Adding EchoLink to your AllstarLink node is a simple process that allows you dial in to EchoLink nodes and also allow EchoLink nodes dial in to your AllStarLink node.
We are going to assume you already have a working ASL3 node, an EchoLink account, and have an EchoLink ID number assigned to your callsign. If you don’t, it is recommended that you first setup EchoLink using the EchoLink program and via their website. They will need to verify your callsign and run a firewall test. Doing this first makes adding your ASL node much easier. The setup usually requires some port forwarding to make it work, so if you’re using a 5G internet service like T-Mobile Home Internet that does not allow port forwarding, you will need to tunnel with a VPN or set up some other means of port forwarding to ensure that the EchoLink functions correctly.
You can perform the needed firewall tests using a browser on the same network your AllStarNode is on, but don’t need to do it from the same PC the ASL node is on.
So with the knowledge you have a working instance of EchoLink on the same network that the ASL node is on, we’ll perform the first step.
You’ll want to add a second EchoLink node to your account. This will be a “Link” account. For example mine is “N8GMZ-L”, as opposed to the normal EchoLink account I use on my phone, “N8GMZ”. If your ASL node is connected to a repeater you would setup an EchoLink as “N8GMZ-R”.
Once you have the second EchoLink account verified and validated you’ll have the information needed to edit your config files on the ASL node.
Open a command line interface on the ASL node and give yourself root access
sudo -sThen edit the echolink.conf file:
nano /etc/asterisk/echolink.confChange the settings in the config file to reflect your newly minted EchoLink node:
[el0]
call = N8GMZ-L ; Change this!
pwd = <your echolink password> ; Change this!
name = Goose ; Change this!
qth = Spring Lake, MI ; Change this!
email = CQ.N8GMZ@gmail.com ; Change this!
node = 447729 ; Change this!
; Data for EchoLink Status Page
lat = 0.0 ; Latitude in decimal degrees
lon = 0.0 ; Longitude in decimal degrees
freq = 0.0 ; not mandatory Frequency in MHz
tone = 0.0 ; not mandatory CTCSS Tone (0 for none)
power = 0 ; 0=0W, 1=1W, 2=4W, 3=9W, 4=16W, 5=25W,>
height = 0 ; 0=10 1=20 2=40 3=80 4=160 5=320 6=640>
gain = 0 ; Gain in db (0-9)
dir = 0 ; 0=omni 1=45deg 2=90deg 3=135deg 4=180>If you know your geolocation information you can also enter it in the config file.
Save and exit.
Now move over to the module config file and change it so it loads the EchoLink channel:
; Channels
noload => chan_agent.so ; Agent Proxy Channel
noload => chan_alsa.so ; ALSA Console Channel Driver
noload => chan_beagle.so ; Beagleboard Radio Interface Channel Driver
load => chan_dahdi.so ; DAHDI Telephony
load => chan_echolink.so ; echolink Channel Driver
noload => chan_features.so ; Feature Proxy Channel
noload => chan_gtalk.so ; Gtalk Channel Driver
load => chan_iax2.so ; Inter Asterisk eXchange (Ver 2)
noload => chan_local.so ; Local Proxy Channel (Note: used internal
noload => chan_oss.so ; Channel driver for OSS sound cards
noload => chan_phone.so ; Generic Linux Telephony Interface driver
noload => chan_pi.so ; DMK Engineering "PITA" Board on Rpi2/3 Channel Driver
load => chan_simpleusb.so ; CM1xx USB Cards with Radio Interface Channel Driver (No DSP)
noload => chan_sip.so ; Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)
noload => chan_tlb.so ; TheLinkBox Channel Driver
noload => chan_usbradio.so ; CM1xx USB Cards with Radio Interface Channel Driver (DSP)
load => chan_usrp.so ; GNU Radio interface USRP Channel Driver
noload => chan_voter.so ; Radio Voter Channel Driver
Save and exit the config file.
Now restart Asterisk:
systemctl restart asteriskEchoLink should be running now. And you can test it by using Allmon or Supermon to dial into an EchoLink node, or via DTMF on a keypad.
If using a keypad on a SHARI, dial *33 followed by a six digit EchoLink node number. If the node number is less than six digits add zeros in front of it. For example, this is how you would dial into the EchoLink echo test node 9999:
*3300999Disconnect using the disconnect command:
*31009999If you’re using Allmon, Supermon, or Allscan you can dial an EchoLink node by putting a “3” in front of the six digit node number:
3009999And then execute the connect command.
To disconnect you would enter the same thing, and then execute the disconnect command.
And that’s it! You should be up and running on EchoLink now. And be able to dial EchoLink nodes from your AllStarLink 3 node!
If you’d like to ad DVSwitch to your node there is a guide here.
73,
Levi