LCRC Club Member Harold, VA3HF, operates a couple of local repeaters on 146.955TX/146.355RX and 442.350TX/447.350RX. Both repeaters are connected together permanently. No CTCSS (PL) tones are required to access either repeater. The repeaters use a Diamond X200 antenna at 60ft above the ground and can be linked into a worldwide repeater linking system called the "Internet Radio Linking Project" or more simply...IRLP. These repeaters have a limited coverage areas but base stations should be able to use it within about 45 km or more. 

 

Details of how the IRLP system operates can be found on the IRLP web site at www.irlp.net including a list of nodes (repeaters) and reflectors (conference style hubs). A list of nodes and their current status is located here: https://status.irlp.net/index.php?PSTART=3.

VE3WHO's node number is 2524. You will need to enter that node number if you want to connect back to Sarina’s VE3WHO repeaters from another IRLP-linked repeater located elsewhere. 

To use the IRLP system on the VE3WHO repeater, first listen to the repeater to see if it is in use. If the repeater is not already in use, then just key your microphone and say your call sign and then "for IRLP". Next,  enter (by using DTMF touchtones) the # character followed by the 4 digit node or reflector number for the destination node that you want to connect to and unkey your microphone.

It is important to remember that ALL DTMF (touchtone) signaling must be prefixed with the # so that the tones pass through to the linking hardware (repeater controller mutes DTMF tones normally).  When the repeater responds with a successful connection, listen for a moment to see if there is activity on the connected node. If not, you can then join or start a conversation or you can call another ham just like you would on any other repeater. When you are finished with your activity and want to disconnect the link, key your microphone and enter #73 (again using touchtones) to disconnect it.  However, the link should disconnect automatically if there is no activity on the local Sarnia repeater after approximately 10 minutes and if you are just listening to the activity on the connected node, you will need to just click the local repeater before it times out to reset that disconnect timer.

There are 2 courtesy beeps on the repeater after you un-key your transmitter...a short beep from the IRLP connection and a second Bleep multi tone from the repeater controller. You'll hear only the short beep from the IRLP link activity so you will know where the audio came from. Node connections are "one to one connections" while reflector connections are "conference style" connections which could have multiple repeaters connected to it. 

There is also an Echo Reflector (not Echolink) that plays back your transmission to test your audio/radio signal into the repeater. Reflectors 9990 to 9999 will perform that function. To use that, enter #9990, wait for the connection reply, make a transmission into the repeater and when you un-key, the IRLP system will play back your transmission. Then disconnect when finished by entering #73 as you would normally. 

A more detailed usage guide of IRLP can be found at:  https://www.irlp.net/guidelines.html.  Users of the reflectors should read these guidelines since there could be lots of repeaters connected and some repeater owners may be somewhat "picky" as to how they are used. 

There are about 1000 IRLP nodes located all around the world, and the VE3WHO repeater system effectively gives you worldwide access to all of them with just a 2m or 70cm FM radio.