Noblesville Repeater IRLP and Newsline back up

[w9...@aol.com]

Noblesville Repeaters 145.170 and 443.55 (PL: 77 Hz)

IRLP and Newsline are back up and running!

For more information about IRLP, go to http://www.irlp.net

Here is a short IRLP tutorial

To find IRLP nodes that you can connect to, go to irlp.net and look in the column on the left of the home page. Go down to "Active Node Status"

Under IRLP Reports, go to "Connected Nodes and Reflector status"
Here you will see a Reflector Summary.  

A Reflector is sort of like a chat room.  Several stations from around the world can connect simultaneously to the Reflector.  Some have regular nets that are fun to listen to.  

Connecting to a particular location repeater

If you would like to connect to a particular location, look up at the top of the page and you will see a tab for All Nodes.  Click on this. 
Here you will see a list of all the active nodes in the world.  It is sorted by Node ID.  But, you can sort by any of the columns by simply clicking on the column title.  For example, to sort by City, just click on City.  

To connect to a reflector or an individual repeater, just key your mic and enter the four digit DTMF code. You should hear your connection announce that you have connected and where it is.  If you are connecting to a specific individual repeater, you may get a message that the repeater is already connected to another repeater.  In this case, you won't be able to connect to that repeater.  This doesn't happen when connecting to a reflector. 

To disconnect, simply key your mic and enter 73 on your mic.  You should hear an announcement that you have disconnected.  

Before using IRLP, please read below for proper etiquette and operations. 

IRLP Etiquette and Operations 

After you have you have decided the repeater you wish to connect to and have the four digit code, 

first listen for about 30 seconds on the Noblesville repeater to make sure there is not already a conversation going on.  

Next announce your call sign on the Noblesville repeater and advise that you are going to connect on IRLP. 

Now, go ahead and enter the four digit IRLP code.  You should hear that you are connected. 

Wait for about 15 seconds or so to make sure there is not already a conversation going on.  

If there is, and you would like to join them, listen for a bit to understand what they are talking about and catch one of their call signs. When there is a gap in the conversation, you can announce that you are listening. 

If nothing is going on, and you want to call a particular station at the connected repeater, give your call sign, say you are on IRLP, and then give the call sign of the station you wish to talk with. If they don't answer, and you would like to talk with just anyone, just say so.  

If you are connecting to talk with just anyone at the repeater, give your callsign, advise you are calling on IRLP from Indiana, and say you would like to talk with anyone listening.  Don't call CQ.  

Tip:  Since you are connecting through the internet via a remote server somewhere (Canada, I think), there is a bit of delay.  So, when you key your mic, wait about 3 seconds before talking to give time for your signal to get from the Noblesville repeater, to the internet, to the server, then routed to the remote repeater, and that repeater's computer processes your signal and keys up the remote repeater.  

When you are done, remember to announce you are disconnecting by saying "(Your call sign) disconnecting IRLP".   Exception:  If you are listening to a reflector, you can just dis-connect without announcing it, as there are always a number of people connecting and disconnecting from reflectors.  

Please feel free to use IRLP! 
That's what it's there for.  
Any brand of radio will work, as it is analog not digital. (The audio sounds a lot better than digital.)  
Experience the fun of talking around the country and around the world!

Just keep in mind the time at the repeater you connect to.  Don't be disappointed if you connect to Australia when it is 3am there and you don't hear anyone.  

A big Thank You goes out to Mike, W9MSK and the Hamilton County IT department for getting us back connected after the changes to the network.  

73,

John, W9KD

w9...@aol.com