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Internet Radio Linking Project. Nate Duehr – WY0X American Radio Relay League - Rocky Mountain Region Convention June 1 st , 2003. Opening. Good Morning! What we’ll cover… What is IRLP? Demonstration of IRLP How do I play too?. Description of IRLP.
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Internet Radio Linking Project Nate Duehr – WY0X American Radio Relay League - Rocky Mountain Region Convention June 1st, 2003
Opening • Good Morning! What we’ll cover… • What is IRLP? • Demonstration of IRLP • How do I play too?
Description of IRLP • IRLP is a linking system, which links one radio to another using the Internet as the transport medium for the link. • IRLP is used to link Amateur RADIOS! Thereby linking Amateur Radio Operators, together!
Goal of IRLP To create a simple-to-use, reliable, radio linking system that links Amateur Radio stations together, Worldwide. (And it’s amazing what happens when you can talk to Amateurs half-way around the world on a daily basis!)
What is IRLP? • History: Five years ago, in a galaxy far, far away… • (oops wrong intro...) • Dave Cameron VE7LTD decided to try using the Internet for linking ham radio stations… a couple of years later…
IRLP Definitions – Two Important Ones • IRLP Node – A PC, IRLP interface board and Amateur Radio on a specific frequency in a particular location. • IRLP Reflector – A computer on a high-speed Internet connection (typically better than 1 Mb/s, usually 100Mb/s in a large data-center or corporate location) used to link multiple IRLP Nodes together at the same time.
IRLP Facts • Today 955 IRLP “nodes” link Amateur radio stations together, Worldwide. • IRLP covers almost every continent with stations in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Antartica. • Ham Radio Operators use IRLP daily to communicate with other Amateurs all over the world.
History of IRLP • November 1998, Dave Cameron was experimenting with Windows-based Iphone linking technology trying to create a reliable linking system. • Increasingly frustrated with stability issues, Dave decided to build a Linux-based system using off-the-shelf software.
History of IRLP • Dave selected the public-domain licensed SpeakFreely for Unix as the platform to build upon. • Using shell-scripts and SpeakFreely and a small hardware board for sensing receiver activity, DTMF tones, and keying the radio, Dave creates IRLP. • IRLP takes off in a big way…
More History of IRLP • There are now 955 total IRLP nodes, on almost every continent (including two in Antartica!) as of May 31st, 2003. • Throughout the entire history of IRLP, the system has been designed for easy operation, stability and automatic updates to the software. (More about this later.) • Numerous spin-off projects have been fostered by the open-source nature of the software.
How do I use IRLP? • IRLP was designed to be easy-to-operate with simple DTMF (TouchTone) commands from a hand-held radio. • Dial a 4-digit node number, you’re connected!* • Dial a disconnect code, you’re disconnected. • It’s that easy!
How do I use Reflectors? • Reflectors are giant “conference bridges in the sky” that act just like other nodes, except that you never know who might be listening/connected. • Dial the Reflector’s node number (9XXX) and talk normally. • Dial the disconnect code to hang-up. • Like in any large linked repeater system, PAUSE after keying up for all the links to go live, and wait between transmissions for others.
DEMO! • We’ll talk to some folks on Reflector 9209, and demonstrate the ease of placing a node-to-node call or two. • And then we’ll get down to the details…
Neat Stuff • Current system status… status.irlp.netLists all nodes, contact information for each, Reflectors and who’s connected – live. • System maps… maps.irlp.net. • Mailing list irlp@irlp.net - link from www.irlp.net to sign up
How do I build a node? • Read up on the system and use it. www.irlp.net is the best source of information. • Buy an IRLP interface kit from Dave. • Find an old PC kicking around the ham shack. • Find a good solid radio. • Follow the step-by-step instructions provided with the kit!
What do you get? • IRLP CD-ROM* to load your PC with RedHat Linux. (Currently using RedHat 7.3 with RedHat 8.0/9.0 support coming soon.) • IRLP Interface Board -- hooks to radio and PC’s parallel port.
What do you provide? • IBM PC running RedHat Linux* • Pentium 90 or greater • 32 MB RAM • Dedicated Internet Connection (typically broadband)
IRLP is FUN! • IRLP is fun both for anyone to use, or to build your own node. • Any questions? • Further questions after you leave? E-mail us at questions@irlp.net