What is you Echolink Simplex Frequency?

On which simplex frequency do you operate your Echolink Node?

Not on Echolink, but I do a lot of driving and use the simplex frequencies between vehicles. I've had a quite a few Echolink users/owners get upset because we were on "their" frequency as we passed through the area.

I wish the ARRL/Repeater Coordinators, whoever, would get their act together and come up with a workable band plan that reflected technology from this millennium. . If they are going to take on simplex frequencies for internet linking, then pick a slice of spectrum and make it happen.

Had one locally that seemed to get it's frequency changed every few days. Not sure if they were trying to avoid interference, or doing their best to piss off the widest number of people in the area.

My advice is:

Check if your regional frequency coordinator has a band plan for RoIP node use. They probably don't but ask anyway.

Don't use the national simplex channels (52.525, 146.52, 223.5, 446.0).

If your area has lots of traffic on commonly used simplex channels just above and below the national/calling channels like 146.46-146.58 or 446.0-446.1 then don't use those.

Don't use the weak signal subbands.

Don't use the satellite subbands.

Don't use repeater inputs.

If the frequency coordinator or regional band plan has subbands for crossband repeat then avoid those.

If the frequency coordinator or regional band plan has subbands for point-to-point links then avoid those unless you know there are none anywhere near you.

Make sure your node has PL or DCS on receive.

Don't use the same PL/DCS as any repeaters in your area.

I picked a frequency between 438-440 MHz becuase it's outside of the satellite and weak signal areas and in a range where Part 97 allows both repeater and auxiliary operation. I listened/recorded for a couple weeks to make sure the frequency was vacant first and I know there are no point-to-point links, ATV or anything else there.

You can look on the EchoLink, IRLP and Allstar web sites and find what frequencies the nodes in your area are using. That might help you to pick or avoid frequencies.

mmckenna said:

Not on Echolink, but I do a lot of driving and use the simplex frequencies between vehicles. I've had a quite a few Echolink users/owners get upset because we were on "their" frequency as we passed through the area.

I wish the ARRL/Repeater Coordinators, whoever, would get their act together and come up with a workable band plan that reflected technology from this millennium. . If they are going to take on simplex frequencies for internet linking, then pick a slice of spectrum and make it happen.

Had one locally that seemed to get it's frequency changed every few days. Not sure if they were trying to avoid interference, or doing their best to piss off the widest number of people in the area.

Click to expand...

Agree 100%.....

I have mine parked on 145.520......

Also agree with mmckenna. Some of those operators are acting like cbers when they call claim to a frequency. ARRL and coordinators, getting the message?!

Slightly more annoying…
Here in California, the agreed upon simplex channel spacing (according to the ARRL repeater guide) is 15KHz. An Echolink node in an area I pass through frequently has decided to ignore that and use a 20KHz step. The owner comes on the air and told us we were all "off frequency" and "low deviation". The guy carried on for some time and never seemed to figure it out.

Is there a web page online that lists them and allows one to monitor them for activity?

For EchoLink you can look for -L and -R (link and repeater) nodes at EchoLink Link Status.
This only works if the sysop set the location and configured other information properly. It doesn't show all nodes.

Only a few EchoLink nodes have online feeds. This something the owners do and not a part of EchoLink. As far as I know there is no web site that lists all of them.

nd5y said:

For EchoLink you can look for -L and -R (link and repeater) nodes at EchoLink Link Status.
This only works if the sysop set the location and configured other information properly. It doesn't show all nodes.

Only a few EchoLink nodes have online feeds. This something the owners do and not a part of EchoLink. As far as I know there is no web site that lists all of them.

Click to expand...

Interesting. It would be very helpful if hams could see where activity was taking place, or perhaps even monitor the Echolink QSOs online!

nd5y said:

For EchoLink you can look for -L and -R (link and repeater) nodes at EchoLink Link Status.
This only works if the sysop set the location and configured other information properly. It doesn't show all nodes.

Only a few EchoLink nodes have online feeds. This something the owners do and not a part of EchoLink. As far as I know there is no web site that lists all of them.

Click to expand...

You can also at the top of the page type in the city and state where you live and it will show all the connected Links and Repeaters.....

Good Conversation and valid points. I am familiar with Echolink and have operated a simplex node for a while. I recently moved the location of my Echolink Station to provide better coverage into the town and area that I live in. Since then I have been informed that I am transmitting a much further distance than I am trying to cover with my Station. Looking at changing a few things including decreasing my Transmit Power as well as possibly a lower or unity gain antenna with greater horizontal beam width. I may end up having to find a new/different frequency to use.

Why was this thread moved? Echolink is not "digital voice".

DaveNF2G said:

Why was this thread moved? Echolink is not "digital voice".

Click to expand...

It is VoIP related......

The description of this forum is: "Digital Voice for Amateur Use - Discuss use of digital voice technologies on the amateur radio bands. This is to include technologies such as VoIP, P25, DMR/TRBO, NXDN, D-STAR, etc." This forum is not limited to systems that use digitized voice over the air.