KD5QHJ - Home

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What you will find on this page:
     - Link Status & News
     - Information about the KD5QHJ Echolink system
     - How to use this Echolink system by Radio
     - Background on Echolink
     - Contact KD5QHJ

Link status & news

KD5QHJ-L Albuquerque simplex Echolink system near the Big-I (7-21-07)
Today, the Echolink system is operating as a simplex link, and is now ready for amateur radio use. Please give us a signal report from your location. Any information you'll need to operate the repeater can be found here: Echolink on KD5QHJ-L and How to use this Echolink system by Radio.

Frequency:	146.500 (simplex)
Tone:	100.0 Hz
Power Output:	10W (will increase in the future)
Echolink Node:	29259 (KD5QHJ-L)
Status:	UNOPERATIONAL (Equipment Failure 12-6-07)
Elevation:	5165 ft

KD5QHJ Echolink System

Echolink in Albuquerque, New Mexico
Local hams are invited to monitor and operate the link. You can initiate a variety of links around the world with your radio, or use the system for normal, non-echolink operation . The echolink system here will give the world of operators a gateway to our community. Read more below on the DTMF command codes, and coverage area. Read more on "How to use this Echolink system with your radio" (below). Also, see a conceptual illustration of how the echolink system works here.

EchoTime software: NEW (8-11-07)
EchoTime is an Echolink add-on written by KH2D and is now running on the KD5QHJ link. It gives additional functionality to the system by allowing users to request current weather conditions and weather forecast for the Albuquerque area. The software works with Microsoft Text-to-Speech so announcements and weather are spoken over the link. See the DTMF codes below to use these functions.

DTMF Codes

Connect To...	(node # of station)
Disconnect	#
Link Status	08
Random Link	01
Help/Command List	**
Time	00*

Weather Current	99* (current ABQ WX)
Weather Forecast	44*
Weather Alerts	4499*

Please identify your station when sending tones

Coverage Area
***See coverage maps below***

-Albuquerque
-Belen ?
-Los Lunas ?
-Rio Rancho ?

- I-25
- I-40

How to check if you are in the coverage area:
Press "08" on your DTMF keypad to prompt the station to identify the stations currently connected, this will confirm if you are in operating range, and give you a list of the currently connected stations (please ID).

Echolink system coverage area & radio equipment NEW (7-27-07)
These images were generated with Radio Mobile software (free).

KD5QHJ-L coverage maps: Click images to enlarge.	15km	50km	100km
Equipment:
	Old IC-2100H, Replaced by Alinco 605	Duron 1.4Ghz Win2k Server.	2.4Hgz & 2m Antenna (Belen site)

KD5QHJ-L radio path :
	Radio path from KD5QHJ-L to Sandia Crest	Radio path from KD5QHJ-L to Downtown ABQ

Panoramic view from Albuquerque (link) antenna site
Larger image (6174x600) - Quicktime VR 360

How to use this Echolink system by Radio

Topics discussed below:
-Check Link Status
-Making a Random Link
-Connecting to a Specific Station
-Tips

Check Link Status
Before you initiate a link using your radio, first identify your station, and ask if the frequency is in use. If it is not in use, press "08" on your DTMF keypad to see if the KD5QHJ system is currently connected to any stations. After 08 is pressed, the KD5QHJ station will transmit the status of the link. If it is connected to any other stations, it will identify the call signs of the connected stations. If it is not connected, it will identify that it is "disconnected." It is common for our system to have one or more connected stations.

Press "08": Identifies the connection status of the link.

Making a Random Link
One of the easiest ways to operate Echolink is to initiate a "Random Link." To initiate a random link, first ask if the frequency is in use. If it is not in use, transmit "01" using your DTMF keypad. This will connect the KD5QHJ station to a random repeater or simplex station using echolink. After 01 is pressed, the KD5QHJ station will transmit the callsign of the station it is connecting to. The result is two or more repeaters (or simplex stations) linked together. When connected, listen for a few seconds and then call CQ. After your contact is complete, or if you received no response to your call, press "#" on your DTMF keypad; this will disconnect the station and the KD5QHJ station will identify that it is disconnected. You are sure to make some interesting contacts this way. Please disconnect any station you link-up by pressing "#" once after your QSO is finished.

Press "01": Initiates a link with a random repeater or simplex station.
Press "#": Disconnects link.

Connecting to a Specific Station
Simply transmit the node number of the station you wish to connect to using your DTMF keypad. When the node number is transmitted, the KD5QHJ station will announce the callsign of the station you are linking-up, and attempt to connect to that station. When the KD5QHJ station announces that it's "connected", listen for a few seconds and call CQ. Here is a list of the currently connected stations. Please disconnect the station(s) you link-up by pressing "#" once after your QSO is finished.

Press "<stations node number>": Initiates a link with the station assigned to that node number. (Available node numbers)
Press "#": Disconnects link.

Tips for Operating with a Radio
1.) In order for echolink to work properly, you must wait for all Echolink stations to stop transmitting before you begin transmitting.
2.) When initiating a connection, the KD5QHJ station will announce "connected" when it has made a stable link with another station. The link has not been fully established until the KD5QHJ station announces that it is "connected." It sometimes takes a few seconds for this to happen.
3.) Using the same frequency as our echolink station, for normal operation, does not disrupt the echolink portion of the link. The only difference is that individuals connected to our link, via the internet, can listen to the activity on our repeater, and they may respond if they desire.

For more information on Echolink, or Echolink troubleshooting, visit the Echolink home page.

Background on Echolink

About Echolink
Echolink is software that allows amateur radio operators to link repeaters or simplex stations together using the internet. Hams can talk repeater to repeater, computer to repeater, or computer to computer. Hams have the ability to enable or disable links using the DTMF tones on their radio giving them the ability to contact stations all over the world with a 2 meter radio. The result is much like that of the Mega-Link system here in New Mexico.

Common Echolink Uses
Not only is it fun to practice making contacts with stations around the world with your VHF handheld, mobile rig, or base station, but users have demonstrated that echolink can be an asset to amateur radio. For example, individuals often seek information about particular echolink systems before traveling so they may stay in contact with family. The band conditions are always optimal with echolink, and propagation changes are not an issue. All considering the internet is working :). Email me if you have had an experience that demonstrated the software's usefulness and I can post it here.

More about Echolink:
See the Echolink homepage for more information.

Contact KD5QHJ

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