What is Echolink?

Radio amateurs using the EchoLink software can operate it in one of two modes:

  • Single User Mode. If they have an Internet-connected computer, they can use the computer's microphone and speakers to connect to (or through - see below) other EchoLink-enabled computers over the Internet and talk to the amateur at the other end.
  • Sysop Mode. This entails connecting their own VHF or UHF transceiver to their Internet-connected PC with a specially-designed hardware interface. Doing this enables another radio amateur with their own transceiver, who is within radio range of this station, to communicate with (or through) any other EchoLink-equipped station anywhere in the world. This is the unique feature of EchoLink.

EchoLink® software allows licensed Amateur Radio stations to communicate with one another over the Internet, using voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology.  The program allows worldwide connections to be made between stations, or from computer to station, greatly enhancing Amateur Radio's communications capabilities.  There are more than 200,000 validated users worldwide — in 162 of the world's 193 nations — with about 4,000 online at any given time.

 


Echolink Home: http://www.echolink.org How to obtain and verify your station to connect to a Echolink Server.

Firewall Setup: You must setup your Firewall < see Image) to pass ports 5198-5199 UDP and 5200 TCP on the Computer IP address that you will be Using.

VOIP Rules: Defined by the ARRL. A must read!
 

Access Policies: This Link will take you to the Echolink web site and explain how they actually verify your station.

Legal issues involving the use of Echolink and VOIP nodes.
A control operator communicates with and controls a simplex VoIP node with a handheld, transmitting and listening to the node on 147.41 MHz. This is wireless remote control. Such control must be executed by an auxiliary station, but 147.41 MHz is not an allowed frequency for such a station. This operation is not legal. It may be made legal by locally controlling the node, choosing a control frequency on which auxiliary station operation is permit-ted, or controlling the node via a wireline link.

Is it permitted to enable automatically controlled simplex nodes?
No. Only certain types of Amateur Radio stations may be operated unattended, under automatic control. This means that there is no human control either at the station location or at a distance. These types of stations are space stations, repeaters, beacons, auxiliary stations and certain types of stations transmitting RTTY or data emissions.

Simplex VoIP nodes are neither repeaters, beacons nor auxiliary stations. Presumably, most are within 50 kilometers of the Earth’s surface and are therefore not space stations. The VoIP technology implies a voice transmission, not RTTY or data. Therefore, none of the stations that qualify for automatic control describe a simplex VoIP node, and such a station must be locally or remotely controlled (as any Amateur Radio station is allowed to be).

Locally or remotely controlled—what does that mean?
A simplex VoIP node may be locally controlled by an operator who is present at the node. Such a node may also be remotely controlled at some other point, with the operator issuing commands via a wireline or radio control link. If a radio control link is used, it must utilize an auxiliary station, and such stations are restricted in frequency to 222.15 MHz and above (with the exception of the CW, SSB and amateur satellite portions of the 70-cm band). It’s this remotely controlled aspect that allows VoIP simplex nodes to operate legally—as long as they are on the right bands.
 

For more information, Please read the VOIP.pdf above or click here. Enjoy and I hope your Echolink VOIP mode will bring a lot of fun to your part of your hobby. One thing to remember, Using VOIP with two computers connected is just like talking on a Phone. Why HAM'S run Contest's doing that I have no Idea? It is no different then Skype, Yahoo IM Chat, MSN Messenger or more. But hooked Legally to a Repeater and talking to other ham's via other Linked Repeaters in Germany, Japan or other countries... Now that is FUN!

73

Keith

K7KTR