Start your comms journey with a clean Android by stripping Google out of an Android.
Long battery life and none of the Google bloatware that hogs the resources of most Androids.
This video tutorial walks you through step-by-step, stripping Google from a brand new $30 smart phone from Walmart, and setting it up with open source utilities and apps. This first stage will have the phone prepared for dedicated comms use. Individual apps will be covered in upcoming videos.
We WILL NOT be activating the calling plan, nor using this as a cell phone.
Don’t forget the IP-67 rated (water/dust) protective case:
https://amzn.to/49J8G8o
STEP ONE: Get the Setup Guide PDF and obtainium-amrron-presets-v2.0.json file, at:
https://gitlab.com/amrron/btech-uv-pro-guide
(you will copy/paste those two files from your Download folder, into the phone’s internal storage Download folder at a certain point in the instructions)
STEP TWO: Navigate to Page 22 (Appendix A — Reasonably Private Android Phone for $30)
This tutorial done using a Linux Mint operating system with the Motorola Moto G smart phone described in further detail in the setup guide PDF.
SEE THE FIRST VIDEO: Announcing the BTECH UV-PRO as the official AmRRON UHF/VHF Radio for disaster response deployments.
https://youtu.be/hfY0ieeeTZo
DISCOUNT FOR AmRRON MEMBERS! (in the below posting)
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If you found the information in this tutorial helpful, consider buying me a coffee! =)
https://buymeacoffee.com/amrron
Outstanding video and presentation. I am jealous of the cheap phone; the same machine where I live costs over $200. Can one assume that this procedure will also work on smartphone-sized Google-ized Android tablets?
VC RS43
It sure would be worth looking into! The one drawback to using a tablet is the lack of built-in GPS. However, the UV-PRO has one, so it would be a matter of figuring out how to know if/when the radio GPS can send that data to location apps on the tablet.
Picked up 3 of these phones at Merritt Island, FL Walmart on 11/10/25.
Their system allows a maximum of 2 units per purchase. Salesman let my get a third on a second receipt. It looks like they have 5 or more left. (pay cash)
Tried my old laptop for Linux. It works great on Proteus but it is old X86 32bit with 2GB RAM. Booted from CD so I have not committed to wiping that hard drive yet. Ordered the little PC from Amazon and 2 of the UV Pro radios. Should be here today, then plan to repeat the mint install and go on to the phone upgrades.
I have old school packet and APRS experience, but “upgrading” to portable and field operating.
Outstanding. Nothing like jumping in with both feet! You’ll be pretty amazed at the speed and capability of the mini PC for running Linux. And if you follow the guide and video step by step, you’ll have success! So far the only ones running into problems got impatient and started rushing the setup and skipping steps, or they were on a laptop other than an updated Linux. You’re on your way! -JJS
Found the issue on above. The phone linked in the PDF is for a Straight Talk Moto G Play 4G 2024, the link to the phone case is for a Moto G Play 5G 2024. The 4G phone is 6.5 in screen, the 5G is 6.6 in, hence the offset buttons. The correct link to match the phone suggested is here. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Straight-Talk-Moto-G-Play-4G-2024-64GB-Blue-Prepaid-Smartphone-Locked-to-Straight-Talk/5243895448