Finally connected with dds

i believe it was back in November that my appetite was whet to fulfill my bucket list item of becoming a ham radio operator, and 7 months late I finally got to speak with the guy who encouraged me; dds (aka KL2ZF). Don kept insisting on my getting hooked up on IRLP so I could speak to people around the world like they were sitting in the same room with you, and I had a tough time getting my head around it all. Finally I had my epiphany and tonight we had a real nice conversation between Cleveland and Nome, and it really was like we were in the same room. After disconnecting with Don, another ham jumped in from 200 miles North of the Arctic circle in Kotzebue, AK, and it turned out he had a connection to Cleveland last year when he flew in here to have open heart surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. Strangely, he really liked the Cleveland area, and particularly liked walking around downtown Cleveland He didn't know how close he came to wiping out all the surgeon's good work.

I now have the ability to speak to people in almost every country without having a massive antenna on a tower in the back yard, and without having to wait for the right atmospheric conditions as well.

Thanks, Don, for the repeated insistence that I figure out IRLP. This just kicked everything up a notch for the Dough Boy.

That's awesome Joe.
Welcome back, Dough Boy..

hey Joe sorry i had to jump out so fast but mamma gets upset if she get'sto the check out counter and i'm not waiting to spend my money it was good to here from ou and your station sounded great our motto on the alaska reflector is come often and stay late

Technology is a wonderful thing, and improves rapidly day by day... but for some of us, who have never mastered how to program the DVD recorder without getting a headache, it can be a nightmare, and run too fast. lol. I'm so afraid the washer will break down, and I will have to try to decypher the instructions of a new one. ://

As for IRLP, er... *whispers to pg* "Wassat?"

But yes, talking to people all over the world, often complete strangers, is awesome.

Congrats Joe. That does indeed sound kewl.

I agree with the fellow who enjoyed walking around downtown Cleveland. I've stayed downtown on multiple occasions for IT classes. I had a great view of the new Browns stadium out my hotel window. I visited the Rock and Roll hall of Fame and found a couple of pubs with good food and interesting people. Plus that mall that is or was part of the central train station was very kewl. Interesting place to spend some time (and money). I like it when I see an IT class I need scheduled in Cleveland. They've really cleaned it up a lot over the past decade or so.

Lia said:

Technology is a wonderful thing, and improves rapidly day by day... but for some of us, who have never mastered how to program the DVD recorder without getting a headache, it can be a nightmare, and run too fast. lol. I'm so afraid the washer will break down, and I will have to try to decypher the instructions of a new one. ://

As for IRLP, er... *whispers to pg* "Wassat?"

But yes, talking to people all over the world, often complete strangers, is awesome.

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Lia if i wasn't happly married i would say you are my kind of lady i hate these multipal menu items now days i just hand off the cell to my wife or kids to add numbers to the speed dial it has been a little work but i have adjusted to programing my radios. As for what is irlp ,irlp stands for internet radio linking project which you hook a radio to a computer and use the internet as a repeater to alow world wide comminucations with snall radios and gear the system works great most of my comunications quality are better than a cell phone.

Do HAM's still do QC cards?

My grandfather used to have tons of them, from all over the world.

JEV said:

I now have the ability to speak to people in almost every country without having a massive antenna on a tower in the back yard, and without having to wait for the right atmospheric conditions as well.

Thanks, Don, for the repeated insistence that I figure out IRLP. This just kicked everything up a notch for the Dough Boy.

Click to expand...

RNE228 said:

Do HAM's still do QC cards?

My grandfather used to have tons of them, from all over the world.

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ham's do qsl still a buddy of mine got one a while ago from joe walsh most are done electronicly which reminds me i should go to qrz and do one for jev

I have some questions.

I IRLP like ham radio in that anyone can listen in and join the QSO?

In what way does IRLP differ from making a call on SKYPE?

Adillo303 said:

I have some questions.

I IRLP like ham radio in that anyone can listen in and join the QSO?

In what way does IRLP differ from making a call on SKYPE?

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You must have a amateur radio license to transmit on the amateur frequencies, and IRLP is limited to the 2 meter and 70 cm bands that are accessible to all amateurs with an entry level (Technician) license. You can listen if you happen upon a conversation initiated by another ham, but you are not able to establish a link and initiate a call without a ham license. Go to the IRLP homepage to learn more about it. Click on the FAQ's on the menu on the left side.

IRLP, as well as EchoLink (another VOIP technology), is free for all amateur licensees, and you can include many people into the conversations. This is not possible with Skype unless you subscribe to one of their packages.

Hope this answers your question. The IRLP website explains it best.

Adillo303 said:

I have some questions.

I IRLP like ham radio in that anyone can listen in and join the QSO?

In what way does IRLP differ from making a call on SKYPE?

Click to expand...

first irlp does work like skype when running through the internet however there is an rf link radio attached to the computer so you have an rf link to the internert working as a repeater. irlp gives you 2 ways to connect either through a reflector which alows manny nodes to interconect or through a node to node connection which willl allow only partys with an rf link between nodes to connect hope this makes sence as i'm trying to simplify the explanation.