{"id":751,"date":"2014-07-28T09:57:08","date_gmt":"2014-07-28T14:57:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/?p=751"},"modified":"2014-07-28T09:57:08","modified_gmt":"2014-07-28T14:57:08","slug":"echolink-audio-level-management","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/2014\/07\/28\/echolink-audio-level-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Echolink audio level management"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"newStyle1\">Have you ever checked into an Echolink net and noticed the widely varying audio levels from the different stations?<\/p>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Of course you have!\u00a0 We all have.\u00a0 Sometimes we struggle to hear one station and the next one blasts us out of the water with a signal so loud that it&#8217;s clipped into distortion and may even be difficult to understand. Why do signals vary so widely on these VoIP-enabled nets?\u00a0 Is there anything we can do to make sure our own signals are reasonably audible but not driven to distortion?<\/p>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Let&#8217;s get to the &#8220;why&#8221; first.\u00a0 Echolink offers three main ways to access the net:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Via RF using a radio to access an Echolink, IRLP, or WIRES enabled repeater system or micronode.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Through a computer, by using the Echolink application or a similar app if you use a Mac.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">With a smartphone or tablet, using the Echolink app for Android or iOS.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">If you are accessing the network through an RF link, It is up to you to make sure that you are not overdriving your transmitter to the point of distortion.\u00a0 Hold a handheld radio slightly off to the side instead of directly in front of your mouth.\u00a0 This will also help to prevent &#8220;puff&#8221; sounds as you speak.\u00a0 There is no need to shout, and you should be able to position the radio within about 4 inches of your face.\u00a0 The idea is not to be too close since you will get popping or puffing noises when you speak, nor too far, in which case background noise will start to intrude as the radio&#8217;s automatic gain attempts to crank up the volume. If everyone using a particular system is experiencing bad audio reports, pass the information on to the node owner or repeater operator.\u00a0 Something may be wrong with a setting or component.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">If you are using a computer, be sure to set up and test the audio settings before getting on the net.\u00a0 You can do this with the Echolink Test Server.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/handiham.org\/images\/echolink_test_screen.jpg\" alt=\"Echolink test server screenshot\" width=\"651\" height=\"520\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">You will find the test server by going to the Station Menu, and it will be one of the expanded menu options. You can save the test server in your favorites.\u00a0 If you wish to access the test server from a radio&#8217;s numeric touch pad, type in 9999, the Echotest node number when using an Echolink-enabled repeater system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">The test server allows you to make a test transmission, then when you toggle back to receive, it will play back your audio.\u00a0 If you don&#8217;t hear anything, check your computer&#8217;s recording settings to make sure the correct device (microphone) is connected and has its levels set.\u00a0 If you hear distortion, back down the level.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Tip:\u00a0 Remember to check your audio settings after using other apps that make use of the sound card, such as voice dictation software, since it can automatically readjust recording input settings.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Tip:\u00a0 If you use an external microphone, be sure it is not muted.\u00a0 Some of them have a mute button.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Finally, let&#8217;s look at smartphones and tablets.\u00a0 Whether you are using Android or iOS, the Echolink app is available and very easy to use.\u00a0 The best part is that it supports &#8220;relay&#8221; through wireless connections, bypassing firewalls and making things easy.\u00a0 You should still connect to the Echolink test server, though &#8211; especially if you are setting up the application for the first time.\u00a0 You will want to make some test transmissions to make sure that you are holding the phone or tablet in a way that allows for good audio input.\u00a0 The time to test is when you are using the test server, but if you need additional help deciding if your signal is okay, you can always ask on the air.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Tip: If you can&#8217;t hear other stations when you use your smartphone, check the little speaker icon in the upper right corner of the Echolink app.\u00a0 It allows you to toggle between the device&#8217;s speaker and earphone settings in some cases.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">Tip:\u00a0 If you get a bad audio report from other users, take it seriously.\u00a0 Back off the mic or speak up, as the case may be.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"newStyle1\">This is practical radio &#8211; Learn to use Echolink to your best advantage!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Have you ever checked into an Echolink net and noticed the widely varying audio levels from the different stations? Of course you have!\u00a0 We all have.\u00a0 Sometimes we struggle to hear one station and the next one blasts us out of the water with a signal so loud that it&#8217;s clipped into distortion and may &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/2014\/07\/28\/echolink-audio-level-management\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Echolink audio level management<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=751"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":752,"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/751\/revisions\/752"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=751"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=751"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/handiham.org\/remotebase\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=751"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}