Probably, almost every ham has heard of various “networks” that work only from the Russian Federation. Most cities have a local club or local repeater network. Net is a short form of a more formal network. Most ARES groups, usually organized by the district, have a weekly network. ARES, of course, belongs to the group of amateur radio amateurs. On the HF side of things, there are wide nets, such as the Oktyak Hunters network. There are RV networks designed to communicate with and between vehicle owners. And, of course, there are marine networks designed to assist ships of all sizes and types in the sea.
In the past 5-10 years, hams have been forced to connect their radio stations with computers to create new types of networks. They can be confusing and alien. In fact, some radio amateurs believe that if you work through these types of networks, this is not “real” amateur radio. First I will explain some of these types of networks, and then I will give my so modest opinion.
IRLP - this network is a project to create Internet radio. The goal is to use the best features of these two types of communication channels to create a more powerful communication pipeline. A network in a simple form allows you to connect a radio amateur to one computer connected to the Internet. At the other end of the Internet connection (and this connection is many, many) the other computer receives the Internet data sent by the first computer and transmits it to another amateur radio link, which then transmits the connection back via radio frequencies. Here is an advantage. A small hand-held radio station, located at a distance from the radar radio station associated with the IRLP, can now communicate with many hams around the world with FM and VOIP quality! How much does this worldwide network cost? FREE!
EchoLink - the main part of this network is a clone of the IRLP network. This network provides communication one more step. With EchoLink you add the ability to communicate from your computer with a microphone and speakers in the first place. Then the sound passes through the Internet channel and passes through a remote radio station with the wind. This network is also FREE!
d-star. These networks again use the EchoLink network one more step. While your radio is connected to your computer, this network adds the ability to transfer data files. Here is the neat part. No internet or internet connection? No problem - d-Star can handle data transfer by radio! And this network is also FREE!
While the networks are FREE, the equipment necessary to access the network (radio, computer, etc.) is not necessary to acquire. In addition, there may be a very small fee for confirming a radio license. And you must be a radio amateur to access these networks.
Now, in my opinion, are these radio stations? It does not correspond to those who are stuck in dirty people who really do not see these networks as a natural evolution of convergent technologies. For them, it's like a hoax if you use anything other than radio waves to communicate. I understand that the achievements in the field of long-distance communication do not coincide. But these networks are a real amateur radio connection. This is the future. They significantly improve communication, and the ability to communicate is one of the main goals of radio amateurs.
Are there too many radio networks? NO! Each of them is a new step forward. Like digital communication modes, each of them has its own purpose and has built-in followers and equipment infrastructure. There is still a lot of space!
