Kingston Amateur Radio Club

Amateur Radio and The Internet

The Internet was touted as a death knell to Amateur Radio, however, the Internet has provided Amateurs with many tools. The popularity of the Internet did cause us to look at how we sent messages - via email over packet because of the speed and delivery times, and using chat rooms over HF since the chat rooms gave us static free comms.

Over the past few years, the Internet has been a great research tool for Amateurs and a great forum to pass information through web pages and and mailing lists. Club newsletters and minutes of meetings are sent via email reducing club costs in photocopying, printing and mailing. Correspondence with regard to Hamfests/flea markets is done via email again eliminating costs associated with phone calls and postage.

One of the best uses of the Internet is the marrying of radios and computers using the Internet as a transmission medium. Here are some of the ways the Internet is being used as a transmission medium, some of which the computer/Internet is transparent to the user.

APRS IRLP EchoLink iLink eQSO HamLink

GJ7JH, has a good page for general information on the various programs for using VOIP and some information on setting up audio/microphone.

Need a program to save all you audio settings for the each of the different programs that you run, for example SSTV, EchoLink, PSK31, etc, then check out QuickMix.

APRS (Automatic Position Reporting System)

The APRS system makes use of the internet to pass positions/messages of those operating APRS as well as the radio spectrum. APRS servers at set up which are connected to each other through the Internet, which then passes information from RF to Internet back to RF. Anyone with an Internet connection can see where those using APRS are, check weather at APRS stations, and if an Amateur, with restrictions can send/receive messages. APRS can also be used as a moving map navigation tool. APRS uses Radio, TNC, GPS and a computer together. Some APRS stations also transmit their weather conditions automatically if connected to a weather station. Trackers such as Tiny Track use a radio, interface and GPS to transmit a location, without having to use a full TNC and computer. Trackers do not receive anyone else's APRS info. There are various APRS programs out there. SWLs can use a scanner and TNC to reieve over the air APRS data in receive only mode.

Click here for more information on APRS.

IRLP (Internet Radio Linking Project)

The IRLP system designed by Dave, VE7LTD, has spread rapidly over the last couple of years. IRLP allows anyone with a handheld, base, or mobile to communicate through a local simplex link or repeater to other repeaters/simplex links throughout the world. It works the same as autopatch, in that you dial in a access number for the distant link and the two ends are connected.

With IRLP though, anyone at either end of the link can join the conversation. There are also Reflectors where many simplex links/repeaters can be on at the same time creating a world wide round table.

IRLP uses a radio linked to a computer using Linux, which is then connected to the Internet to pass the DTMF access tones and voice transmissions. This system is strictly RF to RF communications with the computers and Internet transparent to the user.

There are IRLP Nodes in Canada, USA including Alaska and Hawaii), Austrailia, New Zealand, Antartica, England, Scotland, Sweden, Netherlands, South Africa, India Japan, the Carriabean,with others coming online.

Click here for more information on IRLP.

EchoLink

EchoLink is software which allows Amateur Radio stations to communicate with one another over the Internet, using voice-over-IP (VOIP) technology. The program allows worldwide connections to be made between stations, from computer to station, or from computer to computer.

Kingston has an EchoLink simplex node run by Tom, VE3UDO

Click here for more information on EchoLink.

iLink

iLink homepage
Connected Users http://ilink1.co.uk/update.htm
VK2JTP's helpful site http://www.qsl.net/vk2jtp
      with audio setup page http://www.qsl.net/vk2jtp/audio.htm
      and participating on-air stations http://www.qsl.net/vk2jtp/ilink_gateways.htm

Yahoo Groups iLink email list and messages

eQSO by M0ZPD

eQSO is a complete dedicated ham radio internet gateway and server system. It is intended for use by RF gateways and PC users connected to the internet.

Homepage and downloads : http://www.eqso.net
Support Page : http://www.eqso.org

HamLink

Homepage : http://www.hamlink.com
Take one microphone, one set of speakers or headphones and leave to simmer whilst enjoying a red wine and a QSO with a suite of VoIP amateur radio software.

VA3TO interface boards - http://www.ilinkca.com

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AMATEUR MODES OF OPERATION RADIO OVER THE INTERNET (V.O.I.P)

AMATEUR MODES OF OPERATION
RADIO OVER THE INTERNET
(V.O.I.P)