EchoLink a System Overview and how to get started. Ian VK3IFM email vk3ifm@wia.org.

au Some time ago I wrote an article on IRLP. The ne t logical !te" i! to look at #cholink an$ the a$$ition function! availa%le in thi! a""lication. In !ummar& IRLP ' (. )an link IRLP no$e! together. *. )onnect no$e! to )onference +ri$ge! ,calle$ reflector!#)./LI0K 1 (.)an link no$e! together that are connecte$ to Single 2!er!3 Link ra$io! or Re"eater ra$io!. *.)an link a Single 2!er no$e! to another Single 2!er no$e. 3.)onnect #cholink no$e! to )onference +ri$ge! ,calle$ reflector!11o/o11 #choLink i! a com"uter %a!e$ 4mateur Ra$io !&!tem that allow! ra$io amateur! to communicate with one another u!ing Voice over IP ,VoIP- technolog& on the internet for at lea!t "art of the "ath %etween them. It wa! $e!igne$ %& 5onathan Ta&lor3 a ra$io amateur with call!ign K(RF6. The !&!tem allow! relia%le worl$wi$e connection! to %e ma$e %etween ra$io amateur!3 greatl& enhancing 4mateur Ra$io7! communication! ca"a%ilitie!. In e!!ence it i! the !ame a! other VoIP a""lication! ,!uch a! Sk&"e-3 %ut with the uni8ue a$$ition of the a%ilit& to link to an amateur ra$io !tation7! tran!ceiver an$ i! clo!e$ to Licence$ 4mteur!. 9ou can u!e$ #cholink from an normal ra$io with 6TMF into a #cholink no$e in &our area. 4lthough ea!& to e!ta%li!h there are not man& aroun$. :h& i! thi! technolog& im"ortant; It allow! amateur to o"erate from antenna ho!tile "lace!. That i! location! where &ou can7t "ut u" antenna! an$ communication i! $ifficult to talk with &our mate!. Ver& im"ortant for our ol$er mem%er! in retirement home!3 .otel! etc. System Overview The #cholink !&!tem i! ma$e u" of a num%er of no$e!. The!e are the "oint! where connection are ma$e over the Internet. Link %etween no$e! are !et u" to carr& voice or au$io acro!! the Internet. There are al!o echolink !erver! to han$le the a$mini!tration an$ have information on the !tatu! of each no$e. /n1line or /ff1line etc. There i! not a $i!cu!!e$ in an& $etail "a"er. The Internet !i$e of each no$e i! the !ame for all no$e! a! it run! on a :in$ow! P). For the "ur"o!e of thi! "a"er we will call it the <0etwork= !i$e of the no$e. .aving $e!cri%e$ the 0etwork !i$e of the no$e we now nee$ to look at the 2!er interface !i$e of the no$e. The #cholink no$e ha! * t&"e! of 2!er interface!. Single

2!er3 an$ S&!/P. Single 2!er u!e! the P) Soun$ )ar$ with micro"hone an$ !"eaker! in a !im"le mo$e. #g PTT. ,!ee $iagram no$e 4- 4fter connecting to another no$e voice or au$io i! "a!!e$ %etween no$e!. See Voice over Internet %elow for more $etail. S&!/" mo$e i! where the P) Soun$ car$ i! connecte$ to a FM tran!ceiver rather than the P) Micro"hone an$ !"eaker. ,!ee $iagram no$e +- :hen another no$e connect! to a S&!/" no$e the au$io i! !ent an$ receive$ via the tran!ceiver. 4gain thi! i! in !im"le mo$e. What is required to Setup Echolink. The minimum har$ware to !et u" a Single 2!er no$e ,no$e 4- i! a :in$ow! P) with an Internet connection. 4fter loa$ing #cholink a""lication &ou mu!t regi!ter &our call !ign with the #choLink a$mini!trator. 9ou can now connect to an& other #cholink no$e an$ conver!e with the com"uter micro"hone an$ S"eaker!. 0o$e! are !electe$ from the li!t of on1line no$e! in the #cholink "rogramme.

Thi! i! a !creen view of the echolink a""lication. 9ou can u!e a .ea$!et with micro"hone to enhance the o"eration.

SysOp node. The ne t !tage i! a S&!o" no$e where the hea$!et an$ Micro"hone are remove$ from the P) !oun$ car$ an$ a ra$io interface i! u!e$ to connect a tran!ceiver. There are two Su%t&"e! in S&!/" configuration. The!e are Link an$ Re"eater. ,!ee no$e + an$ )- In

the <Link= configuration the Tran!ceiver i! u!e$ in !im"le mo$e. #cholink $i!"la& thi! no$e information a! VK3IFM1L an$ a""ear! a! !uch on the !creen. In the <Re"eater= configuration the Tran!ceiver i! !et to a re"eater fre8uenc& in thi! mo$e in a re"eater !ervice area. #choLink $i!"la& thi! a! VK3IFM1R 0ote ' The #choLink Re"eater no$e i! !ite$ within range of the re"eater it i! acce!!ing. 4n e am"le of a P) to tran!ceiver interface. Thi! one "lug! into the )om"uter in a 2S+ !ocket an$ the 4u iliar& >ack on the ra$io. It i! that !im"le. :ell !ort of !im"le. :ell !im"le if &ou know what &ou are $oing. Powere$ from the 2S+ "ort in the P) 11oo/oo11

Establishing Echolink Connections.

There are two wa&! to talk to the no$e to !et u" a connection to another no$e. The fir!t wa& i! a! a Single 2!er an$ thi! i! $one from the Single 2!er no$e P). 4! !een the the fir!t "icture. 2!e the mou!e to "oint an$ click. ,!ee $iagram T&"e of )onnection! (1 3- The !econ$ metho$ i! u!e with the S&!/" interface %& !en$ing the no$e num%er in 6TMF. ,!ee $iagram T&"e of )onnection! ?When a Single User node connects to another node. ,!ee $iagram T&"e of )onnection! (13- 4 Single 2!er connect! to another #choLink no$e %& u!ing the #choLink a""lication. It ha! a li!t of no$e! that are on1line right now. 9ou !im"le !elect one an$ connect. The connection will %e confirme$ on !creen an$ &ou can commence a @S/ with the PTT function in echolink a""lication. /n com"letion of the @S/ &ou relea!e the connection or link. 0ote ' 9ou can connect to Single 2!er! no$e! 3 Link ra$io! or Re"eater ra$io! no$e!. Connection rom a !adio. ,!ee $iagram T&"e of )onnection! ?- From the normal ra$io 6TMF tone! are u!e$ to e!ta%li!h an #cholink connection!. The!e connection! are e!ta%li!he$ from a Link no$e or Re"eater no$e that &ou can acce!! in &our area. To !et u" the connection to a $i!tant no$e we u!e the #choLink no$e num%er!. The #cholink no$e ha! a!!igne$ a A $igit num%er %& the S&!tem a$mini!trator. To connect &our local #cholink no$e to a $i!tant no$e &ou u!e$ the $i!tant no$e num%er ,not the local no$e num%er- Pre!! the PTT an$ !en$ the A $igit! in 6TMF. )onnect will %e confirme$ over the ra$io. 9ou can then @S/ from &our ra$io to the orginating no$e &ou are u!ing to the $i!tant no$e &ou connecte$ too. To relea!e the connection PTT an$ !en$ B M& #choLink no$e

num%er i! C(CCD? ""oOo"" #oice over the $nternet. Thi! !ection $eal! with the au$io "a!!ing over the internet an$ i! not re8uire$ to un$er!tan$ #cholink. VoIP Voice or au$io i! "a!!e$ %etween no$e! over the internet u!ing a !&!tem calle$ VoIP ,Voice over Internet Protocol- $uring the @S/ ,conver!ation-. The no$e convert! the au$io from the tran!eiver to VoIP . (. Sam"le the au$io u!ing an 4E6 converter . ,analog& to $igital- The 4E6 converter u!e$ %& echolink network i! the in"ut !ource of a !tan$ar$ P) !oun$ car$ ,4P)-. Thi! create! a continuou! mono (A1%it $igital !tream of raw au$io at DFFF.G ,(*FFFF %"!-. *. )om"re!! the au$io %& $own !am"ling the !tream an$ u!ing an ?1%it 46P)M algorithm 4nalog to 6igital Pul!e )o$e Mo$ulation- to re$uce the !iGe of the !tream %& a factor of four ,3*FFF %"!3. S"lit the !am"le into !mall chuck! ,or "acket!-. ?. Tran!mit the "acket! to the remote ho!t u!ing a 26P !tream ,2!er 6atagram Protocol-. 26P $oe! 0/T confirm the rece"tion of "acket!3 !o it u!e! a Hfire an$ forgetH metho$. C. Receive the "acket! on the remote no$e. A. 5oin the !"lit "acket! %ack into a ?1%it 46P)M !tream. I. 2ncom"re!! the 46P)M !tream %ack into an (A1%it raw !tream of au$io. D. Pla& the raw au$io !tream through a 6E4 converter ,$igital to analog&- %eing the out"ut $evice of a com"uter !oun$ car$. 11o/o11 Reference! ' #cholink 2!er7! Jui$e )ontact Ian VK3IFM an$ I can email &ou a co"&. #cholink we%!ite htt"KEEwww.echolink.orgE for !oftware an$ !tatu! of connecte$ u!er!3 Link!3 Re"eater! an$ reflector!. Thi! inclu$e! regi!tration. :iki"e$ia htt"KEEen.wiki"e$ia.orgEwikiE#cholink Link Statu! htt"KEEwww.echolink.orgElink!.>!" Thi! link give! &ou the !tatu! of no$e! that are online or offline at an& time. I! al!o ver& u!eful to fin$ the clo!e!t no$e to &ou location. 9ou will nee$ &our gri$ !8uare reference. #g @F**/)