Our local club has been running a nice 3-repeater RF linked system covering about 60 miles north-south for the past 5 years. When one repeater is keyed-up by receiving a signal, all the other repeaters in the network are also activated and will transmit the same signal. Works great for emergency nets and casual ragchewing.

Now we're considering adding voice over IP (VoIP) techniques. VoIP links are a convenient way to connecting distant repeaters that would otherwise be unreachable by VHF/UHF radio propagation. The question is whether to go with AllStar, EchoLink, or IRLP. What's everyone's experience with these systems?

We added AllStar nodes to our system two years ago and it's been fantastic. It can take a full second for all the links between the repeaters to activate. For best results wait a second after you key up your radio before you begin speaking: this will ensure your entire transmission is relayed to all the repeaters in the system.

Just remember that internet linking changes the dynamic completely - suddenly your local repeater can be accessed by anyone worldwide. Make sure you have good policies in place for link control and consider using DTMF commands to let users connect/disconnect links as needed.

I've used EchoLink extensively while traveling in the RV. EchoLink software allows licensed Amateur Radio stations to communicate with one another over the Internet, using voice-over-IP (VoIP) technology. The program allows worldwide connections to be made between stations, or from computer to station, greatly enhancing Amateur Radio's communications capabilities.