EchoLink for Android

Frequently-Asked Questions

What is EchoLink for Android?

EchoLink for Android is an edition of the EchoLink software that runs on an Android smartphone or tablet. If you own one of these devices and are a validated EchoLink user, you can access the EchoLink system from nearly anywhere where WiFi or cellular networking is available.

Does it have the same features as the EchoLink software for Windows?

The Android edition focuses on the basic features of EchoLink, such as managing the Station List, connecting and disconnecting, and transmitting and receiving voice and text. Unlike the Windows edition, you can be connected to only one node at a time, and there is no Sysop mode. The user interface has been re-designed to function smoothly on the smaller screen of a smartphone, and to take advantage of some of its built-in hardware features.

I see four tabs across the top of the screen. What do the icons on each tab represent?

• QSO: When connected to another station, this screen shows the station's callsign, location, and station information. Buttons on the bottom let you begin transmitting and end the connection.
• Text: When connected to another station, this screen shows "chat" text messages, and lets you write and send a text message.
• Station List: When you are logged in to EchoLink, the list of other logged-on stations appears here. Tap on a row to show the contents of a group of stations, or details about a specific station. There is a "back" button at the top of each list that brings you back up to the previous level.
• Favorites: This screen shows the list of stations you've designated as Favorities. You can make a station a Favorite using a button on the station's detail screen. To remove a station from this list, press and hold an item until a Delete option appears.

Can I use a headset with EchoLink?

Yes. If you have a wired headset or earphones, plug it in to the device, then go to the QSO tab and tab the speaker icon at the top of the screen to switch from Speaker to Handset/Headset. If you have a Bluetooth headset, be sure it is turned on and paired with your device, and Bluetooth is enabled on the device, then tap the speaker icon and choose Bluetooth.

How do I start and stop transmitting?

When you are connected to another station, wait for a quiet break, then begin transmitting. On the QSO tab, tap the Transmit button to begin transmitting; the screen will change to a picture of a microphone. Tap the microphone picture to stop transmitting.

If you are using a wired or Bluetooth headset, you might also be able to use the headset button: Tap once to start transmitting, tap again to stop.

How do I exit EchoLink?

If you want to log off and exit, press your device's Back button, and confirm that you want to exit EchoLink. If you want to use another app but keep EchoLink running in the background, simply press your device's Home button.

I see there are some Network Connection options on the Settings screen. How do these work?

EchoLink for Android has some special networking features to make it work more smoothly with different kinds of mobile and wireless networks.

• Direct: With this setting, the app communicates with the Internet the same way the Windows edition of the software does. Choose this option only if you are using your own WiFi network and your router has been configured to forward UDP ports 5198 and 5199 to your Android device.
• Relay: The Relay setting uses a special set of Relay servers to reach other nodes in the EchoLink system. This mode gives the best performance on a 3G or EDGE network connection because it uses UDP. It's also convenient over WiFi because it requires no router configuration. However, please note the limitations of Relay in the FAQ item below.
• Public Proxy: In this mode, the app automatically selects a Public Proxy from the current list of available EchoLink proxies. The system attempts to connect to the proxy that is geographically closest to your current location.
• Custom Proxy:This mode lets you enter information to connect to a specific proxy, such as a private proxy you have set up yourself.

Are there any special limitations of the Relay networking option?

Yes. Although Relay is the default, and will generally give the best performance, the following limitations currently apply:

• You can initiate a connection, but you cannot receive one; stations that try to connect to you will receive a "No route available" error message. This means that Android or iPhone users that are using the Relay mode cannot connect to each other.
• Because there are only a small number of relay severs, you often cannot connect to the same conference or conference server that another node using the Relay mode is already connected to. This means that two Android or iPhone users that are using the Relay mode often cannot join the same conference at the same time.

I'm having trouble connecting to other stations. Any advice?

• Check to be sure you have a good, solid network connection. If you are on cellular, look for 4 of 5 bars in the signal strength indicator; if you are on WiFi, look for a full-strength signal. Field tests have shown that the cellular data network is not always available even with a strong cellular signal in some situations.
• If you are getting the message "No route is available to the station you selected", try connecting to a different station, try connecting later, or try Public Proxy instead of Relay. If you still get a similar message even via Proxy, the station you are trying to reach might be an Android user behind a Relay, who will not be reachable.
• Do not try connecting to yourself. This won't work in most situations.
• Do not use the Direct mode unless you have put in special port-forwarding rules in your router.

Am I running up a bill with my carrier when using EchoLink on Android?

If you're connecting over cellular instead of WiFi, you are using your carrier's cellular data network to communicate with the Internet. If you have a flat-rate, "unlimited" data plan with your carrier, you are probably not being charged extra, since streaming audio is permitted within the data plan. If you have any doubts, check with your wireless provider to be sure. EchoLink uses about 14 kilobits per second of data when sending or receiving audio; if you were to listen to an active conference for a full hour, your device would use about 7 MB of data transfer.