For licensed Radio ‘hams', EchoLink^® software opens up new possibilities for communicating around the world with other Radio Amateurs.  Your PC links you or your local repeater to any of thousands of other stations over the Internet. There are now in 2010 EchoLink^® applications for iPhone and Android mobile telephone users to connect to other Radio Amateurs worldwide, my own node number is 3116 for G0ISW.

There are several different ways you can use the EchoLink software. You can set up a "simplex link" in your shack, with a VHF or UHF transceiver connected to your PC, to allow anyone in range of your station to communicate by voice with any other EchoLink station around the world in over 150 different Countries.

Or, you can use the PC's microphone and speakers and remotely connect to any of more than 2,000 different Amateur Radio repeaters.

 

I have previously held 2 Notices of Variation (NoV) to my amateur radio licence which then permitted me to operate an unattended internet/radio link on 145.337.5 MHz FM from Penrith, NW England, IO84OQ using the callsign MB7ISW. (Note in 2010 this callsign is now apparently in use by another Radio Amateur and in a different location)

I used a ULI board together with EchoLink software, my Yaesu FT-8800 transceiver and a Colinear aerial at 10m agl, 150m asl, output 10 watts. Not only is it possible to connect via my link to other VHF/UHF repeaters/links around the World, but it is also possible to connect to and use HF stations in the USA.

I used CW Player 3.0.2 software to generate the CW ID needed by EchoLink and use my computers 'Sound recorder' to save the output as the necessary id.wav file. I also use Neospeech 'Kate' or 'Paul' Text to Speech voices for the node information and other audio files.  For additional features I use EchoTime TTS Plus with EchoLink. The router is a wireless D-Link DSL 604+ with a Belkin 54g wireless card in the laptop computer in my radio shack, running under Windows XP home edition.

N.B. As of 12th February 2006, I have decided that I can no longer maintain the MB7ISW internet link from 0800-2000hrs daily due to suffering from self induced QRM, which prevents me from operating my normal weak signal VHF work on 144MHz SSB at the same time as the link is active. Also I cannot use my soundcard for my other major interest of psk31 on HF. There are now 2 other local EchoLink enabled stations in my area, so it is unlikely that MB7ISW will be operational again.

 

  Old MB7ISW Internet Gateway until 2006

 

For a printable Microsoft Word document showing the MB7ISW command list and

radio users DTMF short codes, please right click the red button below and select 'Save Target as'.

Command	Description of Command or Function	DTMF
Connect	Connects to an Amateur Radio station on the Internet, based on its node number.  Simply enter its 4, 5 or 6 digit number.	number
Random Node	Selects any available node at random, and tries to connect to it.	00
Random Link	Selects an available link or repeater (-L or -R) at random, and tries to connect to it.	01
Random Conference	Selects a conference server at random, and tries to connect to it.	02
Disconnect	Disconnects the station that is currently connected, clears down the Gateway.  Please disconnect after you finish.	#
Play Info	Plays a brief ID or Station Callsign message.	*
Status	Announce Callsigns of each station currently connected.	08
RSGB News	RSGB News Bulletin	*60*
WWV report	Latest WWV solar conditions report	*99*
Current local weather	Current local weather	99*
Random favourite node	Select a random favourite node of MB7ISW. This is good if you can't remember any other numbers 'Commander Bond'!	007
Weather forecast	Weather forecast	44*
Information	Information file, commands etc.	88*
EchoLink Test Server	Check your transmitted audio	9999

These DTMF Commands are subject to change as new functions are added.

 

The table below shows 2 digit short code DTMF commands, which were unique to MB7ISW and for use by Radio access locally to the link. Due to the constant changes in EchoLink with nodes being active, or not, it will not be possible for this listing to be guaranteed and may differ from that shown. The long codes for nodes never change and are available here . This table was last updated on Saturday 14th January 2006.