Editing EchoLink (section)

{{Short description|Amateur radio VoIP technology}}
[[Image:EcholinkScreenshot.png|thumb|200px|EchoLink working on [[Windows Vista]].]]
'''EchoLink''' is a computer-based [[amateur radio]] system distributed free of charge that allows [[Amateur radio operator|radio amateurs]] to communicate with other amateur radio operators using [[Voice over IP]] (VoIP) technology on the [[Internet]] for at least part of the path between them. It was designed by Jonathan Taylor, a radio amateur with [[call sign]] K1RFD.<ref>http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Technology/tis/info/pdf/voip.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=August 2024}}</ref>
Taylor has been the system engineer and administrator since 2002.

The system allows reliable worldwide connections to be made between radio amateurs, greatly enhancing amateur radio's communications capabilities.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.echolink.org|title=Introducing EchoLink|website=www.echolink.org}}</ref> In essence it is the same as other VoIP applications (such as [[Skype]]), but with the unique addition of the ability to link to an [[amateur radio station]]'s [[transceiver]]. Thus any low-power handheld amateur radio transceiver which can contact a local EchoLink node (a node is an active EchoLink station with a transceiver attached) can then use the Internet connection of that station to send its transmission via VoIP to any other active EchoLink node, worldwide. No special hardware or software is required to relay a transmission via an EchoLink node.

Before using the system, it is necessary for a prospective user's [[callsign]] to be validated.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.echolink.org/faq_validation.htm | title=FAQs - Validation |website=echolink.org}}</ref> The EchoLink system requires that each new user provide positive proof of license and identity before his or her callsign is added to the list of validated users. There is no cost for this service, and it ensures that this system is used only by licensed amateur radio operators.

The software is written to run on 32-bit and 64-bit versions of [[Microsoft Windows]]. Another edition of the software runs on Apple mobile devices ([[iPhone]], [[iPod]] touch, and [[iPad]]), and is available from the [[Apple App Store]].<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.echolink.org/faq_installation.htm | title=FAQs - Installation |website=echolink.org}}</ref> Qtel is an opensource version of the software available in many Linux repositories.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.svxlink.org/doc/man/man1/qtel.1.html | title=QTEL |website=svxlink.org}}</ref> An Android version is available on Google Play and several other Android app repositories. In late 2023, EchoLink released a cross-platform Web browser based edition (EchoLink Web), which runs entirely within a Web browser.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.echolink.org/faq_webapp.htm | title=FAQ - EchoLink Web |website=echolink.org}}</ref>