What is AllStarLink?
AllStarLink is an Asterisk-based repeater linking system that uses VOIP tech to interconnect various repeaters across the country using computers and regular radio gear.
To get started, go to http://allstarlink.org and create your account. You do have to be a ham, as your callsign is your ticket into the system and will be validated before you can get in. (Just like EchoLink) You do not have to have a General or Extra license to use AllStar, a basic Technician license is fine.
POSSIBLY DEPRECATED BUT … Once you’re signed in, you can try checking out the Web Transceiver. It’s a Java-based connection point into AllStar (careful, Java support can tend to suck in modern browsers — if its even supported these days) and allows you to use AllStar to communicate with other users, whether or not you have your own Node. Don’t let the lack of the Web Transceiver turn you away from AllStar though….
AllStar is essentially comprised of Hubs and Nodes.
Both of which connect to the network and register with the main AllStar (master) server.
- Hubs are a form of a main Node that typically do not connect to a Radio or RF Link, but accept connections from other Nodes that do connect to radios, other Nodes, and so forth.
- Nodes are basically the connection points within AllStar between system users. Once you get into the hang of AllStar, you may want to set up your own Node. For a list of all active Nodes on the network, go to http://stats.allstarlink.org.
When you set up your own Node, you are essentially standing up a customized version of Asterisk with an app_rpt module, on either a Linux PC, an embedded Linux hardware device, or Raspberry Pi/Beagle Bone Black mini computer.
Which gets us into Distributions… There are multiple (used to be one, then there was two, now there’s many so I just say multiple) versions of AllStar code floating around. ASL, HamVoip, PTTLink, RASLink….
Seriously, there are just so many now. You would need to go to the respective Distro’s page to see what they are all about.
Once you’ve decided on which release/version to run, you download it and get the image onto an SD card or make a bootable ISO/disk image out of it. (Depending on what platform you’re going to operate on.)
The computer portion interfaces directly with your radio gear or repeater by means of a URI (Universal Radio Interface) to allow your radio transmissions to be broadcast to other Nodes using the internet.
I’ve found that the true URI products are expensive. But leave it up some creative hams, and sure enough there’s some cheaper alternatives. Repeater Builder makes and sells RIM-Lite cheap plug-and-play radio interface adapters that work well for under $70 USD.
You can even buy assembled (or buy kits to assemble yourself) fully-functional hardware-based nodes that run on Raspberry Pi hardware without using a connected ham radio or URI. Those can be expensive or “cheap” too depending on the source. I’ve used a few SHARI nodes and can say they work pretty well for local, low-powered nodes that you can key up with an HT in your house or from few houses down in the neighborhood if conditions are good. They use SA818 radio chips which aren’t the greatest on spectrum purity, but for a 1 or 2 watt backyard node they dot the trick.
Note, you don’t have to have a piece of radio gear connected to use AllStar, nor have your own Node as you can use the Web Transceiver on most existing Nodes even if you’re not the main Operator of the Node. On the other hand, you can have a Node (or as many as you like) for experimenting and coming up with your own solution for connecting up to the AllStar network, whether it be a mobile device, actual Ham gear or a repeater you built — for example.
The choices are there and up to you, really.
One more thing, EchoLink is compatible with AllStarLink. Meaning, you can communicate with users on EchoLink, and they can connect to you as well. (Note that connecting with EchoLink stations from AllStar requires the use of an AllStarLink Node, whether it be your own or someone else’s. EchoLink stations can directly connect to your Node and have a conversation with you and anyone else in your Node.
For more information on the how-to’s and behind-the-scenes details, visit https://wiki.allstarlink.org/wiki/Main_Page and start reading up. There’s a great community site https://community.allstarlink.org where you can get help or answers to any other questions you might have.
My nodes on the AllStar system:
I have a few Hub nodes on standby at a Dallas TX Data Center, which are set aside as Conference Hubs in case of need.
I’m rarely using the K4SIP Hub nodes for anything lately. But you can try 41723, 41732, 47486 and 40276.
I also have a couple SHARI nodes I use at home.
So once you’re on AllStar yourself, you can try to connect to me on nodes # 47277 (my UHF SHARI node at home) and # 47363 (my VHF SHARI node at home).
The status bubbles below should update with whatever I have connected to my two SHARI nodes at home: