Some of the busiest ragchews and nets in amateur radio happen on large AllStarLink hubs. This guide shows how to reach two popular ones, the East Coast Reflector and the Fireside Radio Network, using the free QSO One app or your own AllStar node. Then it explains how to set up Node Mode so the app becomes a full node of your own.
You must be a licensed amateur to transmit. Anyone can listen.
The Nodes
| Network | AllStar node | Status right now |
|---|---|---|
| East Coast Reflector HUB1 | 27339 | Online, 147 stations linked |
| East Coast Reflector HUB2 | 45192 | Online, 64 stations linked |
| East Coast Reflector HUB3 | 45225 | Online, 84 stations linked |
| Fireside Radio Network East Coast hub | 52879 | Online, 22 stations linked |
| Fireside Radio Network Midwest hub | 52782 | Online, 11 stations linked |
Each network’s hubs are linked together, so you only need to connect to one. Pick the one with the best audio for you. Other ways in: the East Coast Reflector is also on IRLP reflector 9050, and Fireside is on Hams Over IP 15052 and EchoLink *FIRESIDE* (727368). See eastcoastreflector.com for ECR nets. Fireside runs nets daily, from the Morning Brew Net at 7:00 AM Eastern on weekdays into the evening.
Option 1: QSO One App (No Radio Needed)
QSO One is a free app for Android and Windows, and for iPhone as a TestFlight beta (Mac is coming) that connects to AllStarLink, EchoLink, DMR and more. It’s still in beta, so menus may move around between updates.
- Create an AllStarLink account at allstarlink.org (Login/Sign Up, then Sign Up). You’ll upload a copy of your license, click the link in the confirmation email, then wait up to 24 hours for approval.
- Install QSO One from qso1.net (Microsoft Store for Windows, Google Play for Android, TestFlight for iPhone) and sign up with your call sign.
- Add your AllStarLink login in the app’s AllStarLink settings. You need your AllStarLink password for this.
- Connect to a node from the table above, such as 27339 for the East Coast Reflector or 52879 for Fireside.
- Listen first, then key up, pause a second, and give your call sign.
Without a node number, the app connects in WT (Web Transceiver) Mode as a guest. That’s all most people need, and it works on cellular data. If you want more, set up Node Mode, covered below.
Option 2: From Your Own AllStar Node
If you have a Raspberry Pi node or a radio node, send DTMF commands or use Allmon/Supermon:
| To do this | East Coast Reflector | Fireside |
|---|---|---|
| Connect (transceive) | *327339 | *352879 |
| Connect listen-only (monitor) | *227339 | *252879 |
| Disconnect | *127339 | *152879 |
Tip: these hubs have dozens to over a hundred stations linked, so everything said on them goes out over your node and any radio attached to it. Use monitor mode (*2) to listen without transmitting. Please don’t link the club node 409180 to a reflector without checking with the club first.
Extending Your Station with Node Mode
In Node Mode, QSO One registers on the AllStarLink network as a real node, using a node number assigned to you, with no Raspberry Pi or radio interface needed. It shows up on the AllStarLink network under your call sign, other nodes (including the club node) can connect to it, and you’re a full participant rather than a guest.
What you need
- An approved AllStarLink account (see Option 1, step 1)
- A node number of your own, and its node password from the AllStarLink portal
- A home or Wi-Fi internet connection. Node Mode over cellular data is unreliable because of how carriers share addresses (NAT), so use WT Mode when you’re mobile.
Step 1: Get a node number
- Log in at allstarlink.org and open the Portal.
- Go to Server Settings and choose Proceed with Server Setup. Enter your location (or click the map), then Submit. This “server” is simply the record your node is attached to.
- Go to Node Settings, then Continue to the Request page. Pick your server and Submit. Your first node number is approved automatically.
- Open the new node and copy its node password; hover over the password field to see it. Keep it private.
Step 2: Extend an existing node (if you already have one)
Already running a Pi node? Give the app its own node number. Don’t reuse the one your Pi uses, because two devices registering the same number will knock each other offline. If your node number has five digits, turn on the NNX extension in the portal. It adds a zero to make your primary node (63001 becomes 630010) and opens nine more numbers (630011–630019) on the same account. Assign one of those to QSO One. Otherwise, request another node number on the Node Settings page.
Once both are online, you can link them, for example *3 plus your app’s node number from your Pi, and talk through your home node and radio from anywhere.
Step 3: Turn on Node Mode in QSO One
- In the app’s AllStarLink settings, enter your node number and node password from Step 1.
- Connect to a node. The app tries Node Mode first and falls back to WT Mode if it can’t register, so check that it shows Node Mode.
- Check that your node appears on stats.allstarlink.org.
Step 4: Let other nodes connect to you (optional)
Connecting out to a hub usually works without changing anything. For other nodes to connect in to yours, your router must pass UDP port 4569 (AllStarLink’s default IAX port) to the computer or phone running QSO One. Only one device on your network can use 4569. If a Pi node already uses it, set a different port for the second node in the portal’s IAX Port setting, and use that same port in the app.
Troubleshooting
- Keeps falling back to WT Mode: recheck the node number and password, and try home Wi-Fi instead of cellular.
- Trouble linking with some nodes: the developer reports known compatibility issues with nodes running HamVOIP. Standard ASL3 nodes work.
- Portal form won’t submit: try another browser or turn off ad/content blockers. Account problems go to the AllStarLink Helpdesk.
- Still stuck? Ask an Elmer, or come to a meeting and we’ll set it up together.
Want to talk with ERVARC members? Connect to our club node 409180, or dial Hams Over IP 15208.