I am just curious what people on this forum think about VOIP services like Echolink or IRLP. I like the fact that I can connect to a repeater and have my signal broadcast in Sydney Australia. You hear a few "wait, was that a KF call?"
However, yesterday I connected to a node in Northern England, and was told by a rather unfriendly fellow that he wouldn't participate in "internet chat". First time that has happened to me, but I haven't had the radio installed very long either, so maybe I should expect that more often.
Personally, my thoughts on it are if you use a computer to connect to a repeater, then a radio is involved. If you use your radio to connect through a repeater, then a radio is involved. If a radio is involved, I don't call it internet chat.
I still have more fun making the contacts over the air on HF, but as I only have a 10 meter radio for hf right now, and 10 has been more off than on lately, I play around with Echolink. I doubt that I would use it much if I had a full HF rig and could use the current open bands. But until then, I will continue to use Echolink, regardless of the "unfriendly fellows" out there.
However, yesterday I connected to a node in Northern England, and was told by a rather unfriendly fellow that he wouldn't participate in "internet chat". First time that has happened to me, but I haven't had the radio installed very long either, so maybe I should expect that more often.
Personally, my thoughts on it are if you use a computer to connect to a repeater, then a radio is involved. If you use your radio to connect through a repeater, then a radio is involved. If a radio is involved, I don't call it internet chat.
I still have more fun making the contacts over the air on HF, but as I only have a 10 meter radio for hf right now, and 10 has been more off than on lately, I play around with Echolink. I doubt that I would use it much if I had a full HF rig and could use the current open bands. But until then, I will continue to use Echolink, regardless of the "unfriendly fellows" out there.