Yes, but it looks like the echolink website has an extensive FAQ so nevermind.
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I'm up on echolink, got it all installed a while back (again). One thing to note, you'll not get on echolink if you're not licensed. Won't happen. They have to verify the license to grant access.
I couldn't even get on with my license, their verification process didn't have the proper data in the database, since I've been unlisted for 30 years. (phones/addresses) blah blah.
One echolink locally that I've used:
W0TX-R Denver, CO Node: 4140 Denver Radio Club
Nothing really hard to install it. Download it, follow the instructions to authenticate your callsign, and sign in. The hardest part was getting my router configured for proper port forwarding. Programming ham radios is harder than using this program, honestly. There is a tool in a drop down menu to have it run a test to make sure you don't have connection issues. That's where I found out I had a port forwarding issue. From there its a little trial and error of playing with it.
Just this morning got the echolink port forwarding worked out. The key is setting up your PC Lan connection for a fixed IP address (instead of assigned automatically), and configuring your router to forward certain UDP ports to your fixed address. Wasn't working yesterday, but the problem turned out to be a typo when inputting the fixed IP address into the router configuration - the verification test passes now with no problems. Will try to set it up tonite to connect to W0TX as Kelly mentioned.
BTW, the configuration instructions are very clear and provide screen shots of what you should see.
ok, up and running again. Not sure what happened to my port forwarding in the router... ??
I'm in the process of Echolink validating my call sign tonite, so I won't be able to do anything until (probably) tomorrow or later.
It isn't clear to me if a radio is even required? That is, it seems like a node could just have an internet-connected PC containing a sound card and a headset plugged into the sound card rcv/xmit. Is this right?
If a radio needs to be connected to a PC (through a TNC??) in order for Echolink to work, I guess I'll need to save up for a TNC (planning on this, anyway).
Echolink can work in one of two ways. Either it can work with the PC as your node, and you use a mic and speaker setup so that you talk into the mic and your PC sends your voice to echolink directly, or you can use a radio linked to your PC. Doing it that way allows you in some cases to use the radio as the node. I set my radio for a frequency and link it to my PC, and others can transmit on that frequency and it will send those transmissions to echolink. Kenwoods that support echolink can do that. Because of how the kenwoods link to the PC, it also makes them great for digital transmissions.