Amateur Radio HF ALE is growing

Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) is the worldwide digital standard for initiating and sustaining communications in any mode using High Frequency radio.

Membership of the Ham Radio ALE international organisation, HFLINK, is way up this year. The membership reached 2000 members in early April, with an increase of 600 members since August 2007 when announcements went out that the Ham Radio ALE Global High Frequency Network (HFN) went into service.

The majority of ALE operators are in North America, where ALE has the biggest foothold on the air. Within the past month or two, there has been a marked increase in new European ALE ops. As the trend continues, perhaps we will see a lot more ALE action on the air in Region 1 in the near future.

On 26 June 2008, the Ham Radio Global ALE High Frequency Network (HFN) will celebrate 365 continuous days of ALE HF service. Almost one year ago, a team of radio operators successfully deployed the first 6 base stations on the air as Phase 1 of the global constellation of ALE internet-connected HF stations in ham radio service. Currently it is the only such system in existence with 24/7 operation on all HF ham bands by every station simultaneously.

The prime purpose of the HFN is to provide emergency and disaster relief messaging service in remote areas of the world. When the network is not in use for Emcomm, it is available for hams to use for routine messaging via SMS phone texting, text email, or HF-to-HF relay. Hams may access it via a ham transceiver and computer software, or with an HF radio that has built-in ALE.

The HFN is expanding with more HFN Pilot Stations on the air. Facilities and services have improved, with new multiline text email capability via 8FSK digital data built into the PCALE/MARSALE computer software developed by Charles G4GUO and Steve N2CKH. All this wizardry is spun together, with continuously improving BBSLINK software developed by HFN Network Director Alan Barrow KM4BA.

The founding High Frequency Network Pilot Station Operators are: Alan KM4BA, Steve N2CKH, Rod WA3MEZ, Gary K7EK, Dale NJ7C, Bill WD8ARZ, Dennis W5DG, Peter VK4TGV, and Bonnie KQ6XA. In addition to the original stations, 4 new HFN Pilot Station Operators are now on the air now: Luc VE2FXL, Dan VR2HF, Mark N0PWZ, and Marty KN0CK. http://hflink.com/hfn/

HFN and ALE operators are participating in the IARU GlobalSET event on 03 May. You don't need ALE to work the GlobalSET, but ALE makes it easy to get an HF message through via connection through one of the HFN Pilot Stations that provide wide coverage. Hams activate their ALE stations, start scanning and sounding before the event, and then send messages during the day of the event.

Operators everywhere are invited to participate in ALE. Perhaps you already have all the equipment needed, and it is just sitting there waiting to be put to good use. How about some ALE?.

Find out more here: http://hflink.com

copyright (c)2008 HFINK