVAP in analog mode ( yes the red dongle can also do analog! ) . I sent several emails to the maker of the DVAP but he never responded. Then I wrote an Android app that also can connect to the Peanut server. Now I could talk from my Android phone to my analog radio via the DVAP. Next thing was the DSTAR connection. I wrote transcoder software that convert the voice to DSTAR voice and sent it to a reflector. very funny because I could make a QSO via an analog Baofeng on DSTAR. In December 2018 the peanut project was noticed by some people and received around 300 a 400 code requests via email a day. The server data limit reached the limit, my provider blocked me from internet because the amount of emails and my wife never saw me again. In January I wanted to stop the project because I only slept 4 hours a day and my mood was not getting better. I was coding all night and had to get up early to get to work.
I received a lot of emails about stopping the peanut project. So I tried to find a way to continue the project and spend more time with my family. Yoshi JH1TWX and Andre PD1AEU are helping me a lot with the peanut project so I can concentrate more on code and my family.
My Mac Mini died. I was not very upset about it. Do not think it will be replaced.
In 2019 and 2020 the software AMBE was introduced and because I do not want to mess with the patents of DVSI, I concentrated more on reflectors. I created a C4FM, DSTAR and DMR reflector software with some funny features and full protocol decoding. see: http://europelink.pa7lim.nl , http://dmr.pa7lim.nl , http://dcs018.xreflector.net
I also worked on a terminal server project because I was not very happy with the integrated terminal mode from ICOM. I created the doozy project so I could connect to all DCS, REF and XRF reflectors and repeaters. See: https://www.pa7lim.nl/doozy
In jul 2021 my boss gave me the opportunity to study for Cisco CCIE. I get one day in the week to study and they expecting 20+ hours per week private study time.
I am still developing one night in the week to fix bugs and keep my programming skills in several programming languages. Normally the study takes three+ years but I want to pass the exam in one year. Downside is that I have to spend all my private time on studying.
Update: December 2022. Had some setbacks in my Cisco CCIE study. I had to recertify my Cisco CCNA and CCNP before I could do my CCIE exam. This cost me an extra three months. Hope to pass my Cisco CCIE exam this month. I am really exhausted.
Update December 2022. I passed the CCIE Enterprise Exam!! I am so happy!!
Thank you all for using my projects!!
73,
David PA7LIM
My experiments on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3Vmzik_fPHEbh0y6n8iV-A