I travel full-time in my RV at the moment, so I’m almost never near the same repeater twice. That makes me hard to find on the radio. To fix that, I set up one spot that doesn’t move. It’s an AllStar hub (node 55422) running on a virtual server in San Francisco, and it’s linked to EchoLink, too. When I’m connected to it, anyone who connects to the same hub can talk to me, wherever either of us is located.
This isn’t a net. There’s no check-in list and no schedule. If I’m on, just call me.
How to tell if I’m on
I don’t keep a set schedule. The status box below shows whether I’m connected to the hub right now, and it updates live while you have this page open.
If it says “On the air · Listening,” I’m connected and nobody is talking, so go ahead and call. If it says “Transmitting,” someone is talking at the moment (it tells you if it’s me)…wait for them to finish, then call. “Off the air” means I’m not connected right now. If it says “Status unavailable,” the page can’t reach the hub, so check back a little later.
If you call and nobody answers, I’m probably driving, out on a trail, or somewhere with no cell signal. Try me again another time.
How to reach me
Use whichever one of these you already have. All of them need a ham radio license. EchoLink and AllStarLink both check your callsign before they’ll let you sign up.
EchoLink app (the easiest way if you’re newly licensed)
EchoLink is a free app for web, iPhone and Android that lets licensed hams talk to each other over the internet. Your callsign has to be validated once before the app will connect, which is a one-time step on their website.
- Download EchoLink: https://www.echolink.org/download.htm
- Validate your callsign: https://www.echolink.org/validation/
- In the app, search for KD0JYV-L or enter node number 554312, then connect.
From your own AllStar node
Dial *355422 (that’s *3, then the node number 55422).
From your phone, using AllStar
You’ll need a free AllStarLink account first: https://www.allstarlink.org/
- Android: DVSwitch Mobile, in WT mode. On the dialer keypad, long-press the D key, choose Enter WT Setup, and log in with your callsign and AllStarLink password. Long-press D again, choose Enter WT Mode, type 55422, and tap Connect. Hold PTT to talk.
- iPhone: RepeaterPhone (a paid app). Add a new AllStar Link account with your callsign and password, then search the directory for 55422 and connect.
What to say
“KD0JYV, this is” and your callsign is all it takes. I would like to know where you’re calling from and how you found this page…it helps me figure out what’s working.
Hunting me at a park instead
When I’m out activating parks for Parks on the Air (POTA), I’m on HF, not the hub. You can see where I’ve been and catch my spots here: https://pota.app/#/profile/KD0JYV
If you don’t want to keep checking, the HamAlert app will tell you whenever I’m on the air. It’s a free service that sends a notification to your phone whenever a callsign you’re watching gets spotted. Set up an account at https://hamalert.org, add a trigger for KD0JYV with POTA as the spot source, and install the HamAlert app to get the alerts. You’ll know the minute I’m on the air from a park.
73, and I hope to catch you on the air.
Donnie, KD0JYV