UK History of Internet Linking

Internet linking – the linking of ham radio repeaters to the internet - has been around for the last 5 years. It has been mainly be used in the  USA and Canada where they have much less ‘ham radio red tape’ and their hams are just allowed to get on with it.

 

Here in UK we have to get permission before we do anything.

 

In October of 1999 at the Radio communications Agency Road show held at the Armoury in Leeds (an annual event held in October when senior RA staff hit the road and travel to different venues around the country – all are welcome) I put it to the Chief Executive David Hendon G8DPQ that we should be allowed to link ham radio to the internet in the U.K.

He promised to look into it and in January he said yes.

 

The dti Communications and Information Industries Directorate (CIID)  also had to give their approval under the 1985 Telecommunications Act.

 

This was sought from them and obtained.

 

Much work goes on behind the scenes by individuals in getting change for amateur radio in the UK which is never acknowledged.

 

Since iphone linking has been allowed has steadily increased.

 

 

How to link a local repeater or your station to the Internet

 

Linking can take place on a simplex frequency or a local repeater either on VHF/UHF or HF.

 

All that is required is a vox unit and the iphone program (version 4.5 is best which can be downloaded from this site).

 

In UK Vox units are available ready built from CPC or Maplin priced at 16 pounds including vat – elsewhere check with your local electronic kit dealer.

 

In UK an ‘NOV’ is required from the RA for a simplex link or a repeater  link a sample ‘NOV’ is on the RA web site.

 

Presently the RA will only issue a  simplex NOV for internet linking on either 431.075mhz or 431.100mhz

 

2m and a different 70cm allocation is being sought and the RA are talking about this to the rsgb. It is expected to take about 6 months but it could take up to a year with all the red tape. If you have any suggestions/questions email arron at the ra [email protected]  or phone 020 7211 0158 (direct line).

 

 

For an ‘NOV’ the RA require the following information:

 

1.     TX Power 

2.     Antenna type

3.     Antenna Height above ground

4.     Polarisation

5.     National Grid Reference (6 figs)

 

 

For a repeater application you must also have a letter from the repeater keeper that he has no objection to an internet link  made to his repeater.

 

A repeater is linked to the internet for as long as the station providing the link wishes to do so. It could be  for as short as ten minutes or long as 18 hours (GB3US).

 

More than one local station can have an ‘NOV’ and link to a local repeater at different times thereby providing a longer service.

 

The link must be monitored at all times by the ham making the link.

 

All the linking is done at the qth of the ham making the link and the link is made over the air. Nothing is done at the repeater site.

 

There is nothing for the repeater keeper to do apart from write a letter or send an email to the ra.

 

How it works

Audio is taken from the line-output of your computer sound card which goes to your mic input on your transceiver via the vox unit.

 

The audio from the speaker output from your transceiver is fed into the line-input on the soundcard.

 

Under normal conditions the audio on your radio is fed on to the internet via the line-input  of your soundcard so the person connected to you  hears what your radio is hearing.

 

When the distant ham speaks it activates the vox unit and puts your rig into transmit.

 

His audio is then fed to your microphone  which is then outputted on either a simplex channel or the input to your local repeater.

 

It is the audio from the ham on the internet who controls the tx/rx of your radio. If he makes a noise - coughs etc then it puts your rig into tx therefore it is important for the linked ham not to make unnecessary noise or MUTE his mic while listening to an over.

 

The link could be made on  vhf uhf or hf ssb/fm.

 

 

Why Link your repeater?

 

Experimenting and trying new things has always been the lifeblood of amateur radio. If we as radio hams turn our backs on the future then the hobby will not have one. We will only be seen in the Tony Hancock ‘Radio Ham’ comedy - something to be laughed.

 

One of the main aims of  the experiment is to increase activity on repeaters and on radio.This is worth repeating so  here it is again.

 

One of the main aims of  the experiment is to increase activity on repeaters and on radio.

 

Most repeaters are hardly used and but they do  represent considerable time and financial investment by local hams .

 

When  overseas stations or stations out of area start to appear on the local repeater it creates interest and locals work them.

 

This can produce good links with other hams around the county and

around the world.

 

Users can chat for hours at a time as the contacts are made using 2m or

70cm fm at one or  both ends. Topics of  interest of mutual interest to

hams can be discussed to great depth. I have learnt much from talking to

Zl hams about their National System –which covers most of the country

how it is used broadcasting the nzart news -selling equipment -

exchanging information etc there is much for us to learn here the uk. It

makes our repeater system look poor by comparison.

 

Zl is the only country presently in the world that has a ‘national system’ that links the whole of the country.

 

So far only GB3US at the University of Sheffield has been linked nearly full time (18 hours per day-thanks to Bert G4NJI) other repeaters GB3MR  in Manchester GB3DG in Scotland have  been connected for short periods but this will increase.

 

You can also link on simplex this allows you to go walking about in your neighbourhood and using a hand held on 431.075mhz work back to your qth on the radio and then via the computer linked to the internet - work the world.

 

Walking about takes ham radio out into the community and gives you the chance to demonstrate ham radio  to curious neighbours and you can let them talk to hams around the world  demonstrating  the hobby.

 

Some repeaters that are linked on the internet operate on many different bands at once 70cm/2m/6m/10m and 220mhz

 

 

Latest Internet linking news

 

Two hams from India appeared on the internet link today.

 

We have currently two stations in ZL linking to the New Zealand National System. The NZ National system are 20 repeaters all linked together that cover the all ZL.

 

GB3US in Sheffield is connected for 18 hours per day to the Internet thanks to fine efforts of Bert G4NJI

 

GB3DG 2m repeater in Scotland should soon be linked .

 

K6IRF in Pasadena California has just come on line.

 

An internet linked dedicated repeater in Wellington New Zealand will soon be coming on line.

 

An internet linked repeater in Brisbane will soon be on line.

 

G3ZHI   2000-07-08