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Hamshack Hotline: The ham radio “bat phone”

Posted on November 16, 2020November 16, 2020 by K0LWC
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Hamshack Hotline (HH) is a dedicated Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VOIP) network that is free to amateur radio operators around the world. The goal of the Hamshack Hotline is not to replace the traffic that is carried over RF, but rather augment it when conditions are diminished or otherwise busy. You’ll find phones in personal ham shacks, EOCs, club stations and mobile command posts.

The hotline is the brainchild of John Rogers, K1WIZ. He always imagined having a VOIP network dedicated just to ham radio operators. It’s been widely adopted by Emergency Operations Centers (EOC), ham radio clubs & Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) groups — and individual ham shacks alike.

Why should you get a Hamshack Hotline?

I can already feel the ham radio purists glaring. There are many that say having a dedicated VOIP network is stupid, but that couldn’t be more wrong. Ham radio is not just about RF, and not just about radio frequency communication. Personally, ham radio is about communication. Getting a message from one person to another by any means possible using our technical skills.

CISCO 525G Hamshack Hotline phone in the K0LWC ham shack.

Look at what’s happened in public safety communication that past two decades. Agencies have shifted towards digital in a huge way. Even local business are ditching analog in droves. The future of communication is digital, whether some hams like it or not.

The value of being on Hamshack Hotline can be simple. You’re chatting on HF and conditions fade out. You could call another ham and let them know conditions faded. You could use that line of communication to reliably experiment with your HF equipment without losing communication during that experimentation. However, the real value in my mind is in tactical situations.

Services like HH become powerful when used strategically by groups, organizations’ or pacts of individuals’. Don’t get me wrong, I love playing with VOIP and learning about it for my own education — but the true power is in organizational structures adopting the technology.

What you’ll find on Hamshack Hotline

There are many great features on HH. You have a phonebook of individual lines that you can dial. There is also a list of bridges where many phones can connect and interact on a single line.

The system not only supports voice calls, but also faxing documents if you have the necessary hardware.

The network is capable of linking between VOIP and RF. You’ll find the 94000 bridge links to the HH talkgroup on the DMR Brandmeister network (TG31688). There are numerous other bridges that are linked to RF repeaters around the world.

  • Hamshack Hotline directory
  • Hamshack Hotline worldwide map of phone locations
  • Hamshack Hotline public bridges
  • Hamshack Hotline RF links

How to use RF links

The HH service supports links to RF repeaters. When you’re on a RF link bridge, use *99 to key up and talk. Press # when finished talking to unkey.

If there are multiple people connected to the same RF link you’ll only hear other stations when using the keying method above. Each connection is independent and no audio will be passed between HH users unless they key up using *99.

Hamshack Hotline servers

Hamshack Hotline is made up of three “Standard” networks: HHUS-United States; HHEU – Europe; HHAP -Asia-Pacific; and one Experimental Network called HHX. All networks are integrated, so calls from any extension can call across all networks.

Hamshack Hotline supported phones

Hamshack Hotline provides support for various VOIP phones that range in cost and features. You can get a phone as cheap as $25 all the way up to $100. Here are the phones that are currently supported:

  • Cisco SPA-112
  • Cisco SPA303
  • Cisco SPA-504
  • Cisco SP-514
  • Cisco SPA-941/942
  • Cisco SPA-525

When purchasing a phone from the list above on eBay or elsewhere, make sure it’s unlocked, otherwise it won’t provision to the server.

Hamshack Hotline Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use my SIP phone on the Hamshack Hotline network?

You may us any SIP endpoint that is on our “Supported Endpoints” list. See this list for further clarification and reasoning.

Can I use a softphone on Hamshack Hotline?

See the Hamshack Hotline “Covenant” for clarification on softphones in the section entitled “Allowed Equipment”.

Can I connect my own PBX to Hamshack Hotline?

Yes! The service supports SIP and IAX trunking if your PBX also supports it. Just open a new trunk request via the helpdesk, and our team will be happy to get you setup and explain the details.

I already have a device on your supported list, what do I need to do to get started?

Easy – just open a ticket with our helpdesk and include your MAC address, callsign, & phone model. The HH team will take care of it and let you know when you’re all set.

I don’t have a SIP phone, does Hamshack Hotline sell phones?

Hamshack Hotline does not sell phones. Please acquire them from a source of your choosing. i.e. eBay, Amazon etc. Please check the warning in ‘Supported Endpoints’.

I’m interested in joining the team, who do I talk to?

Hamshack Hotline is always looking for qualified help! Contact any member of the HHOPS team and tell us about you! Let us know your areas of expertise and they’ll see if there’s a spot for you.

I have a supported device, I’ve been provisioned, but I can’t seem to get a connection. What’s wrong?

There have been cases where connections have been challenging. We’ve found that sometimes rebooting your cable modem and then your router tends to solve this problem. If you have done this, and still have trouble, open a ticket with the helpdesk.

Can I have more than one Hamshack Hotline number?

Absolutely! HH will give you a second number on request if you have another phone you’d like to hookup. Just open a ticket for it.

I’d like to get my club in on this! Can we have a group bridge?

Yes! Please send a copy of your club call, or EOC verifiable contact, and Hamshack Hotline can establish a private or public bridge for your group.

I have a large group and we want a block of numbers assigned for them, is this possible?

Yes, but only when evidence of hardware purchase commitment is provided. If your group already has phones, we will ask you for more information about the phones and to document who they will be issued to – i.e. tactical position. HHOPS team will confirm these details with your group leader for accuracy and completeness.

Do I have a voicemail box on my HH line?

Yes. Every Hamshack Hotline number has a voicemail box.

Do you support FAX?

Yes, HH supports faxing and FEC FAX (T.38) using an approved ATA.

Can you call regular phones with an Hamshack Hotline line?

Yes, if you have a PSTN agreement with Hamshack Hotline. PSTN hosting on HH has a monthly maintenance charge of $5 flat. You can purchase your own SIP termination from a 3rd party and have it hosted on your line. This allows you to receive and make calls with a public phone number mapped to your HH line. You can even do simultaneous voice and fax on the same number!

What is the service area of Hamshack Hotline? If I set my phone up at one location, and then use it at another, will it work?

The service area is largely defined by the quality of your internet connectivity. If your maximum latency is below 500ms, you should enjoy trouble free performance on HH. You can setup your phone at one location and it does not matter where you use your phone as long as the phone is able to contact our servers. You can dial *43 on your HH phone to access the echo test line. You can also dial 611 for the HHOPS team.


Inside the K0LWC ham shack


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3 thoughts on “Hamshack Hotline: The ham radio “bat phone””

  1. Ian says:
    January 18, 2021 at 1:59 am

    All setup on HHUS and have made my first contact. Require quidance to connect to one of the DMR nets.
    Thanks – VE6JX, IAN

    Reply
  2. John Hartwick says:
    February 16, 2021 at 1:05 pm

    What it the equipment next to the phone, model number and phone model number also

    Reply
    1. K0LWC says:
      February 16, 2021 at 7:55 pm

      Cisco 525G2 is the phone and is linked to the network Linksys SE3005.

      Reply

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