[nrv-hams] Echo Link

Sat Nov 5 05:50:30 EDT 2011

To all:

I think Echo Link has great potential for the ham community. There are certainly alot of hams using it. I think it is especially useful for hams with limited antennas for whatever reason. It isn't for the inexperienced ham or computer user.

I have very little experience operating on Echo Link but a lot of experience getting my computer and router set up so that I could use it. I am not a novice at using computers but found the "Help" pages on Echo Link itself to be difficult to use. They tend to skip important steps and assume lots of prior knowledge. As a ham who knew almost nothing about Echo Link going in, I spent a lot of time going over and over certain "Help" pages looking for specific step-by-step instructions. There is a place there where you can email a support group with a question but I found the response type to be slow and often never did get a response. I have been a big user of QRZ.com to post questions and get responses on a variety of subjects. However, posting on QRZ in the Echo Link bulletin board was again a frustrating experience. The postings there were way above my comprehension and not related to my needs.

The biggest issue in getting my computer setup to operate Echo Link was getting my firewall configerated to allow the Echo Link's software access. One has to do a TCP configuration of Port 5200, 5198, and 5199. Your router is involved in this configeration. After a lot of trial and error and not finding the information I needed on Echo Link or QRZ, I tried my internet service provider Verizon. Twice I contacted them and although their call center personel tried hard, they did not know what was needed, at times were definitely reading out of a manual, and never helped me. They eventually gave up and wanted to direct me to a private fee-for-service call center that wanted an over $100 fee to help. I did not go there!

Echo Link "Help" will note that you can go to PFConfig.com and for I believe a $29.00 fee, get them to help you config your firewall ports. I did that. It was finally successful but a very long and difficult task. Their webpages leave a lot to be desired as they are so crowded with conflicting, vague and very technical information. Their method of communication is via message sent back and forth to a technician. He was very helpful but it generally took over 24 hours to replay to each message. He did work on Saturdays which helped. They did not have my router listed in their massive and lengthly list of routers so I had to do a "screen capture" process and send them my information on my router's configeration, some of which I thought would give them ongoing access to my router and computer. I was initially very reluctant to do this process, but it seemed like the only way I was going to get help. So I did it and installed the software necessary. I quickly uninstalled it once the router was on their list.

Everything finally got configured and lined up and  finally worked and I got connected. However, I think it was as much my "trial and error", "learn as you go along, and" "I got lucky; not sure why this worked but it did" process. I estimate that from start to finish it took almost two months of regular work and contacts to get Echo Link up and working.

I am glad I have that capacity but todate, haven't operated much through it.

Dennis W4ODY
________________________________________
From: nrv-hams-bounces at mailman.qth.net [nrv-hams-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of Russ Abbey [russ.abbey at gmail.com]
Sent: Friday, November 04, 2011 3:19 PM
To: NRV-Hams: A mailing list for members of the New River Valley (VA) Amateur   Radio Club.
Subject: Re: [nrv-hams] Presentation on APRS for NRVARC

Please keep us all informed! I for one would love to learn a lot more then
I know about APRS, Echo Link, and IRLP.  While I have "dabbled" in all 3 of
them, I don't know a lot.  If anyone is interested, you can go
here<http://www.aprs.org/>to APRS.org to read up on some fine
articles.  There is also a Yahoo group
for not only APRS, but for all of the trackers out there.  If you can
solder a little, the Following links will bring you to a couple of places
that I have used before  and are good kits.
Argent Data, the open tracker <http://www.argentdata.com/>
Byonics, home of the Tiny Track 3&4& others. <http://www.byonics.com/>
Tiny Track Wiki <http://vk7hse.hobby-site.org/wiki/index.php/Tinytrak4v7>
Fund U a place to find yourself. <http://www.findu.com/>
Echo Link <http://echolink.org/>
Is a VoiceOverIinternetProtocall or radio and VOIP, also you can use it
with your computer to make contacts around the world without a radio.
IRLP which is a VOIP system <http://www.irlp.net/> which is kinda like Echo
Link, but you have to use a radio for access.
73
Russ Abbey
KG4MAV

On Fri, Nov 4, 2011 at 2:16 PM, roger bell <rrbell at hotmail.com> wrote:

>
> Fri., Nov. 04, 2011
>
> Jim, Ron and Carter:
>
> Jim,
>  many thanks for the kind and timely reply.   I concur on the use of
> APRS for public events, etc., as would vastly improve situational
> awareness, which in today's world is a much needed asset.  Although I
> have read a good deal on this matter, I have not obtained any hands on
> experience.  Thus, the collective efforts of Ron, Carter and yourself on
>  this matter would be most appreciated.
>
> On
>  behalf of the NRVARC, I extend my thanks in advance for your collective
>  efforts.  Please followup with Ron and Carter and advise which one of
> you will spearhead this effort.
>  Because the club has a annual dinner in January 2011, the next monthly
> meeting will be Feb. 27, 2011.  Does this provide adequate time to
> develop a nice presentation and demo of APRS?
>
> I look forward to hearing from you.
>
> Best regards,
> Roger Bell  - N4FPA
> V. P. - NRVARC
> AEC - P. County ARES
>
>
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  From: nrv-hams-request at mailman.qth.net
>  Subject: nrv-hams Digest, Vol 18, Issue 4
>  To: nrv-hams at mailman.qth.net
>  Date: Fri, 4 Nov 2011 12:02:19 -0400
>
>
>  Today's Topics:
>
>  1. IRLP and Echolink (Ron Angert)
>  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  Message: 1
>  Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 13:36:42 -0400
>  From: Ron Angert <rangert at gmail.com>
>  Subject: [nrv-hams] IRLP and Echolink
> To: nrv-hams at mailman.qth.net
>  Message-ID:
> CA+Oz0rGpeE=EkRRPag7cVYcEDjJC8dSf8c+7KiDiswa7nOtc=A at mail.gmail.com>
>  Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
>  I sure would love to learn more about this new-fangled stuff.  Do we have
> a
>  member or members that could put on a talk/demo for a club meeting?
>
>  I will soon be completing a laptop that can display aprs locations on a
> map
>  and if it works I would be willing to bring that to a meeting if there is
>  interest. I think using this during a bike race would be great.  The VT
>  club did that for the collegiate race last year in the rain and they knew
>  where the chase cars and the ambulance was almost all the time.
>
>  The learning curve on all this stuff is pretty steep and we need to share
>  our 'suffering.'
>
>  Enjoy
>  Ron N4JAT
>
>
> ______________________________________________________________
> nrv-hams mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/nrv-hams
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:nrv-hams at mailman.qth.net
>
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html
>
______________________________________________________________
nrv-hams mailing list
Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/nrv-hams
Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
Post: mailto:nrv-hams at mailman.qth.net

This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html