EchoLink
| EchoLink | |
|---|---|
| Type | Internet linking system for amateur voice |
| First released | 2002 |
| Developer | Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD |
| Trademark holder | Synergenics, LLC |
| Using it | |
| Who may use it | Licensed amateurs only, after call sign validation |
| Software | Windows program; free apps for iPhone, iPad and Android |
| Station types | Single users, -L simplex links, -R repeater links, conference servers |
| Radio control | DTMF tones sent to a link or repeater node |
EchoLink is a system that lets licensed amateurs talk to each other over the internet, either from a computer or phone app or through a radio connected to the network. A ham in one country can key up a local repeater that has an EchoLink connection and be heard on a repeater on the other side of the world, or can join a net from a phone app with no radio at all. EchoLink was written by Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD, and first released in 2002. It remains one of the most widely used ways of linking voice stations, alongside IRLP and AllStarLink.
How it works
Every EchoLink station is a node, identified by a call sign and a node number of four to six digits. A central directory keeps track of which nodes are online, and when two nodes connect, the audio travels directly between them over the internet as voice-over-IP packets.
Nodes come in several kinds, shown by a suffix on the call sign:
- A plain call sign, such as W1ABC, is a single user, a ham talking from a computer or phone.
- A -L suffix marks a link node: a computer connected to a radio, usually on a simplex frequency, so that nearby hams can reach EchoLink from their own radios.
- A -R suffix marks a repeater node, where the radio side is a repeater and everyone using that repeater hears the connected station.
- Conference servers have names written between asterisks, such as *ECHOTEST*. A conference lets many nodes connect at once, which makes it the usual home of EchoLink nets and roundtables. *ECHOTEST* is a test server that records a short transmission and plays it back, which is useful for checking audio levels.
A computer running EchoLink needs certain ports opened on a home router to receive incoming connections. Where that isn't possible, such as on some public or workplace networks, EchoLink offers relay and proxy servers that pass the traffic through.
License validation
EchoLink is open only to licensed amateurs, and every new call sign must be validated before it can connect. US hams are asked to prove they hold the license, typically by uploading the official copy of the license available from the FCC's Universal Licensing System; a "reference copy" is not accepted. Other verification options and procedures for licensees in other countries are described on the EchoLink website. Validation is handled by volunteers, so a new account may take some time to become active.
Club and repeater call signs can be validated too, but only for -L and -R nodes. Because the system checks licenses this way, an unlicensed person can't sign in, although an unlicensed listener can still hear EchoLink traffic on a repeater like any other transmission.
Using EchoLink from a radio
Many repeaters and simplex links carry EchoLink. To make a connection, the user keys up and sends the node number of the station or conference wanted as DTMF tones, the touch-tone digits a handheld keypad produces. The node announces the connection, and the conversation proceeds as on any repeater. In the EchoLink software's default settings the pound key (#) disconnects, but each node's owner sets the codes, and many repeaters require a prefix or limit connections, so it's best to ask the repeater owner or check the club's website before trying.
Courtesy matters more than usual on a linked system. Audio takes a moment to travel across the internet, so users should pause briefly after pressing the push-to-talk button and leave longer gaps between transmissions so stations on other nodes can break in. Normal station identification rules still apply to anyone transmitting by radio.
Uses and limitations
EchoLink is popular with hams who can't put up antennas, with travelers who want to check into a home net, and with newer Technician licensees looking for long-distance conversations. It also lets older or homebound hams stay active from a tablet. Some operators argue that a phone-to-phone contact isn't really radio, and most award programs and contests don't count EchoLink contacts. Like any internet-dependent system, it can fail when the network does, so it shouldn't be the only plan for emergency communications.