You may have heard some strange things originating from the IRLP node over the weekend and wondered
“What are those guys up to THIS time???” (Usually happens when VK2XJG is in town hi hi)
As you know, IRLP is a way of linking amateurs across the globe. You may have heard of another program fordoing this – Echolink. In a nutshell, Echolink has now come to Wagga.
We have installed a package called EchoIRLP, which makes the node part of both the IRLP and Echolink worlds, and can be connected to any node on either network. (It does NOT allow linking the two networks together)
The node will accept calls from the Echolink network, however only nodes that have a radio connected at the other end will be allowed to complete the connection.
What’s this LINK, REPEATER and CONFERENCE bizzo about?
Each node is also identified by its TYPE, whether it is a Simplex Link (-L), Repeater (-R), or a conference.
A conference is where multiple nodes can connect for a net – very similar to the reflectors on IRLP.
How can I find the node numbers?
The Echolink network has a status page, similar to IRLP. You can find this at http://www.echolink.org, and follow the Link Status links. Echolink nodes can be 4, 5 or 6 digits in length.
For reference, our node number for Echolink is 179190.
Calling an Echolink node…
Once you know the node number of the station you want to call, connecting is exactly the same as for IRLP, except the node number must be prefixed with a star. (E.g. If the Echolink node number is 123456, you enter the DTMF tones *123456). To disconnect, the standard 73 tones are used.
(Nothing changes for an IRLP connection – simply enter the four digit IRLP node number)
I run Echolink on my PC at home – can I connect to the repeater?
Although connections from non –L and –R nodes is rejected by default, the ability does exist to override this lockout for individual callsigns, if you ask nicely. For example – you travel a lot and have a laptop with Echolink installed, or perhaps RF is no longer possible for you to operate. You could use your PC to call home from anywhere with Internet connectivity.
If you have any queries, give us a yell.