Internet radio linking with the EchoLink system and a RIGblaster!

Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD winner of Hamvention's 2003 Special Achievement Award, who wrote EchoStation, a full featured repeater controller and/or automatic unattended announcement machine has done it again with the EchoLink system.

The EchoLink system is software which allows Amateur Radio operators to communicate with one another over the Internet, using voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology. The program allows worldwide Internet connections to be made between hams, from computer to station, from computer to computer or by linking two or more EchoLink system connected stations.

The EchoLink system works with a RIGblaster using the EchoLink system's internal DTMF decoder and control. A special iLink interface board is not required to put your radio on the Internet for other hams to use. It is done neatly and simply with a RIGblaster and the EchoLink system.

Please understand that if you intend to connect your radio to the Internet it is for other hams to use. You will NOT normally be able to use your radio to talk over the Internet with the radio's microphone. The audio that goes out over the Internet comes from the receive audio output of the radio not the RF output. If your radio has a transmit monitor feature, very unusual with a VHF radio, you could. Also only with a RIGblaster Pro AND a sound card with mic./line. mixing you could. If you plan to dedicate a radio to Internet linking we would suggest you purchase our RIGblaster Nomic as you will not be able to use the mic. with our other RIGblasters over the Internet.

The Big Picture - The EchoLink system in SysOp Mode (Simplex/Link)
http://www.westmountainradio.com/Image/EchoLink1.jpg

The Big Picture - The EchoLink system in SysOp Mode (Repeater)
http://www.westmountainradio.com/Image/EchoLink2.jpg

The Big Picture - The EchoLink system in SysOp Mode (Repeater Linking)
http://www.westmountainradio.com/Image/EchoLink3.jpg

The EchoLink system runs on Microsoft Windows® 95 or above. It is offered as freeware and may be downloaded here.
http://www.echolink.org/el/

Get the EchoLink system Users Guide.
ftp://ftp.echolink.org/EchoLink/EchoLinkUsersGuide.pdf

To download this document to your computer, position your mouse pointer over the link and click with the RIGHT mouse button, then select "Save Target as..." which will then let you save it to your computer.

To set the transmit audio level with a RIGblaster and the EchoLink system our support pages under "SETTING AND TESTING THE TRANSMIT AUDIO WITH AN FM RADIO".

In order for the RIGblaster to work with the EchoLink system you must set your call to either a -L (link station) or -R (repeater station) and setup the sysop setup under the menu choices "tools" "sysop settings" to match the screen shots below.

RX control screen shot - Uses VOX carrier detect to trigger VOIP over the web
http://www.westmountainradio.com/Image/ELRX.jpg

TX control screen shot - Uses serial port PTT control
http://www.westmountainradio.com/Image/ELTX.jpg

DTMF control screen shot - Uses the EchoLink system's software based DTMF decoder
http://www.westmountainradio.com/Image/ELDTMF.jpg

AA3EU has a great write up for setting up the EchoLink system using a RIGblaster
See ==> http://www.qsl.net/aa3eu

"Remember when communicating with other hams computer to computer you may be talking about ham radio but you are NOT operating a ham station. Please try to spend more time keeping our bands active rather than using the Web. Keep our bands from being taken away from us! Also remember that if you talk to a DX station via the Internet working DX, it is the same as if one or both of you were on the telephone, not a radio." Del, K1UHF.