Grant Date: June 2021
Grant Amount: $12,000

This grant supports the first phase of a two-part project to enhance the existing Allstarlink app_rpt application to work with current operating systems and add support for additional platforms. Enhancements will be made to back end infrastructure to enable scalability and improve reliability.

Background:
In the early 2000’s, Jim Dixon WB6NIL (SK) saw an opportunity to implement an internet-linked Amateur Radio repeater controller system “the way I think a system should be” based on Asterisk. Leveraging his experience from involvement in the first practical application of Asterisk (open source voice over internet protocol (VOIP) Public Branch Exchange (PBX) software), Jim wrote the open source app_rpt application that utilizes asterisk to support the local connection to the amateur repeater hardware enabling linking of Amateur repeaters via the internet with a high quality audio path. For example, a 70cm repeater in San Diego could connect up to a 2 meter repeater in Hawaii either temporarily or permanently thereby extending the coverage of both repeaters. Multiple repeaters can be linked together using this technology.

Phase 1 work includes:

• Discovery:
  • Review and document existing systems and applications (infrastructure and client).
• Develop:
  • Detail requirements for enhancements and upgrades
  • Create Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • Scope of work (SOW)
  • Detailed costs estimates for Phase 2 by sending out the RFP

Learn more: https://allstarlink.org/

Update

The discovery and planning work funded by this grant helped set the stage for a significant modernization of the AllStarLink platform. The effort resulted in the release of ASL 3 in June 2024, an updated Radio over IP application that incorporates a modernized app_rpt and integrates it with Asterisk 22 and Debian 12. This replaced software that had relied on Asterisk 1.4 and Debian 9, bringing current bug fixes, security improvements, and new application features to provide users with a more stable, secure, and feature-rich platform.

The updated software has seen significant adoption. More than 2,500 users installed ASL 3 following its release, while the broader AllStarLink community includes approximately 38,000 registered users worldwide. By April 2025, approximately 10,500 nodes were logging into AllStarLink’s backend servers daily, demonstrating substantial growth in network activity. The project also strengthened community participation, with about 12 volunteers working alongside a paid developer and volunteers continuing to address bugs, add features, and maintain backend systems.