Is it only my impression that Hamshack Hotline VOIP SIP telephony for HAMs along with its support is dead?
Is Hamshack Hotline Dead?
- Thread starter yahya
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I had it set up for a few months but the IP Phone I had was buggy and eventually died. I really saw no use for Hamshack hotline. It was pretty dead most of the time. I prefer my radios. I tried to notify them to cancel my phone but couldnt get thru.
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
It makes about as much sense as ham talkgroups on Zello or GMRS style ham operation. These factions just serve to increase "hamlessness" on the actual ham bands.
Yeah thats true. They were giving away free old IP phones at my radio club last year. I grabbed one and set it up for Hamshack Hotline.....it was a cool novelty at first but I really didnt see any real useful purpose. I already have 2 DMR radios and I felt like I was simply talking on a phone...very un ham-like! Plus having to press buttons to TX and RX was cumbersome. I prefer my real radios!
It does sound fairly pointless. I prefer to communicate over the air using real radios also, not a phone.
I played around with HSH a while back and my main issue was what happens in the event of an emergency in the house and somebody picks up the VOIP phone to call 911? The phone I used had the capacity to run more then one provider so I had another set as the default that did have 911 service but could never get both to play nice. Think it had to do with the set in cement SIP port 5060 causing conflicts.
I disable HSH and now just have the phone set to use VOIP.ms. Makes for a nice backup to the cell phone and I like having a second number to give out and keep my cell phone personal.
I disable HSH and now just have the phone set to use VOIP.ms. Makes for a nice backup to the cell phone and I like having a second number to give out and keep my cell phone personal.
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I don't know what that URL said when you originally posted it, but it now says that they are shutting down as of August 29.Is it only my impression that Hamshack Hotline VOIP SIP telephony for HAMs along with its support is dead?
They should have posted that information about shutting down this August a long time ago instead of keeping the community in disdain for more than half of a year.
Anyway, I feel, contrary to opinions posted above, that such a dedicated VOIP SIP service for HAMs was very useful.
Anyway, I feel, contrary to opinions posted above, that such a dedicated VOIP SIP service for HAMs was very useful.
This has directly replaced my Hamshack Hotline and moving over was simple -
Hams Over IP
Hams Over IP
That announcement seems pretty conclusive to me….Is it only my impression that Hamshack Hotline VOIP SIP telephony for HAMs along with its support is dead?
For what? Serious question. What does it offer that isn't covered by another service/method? I'm trying to picture a situation where I'd use it.
The very concept of a license radio operator using something other than radio (like the internet) to simulate radio is bizarre to me. What's the point?
MTS2000des
5B2_BEE00 Czar
The same question I have for the GMRS 8 channel army hams. The same folks complain "2 meters and 440 are dead" but instead choose to occupy GMRS with "ham style" nets and QSOs.
You get it wrong. VOIP SIP telephony for HAMs is not a substitute for a radio. It's a useful and free of charge worldwide service for arranging skeds in one's busy schedule, collaborating remotely eg. with software and/or hardware setups, or asking people whom you would never reach through your radio due to distance questions related to the hobby, or simply supporting them. It's a fast and easy to use service, which can be run on hardware and software VOIP SIP phones.
So why not just use any of the other dozens of VOIP software out there, and just contact other hams like that?
If you already know the VOIP software that the other party uses, and you have that person in your contact list, feel free to use the other options.
However, the Hams over IP service that @popnokick recommended has a searchable public directory of HAMs and their numbers within that network. If I understood correctly, it even allows calls from a DMR radio to the numbers within that network. Allstar linking is possible as well as calls to/from the AmateurWire, Global World, Hams Over IP Canada, HMASN/AREDN, or NZSIP VOIP Networks among others. Awesome!
From Hams Over IP:
Show me 'any of the other dozens of VOIP software out there' with such HAM-friendly features, which services are provided free of charge.
But who needs any of that? Get on the radio and actually talk to people using amateur radio. My buddy forced me to try this out when it first came out. I literally had to hook up a VOIP phone to talk to him, when he could text, call my cell phone, etc. When it came to the club who also tried using this nonsense, we just set up Zoom.
If people spent as much time actually talking on the radio as they do using IP phones, the bands wouldn't be nearly as dead as they are. Just a thought...
I think we've established that Hamshack Hotline is dead and that some found it useful. Aside from that, I don't think this thread serves any future purpose.
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