EchoLink lesson learned

[k5frp]

Since learning of EchoLink, I have been very reluctant to try it. (To me it just didn't seem like radio if it was going through the Internet.) Well, I can admit when I'm wrong and just wanted to share a little story with all of you. (Humble pie has been served.)

I was trying to get EchoLink up and running on my Linux box at home. Works good under 98, wanted to make it work under an even better OS. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif Well, after getting it up and running, I was trying to decide where to attempt to make a contact when another Ham connected to me and we started a QSO. Being the Internet version of radio that I thought it was, I figured that mainly the contacts that I would make would be younger ops, or at best probably 40's-50's. OK, I was wrong again. My first contact was a 78 year old op, and while talking to him, another op came into the conversation that was 91. We had a great round robin QSO for about 45 minutes. This truely is just another mode that we can all get some good use out of, and I learned the valuable lesson that the new modes aren't just for the "newbies" in this hobby.

Since then, I have made a few more contacts, and have enjoyed using the EchoLink mode as much as any other that I've experimented with. Just wanted to share so that if anyone hasn't tried it, you might find that it can suprise you.

73,
(a bit more humble)
Frank
kc5las
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[K7ADB]

I was against echolink also when I first heard about it but after playing with it for awhile I think it's great. I have it connected to my repeater now and can control it using the DTMF pad on my HT. If I want to link my repeater to a repeater in Japan all I have to do is enable echolink using the DTMF pad on my HT and enter in the code for a Japanese repeater. Simple as pie.

Some people think echolink is just keyboard to keyboard chats but these are the people who have never really sat down and played with echolink. There's a lot more to it then that.

- Seth

[n6hle]

I love EchoLink. I've lived all over southern and central California and with EchoLink I can talk to people in the places I used to live without shelling out hard earned money that has better places to go in order to join one of those private linked repeater systems. It's also nice know that I encouraged an online friend of mine in New Zealand to study to get her ticket so we can talk on Echolink. I look forward to when she passes the test so we can chat.

KC5LAS: If you really want to do it the Linux way give IRLP (http://www.irlp.net) a look. The thing I really like about IRLP is that it is only accessable via radio. IRLP is geared to writing your own scripts, in BASH, to customize your node to your needs and likes.

73

Joe (IRLP stn3549)

[KF9VH]

I too have found echolink to be an asset to me. As a result of the summer static our group that usually runs 75 meters in the evening have gone to echolink till this fall when the band gets better. While it is not a replacement for HF it sure has been a pleasure to keep the group alive this summer. NO QRN,QRM, or QSB.

There has been some bottom feeders giving echolink bad reviews at eham. None of them are signing in with a valid call sign. It is a joke. Eham is gonging down the tubes as it relates to their reviews and who they let post there. Go take a look. I have left numerous posts rebutting the bottom feeders and Eham deletes them.