Is ham radio REALLY worth all the hassles? Have you ever wondered that? I mean, first there is the learning curve to get a technician class license. Then there is the getting to know what radio and antenna to order. No perfect choice there. Sizes, budget, features, etc… And then there is getting to know the radio’s features and programming. And then getting through understanding how to operate on repeaters. And how to ID. And then there is getting through understanding and operating on some advanced modes. HF is another ballgame. And what IS the difference between IRLP and EchoLink? And how do they work and how do you get access to them and use them properly?
The short answer is – YES! It is worth every frustration in the hobby. I have learned over the years that many things that have great value also take some effort. Imagine that… you can’t expect to get something for nothing generally! But a hobby is supposed to be FUN… not frustrating. Unfortunately, this one is. Like many things. I’m an ex ski racer. Now I ski pretty well. But when I started I was a clutz! And there was a learning curve. And plateaus and more learning curves. But I pushed myself. And now it’s pretty much just fun… Programming is the same way. I suspect internet marketing is the same. Driving a car was that way. Dancing certainly was. Painting would be… You get the point…
One good way to get through many frustrations is with an Elmer. Someone that knows enough (certainly not everything) to either explain something or to point you towards resources that can explain something. We did that this weekend. In this instance it was a bit tougher because we did this at a distance. And my friend had a radio that I had not used before. I understood the concepts of what we were trying to do but not the specifics of how to implement it on her particular radio. That made it rough. But working together, we solved problems as we went along. We both contributed toward the project’s objective and got through the process with smiles at the end.
I wanted to show my friend how to use her HT to access any EchoLink repeater in the WORLD through her HT – without using her computer. She was near Traverse City, MI and I was in Appleton, WI – near Green Bay, WI. Here’s how we did it and why.
I started EchoLink on my computer. I connected through my computer to the Traverse City 145.270 repeater. That allowed me to monitor my friend’s progress from a distance. Our objective was for her to connect to that repeater with her HT via RF. Then we wanted to connect the Traverse City 145.270 repeater via EchoLink to the Appleton, WI 145.330 repeater. From there I would communicate from my HT in Appleton, WI. One thing we did right was to have the repeaters already set-up in both of our HT’s and on EchoLink. I think if we had to do THAT and the rest of this project it would not have been pretty…
We did a couple of things wrong. Both of us went charging into EchoLink land on each of our repeaters without fully understanding the process. One thing neither of us understood at the start was the access codes required. Now, I am a dues paying member of the ham radio club that sponsors the repeater that I was working through. And I had personally met the guy that manages the repeater. So I just did a search on the internet and I came up with the codes that I needed. These codes are DTMF codes (or tones). DTMF stands for Dual-tone multi-frequency. So what the HECK is that? Well – you use them if you use a phone that doesn’t have an old rotary dial. When you push the numbers on the phone to dial your number, it sends a specific tone for each number down the line. The other connection understands those tones and does some function based upon those tones. EchoLink works the same way as the phone system in that regard. There is just one extra step in ham radio land. You have to hold down your push-to-talk (PTT) switch while pressing those buttons on your radio’s keypad. Then you have to let go of the PTT before you say anything. That’s really all there is to navigation in EchoLink land via RF!
Now, each repeater is likely to have different access codes. The Appleton, WI 145.330 repeater did and the Traverse City 145.270 repeater did. My friend took a very positive step of asking another local friend how to access their EchoLink via that repeater. That friend responded with the codes and also just asked that she read the access rules and ask for permission first. She did that and we were then off to the races. Or so we thought.
I tested my side first. I wanted to make sure it worked before I explained it to her. Well, I wasn’t able to bring up another EchoLink node. Turned out that the instructions I had showed an “*” or two in front of each number I was supposed to type. I guess the person meant to use them as bullet points in a paragraph but it was confusing. I finally figured that out and was able to connect to a busy repeater to verify that the process worked. So I was off to the races. Or so I thought. I realized I had to disconnect from the repeater. Well, I found the disconnect code and went to send it. I waited for a pause in the conversations to send it. And waited. And waited. And waited… Man, it was really annoying! I finally got a few seconds, sent the code and got disconnected. Surely this would work on my friend’s side.
My friend brought up the repeater on her HT and sent the codes correctly. But I could hear through my computer that something was wrong. I knew she ID’d but could hear no voice audio on the repeater. At first we thought was that maybe a tone got changed, but we verified that the tone was right for the repeater. Finally my friend tried moving around and I heard the signal strength change. My friend suggested moving the magnet mount that was attached to her wood burning stove out to her truck. A few minutes later I heard her voice ID clear as a bell on the Traverse City 145.270 repeater. And then the DTMF codes were clearly heard. And then on my HT in Appleton and through my PC I heard EchoLink announce that the Appleton, WI 145.330 repeater was connected to the Traverse City 145.270 repeater. BINGO! It had WORKED! We had a quick conversation and then disconnected.
Now that we both understand the process and the codes on our HT’s and on the repeaters, we can connect to ANY EchoLink repeater anywhere in the WORLD with just a few keystrokes. THAT is fun and so worth the learning curve!
We need to remember to ID on the local repeater and then ID on the distant repeater. We also should announce what we are trying to do on the repeater. It can be pretty annoying to just listen to tones and static while someone fumbles through this learning curve. If you understand what they are trying to do it helps. And you may be able to lend a hand. We also made sure to thank the people that make the process possible. They do good hard work to get that done and we can’t say thank you enough times. Finally, we need to remember to ID and advise we are disconnecting on the distant repeater and the local repeater.
I have heard quite a few negative stories about people not using EchoLink in compliance with the wishes and rules of those that provide the service. I hope that this helps nudge some people in the right direction. In general, remember to ID a lot. Let people know what you are doing. Say thank you. And take the links down when you are done. And pause in your conversations to listen for breaking stations.
Stay radio active! Jon Kreski, AB9NN
http://www.HamRadioResources.com
Follow me and my blogs on http://www.Twitter.com/AB9NN
Related Blogs For HamRadioResources.com
- Rosscott, Inc. » Archive » See Something? Cite Something.
- BronxBanterBlog.com – Something Like a Phenomenon
- Do Something: Battle of the Bands PSA – Nick Jonas [HD] | VISO Central
- Blake Lively Was at Something and Other News – The Superficial – Because You're Ugly
- Review: Digital Storm Black Ops Assassin Gaming Computer
- Get Motivated to “Do Something” Positive – The Future Pre-Awards Conference – January 29 2011 | Bella Naija
- That old computer in your garage is history, not junk! (videos) | VentureBeat
- Computer World: Verizon, HTC Provide Most & Fastest Updates of All Carriers, Manufacturers in the US | Android Phone Fans
- IBM Computer Practicing For Real ‘Jeopardy!’ Match CBS New York – News, Sports, Weather, Traffic and the Best of NY
- Something Stinks in Kansas City « Arrowhead Addict | A Kansas City Chiefs blog
Related posts
- Ham Radio & SkyWarn Appreciation Day 2009
- Ham Radio – Basic Respect For Rules
- A Nice Little Disaster - A Ham Radio Operator's Experience
- How To Get A Ham Radio License - General Class Test
- Ham Radio & A Pasty!
- Lake Michigan Area (Michigan / Wisconsin) APRS Coverage
- Ham Radio Thanksgiving
- Ham Radio’s Wisconsin Interstate Network
- Antenna Farm Planning
- Portable Ham Radio Revisited
