Installing a sBitx image - drexjj/sbitx GitHub Wiki

Installing a Raspberry Pi image to your sBitx is required when you want to restore the original copy or upgrade to a new version.

What's required?

  • A Windows, Mac, or Linux computer
  • A 32GB or larger SD card (such as the one you removed from the sBitx - Make a backup first!)
  • A SD card reader or USB drive
  • The file that you want to install such as the one that can be downloaded here https://github.com/drexjj/sbitx/releases/tag/sBitx-42-64b-Prod
  • A utility to write the image to the SD card (e.g., Raspberry Pi Imager or Balena Etcher)
  • sBitx
  • USB mouse
  • Phillips screwdriver

Alternative Installation

Note: An alternative to opening the case can be viewed at https://github.com/drexjj/sbitx/wiki/How-to-Boot-From-USB and https://github.com/drexjj/sbitx/wiki/Flash-the-Internal-SD-Card-from-a-USB-Drive-using-SD-Card-Copier

Procedure

Download and Install the Imaging Tool

Choose one of the following tools and install it on your computer:

Prepare the SD Card or USB Drive

Insert the SD card into your card reader (or USB drive) and connect it to your computer. Make sure the SD card or USB drive is detected and properly recognized by the system.

Write the .img File to the SD Card or USB Drive

You must extract or unzip sb64p3.img from the sb64p3.img,xz file. Then use the sb64p3.img file with your preferred imager tool below.

Videos on using 7Zip https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbqRj-svEAc and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N544dKhjVT8

Using Raspberry Pi Imager

  • Open Raspberry Pi Imager.
  • Do not choose anything for the Raspberry Pi Device section!
  • Click on "Choose OS" and select "Use custom" at the bottom.
  • Browse to and select the sb64p3.img file you downloaded.
  • Click on "Choose Storage" and select your SD card from the list.
  • Click "Write" to start the process.
  • Wait for the process to complete, then safely eject the SD card or USB drive.

Using Balena Etcher:

  • Open Balena Etcher.
  • Click "Flash from file" and select the sb64p3.img file.
  • Click "Select target" and choose your SD card.
  • Click "Flash" to start the writing process.
  • Wait for the process to complete, then safely eject the SD card or USB drive.

Tips: Ensure the SD card or USB drive has enough capacity for the image. Backup any important data on the SD card before writing the image, as this process will erase all existing data. Make sure to safely eject the SD card after the writing process to prevent data corruption.

Troubleshooting: If the SD card or USB drive is not recognized, try using a different card reader or USB port. Ensure that the .img file is not corrupted by verifying its checksum (if provided by the source). Once the SD card or USB drive is prepared with the image, insert it into your Raspberry Pi, power it on, and it should boot from the newly written image.

Placing the SD Card into your sBitx

You will have to remove the case of the transceiver to gain access to the SD card. Please see the wiki article HERE