Posted: 5/10/2008 6:20:57 AM EDT
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anyone using this. i d/l the software and registered my call sign last night. it's pretty cool and a cheap and easy <free> way for us noobs on a tight budget to talk to other parts of the world. |
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Echolink is a lot of fun. Some people say, "That's not ham radio" since it is possible for everyone involved to be on the internet with no RF being generated. They do have a point, however I still think it is fun. I don't spend a lot of time on Echolink, but when I do I am usually on the air at the other end. I mainly use it to get on a repeater in the area where I grew up. I get on the Wheeling WV repeater from my home in Las Vegas and do things like talk to everyone there as they are going to work. Just like I never left. We have a local repeater that has IRLP which I have used a lot more than I have Echolink. IRLP is similar to Echolink only all parties to the conversation must be on a radio: you can't talk from your computer. I frequently talk to people from all over the world while driving to and from work on that machine. |
I've had far greater success with IRLP and RF than Echolink and RF. There aren't any local Echolink nodes in town and when I travel I don't believe I've ever had success connecting to one. With IRLP on the other hand, I can hit the node across the border in GA and I've had good success hitting nodes on the road. My brother and I used it when he was in South Africa. He talked from S. Africa to FL on his HT. 
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You don't get practice by missing them.  Maybe next time. However, "net" is a pretty loose term here. You need to get involved with local VHF nets to really get the hang of true net operation. See if you have a simplex net in your area. That's a good way to find out who you can hear and who you can talk to without the luxury of a repeater. |
The only local net that I know of that actually happens is a swap-and-shop. Not exactly something to just join. |