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How to get on EchoLink and AllStarLink

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How to get on EchoLink and AllStarLink
License neededAn amateur license; both systems check it before you can connect
TimeMinutes to install, then a wait for license validation
Skill levelBeginner for the apps; intermediate for building a node
You will needA phone or computer, or a radio with a DTMF keypad near a linked repeater
EchoLink
SoftwareWindows, iOS, Android and web browser editions, all free
Default commandsNode number to connect; # to disconnect
Test server*ECHOTEST*
Current softwareASL3, on Asterisk 22 LTS and Debian Linux
AllStarLink
Standard commands*3 plus node number to connect; *1 plus node number to disconnect
Node hardwareRaspberry Pi or PC, USB radio interface and radio

How to get on EchoLink and AllStarLink takes a licensed amateur from installing the software to a first contact on two of the main systems that link radios and repeaters over the internet by voice-over-IP. EchoLink lets a ham talk from a computer or phone app, or through a radio connected to the network. AllStarLink links repeaters, remote bases and personal hotspot nodes, using software built on the open-source Asterisk telephone system.[1][2] The two articles explain how each network works; this guide covers the practical steps. US rules are given first, and other countries have their own.

Before you start

  • Both systems are only for licensed amateurs. EchoLink makes every new user prove they hold a license before they can connect.[3] Since 18 January 2026, AllStarLink has required an official copy of the license to open an account.[2] In the US the FCC issues licenses; see How to get your first ham license.
  • A contact made app to app travels only over the internet, but once your voice goes out through a node's radio it is an amateur transmission, and the usual rules apply. US stations identify at least every 10 minutes and at the end of a contact.[4]
  • To use a linked repeater, you need a radio that can send DTMF, the touch-tone digits from a keypad; see How to use a repeater.
  1. Get the software. All editions are free.[1] EchoLink for Windows is the usual choice for running a link or repeater node, called Sysop mode, which the Android app can't do.[5][6] Free apps run on Android phones and tablets, and on iPhone and iPad with iOS 10 or later, as well as Macs with Apple M1 or M2 chips.[6][7] EchoLink Web runs in a browser with no installation.[8] EchoHam for the Mac and SvxLink and Qtel for Linux are compatible programs from other authors that EchoLink doesn't support.[9]
  2. Register and prove your license. Run the program once to register your call sign, then follow the validation steps.[3] US hams download the PDF official copy of their license from the FCC's Universal Licensing System or verify by credit card; a "reference copy" isn't accepted.[10] Elsewhere, upload, scan or fax a copy of a current license that shows the call sign and your name.[11] EchoLink receives more than 100 requests a day, all handled by volunteers. Club and repeater call signs are validated only for -L link and -R repeater nodes.[10]
  3. Choose a network setting. The phone apps default to Relay, which suits mobile data but can't accept incoming calls; Direct mode needs your router to forward UDP ports 5198 and 5199.[6][7] EchoLink Web needs no router changes.[8]
  4. Test your audio. Connect to *ECHOTEST*, the test server, which echoes your transmission back to you;[12] if you can reach it but not another station, the problem is probably at the other end.[7]
  5. Connect to a node or conference. A -L suffix marks a simplex link and -R a repeater, and conference servers have names that begin and end with an asterisk.[5][13] The apps connect to one node at a time.[6]
  6. Use EchoLink from a radio. On a repeater or link with EchoLink, identify, then send the node number of the station you want as DTMF. In the default settings, # disconnects and 08 asks for status, but the owner can change every code or require a prefix.[14] Read the club's instructions first.
  1. Start with a local node. Many repeaters are on AllStarLink, and using one needs no AllStarLink account. Before you control a node by radio or DTMF, get its operators' permission.[15] Every node has a number, and the standard commands are *3 plus a node number to connect, *2 plus a number to listen only, *1 plus a number to disconnect and *70 for status. All nodes are meant to support these codes, but an owner can edit or restrict a node's commands, so check the repeater's instructions.[16] The public node list shows what is online.[2]
  2. Create an account. Sign up at the AllStarLink portal and upload an image or PDF of your license, then click the link in the confirmation email. A second email should confirm validation within 24 hours.[17]
  3. Request a node number. In the portal, set up a server with its location, then request a node for it. The first node number is approved automatically, and each node gets a random password needed when the software registers.[17] Five-digit node numbers left unused for 24 months are reclaimed.[2]
  4. Build a node or buy one. The current software, ASL3, runs on Asterisk 22 LTS and Debian Linux on 64-bit PCs, virtual machines and many Raspberry Pi models.[2] A ready-made Raspberry Pi image includes a setup menu and web tools.[18] The radio connects through a USB interface, nearly always one based on C-Media CM108 or CM119 chips, which carries audio and keys the transmitter.[19] A personal node with a low-power radio is often called a hotspot. AllStarLink names several makers of ready-made nodes that run ASL3, among them Kits4Hams, Node-Ventures and Masters Communications; these are examples, not recommendations.[2] Choose a node's frequency with care; see Hotspots.
  5. Register and connect. Configure the node with the ASL3 setup menu, which also sets up its registration,[15] using the node number and password from the portal.[17] Registration can take up to 30 minutes to show, and other nodes can connect to yours only if your router lets them in.[15] In the US a transmitting node must identify with your call sign at least every 10 minutes and at the end of each communication.[4] See How to identify your station.
  6. Or connect without a radio. Apps such as DVSwitch Mobile for Android, RepeaterPhone for iOS and Transceive for macOS can connect to a node; these are examples, not recommendations. Most need a validated AllStarLink Portal account or a login from the node's owner, and not every node accepts app connections. RepeaterPhone is paid, as is DVSwitch Mobile's Web Transceiver mode. The AllStarLink manual discourages the old Windows program IAXRpt because it is no longer maintained.[20]
When you finish using a link on someone else's repeater, send the disconnect command before you sign off, so the next user finds the repeater back on local traffic.

Etiquette

  • Pause between transmissions. Leave gaps so others can call in.[21] Audio sent over the internet can arrive late,[12] so allow a little extra time between transmissions.
  • Identify. Give your call sign as on any repeater, at least every 10 minutes in the US.[4] See Station identification.
  • Ask before linking. A link puts your voice on every connected repeater, so get the node operators' permission first,[15] and announce yourself when you link. On a busy AllStarLink hub, start by listening with *2.[16]
  • Disconnect when done. If you brought up several links, turn them off in reverse order.[21]
  • Respect conference rules. EchoLink conferences are for general amateur discussion. They may not advertise a commercial product or service, or exist mainly to promote a political or religious affiliation.[13]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 EchoLink, Synergenics.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 AllStarLink, AllStarLink, Inc.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Validation, EchoLink.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 47 CFR 97.119, eCFR.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Sysop Nodes, EchoLink.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 EchoLink for Android FAQ, EchoLink.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 EchoLink for iPhone FAQ, EchoLink.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 EchoLink Web FAQ, EchoLink.
  9. ↑ Download EchoLink, EchoLink.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Callsign Validation FAQ, EchoLink.
  11. ↑ Validation Documents, EchoLink.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Audio FAQ, EchoLink.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Conference Servers, EchoLink.
  14. ↑ DTMF Functions, EchoLink.
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Getting Started Basics, AllStarLink.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Standard Commands, AllStarLink.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 AllStarLink Portal, AllStarLink.
  18. ↑ ASL3 Appliance, AllStarLink.
  19. ↑ USB Audio Interfaces, AllStarLink.
  20. ↑ External Applications, AllStarLink.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Repeater Operation, Radio Amateurs of Canada, May 2021.
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