Q: What is this linking stuff all about. I'm hearing overseas callsigns on my repeater and I have no idea how this is happening

A: Internet Repeater Linking has been a project that has started many years ago and it is simply that, connecting your local repeater to the internet via a software package. The stations linking the repeaters are generally referred to as "Linking stations" or "Voice Gateways".

Q: Is this stuff legal ?? Will I loose my licence over this ?

A: Well the 1st part certainly is, you must be licenced to use the frequency into your local repeater !! A great deal of work is being carried out between HAMS and their local Regulating bodies to determine the legalities and to date, where authorities have been approached, this linking methodology has been well received. Check with local HAMS or your regulating body to get a better understanding of the local legalities

Q: OK, so now I know you’re using the internet, how do I use the system. I'm sitting here with my radio tuned to the repeater and I'm hearing weird idents and other crackles and pops. This is all confusing.

A: What you’re hearing are idents and repeaters keying up generally due to the limitations of the current systems. Most stations that provide linking, use VOX units to control the PTT so you may hear noises and some extended keying of repeaters. The best way to get involved is to key up. If no one is talking and you still hear repeaters keying up, press your PTT and this will then take command of the "Conference Room" and you can then speak.

Q: Ok, so I've put out a CQ and someone has returned to me, when should I reply.

A: For each repeater this is different. Generally when you hear the "go ahead" tone from your repeater ie: this maybe a beep or just a drop in repeater carrier. You can key up straight away. To ensure all the VOX units have been keyed up, do a quick callsign exchange at the start of your over and this will ensure the "meaningful parts" of your over aren't lost.

Q: OK, so I'm talking but other stations are complaining about poor audio and they say I'm getting packet loss. Whats going on ??

A: One of the most important parts of chatting on a linked system, particularly when using VOX units, if you leave large gaps in your speech, the VOX units at the remote end will unkey and you may get repeaters in the conference room ident over you.

This is also very noticeable when the incoming station on RF has low deviation or poor signal into the repeater. The VOX units will drop out and this is where confusion starts. So speak in a normal voice and try not to leave large gaps in your transmission.

Q: Ok, you've explained dropouts, but what’s this packet loss.

A: Glad you asked, I was getting to that ! As you know (assumption here), internet link speeds vary wildly so sometimes when there is congestion on the internet, some of the packets can become lost. The packets used by our programs are called "UDP" which in laymans terms means, fire the packet and forget. So once we have fired the packet away, we really have no idea if it hit the remote end. This is why it is important for linking stations to have reasonably uncongested links to the internet. If the link is congested, some of the packets may become lost. The link conditions may vary , depending on the time of day etc.

Q: So this chatting across the internet, who's paying for this service ?

A: Its generally the linking station that is footing the costs for the equipment and the internet connection. As with most projects in Hamradio, it’s up to the individuals to make a difference so its a HUGE thankyou to people spending their own time and money on this project.

Q: Hmm, if my local repeater is linked to the internet, can ANYONE just connect to it ?? I mean, do you have to be a HAM to use this system.

A: It is mandatory for you to be a HAMRADIO operator to use this system. It is the Link Operator’s responsibility to be diligent in monitoring traffic on his/her link. There are some tools to lock the use of these chat rooms but this has not been implemented, due to the increased costs in licencing 3rd party software. Remember, it’s the linking station paying for the fees so generally its the "armstrong method" used to regulate traffic.

Q: I'm starting to use the system more and more but I'm getting annoyed by the continuous repeater keying. What’s going on.

A: At times, repeaters do go into a "loop" which means 2 or more repeater’s tails cause the VOX unit on the other one to keyup. This issue is being addressed by each repeater linking station. At times, you may find the repeater linking station drop the link until it has quietened down or he/she will advise the stations that the link is "bouncing". This should become less of an issue once techniques like CTCSS are installed on link repeaters.

Q: I'm wanting to use the linked repeaters but I have no idea when they are available.

A: Well this is generally set between the club owning the repeater and the linking station. Because the link requires monitoring, you should consult with the linking station or the club owning the repeater. We are endeavouring to make the links more predictable so you can start to plan your usage of the links.

Q: I sometimes hear stations saying they can see other stations in the conference and call them by name but I never heard them say anything yet.

A: The Linking Station generally runs a web browser that tells him/her what link stations are in the conference. Due to the nature of the internet, individual users can also join the conference and therefore can use their PC to speak with you, negating the need for them to have an RF link. This is strictly monitored by linking stations to ensure unlicenced operators do not control the conference. If the station is a pirate, this would be the same for HF, we have limited means to check the validity of their callsign, particularly if they are masquerading as a licenced station.

Q: You just said, I don't need an RF connection, I can speak via the internet... WOW, how do I do this ?

A: You will need an internet link, preferable 33.6K and above, Pentium 100 or greater, sound card, headset and I-Phone software.

Q: My machine isn’t as fast as a Pentium 100. Will it still work

A: We have had reports of Pentium 75 systems not being able to run i-phone and the audio broken up. Obviously the faster the machine, the better the audio will perform.

Q: I hate Windows, can I run Linux ??

A: To date, there is no Linux application that can interface with I--Phone. If you are aware of one, please let the FAQ author know. If you run Linux, you maybe successful in running I-Phone in WIN4LIN or VMWARE. All feedback would be appreciated.

Q: You mentioned a Headset, why can’t I just use my speakers and a microphone

A: One of the problems most people face is that they get feedback between the speaker and microphone which can cause your system to go into a never ending loop. This becomes particularly annoying to stations in the conference when the audio continually echo's. As there are many mobile stations linked via a link station, the audio can cause people to leave the conference room.

Q: Should I really spend the money on a headset even though the speakers and microphone are far apart.

A: Again, it’s a matter of personal preference and you do what’s best for your station. Stations using headsets are continually praised for their exceptional audio so its up to you what you use.

You can minimise the audio feedback problem using speakers by making sure the microphone slider in the sound card playback properties is muted (ticked). Make sure of course, the microphone is enabled in the soundcard record properties.

Q: Where do I get the I-Phone software from and what version should I use.

A: Obtain Vocaltec I-Phone 4.5 from http://oraweb.vocaltec.com/download/owa/downloaders.get_info

Version 4.5 has proven to be the most stable on a variety of platforms. There are later versions available but they have been found to cause lockups and inconsistent operation.

Q: I'm running WIN2k. Will it work for me

A: Yes, version 4.5 happily works under WIN2k

Q: I'm trying to install I-Phone but I keep getting an error

A: To-date there is no single point where errors and fixes have been collected. As there are gazillions of different soundcards out there, it would be almost impossible to detail issues with each card. If you are experiencing problems, good chance it will be a driver issue related to your card. Make sure the latest drivers are installed for your card. Vocaltec no longer provide support for I-Phone so going to them isn’t going to help. There is a growing resource available via http://www.egroups.com/group/repeaterlink. This is a "loose" collection of people that may know the answer to your problem so don’t give up ! Drop into the group and ask for help, you may get the answer you want.

Q: Hmm, I've installed I-Phone and it wants a licence key.

A: The program should come with a 30 day evaluation licence. It will be your responsibility to obtain a more "permanent" key.

Q: OK, its installed, can’t I forget about the audio testing and get straight into a conference ?

A: This is the quickest way to blow out eardrums on linked stations !! This is where you should spend the most of your time. A station that has nice audio and is adjusted well, is generally a pleasure to talk to. Remember, this is not HF so you don’t need maximum voice compression or DSP, it should be just like talking on the phone. When testing your microphone, get it to JUST and I do mean JUST touch the red. Having your audio continually in the red is going to drive others crazy and they will be quick to let you know !! Remember, this should be an "armchair" copy, not blood, sweat and tears.

Q: What do I enter in the User information. Can I use a "Handle" here or do I have to give my name

A: One very important point here is identification. PLEASE make sure that you put your callsign in the Nickname Field and your first name and in the Fullname Field. We need to make sure your a licenced HAM and its polite to let people know who you are !

This is one quick way for linking stations to identify you. If you don’t, I guarantee you will be asked to change it on the next over.

Q: I've installed I-Phone and its setup so where do I connect ?

The connections are generally driven by a JAVA applet that is run in your web-browser. Make sure you have the latest version of Netscape/Explorer/Opera etc installed. The URL's that are best known to me are

http://iphone.ipfox.com

http://www.qsl.net/bmarc/I-phone%20conference%20page.htm

Each page has a selection of Java windows. The conference area has a callsign ontop which generally signifies its owner.

To join the conference, just click on the link above the window which should then launch i-phone and join the conference.

Q: Each of the windows says "cannot connect to server"

A: This generally means the grok.vocaltec.server is not allowing connections for unknown reasons. Vocaltec carry out maintenance and reboot their servers at varying periods with no notice. If you get this error, wait another 5 minutes and refresh your browser. This may continue for up to 30 mins so don’t panic. When the server is functioning and you click on the hyperlink, you will noticed I-Phone call the server and then connect.

Q: Ok, I've connected to the room and I'm calling CQ and I hear nothing

A: The conference room is no more than a reflector which means that you throw data into it and the data is reflected to each of the users in the room. If there are no other stations in the room, you will be talking to yourself. So be patient, if you are connected in the room and no one else is there, stations will see you there, connect and talk to you.

Q: I'm watching the JAVA applets and I see a dark blue bar across the station’s information. What does this mean ?

A: The station that is highlighted has "commanded" the conference room. You will notice this via I-Phone as the status will show that XXXXXX is Talking. If your callsign is highlighted and you’re not talking, you need to check your audio levels as your internal vox unit is tripping. Please make sure that you either mute your microphone or turn your mic audio level down when not talking. In many instances, stations have mistakenly tripped the internal vox units and have locked conference rooms by accident. If you find the conference room empty quickly and you’re the last one left, good chance is that you are causing a problem in the room.

Q: I'm watching the browser so when can I talk?

A: When there is no dark blue bar through any station’s callsign. Speak clearly into your microphone and you should see your callsign become highlighted. Also, monitor your audio levels to ensure you’re not overdriving OR continually dropping out of "commanding the conference". Having low audio is as much a problem as high audio. If you pause or have low audio, you may notice a remote link "command" the conference and generally send out an ident. It takes time to get your levels right so please take advice from other stations on the link.

Q: Do I need to leave a break between overs, can’t I just wait for the message "no one is talking" to appear and then speak ?

A: As the system is controlled by VOX units, it is imperative that you leave a break between overs. This allows for remote VOX's to unkey and remote stations to call in. As some repeaters have a TX-Timeout timer, you can easily time them out which causes grief on the network. It is polite to leave a break between overs to give everyone a chance to break in. Depending on which repeaters are in the conference, you may choose to wait for a remote repeater to ident to ensure anyone that wants to break in, can.

Q: How do I know how my Audio link is performing ?? Can I check its status ?

A: Enable the statistics option to view the incoming/outgoing audio status. There are indicators that show the amount of packet loss you are experiencing on your incoming and outgoing link. One VERY important note, if you are on a dialup internet connection, its best if you stop "surfing" or carrying out other functions that need internet connectivity. Downloading web pages and using the VOIP package WILL cause your audio to break up. Packages such as Telnet, ICQ, IRC etc cause little additional traffic so they are ok.

Remember in the statistics window, you are viewing YOUR connection to the Vocaltec server in the United States. Sometimes you will see a little blue bar in amongst the green graph when listening to a remote station. The Blue Bars indicate packet loss the remote station is experiencing.

Q: Is there some sort of Protocol I should follow when I'm talking

A: You need to remember that when repeaters are linked, they are heard by many stations. It is polite to "pass around" the conversation and give access to as many stations that wish to chat. If you wish to have an extended chat to an individual station, you can hookup to them directly using a separate private chat room if they are also an i-phone user

Q: Are there any other ways to find other I-Phone linked repeaters ?

A: Yes, there are numerous private rooms that you can join using I-Phone. In the xxx area, you can join

Hamradio, Ham-radio, Ham Radio, Repeaterlink, Repeater Link, WWWRepeaterlink. You will soon become familiar with what private rooms have activity.

Q: I'm using I-Phone and I've got people harassing me, sending me Video that would make a grown man cringe.

A: Welcome to the internet where it is hard to hide. To make yourself "invisible" to other I-Phone users, do not join xxxxx when starting I-Phone. Also delete the general chat rooms that by default come up when you first install the program.

Q: I want to startup a linked repeater, how do I go about this ?

A: Before you invest, you need to consider how you are going to monitor the link, will you be available to shut it down in case of problems, will you be away from it for extended periods ?? If you feel you can invest the time required to provide a stable link with little packet loss, the network would certainly benefit from your involvement.

Q: How do I interface the radio to the soundcard ?

A: There are many ways to do this and its individual choice. Its best to select something that can vary the audio levels as required, such as a 2 channel stereo mixer set in stereo mode (not mono). Remember, you will need to mix the incoming audio from the soundcard with your microphone to tx out to your link radio. Also you will need to mix the speaker output of your radio with another microphone and feed this into the mic input of the soundcard. This is very simplistic and you may wish to add speakers so you can monitor traffic going both ways. To key the radio, the simplest solution is to install a vox unit which is fed from the soundcard output. This is the weakest component of the link so there will be a lot of fine tuning required.

Q: My local repeater causes "Thuds" and "Idents" to be fed into the conference room which trips other repeaters. What can I do as this causes looping

A: I'm sure there are audio experts out there that can shape the audio etc to limit these noises. One simple, well relatively simple solution is to install CTCSS. The repeater will require CTCSS to be installed on the repeater output and controlled via the receiver radio on the repeater. The tone will only be present when the repeater receiver receives a carrier. Once carrier is dropped, there will be no tone. You will then need to install a CTCSS decoder card on the link radio. You will now notice that all idents and other noises are muted out and your only passing voice received on the repeater input. When a repeater in the conference trips, it will still cause your own link radio to tx, causing your local repeater to trip but this will not feedback into the conference.

If this is too much trouble and you still wish to run a link, you will have to mute your radio output manually to stop the feedback occurring. Not all repeaters in the conference room will "answer back" so be wary, it can be a combination of particular repeaters that can cause the looping.

Q: Any else I can do to make the link more enjoyable ?

A; There are many initiatives that you can take.

1) Bring up the link at consistent times so your users get used to it. This can be done via packages such as Automate.

2) Don’t take feedback personally. If someone says your link is causing problems, randomly tripping or has lots of packet loss, take the issue on as a technical challenge. No one is directing this at you. Learn from your fellow HAMS !

3) Possibly change the ident of the repeater when it is in linked mode. This gives users a simple method of knowing what is going on.