The GRHub Network has been welcomed to the East Coast Reflector as a AllStar node member several months ago. You can utilize the East Coast Reflector via the GRHub Network, Mossel Bay every weekday between 05h00 to 07h00 SAST.
Now what is the East Coast Reflector and how do one utilize it?
"The East Coast Reflector is a linked/bridged network of repeaters, nodes, and technologies that provides amateur radio operators a convergence of platforms where users of various systems such as AllStar, IRLP, D-Star, DMR, Yaesu System Fusion, EchoLink, Hamshack Hotline, and Hams Over IP can seamlessly communicate across the country and around the world. A system diagram and specific connection information can be found at the end of this document.
The East Coast Reflector is not a club nor is it affiliated with any. It is a platform built, maintained, and operated by individual operators, like yourself, who utilize available capabilities to enhance the effectiveness of today’s amateur radio for the benefit and enjoyment of all amateurs. Although we are the East Coast Reflector in name, at any one time there may be hundreds of connected nodes, repeaters and users from across the country and around the world. As with any large community, the East Coast
Reflector includes people of all skill levels, backgrounds, interests, and experience. Whether you got your license two days ago or 30 years ago, it doesn’t matter – you’re welcome on the Reflector. A requirement, however, is that everyone be respectful of each other and follow standard amateur
radio best-practices and Part 97 rules. As such, please review the link on the ECR webpage for our reflector use guidelines: LINK
Also, here are a few general tips for trouble-free use of the Reflector:
1. Pause 2 seconds after keying-up to talk to allow your signal to
propagate through the network; there are many linked repeaters and
nodes that must key-up before you can be heard.
2. Pause 3 seconds between transmissions to allow other stations to
break in, other users to disconnect, and repeaters to reset.
3. Set your radio, node, or repeater transmitter Time Out Timer (TOT)
to 3 minutes or less. Continuous transmission for more than 3
minutes will cause the system to timeout and may impact other users
and connected systems.
4. Enjoy the use of the Reflector and make many contacts; however,
please be respectful of others who may want to use the system; keep
your QSOs to a “reasonable” amount of time to allow others to
use it as well.
5. Keep your QRZ page up-to-date with current contact information
(i.e., email, postal address). There may be times when the reflector
Control Operators will need to get in touch with you, and QRZ.com is
the contact source that we reply upon."
Now you know what the East Coast Reflector is and how to use it but did you know that the Reflector provides many other services to radio amateurs. One such service is a weekly newsletter. Many interesting articles appear in this newsletter. This newsletter is just to good to not make certain information available to users of the Reflector and GRHub Network users.
The GRHub Network will from time to time publish articles from this newsletter. All credit goes to the East Coast Reflector and the Author of such an article and does the GRHub Network not claim any right to any such article. In the interest of amateur radio some articles will be shared on the GRHub Network Blog with full recognition to the East Coast Reflector.
The GRHub Network want to thank the East Coast Reflector for the use of their great system and service to amateur radio. Your friendliness and professionalism speaks of a great organization that embraces the Amateur Radio Code!! Thank you for the great service!!
More information on the East Coast Reflector available HERE
