Echolink

Designed by Jonathan Taylor, a radio amateur with callsign K1RFD, Echolink, a computer program that runs under Microsoft Windows allows steadfast worldwide connections to be made between radio amateurs using Voice over IP (VoIP) technology on the internet for at least a part of the path between them, greatly enhancing Amateur Radio's communications capabilities. Though its similar to other VOIP tools like Skype it has the additional ability to link to an amateur radio station's transceiver.

Two modes offered to Radio amateurs using Echolink software are:

* Single User Mode - One could use the computer's microphone and speakers to connect to (or through - see below) other Echolink-enabled computers over the internet and talk to the amateur at the other end, if its internet-connected computer.

* Sysop Mode – In this mode VHF or UHF transceiver connect to their internet-connected PC with a specially-designed hardware interface. With this, a radio amateur with their own transceiver can communicate with (or through) any other Echolink-equipped station anywhere in the world within the radio range of the transceivers station.

In case of radio amateurs without the Echolink software or a computer connected to the internet Echolink networks within radio range of a sysop mode Echolink station can be put to use and its also possible to link a sysop mode Echolink station to a local repeater, further adding to the communication possibilities.