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Martyn Medcalf G1EFL |
My Experience with EchoLink
by Martyn Medcalf G1EFL
Firstly, I would like to make very clear that I am a complete novice to this mode. I have had a lot of help from various people, but more about that latter.
For the people who do not know much about EchoLink here is a brief summary.
The Internet came into the public eye in the 1990s making some worried that it would replace Amateur Radio as we know it. However it was soon realised that the Internet could serve as a communications pipeline to hook up with distant locations in a reliable way that was not always possible with satellites or HF communications.
We now have a communications system that unites radio with the Internet. It uses Voice Over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, using the Internet as a bridge between individual voice radio stations. By using VoIP networks, amateurs who were once limited to local comms because of aerial restrictions etc can now talk to people all over the world. The person who brought this about is Jonathan Taylor, K1RFD.
I was sitting in front of my HF radio about a month ago calling CQ to no avail. I even turned up the power but still nothing, so I looked at my Yaesu VX5 Handheld and thought lets give this Echolink business a go. Lying on my desk in front of me was a copy of May’s edition of the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society (CARS) newsletter (483) and on page three was an article titled New Echolink Node M0SIX-L Opens in Chelmsford.
I read this a few times to get an understanding of what I had to do. I tried a few things but still no luck. I gave the CARS Training Manager Clive G1EUC a ring, as I knew he was involved with this project. He explained everything to me, in a clear and concise matter, for which I was extremely grateful. I set up my Yaesu VX5 handheld as Clive suggested and he also gave me some node numbers to try.
I punched in a 20043 (Node) number and called CQ several times and to my amazement I received a reply from an amateur in New Zealand who was mobile and waiting for his wife to return from the shops. Well, I was extremely pleased with my first contact half way around the World on a handheld using 2.5 W. Since that first contact I have worked KH6 Hawaii, YI Iraq, 9H Malta, 9W Malaysia, VK Australia and ZR South Africa, to name but a few.
I have recently been to GU/MU land (Guernsey) for a week to celebrate my Birthday! Guess my age!!! Several club members knew I was going, Clive, Chris and Trevor to name a few, and they said if I got time put out a CQ call through the M0SIX gateway at Chelmsford, they would listen out for me.
Well on 9th May, I put out a CQ call at 16.00 and Clive G1EUC came back. We had a QSO and he passed me over to Trevor M5AKA and then Murray G6JYB. It was nice to work them all. I felt I was a rare island! At 16.30 Chris G0IPU called in on his way home, my first mobile station.
I am truly amazed at how easy it is to make a QSO with somebody over the other side of the world. I have now bought a Yaesu FT-2800M rig dedicated only to Echo-Link. If you have not tried this mode yet, give it a go.
Here are some node numbers you might like to try.
Australia 20043, New Zealand 6504, Malta 278185, South Africa 185459, 9Y4TTL 280791, Buenos Aires 27949, Munich Olympic Tower 7385.
Finally, I recommend a book called VoIP Internet Linking for Radio Amateurs by Jonanthan Taylor, K1RFD, available from the ARRL.
Once again, thank you all who helped me.
Martyn Medcalf, G1EFL
Echolink
http://www.echolink.org/
M0SIX-L node 265297 operates on 144.8375 MHz using 110.9 Hz CTCSS. It will shortly be changing its call sign to MB7IDA-L but will stay on the same frequency.
It is run by the CARS Amateur Radio Training Manager Clive Ward G1EUC.
http://www.clive.ward.btinternet.co.uk/
Martyn is Secretary of the Chelmsford Amateur Radio Society. CARS meet on the 1st Tuesday of each month at the Marconi Social Club (MASC), Beehive Lane, Great Baddow, CM2 9RX.The doors open at 7:10 pm and the meeting starts at 7:30 pm.
Visitors are most welcome, car parking is free and a bar is available for refreshments.
For a map see: http://tinyurl.com/dwsud
For further information contact Martyn on Tel: 01245 469008
E-mail: info2006@<no spam>g0mwt.org.uk
Web: http://www.g0mwt.org.uk/
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