Is Echolink Dying?

Is Echolink Dying?

 

Forward:

EchoLink is a computer-based Amateur Radio system distributed free of charge that allows 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 in, I believe 2002 with the IOS & Android versions in 2010.

EchoLink changed how ham radio operators communicated, Talking via links and repeaters around the word in clear FM.

But now after about 17 years, is it finally time to say goodbye to this system?

Below are a few stats that I took to have a look at activity on the EchoLink Network.

At the time of writing this - here are a few stats for you: -

Conference Servers:           253

Repeaters:                           2324

Simplex Links:                   2124

Users:                                 902

Now these stats only take into account Users (902) & Repeaters/Links (4448) connected to the system and does not consider the people on RF who are listening or using the systems.

I listen to the EchoLink system every day both at home & in the car via my local clubs 2m repeater EI2IPG.

I have to say there is more activity by local RF users talking to one another then there is EchoLink traffic

Even looking at the stats on the *IRELAND* Server Ireland. Donegal [8/8008] 2605

There is only 8 people connected.

I remember a time when there was at leased 30 stations connected plus users but now sadly only 8 repeater’s / Links.

So why has there been such a decline in usage of EchoLink over the last few years?

One reason is the people are exploring other new and exciting digital modes like:

Dstar – DMR – Yaesu Fusion.

Doing a little bit of research on repeaters that used to be connected to EchoLink, some have now moved to Dstar so clearly not using EchoLink anymore.

Other repeaters & links have moved to DMR or even Fusion, so this seems to be the main reason for the decline of EchoLink as a whole.

There are still a lot of systems out there to use but clearly not as many as there used to be, It’s a shame to see a decline in a system that saved so many repeaters from closure due to in-activity & I know back in the day it sparked a new interest in radio for a lot of people and in repeaters as a whole.

For those who still use EchoLink, I can be found in the Ireland Conference Server, either connected with my phone or on the EI2IPG repeater here in Co. Donegal.

You can also reach me by connecting to my station on my personal node number of 386433.

The Ireland node number is 2605 or *IRELAND* in the conference list.