Basic Overview of the IRLP and the WIN SYSTEM

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Basic Overview of the IRLP and the WIN SYSTEM

• Is this really Amateur Radio?
• Compiled by KI6LO
• www.radioroom.org

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Caveats

• All information in this overview
• is focused at the beginning IRLP / WINSYSTEM user
  level.
• was taken from the IRLP and WINSYSTEM websites.
• is presented as a seed for additional reading
  and research on part of any prospective system
  user.
• Information for configuring a repeater/station
  for use in either network can be found at the
  respective websites.
• As the presenter is a new IRLP/WIN SYSTEM system
  user and has a very basic understanding of these
  systems, no conclusions are presented about
  either system nor is any guidance suggested other
  than that shown.

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Why use remotely linked systems?

• Currently many new hams are limited by the
  privileges of their license, some arent. No Code
  Techs (Technician class) are limited to 6M and
  above, while Technician Plus class and higher
  have various HF allocations for CW and SSB. While
  many new hams jump right in and obtain the latest
  generation of HF-VHF-UHF multi-everything radios,
  most new hams start out with a simple HT on FM
  only. With the sunspot cycle at a minimum, even
  those Techs with multi-band rigs are limited on
  the lower bands since activity is not really hot
  right now. New hams with only HTs are even
  limited more as to using the local repeaters and
  short range simplex contacts.
• Extend the area of coverage provided by the class
  of your current license with no additional
  equipment needed while preparing for the upgrade
  to a higher license class.
• Hold a FM quality QSO with hams in other
  countries as a No-Code Tech using your US 2M and
  70cm privileges and a simple HT?
• This is but only a couple of reasons to explore
  systems that link remotely via the internet.

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I have Echolink. Why do I need something else?

• Main difference between linked systems and
  Echolink
• Echolink is mainly designed to originate
  connections via a PC and soundcard to
• A remote PC via voice (Pc mic/spkrs) or kybd to
  kybd.
• A remote repeater (In via your PC out through
  remote RF link via remote PC interface
• A remote node
• Echolink will allow RF originating links to
  connect to Echolink network provided a simplex RF
  link is interfaced to a gateway PC to allow a RF
  connection to be passed to the Echolink network.
• No user PC is required for IRLP or WIN System so
  the link can be established via HT, mobile and
  base radios without the need for internet
  connectivity at the radio site.
• Internet connectivity is done transparently by
  the repeater or node that you are linking through.

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Is this really ham radio?THE GREAT DEBATE

• Since this topic is never settled to anyones
  satisfaction, Ill only say this
• It is ham radio as much as you want it to be.
• Whether the conducting medium is air or wire,
  internet linked amateur radio related
  communications is done by hams for hams.
• Call it whatever you want to, its still
  communicating and thats what hams do!

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Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

• Summarizing a very technical topic, VoIP is the
  basic method by which audio is captured via some
  analog input, digitized via various
  analog-to-digital conversion methods and
  compressed into digital data elements and
  transmitted over the internet as IP data
  packets.
• On the other end, the process is reversed, with
  the digital data elements being extracted and put
  through a digital-to-analog conversion process
  and converted to audio.
• What happens to the digital data along the way
  and how it gets from one end to another is really
  not important to the casual user in most cases,
  especially here.

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What is IRLP?

• The Internet Radio Linking Project (IRLP) uses
  Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) custom software and hardware
  to couple the power of the Internet with Amateur
  Radio allowing users to link to local and remote
  repeaters and simplex station without the need
  for expensive station configurations.
• Activity is on 2M and 70cm.
• For the general user, the system architecture is
  mostly transparent.
• The only thing the user need know is the
  operating rules, the desired node connection
  information and the commands/method required to
  activate the desired link/node.

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How does IRLP work?

• The IRLP uses a Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) streaming
  software called Speak Freely.
• Speak Freely is very similar to other VoIP
  software packages (such as Microsoft NetMeeting
  and VocalTec Iphone with one difference -
• It runs under Linux
• User interfaces to the IRLP computer using DTMF
  signals sent over the radio.
• DTMF sequences are owner programmable.
• The DTMF signals are detected on the IRLP
  interface board and sent directly to the computer
  
• A DTMF software program then runs commands on the
  computer depending on the code entered.
• These commands are what start and stop Speak
  Freely, basically establishing and breaking the
  link.

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Using IRLP

• Common Modes of Operation
• Direct one-to-one
• Direct connect is where repeater (node) "A"
  connects direct with node "B". 
• With this type of link the two nodes are
  interconnected and no other IRLP connections are
  possible. 
• All local traffic on each repeater will be heard
  on the other repeater as well.
• One-to-many via a Reflector
• A reflector is a Linux computer that is not
  connected to any radio but rather sits on lots of
  internet bandwidth capable of allowing many
  repeaters to be inter-connected together by
  streaming the received audio back to all other
  connected stations.

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IRLP NodesNode Status current as of 12/8/2005
204503 GMT
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REFLECTOR 9453Channel 3 on Reflector 9450 in
Dallas, TX23 Nodes shown connectedLocal Node
3877 WI6RE on El Paso Peak w/ Ridgecrest
coverage
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WINSYSTEM
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What is the WIN SYSTEM?

• The Western Intertie Network or WIN System is a
  series of linked, or Intertied, UHF (440 MHz,
  or 70 cm) repeaters that cover a great deal of
  California and soon into southern Oregon.  It is
  owned and operated by K6JSI Shorty, with a lot
  of help from the WIN System membership.
• The WIN Sysytem is not a Closed or Private
  system, but rather a member supported system. All
  hams are encouraged to stop in and get
  acquainted.  Membership is open to any licensed
  amateur radio operator who wants to get involved
  with a growing, vibrant group, on the leading
  edge of technology.
• The WIN System uses IRLP reflectors to link
  repeaters within the system that are unable to be
  directly linked by RF

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Name Call Freq. (Offset) (PL) Location (Near)
Elevation Tower Height 1 Vista K6JSI 448.80 (-)
(100.0) Shortys House, 560 ft 53 feet 2
Palomar K6JSI 449.08 (-) (100.0) (Escondido)
5,550 ft 50 feet 3 Otay K6JSI 447.64 (-)
(100.0) (San Diego) 3,500 ft 120 feet 4
Santiago K6JSI 448.06 (-) (127.3) (Orange County
- L.A.) 5,687 ft 120 feet 5 Frazier K6JSI
447.64 (-) (123.0) (Bakersfield) 8,013 ft 124
feet 6 Santa Rosa K6JSI 448.90 (-) (123.0) (Palm
Springs) 8,046 ft 25 ft 7 Oat Mtn K6JSI 445.88
(-) (100.0) (San Fernando Valley) 3,747 ft 120
feet 8 Temecula W6CDF 445.30 (-) (127.3) Temecula
Fire Station, 1,000 ft 25 feet 9 Victorville
K6PNG 447.02 (-) (162.2) Quartzite Mtn
(Victorville) 4,622 ft 180 feet 10 Sunset Ridge
K6JSI 449.16 (-) (100.0) (Pomona) 5,796 ft 100
feet 11 Catalina K6JSI 448.90 (-) (100.0)
Catalina Island 1,602 ft 45 feet 12 Santa Rita
K6JSI 443.100 () (123.0) (Coalinga, Fresno),
5,025 ft 20 feet 13 Tehachapi W6SLZ 440.625 ()
(88.5) Tehachapi Mtns, 6,300 ft 40 feet 14 El
Paso Peak K6JSI 447.825 (-) (100.0) (Ridgecrest),
4,500 ft 100 feet (Owned by K6JSI / WI6RE
callsign) 15 Omaha, NE KF6SWL 443.725 () (no PL)
Omaha, Nebraska 16 Meadow Lakes K6JSI 444.250 ()
(141.3) (Fresno) 4,580 feet 40 feet 17 Meadow
Lakes K6JSI 146.790 (-) (141.3) (Fresno) 4,580
feet 40 feet 18 Phoenix, AZ KC9AJY 448.075 (-)
(100.0) (Tollison) Ground Level at Bobs house 19
Alva, Florida KG6CXP 443.800 () (100.0) Ground
level at Dicks house 20 Port Charlotte K4VMS
442.200 () (100.0) Ground level at Rickys
house 21 Barstow KB6I 449.08 (-) (100.0) At
Steves house, good I-15 coverage 22 Lismore, AU
VK2TRD 146.575 Erics house, great Eastern
Australia coverage 23 Anchorage, AK KB8JXX 146.79
(-) (100.0) T.J. Ralph, KL7AX in Alaska have
joined us 24 Napa, CA WA7G 441.675 () (107.2)
Sugarloaf, between Napa Airport Fairfield 25
San Francisco KF6FKK 444.850 () (114.8) Great
Bay Area / East Bay coverage 26 Mt. Oso K6JSI
443.525 () (107.2) (Modesto, Stockton) 3,347
feet 30 feet 27 St. Helena K6JSI 441.650 ()
(100.0) (Napa, Santa Rosa, S.F. Bay Area), 4,344
Feet 28 Eden, NY WB2JPQ 444.375 () (88.5) Near
Buffalo Niagara Falls, 1,605 Feet 29 Shasta
Bally K7TVL 444.325 () (100.0) 13 miles west of
Redding, CA at 6,230 Feet 30 Mt. Ashland K7TVL
443.200 () (123.0) 18 miles S/E of Medford, OR
at 7,500 Feet
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Commonality of Systems
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What radio gear do I need for IRLP or the WIN
System?

• General User
• Any VHF/UHF transceiver capable of
• FM voice mode
• Touch Tone input needed to activate remote nodes
  for IRLP.
• WIN System is constantly intertied and no user
  linking is required
• Linking / config handled by node owners
• Lots of 2m/70cm HTs are commonly heard.
• VX2R 1.5W HT with 17 Comet-24 SMA duckie works
  from northside of Ridgecrest into WI6RE
• Repeater Operator
• Since each system is different, suggest that a
  visit to respective website for more details
• http//www.irlp.net
• http//www.winsystem.org

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Ok, so I got a radio, now what?

• Well first you will need to locate a entry point
  into either one of the networks.
• Sometimes the two networks share some common
  points.
• For IWV hams, this is the main difference between
  Echolink and these 2 systems.
• As luck would be, the IWV/Ridgecrest has such a
  shared repeater (WI6RE).
• Currently for the near future, it is tied into
  the WIN SYSTEM but occasionally it is switched
  over to the IRLP Western Reflector.

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So Im setup on the link repeater, now what?

• To start out, I strongly suggest that you monitor
  the repeater
• Listen for a day or so learn the way things are
  done.
• When your ready to jump in, youll probably want
  to know which network (WIN System or IRLP) WI6RE
  is currently connected to
• One key indicator is where stations are located
• Western Reflector has Las Vegas if you hear a
  lot of LV stations, chances are your on W-R.
• Ed Tipler (WI6RE) controls which network the
  repeater is linked to. Usually it is connected
  to the WIN System, but he switches it
  occasionally.

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Linked Network Usage

• Operating Tips
• Pause a bit longer between transmissions
• Instead of Your call monitoring as on WA6YBN,
  give your location
• Your call Ridgecrest California monitoring
• Your call Ridgecrest California in the High
  Mojave desert, anyone around
• Remember, you are linked into a lot of coverage
  area
• The WIN System coverage is from the Mexican
  Border to Northern CA soon to be into
  south/central Oregon
• IRLP can be worldwide depending on which node you
  have linked to.

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Knowledge is power!!

• Access the home pages for the 2 systems presented
  here
• WIN SYSTEM _at_ http//www.winsystem.org
• IRLP _at_ http//www.irlp.net
• Review the Operating Guidelines and Node
  Lists/Maps for possible access points.
• If in doubt, ask the other system users via
  forums, emails, chats, etc.
• LEARN LEARN LEARN!!!!

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Reading Room

• ARRL
• Book VoIP Internet Linking for Radio Amateurs
• QST May 2003 was the first in-depth feature
  coverage of IRLP
• QST May 2005 has a fine article on IRLP for new
  hams.
• World Radio
• January 2003 IRLP Article Seven Thousand Miles
  on a Rubber Duck by Allen Sherwood K6USN
• Internet
• eHAM.net article _at_ http//www.eham.net/newham/irlp
  
• Search on Google, MSN or other search engines

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Summary

• For newer hams, as well as the more experienced
  ones, IRLP and the WIN SYSTEM open up a whole new
  level of operating as well as a lot more coverage
  area than one or two local repeaters do.
• As with any system, the impetus is on the user to
  learn the proper way to use the system.
• Dont be afraid to ask questions.
• If you ask and dont get an answer ask AGAIN!
• No question is stupid but try to learn as much as
  you can from the systems website before just
  firing away with questions.

MOST OF ALL - HAVE FUN!!!