Echo Link

Read a short synopsis about our local Echolink (N4EAR) by our own W4AII, : Echolink is a popular and useful way to access many worldwide repeaters (and some simplex nodes) from wherever you are at the time, with or without a radio. It’s great for working distant nets to keep in touch with your club homies when you are away from your favorite repeater, such as EARS N4EAR! Of course, your favorite repeater must have installed an echolink access node. N4EAR echolink is currently hosted courtesy of Herman, WA9LFQ, at his QTH. But like any good thing, echolink has potentially frustrating pitfalls. This article contains my suggestions for the best possible echolink experience. PC and Mac echolink application downloads work fine, but usually require configuring your internet router to open echolink router ports, often a real pain in the donkey. Just use your mobile device instead! Future articles will cover using the echolink app on various mobile devices such as android or apple smartphones or tablets. Echolink is real RF ham radio because you will be transmitting on an RF repeater. You will be using their Echolink smartphone app to QSO over the repeater, so they are fussy about getting an authentic original copy of your FCC license. If you have not yet registered your license with echolink, go to echolink.org. I suggest you pay them the measley $1 for echolink staff to upload your ticket from the FCC themselves in a few hours, versus you trying to do it yourself. Then you can download their app from your Apple app store or Google Play store and configure your login credentials to sign on to the echolink app. Echolink is worth the periodic hassles, so be prepared for it’s somewhat glitchy behavior. The next articles will discuss hints for optimally configuring and operating the echolink app, what to do for the occasional frustrating app dropoffs and the “cannot connect” error messages, and more.

73, Jim W4AII

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