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After using EchoLink for a while I noticed a lot of
users, both new and old, who might benefit from some of
these Hints and Tips. Here is most everything you need
to know about using EchoLink for basic peer to peer
chatting:
WHO CREATED ECHOLINK
EchoLink was created by Jonathan Taylor, chief engineer
of the Synergenics Corporation, also known as K1RFD to
his Ham friends. Jonathan gave EchoLink as a gift to
the Ham Radio community. He also created
EchoStation, a repeater-control program for Windows,
for which he charges a small fee.
GOOD OPERATING PRACTICES
Before continuing with this article, I suggest you read
Arguments for Proving Identity.
New to EchoLink? Although most Hams are eager and
willing to help those new to EchoLink, it might save
some time and frustration if you first connect to the
EchoLink TEST (echo) server (see the "Station" sub menu
"Connect to Test Server"), tweaking your audio levels
etc and listening to your echo so you will hear what
others will hear BEFORE you attempt communication.
However, there are many Hams who monitor the new
arrivals (those with high node numbers) and
immediately offer assistance, but it's best not to
depend on it.
Although you can reasonably assume that anyone shown as
"active" wants to chat, you should think of EchoLink as
if it were a typical ham band. How often have you heard
a station calling CQ but failed to get a QSO going? If
you are scanning the active user list for a QSO and you
succeed in getting a CONNECT, please do NOT wait for
the other Ham to start the QSO after you make the
connection. It is considered proper form to talk first
with an invitation to engage in a QSO. Would you knock
on a door and then after it opens just stand there
silently?
If you are running EchoLink, but temporarily leave your
terminal un monitored (like when taking a landline
call), I suggest you put EchoLink in "Busy" mode by
clicking the white hand in the tool bar. There also
seems to be a great deal of impatience when users get a
Connect but get no reply within 10 seconds or so. Might
I also suggest one full minute before you blast off? I
know there are many occasions when I am away for a very
short time, not warranting going into Busy mode, as I am
typically just refilling my coffee cup or dealing with
Mother Nature.
If your intention is to connect to another Ham or Link
or Repeater station with the desire to only read the
mail, that's fine and encouraged. Many new Hams
starting out with EchoLink do not have microphones
connected or operating properly. No matter what your
reason for connecting, it is still considered courteous
to at least announce your presence, if not by voice,
then by a text message. This way, no one will be left
guessing as to the purpose of your visit.
Regarding station ID requirements, peer to peer or
direct connects on EchoLink do not require signing with
calls. Connects to Station Links and Repeaters do.
However, as a matter of habit and courtesy, most hams
on EchoLink always sign; if not everytime, then every
so often.
If you are a busy guy like me, you probably want to do
other things on your PC while chatting on EchoLink.
Here is an operational tip that will allow you to
confirm EchoLink's transmit or receive status in a
flash. This can be useful when you "think" you toggled
back to receive yet are still in Transmit mode.
Reposition the EchoLink window so that its Status Bar
is just above the Windows Taskbar at the bottom of your
Desktop. Now, take your Browser, E-Mail clients etc and
reposition them so their Status Bar rest just above the
Status bar of EchoLinks. Now EchoLink's status bar will
always be visible on your Desktop, above your Taskbar,
indicating transmit activity by the RED Transmit flag
on the right side of EchoLinks Status Bar.
In addition, you can avoid having to return focus to
EchoLink, i.e. putting EchoLink back on TOP of your
Desktop, in order to regain control of the transmit
toggle. How? Easy, you can configure EchoLink to use
the "Enter" key on the numeric keypad (my choice) to
provide a "WIDE AREA" PTT functionality. Meaning
whatever program has Focus (is on top) at the moment is
no longer an issue. When making the change, remember it
is important to put a check the "Area Wide" box in the
proper setup menu. Go there vi the Tools menu, then the
Preferences sub menu, then click the Connection Tab at
the top, followed by clicking the PTT button). You can
also configure a few other keys for wide area PPT but I
find the keypad's Enter key to be the most convenient
for how I operate.
ICON REPRESENTATION
A "human face" means EchoLink is running in either
standard (peer to peer) or conference mode. A pair of
"chain links" represents a Link station, that is,
someone (usually at home) with a transceiver on a
simplex frequency, that is connected to their home
computer running EchoLink. A "set of gears" represents
a Repeater that is connected to a PC running EchoLink.
A "PC with two faces" is a Reflector; that is, a PC
connected to the Internet on a High bandwidth
connection that is primarily intended to connect up
Links and Repeaters as well as single users. A big
advantage to using a Conference is not dumping your
friends who connected to you when you close your
connection. A popular software package for running a
Reflector or Conference is "TheBridge"; see the URL for
this software at the bottom of this article.
NODE NUMBERS
Your Node number is assigned to you when you become an
authorized EchoLink user. These numbers are assigned
in ascending order and as of this writing, are topping
around 231541. Obviously then, users with the highest
nodes are the newbies. However, just as the FCC will
issue vanity call for a Fee, the EchoLink author will
sell you a LOW node number to feed your vanity as well.
Some users take great pride in advertising how long
they have been using EchoLink. Unfortunately, with low
node numbers for sale, having a low node number has
lost its importance; unless keying in 4 numbers is more
efficient than 6. There are two ways you can connect to
another EchoLink user. If you are on a PC running
EchoLink, you use the other stations call letters OR
node number. If you are Mobil and trying to connect to
an EchoLink user vi an EchoLink Repeater or Link
station, you click the Node numbers of the other
EchoLink user into your DTMF pad, and if they have
EchoLink running, you will be connected; that is, if
they are either in Conference mode or not Busy.
THE SPACEBAR
You already know that by default, the spacebar acts as
a Rx/Tx Toggle and not to hold it continuously unless
you reset it for "push to talk - release to listen"
under Tools Connections/PTT. But are you aware that the
spacebar's operational function depends on not losing
"Focus" (a Microsoft term meaning the window that is
"active"). You shift Focus anytime you place the cursor
and click in any other dialog box or window! Restoring
focus only requires you left click the mouse inside the
tan window where the horizontal audio level indicator
resides.
Menu: Tools/Preferences/Connections/PPT Control
YOUR PROFILE
Adding a profile is a great way to both introduce
yourself as well as keep a QSO moving along. Why
EchoLink effectively "hides" the profile "Edit" button
is a mystery. But go to Tools - Preferences -
Connections Tab and walla! there it sits at the bottom
right of that menu tab. NOTICE: If you want to see how
your profile looks to others, just connect to YOURSELF
(yes, you can do that!).
Menu: Tools/Preferences/Connections/Edit
TIMEOUTS
Are you tired of the two minute xmit or recv timeouts?
Not a problem. Although important in repeater and link
operations to avoid locking up a system if you get
distracted, its not necessary for peer to peer
communications. Go to Tools - Setup - Timing and place
a ZERO in the appropriate boxes (zero means NO timeouts
or disable). A few people use the timeout bell to warn
themselves when they have talked too long.
Menu: Tools/Setup/Timing
CONNECTION ATTEMPT TIMEOUT
It is my experience that if you fail to get a
connection to your intended contact within 6 or 7
seconds, you wont. Or, if you eventually do, the
latency or delays on the net wont allow for 59
communication anyway. So I suggest setting the delay
to time out of the attempt at 7 seconds rather than the
default of 30. Go to:
Menu: Tools/Setup/Timing/connection timing
BUSY MODE (the Hand)
Busy mode allows you to be seen on the Echolink
user listing but prevents any user from automatically
connecting to you. It operates very much like being
in non conferencing mode while connected and chatting
with another user. Busy is a frowned on activity.
CONFERENCING
By default conferencing is off. The effect is that
once you connect to another user, no one else can get
through to you (unless your contact has conferencing
enabled on their EchoLink and someone connects through
their side). Call this a privacy mode if you will.
However, a great tradition in Ham radio is the Round
Table or Rag Chew. Unfortunately if you are on a dialup
to your ISP, you wont have the bandwidth for solid
round tables or conferencing. But if you have a DSL or
digital cable connection, conferencing can add a lot
more fun to the entire EchoLink experience!
Menu: Tools/Preferences/Connections/ check "Allow Conferencing"
Side Note:
If you are station (A) and connect to station (B)
(who is operating in conference mode) and a 3rd station
(C) connects through station (B) and joins your QSO,
then station (B) elects to leave (or disconnect) you will
lose both stations (B & C). This can sometimes be
frustrating and the only solution when running round
table rag chews is for the so called "control station"
to remain connected until all parties disconnect.
Another option is to use one of the many REFLECTORS
(called CONFERENCES) available on EchoLink.
TEXT CHAT
A frequently overlooked feature, the text chat window,
can be used anytime after a connection is established;
its real usefulness is akin to a Break-In when you wish
to comment before having the Mike passed back to you.
An audible alarm (on by default but can be turned off
and or attached to your own home brew wave file) can
inform you when a text message has arrived. By general
agreement, typing three plus symbols [+++] is a request
for an "immediate" break in.
CALLSIGN LOG
EchoLink (by default) records every contact you make
(in a standard text file) as well as any connection
attempts that you are not around to answer. If you are
as active on EchoLink as I am, with a corresponding bad
memory, these logs and their Search function make
recalling contacts a snap.
TEST SERVER
Many users find EchoLink runs perfect right out of the
box. However, if you ever decide to make changes to
your audio levels etc and want to hear how you sound to
others, don’t forget the Test (or echo) Server under
the "Station" Menu. This test server will echo back
anything you transmit allowing you to check and
tweak your volume and microphone levels.
THE ALARM
When a user is in your Alarms and they join or leave
EchoLink, you will get a notifying pop up window and a
system sound. Tip: From either the Index or Folder
view, right click to pop up a menu for easily adding a
user to either your Alarm or Favorites.
PORT BLOCKS and PROXY SERVER Cures
Firewall issues are discussed farther down this
article; however, another problem some users are
experiencing is ISP's who block incoming connections to
your modem. This is especially troublesome with WiFi or
wireless connections in Hotels, Coffee Shops and
Airport Lobbies. The EchoLink "symptom" is you can
connect to Joe on Echolink, but Joe can never connect
directly to you. If your not the paranoid type and
don't mind unknown 3rd parties seeing all your packet
traffic, there is a work around for this problem. Its
the use of an EchoLink Proxy server or signal go
between. It works like this; you can connect to a peer
out on the Net but they cannot make direct connect to
you. So, instead, you connect to a 3rd party Proxy
Server who in turn receives connections for you and
relays them to your connection. In many ways a Proxy
operates like a typical Ham Radio Repeater.
You can find a list of available EchoLink Proxy servers
here. The two biggest negatives are Proxy
availability when you need one, and security. My
personal view of using Proxy servers, for security
reasons, is that of a very last resort option resource.
READER CONTRIBUTION SECTION
This in from Cliff, WB7CUD
Echolink can work very well on the various Linux
distributions. By using the software program WINE one
can download Echolink into that program and it will
look and work just as it does in MS Windows. WINE has
the additional benefit of isolating viruses etc. from
Linux as it only mimics MS Windows in memory. Linux and
WINE are free of cost. QRT
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EchoLink Hints and Tips is a work in progress that I
may be adding to or updating from time to time. So,
check back often. If you have a Hint or Tip to add here
(with credits) email them to me at:
k5hum@arrl.net.
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BUG REPORTS
XP: After several hours of operation, EchoLink does not
always close or Exit cleanly without causing an error.
There is no known fix yet. 3/20/07: This appears to be
fixed in build 2.0.902. 8/10.07: It apparently has not
been fixed as previously stated but now rarely happens.
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ECHOANSWER
A useful answer machine utility for EchoLink was
created by Dave Shorthill, K1XD, called EchoAnswer. He
offers a free version which is available from his web
site at K1XD. The
Registered version is only $20 and removes the
limitation of storing only 5 replies in the free
version. There is also an Announce only mode (with no
record reply) on either version.
Since the above paragraph was written I have been
informed that even the limited free version completely
quits after using it a while and that this was not
mentioned in the authors documentation. Our tests of
EchoAnswer, although showing great potential, locked up
EchoLink several times; and to my knowledge, no
maintenance or bug fix releases have surfaced.
SIMILAR but Non Ham VoIP SOFTWARE
CQPHONE provides a FREE public use, full duplex voice
chatting client with Video (if you have a Cam) as well
as text chat, photo transfer and web page sharing. Its
a great add on for the Ham to keep in touch with non
ham family and friends. Download your free copy here WWW.CQPHONE.COM.
Another solid Full Duplex Voice/Conference/Text Chat
client is the Freeware
PicoPhone. Its obviously called Pico because of its
small size (50K) and portability (it needs no
supporting DLL's etc). You just place it in a folder,
create a Shortcut, and run it, its as simple as that.
PicoPhone has several unique advantages over most other
VoIP software. 1) its ability to run in peer to peer
mode, bypassing the need for Pico's connection server
(this means that if Pico's server goes down, you can
still use PicoPhone). And 2), its party line function
(ability to allow voice chatting with multiple users).
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Link and Repeater Locator Software: EchoMap
Reflector (Conference) Software: TheBridge
How to Ham on the Net
Another popular VoIP type Ham client with Europeans: eQSO.
SlowScan TV over the Net with: InterAce.
The Internet Radio Linking Project: iRLP.
G3ZHI's Bookmarks1 and
Bookmarks2
CABLE MODEMS, FIREWALLS, ROUTERS & SOUND CARD HELP
First, where port blocks can occur:
Some ISP's block ports to prevent their users from
running servers. This is especially true of high
bandwidth (DSL/Digital) providers but typically they
only block web, ftp, smtp and telnet ports. Call and
ask them if they do. If they do, you will likely have
to pay more to get an unblocked connection. The only
other alternative is to switch to an non blocking
provider.
Most all DSL or Cable Modems have some limited
firewall's built in. Typically by default they are set
to block server ports (sockets that listen on your
computer for INCOMING request). You can access many of
these Modem configuration Menus by typing a commom
modem address (non routable IP) of 192.168.100.1 into
your Browser's To: window; (check your modems manual
for this access IP or ask the ISP who provided the
modem). I suggest you set the modem to forward (pass)
ports 1 through 65,535 or enable the IPPASSTHROUGH/DMZ
mode if available. Then run a good software firewall on
your computer.
If you are running Windows XP SP1, disable XP's
internal firewall. Go to Start/ Control Panel/ Network/
LAN properties/ TCPIP/ Advanced. Then obtain and install a good
software firewall like ZoneAlarm
NOTE: Whenever making changes to your tcp/ip networking
setup, I recomment going to a DOS or Command box on an XP
machine and typing
C:\IPCONFIG /RELEASE then followed by C:\IPCONFIG /RENEW.
This will insure your NIC has the current IP address.
If you have a local (home or office) network and have a
typical combo Router (a combined router-nat-switch-hub)
connected to your cable modem, make sure it is set to
pass the appropriate ports for your LOCAL IP address
(typically 192.168.123.100 on the main PC). Again, I
suggest you set the router to DMZ (or IP PASSTHROUGH
depending on your router manufacturer) and use a good
software firewall.
Some NAT's (Network Address Translators built into
typical Routers) can be annoying and difficult to
properly set port forwarding; not just for EchoLink but
for any Client Server Internet application. Since most
PC's today are running CPU's at 1 ghz or better and
reliable software firewalls (like ZoneAlarm ) are
readily available and free, I again recommend you open
DMZ on the NAT and then authorize ZoneAlarm to allow
EchoLink to use the Internet. You will also likely need
to reset ZA's Internet security from High (blocking ALL
incoming ports)to Medium (lets YOU decide). Some might
take issue with this, but if your machine has no back
doors running (and it shouldn't) it wont matter.
Remember, if you are running XP, MAKE SURE you disable
XP's internal firewall!
ZoneAlarm will automatically do all the required port
forwarding and your headaches are over. EchoLink
requires inbound and outbound UDP ports 5198 and 5199
open, as well as TCP server port 5200. If you can
connect out but no one can connect to you, its likely
the server (listening) port 5200 is being blocked.
TECHNICAL JARGON: The Windows STACK (TCP/IP protocol)
can in theory have up to 64K (65,535) Sockets open
(although its practically much less than a hundred). An
active Socket must always be paired with a particular
Port. A Socket can use any port, but only one of those
64K Ports. Additionally, only one port (example, port
80) can be listening (in server mode) on any active
Socket. Sockets and Ports are actually VIRTUAL data
passageways (created in memory), by the stack software
as opposed to hardware ports like USB, Serial and
Parallel ports.
Port CONFLICTS: Its possible another server application
running on your machine can cause problems if it is
using the same server port (5200) as EchoLink. The
following web site, Port
Listings, provides infromation on the ports used by
many popular programs and games. This site also offers
a lot of help on Port Forwarding for all the popular
routers and software firewalls.
If you wish to scan your machine from outside on the
Internet, to see exactly what Ports are Listening,
Closed or in Stealth mode, go to Gibson Research's Port
Scan web site.
If you wish to internally monitor the Stack on your
machine you can obtain a free TCP monitoring utility
(TCPView) from
System Internals. TCPView will show you a
detailed listings of all TCP and UDP endpoints on your
system, including the local and remote addresses and
state of TCP connections. TCPView also reports the name
of the process that owns the endpoint.
MICROPHONE AND SOUND CARD HELP
Sound Card Tips:
The least expensive PC style Microphones (typically $5
to $10) are also the type of mikes designed to work best
with most all PC sound cards. They are of the Condenser
types, sometimes called Electric. Please do not confuse
these with piezoelectric or crystal types which (among
other problems) severely overdrive most Sound Cards.
Dynamic Mikes are another no no as most Sound Cards
work with +5 volts DC bias on the pin jack, and all
dynamic (coil type) mikes have low internal resistive
paths to ground.
You can test if both your Mike level and Sound volume
is working properly with adequate level setting by
going to Start/Run and typing in:
c:\windows\system32\sndrec32.exe and then proceed to
record a wave file, then play it back. If you
experience no problems with this, your basic sound card
setup is likely ok. If not, read further.
If the Mic has an on off slider, make sure its ON. Make
sure the Mike is plugged into the correct jack on the
back or front of your PC. Make sure the plug is pushed
firmly all the way into the jack.
Do you see a small gray Speaker Icon in the Tool Tray?
(the Tool Tray is the lower right corner of the Desktop)
If not go to Run/Settings/Control panel and double
click the Sound and Audio Properties Icon. From the
Volume Tab, check the box that says "Place Volume Icon
in Task bar". While there, check under the Audio Tab,
make sure your sound card device is showing in all
three dialog boxes. Click the Volume button below
"Sound Recording" and make sure a check mark exist in
the "Select" microphone box. Make sure the Mike slider
level is pushed 3/4 UP. By now, assumming the sound
card is good, and properly installed, things should
start working.
HARDWARE DRIVER CONFLICTS: Go to the Control Panel and
double click the "System" Icon. From there choose the
Hardware Tab. In the Hardware Menu click on Device
Manager. In that window, click the plus (+) sign to
the right of "Sound Video and Game Controllers". Right
click each Audio device, and choose its "Properties"
and make sure each says "This device is working
properly". Under Audio Codecs, Properties, Properties,
make sure "msgsm.acm" is listed.
MY PERSONAL ECHOLINK WISH LIST FOR FUTURE RELEASES:
I am aware that many other (non ham) Internet Clients
offer these features but.... I would like to see:
An optional user photo displayed, even if just a small
Thumb print size.
I would also like to see a file transfer capability
added and perhaps a VOX mode for peer to peer
connections. This would not involve more than a few
extra lines of code as most of the required tcp/ip
stack coding pre exist.
It would also be nice to have the option to leave the
"sort" of the node list in the order in which it was last
left.
I would like to see what is called "active links" used
in the profile. Thats is, by clicking on a users email
address it would open your email client, and clicking
on a URL would open and run your default Browser.
Again, this is easily doable with minimal extra lines
of code.
Finally, it would be nice to see the Icon change color
when the client is minimized so you know what T/R state
you are still in while using a wide area HotKey to
toggle Transmit Receive. A current workaround is to
have all other open Windows riding on top of EchoLinks
Status bar which you can position above your Task bar.
QSONet
Since I began this article on EchoLink, several more
VOIP clients adopted by the Ham Radio community have
emerged. The first I wish to discuss is QSONET.
A new PAY service catering to Hams has been deployed
called
QSONET. All of the reports I am receiving are
generally favorable with the only negative being that
if Hams want to continue using the service after 90
days they must pay. This marketing scheme never worked
with time crippled shareware so it will be interesting
to see if this operation survives or perishes on the
vine. One major carrot this service offers is a very
ingenious GUI application that closely resembles an
actual Ham Transceiver running on your desktop. Hams
love new toys and this GUI is attractive and fun to
play with. But, is a virtual radio going to continue
holding a Hams attention over the long haul? Another
feature is the elimination of router and firewall
problems by incorporation only one outgoing TCP port.
However, this takes away the technical challenges that
most Hams thrive on. One reason I am personally not a
member of this service is the requirement to send
photocopies of your license. This is perplexing because
as I understand it, QSONET cannot link to repeaters and
link stations as EchoLink can. At least EchoLink
allows a phone call utilizing CID from your home
telephone to verify you are who you say you are.
Finally, one of my regular contributors (who is
monitoring QSONET's rate of growth), reports that
membership is already leveling off around 11,000 as
opposed to EchoLinks 300,000.
I suggest the cure for QSONETS potential Achilles heal
is to run a two tier system with basic services FREE.
Maybe limiting free use to 30 minutes per day or
limiting bands to one free one. Then a more modest fee
of $1 a month for unfettered use. As is always the
case, the Ham Radio public will decide QSONETs fate.
TeamSpeak
Finally there is TeamSpeak. This relatively new VOIP
software allows anyone, Ham or otherwise to play Sysop,
a term meaning the System's Administrator. This term is
from the pre Internet days of BBS's or Bulletin Board
Services. For those technically adept, TeamSpeak can
run on the Sysop's home PC; or, more frequently, its run
on a Hosted (remote) server for nominal fees.
Some reports say the voice quality of TeamSpeak is far
better than other VOIP services, but I know of no
technical reason why that should be. And many users I
have chatted with say they hear no difference between
TeamSpeak and EchoLink. TeamSpeak is full duplex and
offers VOX, a feature many Hams enjoy. TeamSpeak
operates much like Yahoo Chat or IRC in as much as
various user rooms (private or public) can be created
that can cater to specific interest.
The glory of Ham Radio is its global openness to all
Hams. EchoLink is a great example of this openness. The
Achilles heal of TeamSpeak is that it tends to promote
a subtle form of discrimination through exclusion.
Because TeamSpeak isn't directly regulated by FCC Ham
Radio rules, it permits conversation on almost any
subject that conventional Ham regulations or decorum
might prohibit. To me this last benefit seems at best
rather puerile. TeamSpeak also gives power to the
Sysop to ban or kick those that disagrees with the
Sysops idea of decorum.
A negative of TeamSpeak is the bandwidth required for a
home based server to accommodate a reasonable number of
users. This almost demands using a commercial Hosted
service which someone, usually the Sysop, has to pay
for.
However, all that being said, everything has its place.
Therefore, if you are interested in becoming a Sysop of your own
VOIP chat room, you can download TeamSpeak software
Here.
PopNote
You can download a copy of my own freeware PEER To PEER
(totally private - no need for 3rd party servers)
Instant popup Message client-server, called PopNote, by
clicking here: PopNote
Download. If you wish to ragchew with me about
anything in this article, send me a request vi PopNote.
I monitor PopNote 24/7. We can voice chat on EchoLink,
CQPhone, Yahoo, EQSO. PicoPhone or Skipe.
For a quick check of your Windows operating skills you may be
interested in reading this user knowledge
base article.
Pearl River County Amature Radio Club
QST - de KE5HXI aKa Larry Wagoner
PRCARC meets on the first Tuesday of each month at 7
p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in
Poplarville. EOC is located on Highway 26, about one
mile outside town (between Poplarville and the
Interstate). Highway 26 is the road that leads to the
north exit. We also hold a breakfast at 8 a.m. on the
third Saturday of each month at the same location. Our
next meeting will be the regular monthly meeting at 7
p.m. Tuesday, October 3. Let me extend an invitation to
attend! We have moved our repeater to a location where
we get excellent 2-meter coverage of the south end of
the county. The repeater is at 145.210 (negative
offset) and a tone of 136.5 Mhz.
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