Echo Link Success!

Thanks to Capt. Bob (KØCKE) and some experimentation and a little luck, we enjoyed our first success with Echo Link (EL) this afternoon.  It sure felt great to finally put all the pieces together and make a real connection.  Our Idaho Elmer Gary G. (W7FSI) was the first to mention EL soon after we received our FCC call sign.  Gary lives in Stanley, Idaho, and suggested we learn EL so we could talk through the Galena repeater.  We downloaded the software right away but soon realized we would need to validate our call sign before we could use EL.  The validation process turned out to be more time consuming and cumbersome that we thought it would be.  Meanwhile, Capt. Bob graciously offered to help us learn EL.  Various schedule conflicts, the validation process and so forth precluded getting together while we were in the Verde Valley, Arizona.

As soon as we returned here to Idaho Falls late Tuesday afternoon, our thoughts turned once again to EL.  Naturally, there's a lot of various "stuff" one has to do after being gone 5 months.  Once all those chores were out of the way, we focused today on EL.  Our first attempt to set up a microphone failed miserably.  We then went to Wal-Mart and bought a Hewlett-Packard USB headset with an integrated microphone.  (HP Product: VT501AA#ABA) for $24.99, plus tax.  As soon as we unpacked the microphone, we began conducting sound checks via the EL test server.  Once we had the audio at a somewhat OK level, we used Google Voice to call Capt. Bob to chat about EL.

Capt. Bob was his gracious, patient self and happily walked us through the labyrinth of check boxes and links necessary to actualize EL's functionality.  We linked into the VVARA Mingus repeater first via Bob S. (WB6ODR).  The audio was pretty bad.  So, we went back onto the phone with Capt. Bob and he helped us adjust our various audio settings.  We then used Jack C's EL connection via (W7JLC) and enjoyed much more success.  We must say that it was truly thrilling to be able to link a PC sitting here on 12th Street in Idaho Falls with the repeater high atop Mingus Mountain.

We finished up a fine session talking with Capt. Bob once again via a Google Voice VoIP connection.  We both agreed that, although it's sometimes daunting, it's important to keep up with the "latest and greatest" technology.

THANK YOU, Capt. Bob--please pin a Gold Star on your HAM Elmer chart today.  "Ya dun good!"

With any luck at all, we will participate in the Knobby Knee Net tomorrow morning.  We will report back on the results here afterwards.  (Followup:  Yes, we were able to join the morning net Friday.  The incoming audio on our end was a little weak but we could sstill understand most of what was said.  We were told our signal was good on their end.  Bob S. was the moderator this morning and he was such a wonderful and welcoming host.  Thanks, BOB!  We really appreciated the hospitality shown during our brief visit to the net and look forward to joining in more often.  Isn't it ironic that it's easier for us to join the net from 800+ miles away than it was while we actually down there in person?)

Have a great day & Many Cheers, 73, jp