Also known as: PINE64, Pine64
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PINE64 makes low-cost, community-driven single-board computers — the Quartz64 (Rockchip RK3566) and ROCK64 (RK3328) among them — that run GopherTrunk as an ARM64 binary. The project’s focus is open, affordable hardware and a strong Linux/BSD community rather than raw performance, and its boards are sold mostly direct with only intermittent Amazon stock.1
Key takeaways Low-cost, open-community boards for a modest node. PINE64’s Quartz64 (RK3566) and ROCK64 (RK3328) run GopherTrunk as a pure-Go ARM64 binary and suit a single system or a couple of channels — not a big wideband pool, where an RK3588 board like the Radxa Rock 5 has far more DSP headroom. Sold mostly direct (pine64.com / ameriDroid); Amazon stock is intermittent and third-party, so the button is a tagged search. Software support trails the Raspberry Pi, which stays the default for a simple node. No SBC decodes AES encryption. See best SBC for GopherTrunk.
Overview
PINE64 grew out of a community around cheap ARM hardware and now spans single-board computers, the PinePhone, and the Pinebook laptops. Its SBCs are built on Rockchip and Allwinner SoCs and priced aggressively, with the trade-off that vendor software is thinner than the Raspberry Pi’s — you lean more on the community (Armbian, mainline Linux, the PINE64 wiki) to get an image running. Two boards are the relevant GopherTrunk hosts:
- Quartz64 — Rockchip RK3566 (quad Cortex-A55), 4–8 GB LPDDR4, eMMC socket, microSD, and a PCIe footprint on some models. The newer, more capable choice.
- ROCK64 — Rockchip RK3328 (quad Cortex-A53), up to 4 GB. Older and cheaper, a fine low-power single-channel node.
Both keep a GPIO header and run 64-bit Linux; both are ARM64, so GopherTrunk’s static binary drops on without a toolchain.
Running GopherTrunk on a PINE64 board
- Architecture — the RK3566 and RK3328 are ARM64 (aarch64), so the static
linux/arm64GopherTrunk binary from the downloads page runs directly. - CPU — enough for a single control channel or a couple of demodulators; these are Cortex-A55/A53 class parts, so they don’t have the real-time headroom of an RK3588 board for a wideband, multi-SDR pool.
- RAM — a Quartz64 with 8 GB has room for recording buffers, the web console, and following a few systems; the ROCK64’s 4 GB ceiling is tighter.
- USB — USB ports carry an SDR dongle; for more than one, use a powered hub so the board isn’t back-powering them (see running several dongles).
- Storage — boot from microSD or eMMC; a Quartz64 with a PCIe/NVMe option is the better host for continuous IQ recording than a wear-prone SD card.
- OS / networking — Armbian or a community image; gigabit Ethernet (plus Wi-Fi on some) lets a headless node serve the web console from by the antenna.
Bottom line: a Quartz64 or ROCK64 is a cheap, low-power GopherTrunk node for one system or a couple of channels — reach for an RK3588 board like the Radxa Rock 5 when you want a bigger wideband pool.
Where to buy
PINE64 boards are sold mostly direct from the PINE64 store and resellers like ameriDroid; some models turn up on Amazon (the older PINE A64 has a stable listing), but Quartz64/ROCK64 stock there is intermittent and third-party, so the button is a tagged Amazon search that resolves to whatever’s currently listed. For a plug-and-play, best-documented node a Raspberry Pi is the simpler pick; for more speed and native PCIe/NVMe, see Radxa or Khadas. Compare them all in best single-board computer for GopherTrunk.
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Sources
Frequently asked questions
Can I run GopherTrunk on a PINE64 board?
Yes. GopherTrunk is pure Go and cross-compiles to ARM64, so it runs on any 64-bit Linux SBC with a USB port — including the Quartz64 (RK3566) and ROCK64 (RK3328). These are modest boards, best for a single system or a couple of channels rather than a big wideband pool.
Quartz64 or ROCK64 for GopherTrunk?
The Quartz64 (RK3566, newer) is the better pick — more RAM options, an eMMC socket, and a PCIe footprint on some models. The ROCK64 (RK3328) is older and cheaper, fine for a low-power single-channel node. Neither has the DSP headroom of an RK3588 board like the Radxa Rock 5.
Where do I buy PINE64 boards?
Mostly direct from the PINE64 store (pine64.com) and resellers like ameriDroid; some models (notably the older PINE A64) appear on Amazon, but Quartz64/ROCK64 stock there is intermittent and third-party. The button is a tagged Amazon search that resolves to whatever’s currently listed.
Does a PINE64 board decode encrypted channels?
No. No SBC changes the encryption wall — GopherTrunk cannot decode AES-protected traffic on any host. A faster board only lets you follow more unencrypted channels at once.