About the KK7NQN Repeater & Transcriber (TSN)

Two complementary views into the same radio world: the Repeater for on‑air activity and health, and the TSN for pure, private transcription.

View Repeater View TSN
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Overview Why two systems? Repeater vs TSN (Quick Compare) Use cases Architecture Privacy & Accuracy Data & APIs FAQ

Overview

The KK7NQN project consists of two distinct but related parts: the Repeater dashboard (main site) and the Transcriber Service Node (TSN). They serve different audiences and enforce different policies so operators can choose the right tool for the job.

  • Repeater — public‑facing operational view of the on‑air node: live activity, callsign analytics, and health.
  • TSN — a receive‑only to text service for obtaining transcripts without transmitting anything to RF or to voice networks.

Important: The TSN is not a voice repeater. It does not transmit, it does not link to DoDropIn, Fireside, or other hubs, and it will not rebroadcast your audio on RF. It exists purely to generate text transcripts.

Why two systems?

Nets and casual QSOs often need transcripts—for accessibility, post‑net notes, searchability, or training— but not every conversation should be blasted across large link networks or repeated on RF. Splitting the roles keeps everyone comfortable:

  • The Repeater participates in normal on‑air life and can link to networks when appropriate.
  • The TSN provides a safe place to obtain transcriptions without adding RF traffic or network noise.

Repeater vs TSN (Quick Compare)

Aspect Repeater (Main) TSN (Transcriber)
Primary purpose Operational dashboard for the on‑air node: who’s talking, when, and system health. Obtain text transcripts only; no RF transmission, no cross‑network voice linking.
Audio path Radio ⇄ Repeater; may link to hubs during nets when appropriate. Audio in → transcribe→text; no audio out to RF or hubs.
Networks May connect to DoDropIn, Fireside, etc., per schedule/policy. Intentionally isolated. No links to DoDropIn, Fireside, or other voice hubs.
RF transmission Yes (it’s a repeater). No RF transmission. Receive→text only.
Typical users Local operators, net participants, visitors checking live status. Net control teams, researchers, accessibility users, anyone who needs transcripts without RF impact.
Primary datasets callsigns, callsign_log, repeater‑scope transcriptions. TSN transcript stream (transcriptions/transcriptions_large) and related metadata.
Where to go kk7nqn.net kk7nqn.net/transcriber/

Common use cases

Use the Repeater when you want…
  • Live view of on‑air activity and system telemetry.
  • Callsign analytics (e.g., who’s been active today/this week).
  • Network participation (e.g., DoDropIn or Fireside) when scheduled.
Use the TSN when you want…
  • Text transcripts without broadcasting your audio on RF.
  • To avoid appearing on large link networks while still capturing content.
  • Searchable records for post‑net minutes, training, or accessibility.

Architecture (high level)

Both sides share a common data pipeline, but with different roles and policies.

[RF World]
  Handhelds/Mobiles  ──▶  KK7NQN Repeater  ──▶  Optional Hub Links (per policy)
                              │
                              ├─▶ Repeater Dashboard (live analytics)
                              │
                              └─▶ Transcriber (TSN) — receive → text only
                                        │
                                        └─▶ TSN Dashboard & APIs (no audio out)
  • TSN is intentionally non‑transmitting. It accepts audio solely to produce text and never sends voice back to RF or hubs.
  • Data sync protects integrity. The local DB syncs to the public site at short intervals so accidental deletions or edits heal quickly.
  • Timestamps are stored and returned in Pacific Time (PST/PDT).

Privacy & Accuracy

  • Searchability: public pages and callsign profiles are crawlable to aid discovery and research.
  • Transcription caveat: transcripts can contain errors and should not be treated as verbatim records.
  • Opt‑out/Corrections: contact KK7NQN for takedowns, corrections, or redactions where appropriate.
  • TSN isolation: using TSN for transcripts will not broadcast your audio on RF or to the big link networks.

Data & APIs

Public, read‑only endpoints exist for both views. Most endpoints also offer CSV or XML variants.

Repeater‑scope
TSN‑scope

API responses are validated, rate‑limited, and may be cached briefly for performance. All `/api/*` routes ship with X‑Robots‑Tag: noindex, nofollow.

FAQ

Does the TSN transmit on RF?

No. TSN is receive→text only. It never keys a transmitter and never links voice to external hubs.

Can the TSN link to DoDropIn or Fireside?

No. TSN is intentionally isolated to avoid adding traffic to those networks. Use the Repeater for normal network participation.

Are transcripts perfect?

No. They’re best‑effort machine transcriptions and can be wrong. Treat them as helpful notes, not official minutes.

What if I want my callsign or a transcript removed?

Reach out via QRZ or the site’s contact info with details. Reasonable redactions are honored.

This project is licensed under the GNU GPL v3.0. Data is open‑access and bot‑friendly. Use it, build on it, and help improve amateur radio.