About OpenRLP
A modern, open-source take on ham-radio VoIP linking — why it exists and what drives it.
Why ORLP Exists
Amateur radio linking has been around for decades, but many of the projects that power it today were last updated when dial-up internet was the norm. Their websites look like they were built in 1998 and haven't been touched since — giving them the feel of abandoned, forgotten software. We built ORLP because the hobby deserves better.
Breaking Free from Legacy Dependencies
Other linking projects are locked to specific operating systems, require arcane hardware like parallel port interface boards, or are built on top of Asterisk PBX — a powerful but notoriously complex telephone system that can be overwhelming for anyone who just wants to link two repeaters together. We wanted none of that. ORLP is a clean, purpose-built daemon that does one thing well, without dragging along decades of unrelated telephony infrastructure.
Runs on Anything
If Python 3.11 runs on it, ORLP runs on it. That 15-year-old desktop sitting in your back closet? Probably fine. A Raspberry Pi 4 or 5? Excellent choice. An Orange Pi, Rock Pi, or virtually any other single-board computer? Go for it. A mini PC, a virtual machine running in VirtualBox, a Docker container? All supported. We deliberately chose Python so that ORLP runs everywhere Python does — which is pretty much everywhere.
For Everyone, Not Just Experts
Ham radio has a reputation for being technically intimidating. We wanted ORLP to push back against that. Whether you've held a licence for 40 years or you're still studying for your Technician exam, whether you're a seasoned sysadmin or someone who just figured out how to set up a Raspberry Pi — ORLP is designed to be approachable. The setup wizard walks you through hardware detection, radio configuration, and network registration without requiring you to edit config files by hand or understand how Asterisk dialplans work.
Transparent, Open, and Free
ORLP is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3. The source code is public. The development happens in the open on GitHub. There is no premium tier, no feature gating, no subscription, and no proprietary hardware requirement. We believe infrastructure that serves a public hobby should be genuinely free — not "free with limitations" or "free during beta." Free, full stop.
A Community for Everyone
You don't need a ham radio licence to be part of the ORLP community. Non-licensed participants are welcome to join our Groups.io community, contribute to the software, and even run reflector nodes — which link channels together over the internet without transmitting RF. We wanted to build a space where curious people, students working toward their licence, seasoned operators, and software developers could all participate together and help the network grow.
Built for Interoperability
ORLP doesn't ask you to leave your existing network behind. The daemon bridges simultaneously to AllStar and EchoLink at the same time as it runs the ORLP network — no choosing sides. If you're an AllStar node operator, an EchoLink user, or both, you're already compatible. The goal was never to replace those communities but to build something modern that connects with them while also being strong enough to stand on its own.
Privacy-First Encryption
Your personal information — your real name, contact email, city, and state — is never stored in plain text. ORLP encrypts all personally identifiable information at the application layer using AES-256-GCM, the same authenticated encryption standard used by modern password managers. Each encryption operation uses a unique 12-byte random initialisation vector, and the authentication tag ensures any tampered data is detected immediately and rejected. The database server never sees your unencrypted data — only the ORLP application can decrypt it with the encryption key. Even if someone gained full access to the database, your identity would remain unreadable. Map display uses city-level coordinates (~10–50km precision) so your exact location is never exposed. Your callsign and node number are your public identifiers — nothing more is shared.