W8LAP AllStar Node

The W8LAP AllStarLink
Node 50544 is online!

AllStarLink is a network of Amateur Radio repeaters, remote base stations and hot spots accessible to each other via Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). AllStarLink runs on a dedicated computer (including the Rasperry Pi) that you host at your home, radio site or computer center. It is based on the open source Asterisk PBX running our app_rpt application. App_rpt makes Asterisk a powerful system capable of controlling one or more radios. It provides linking of these radio “nodes” to other systems of similar construction anywhere in the world via VoIP.

AllStarLink’s primary use is as a dedicated computer node wired to your repeater or radio. Connections from Echolink, other VoIP clients and telephone calls are supported. We also have a Java Applet which can be used on older computers to access AllStarLink nodes.

System Resources

Other System Resources

How is the W8LAP VHF repeater
connected to the AllStarLink Network?

The W8LAP AllStarLink Node consists of:

Remote AllStar Node
  • USB Radio Interface – URIxB from DMK Engineering, Inc.
  • Rasperry Pi 4 running AllStarLink software
  • Internet Connection
  • Kenwood TM-V71A
  • UHF Yagi Beam
VHF Repeater Hardware
  • Alinco DR-435T MKIII
  • UHF Yagi Beam

What is the AllStarLink Network?

Here is an excerpt from the https://www.allstarlink.org website’s About page:

To qualify for AllStarLink affiliation, your repeater system must be either open (meaning that any licensed Amateur Radio station is welcome to fully use all of its functionality at any time), or at least semi-open (meaning that for permanent use, the owner of the system may require membership for use of all or part of its functionality, but non-members, particularly those visiting the area may use it on a temporary, short-term basis only). Some functions may be limited or un-available, but functions that allow for linking over the AllStarLink must be available to non-members at any time, and the system must be able to accept linking from any AllStarLink node. The DTMF control codes used for controlling linking and other AllStarLink-wide functions will be consistent among all nodes. Systems are welcome and encouraged to have other parts (such as other private nodes or remote bases, etc) of their radio systems not affiliated with AllStarLink. Our node numbering scheme (use the “List All Nodes” button above) was designed specifically with this in mind.

Our technology has the unique characteristic that repeaters and remote base nodes are completely separate from each other, unlike any other repeater/remote-base controllers. That means that just because a remote-base is at the same site or even on the same computer system as a repeater, they are not tied together in any way. They are implemented as completely separate nodes, usable separately.

Unlike other Radio-centric VOIP technologies, such as Echolink or IRLP, etc, AllStarLink and the app_rpt/Asterisk technology have been specifically designed to be part of, and to link together parts of the very infrastructure of the radio systems that it implements, as opposed to be an end-to-end protocol like others.

All systems (nodes) are either repeater controllers or remote-base controllers. They connect directly with the radio hardware (thus replacing/outdating) current controllers on a system that is already up and operating. Just simply as a repeater controller, the amount of functionality and flexibility is very impressive, and when you also consider its remote base, linking (full-duplex) and VOIP (for autopatch, remote control, etc) capabilities, its amazing.

AllStarLink is an attempt to take this technology and make it available and applicable to as many Amateur Radio operators as possible, via their local repeater systems.

https://www.allstarlink.org/about/about.php
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