Echolink node 1494 update

setup the alternate PC for my Echolink node, different type of motherboard and different type of built-in sound card. Had it all running last night, RF audio coming into the node from the radio (Line-In) port now sounding much better.

Echolink update

My Echolink node is back on air after a lengthy absence, ran some tests, realised the noise of the incoming audio from the radio is still noisy, did some testing to isolate the source, I thought it was a noisy receiver, but after testing realised it was the Line-In port to the inbuilt sound device of the Dell PC, I adjusted the audio levels from the Windows drivers and I can vary it.

Not really a problem, as I built a new PC up (more precisely, I stripped down an old server, to
make it run 24x7 with minimal power usage, with extra fan, so it will run cold) so hopefully, the audio device in it will not have internal noise issues as the old Dell PC had.

Hoping to build the new PC using SVXLink (a linux based Echolink server).

Also, I eventually uploaded the latest version of Echolink client app for my HTC phone, now there is athe option for headphones or speaker, so I can now use the headphones for working the Echolink app from the phone. I was getting desperate and thinking I would have to get an iPhone just for the sake of working Echolink from a mobile phone.

Speaking of mobile phones, looking at my next replacement, heavily considering the Samsung Galaxy S II (Android based) for a phone and a Samsung Galaxy 10.1 Tab for a tablet PC. Yes, the iPad, iPhone and iMac are very nice devices, but I just don't like the idea of being told what you can and can't do when it comes to those devices, or being bound & locked in to the latest Gen-Y fad, I prefer flexibility. I like the idea of Linux and Android where the tools are available, it's up to me if I want to change things. (back off the soapbox)

Finally, I understand the concept of the Echolink Proxy, I was led to believe that it would let someone run two Echolink nodes from the one IP service, but after reading into it, that is not the case, so that squashed the idea of multiple nodes (for now). The idea for the 2nd node was to have a 6metre FM receiver scanning 52.525 plus all the repeater frequencies, now this could have been fun for someone interstate during 6metre E's season, you could be calling on 52.525 or one of the 6metre repeaters in the Sydney basin and hear yourself coming back through the Echolink connection, handy for testing propagation when there is nobody listening.

Android for Echolink

One thing I noticed about this HTC (Android based) Aria phone, is that when used for Echolink using the headphones, that the audio from the Echolink side does not come out of the headphones, but comes from the speaker on the rear, although the warning tones, etc do come out the headphones.
I kept checking the settings of the phone and Echolink app to see if it was something I did wrong,
but no, after some Googling, I found another ham in UK reporting the same issue and same phone
on one of the Echolink forums, but of course nobody replied, so I contacted him, but nil reply from him, shame, as I hoping there was a fix.

so the downside is, I have android phone and a headset, but can't run Echolink when I am out
pedestrian mobile.

I looking to borrow an iPhone4, just to download the Echolink app and try it with its headphone.

Well, at least everything else works great on the HTC Android. Time to email Terry VK2KTJ as he is a Android fan.

Android for APRS and Echolink

I been testing the Android phone with Echolink, works great, can make Echolink calls to other Links and Repeaters just fine, so easy to install, configure and operate. All the preference settings are simple and just what you need, very un-complicated.

And the APRS tracker is great too, the choice of doing single position reports, or full tracking (send & receive). again, settings a very simple, easy to understand and use.

Comparing the hands on operation of my daughter's iPhone4 versus my Android, I gotta say I prefer the menu system of Android, much easier, my Android has a 'Back' (touch) button, it always gets you back up a level, whereas the iPhone4 do have a screen button, but not for all menu levels, so sometimes you have to press the physical home button, which takes you back to home.

Android & amateur radio

this is fun, a little searching on the web and you find a whole swag of amateur radio related apps for iPhone and Android, even a couple found for Symbian.

but w.r.t. Android there are lots of goodies, as for the apps that interested me at this time,
some on sources such as Android Market and Android Zoom, here they are:

EchoLink Node Finder - using Google maps, will show EchoLink nodes in your vicinity or any specified location. You can select a tag on the map and it provides the info about that node.

EchoLink - an Echolink client, for making connections to Echolink Repeater and Link nodes. You can operate from your phone, just like a desktop operator do.

IRLP Node Finder - using Google maps, will show IRLP nodes in your vicinity or any specified location. You can select a tag on the map and it provides the info about that node

APRS Viewer - using Google maps you can show APRS nodes near you location or other specified locations.

APRSdroid - an APRS tracker for sending position reports, with basic receive of local stations.
(visit www.aprsdroid.org)

And several apps like logbook, satellite tracker, etc.

Echolink Node 1494 update

finally fixed the damned DTMF decoder for the node, its been broken since I changed PC's a year or two ago.

Did some testing in the last couple days, tweaked the audio levels, spoke to Dave VK2JDS viaVk2BLO node on Orange repeater 146.700 and Terry VK2JTP via his node.

in summary, my node is looking in better shape now, so I can use it.

Echolink Node 1494

the APRS connection is working with the node now, using UI-View32 as the APRS interface.

Also still trying to get reliable DTMF decoding by my current node, I tried different radios, so finally I tried a notebook computer, now it decodes DTMF commands (via thew radio port) just fine, so this confirms the audio from the radio is fine.
The notebook is an old Compaq P3-500 with ESS Maestro audio interface, so this certainly works
better than the audio interface in the Compaq Deskpro P3-1GHZ
currently, its still work in progress.

EchoLink node 1494

The Ubuntu 9.04/LXDE/WineHQ build for my Echolink just was not cutting it,
the audio channel is still flakey, sometimes TX & RX audio is fine, sometime just one path is ok, sometimes no audio at all, so I have switched to a Win XP Pro machine yesterday to run the Echolink node and had it running in just a few minutes, but spent an hour just fine tuning the DTMF decoding. Maybe this relates to the audio interface of the PC and its driver.

As of last night it is back on air. I will see how it performs, as the last time I ran it on MS Windows, I kept finding it crashed & corrupted and having to reinstall the Echolink program several times over a 12 month period.

I also want to try installing the Echolink Proxy as I eventually want to run a second Echolink node, probably on 70cm. I also want to interface my Echolink with UIview32 for APRS, currently running APRS with Xastir on Linux at home.

EchoLink node 1494

well, I have been doing some more with this over the last few weeks, although time has been scarse, I have managed to install LXDE ontop of the standard Gnome based Ubuntu, and run Echolink (via WINEHQ) to prove that I have more resources on the Echolink Node PC using LXDE, so outgoing audio (from radio to IP side) is now being processed. This proves that Gnome is more resource hungry and not suitable on a dedicated server based applic like Echolink when implemented on older hardware. I definitely recommend Xfce or LXDE for your dedicated applics, but Gnome and KDE are still perfect replacements for a desktop 'workstation' replacement for a Wintel box.

However, having said that, running LXDE created a new problem, incoming Echolink (from IP side to radio) is now non-existant, but this is a soundcard output issues with LXDE which I will have a look at time permitting, so at this point in time, my Echlolink node is running, but not functioning. Realistically, running Echolink via WINEHQ on Linux is not really desirable, but a short gap solution.

Long term, I would like to do some work with 'The Bridge' and 'TheLinkBox' which are Linux based packages, available of SourceForge to provide a Echolink conference bridge (TheBridge) and a conference bridge/radio gateway (TheLinkBox), but looking at the documentation, these
are not simple click, install, run, as compared to the original Echolink package for Wintel, but anyway, it's still a work-in-progress project.

EchoLink node 1494

Node 1494 is off air at the moment, having issues with Ubuntu 9.04, WINE and Echolink with the TX Audio dropping out most of the time. Rx Audio is fine.

Trying to determine if it is the PC at fault, as this particular Dell GX240 PC was erratic with Win Xp and is slow & randomly freezes using Ubuntu 9.04 and same when it was Ubuntu 8.10

Suspect the Dell PC, as my older IBM PC works fine with Ubuntu 9.04 and runs faster.