WC-ARES Second Saturday Training February 9, 2019 Winlink Training WC-ARES Second Saturday Training February 9, 2019

Winlink Near and Far Agenda: What is Winlink? Installing and setting up Winlink Express Using Winlink Express ARES

So what is Winlink? Winlink is email over amateur radio Real email with attachments and multiple recipients Recipients can be Winlink email addresses or not Compression used for efficient transmission Delivery method can be via: Internet when there is no outage Microwave link (local area) Packet (local area) PACTOR (HF) (distant area) WINMOR, ARDOP, Vara (HF) (distant area) Satellite (distant area) -Provisions for local, widespread or total Internet outage ARES

Winlink Tranmission Speeds So how long to transfer a 4K file? PACTOR 1 15 minutes WINMOR 500 10 minutes PACTOR 2 4 minutes WINMOR 1600 3 minutes Packet (1200 baud) 2 minutes ARDOP Between PACTOR 2 & PACTOR 3 VARA Between PACTOR 2 & PACTOR 3 PACTOR 3 30 seconds PACTOR 4 15 seconds Telnet over Internet zip ARES

Winlink System Components Winlink Express RMS Packet RMS Trimode RMS Relay ARES

Winlink System Components Winlink Express: Client program for connecting to RMS Packet RMS Trimode, another Winlink Express or Telnet ARES

Winlink System Components RMS Packet ARES

Winlink System Components RMS Trimode ARES

Winlink System Components RMS Relay ARES

Local Winlink Communications – RMS Packet RMS Packet Gateways ARES

Local Winlink Communications – RMS Packet RMS Packet Gateways ARES

Local Winlink Communications – RMS Packet RMS Packet Gateways ARES

Local Winlink Communications – RMS Packet RMS Packet Gateways Geographic diversity Redundant servers Redundant radio only hubs Frequency diversity Long haul: 145.03 WC 145.73 Travis Close in: 144.91 WC 145.61 WC 145.07 Travis ARES

Local Winlink Communications – RMS Packet RMS Packet Gateways status page: http://n5tw.ecpi.com/rmsstatus/ ARES

Distant Winlink Communications – RMS Trimode RMS Trimode Gateways ARES

Local Winlink Network Most Simple local setup EOC Hospital VHF Winlink RMS Packet station(s) Shelter POD - Local agencies exchange email via RMS Packet Internet gateway station - Works until Internet is lost so geographic redundancy is a good idea ARES

Local Winlink Network Step up – add local hub that can run without the Internet EOC Hospital VHF Winlink RMS Packet station(s) Plus RMS Relay Shelter POD - Local agencies continue to exchange local email via RMS Packet station - Outside traffic must be manually routed through a liaison station or wait ARES

Local Winlink Network with HF Forwarding Big step up – add HF PACTOR 3 forwarding to RMS Relay EOC Hospital VHF Winlink RMS Packet station(s) Plus RMS Relay Plus RMS Trimode Plus PACTOR 3 TNC Plus HF radio Shelter POD - Local agencies continue to exchange email via RMS Packet station - Outside traffic routed in or out of area via HF PACTOR 3 traffic ARES

With PACTOR 2/3 or WINMOR/ARDOP/VARA Local Winlink Network with HF Liaison Routing Mail outside the local Area – through local liaison HF Liaison With PACTOR 2/3 or WINMOR/ARDOP/VARA N5TW RMS Pactor server with VHF and HF capability VHF Winlink email server in RF only mode SOC* An alternative to having the regional VHF mail server directly forward the mail to the Central Texas central backup server is through a local proxy. This proxy station receives mail to be forwarded out of the area and uses one of a number of digital techniques and sends it to a similarly equipped station in central Texas. This activity will be coordinated using an HF voice net. These HF liaisons can be from the local area or from a dispatched ARES Amateur Radio Communication team or a portable MARS station using his or her amateur callsign. All else fails, we have a procedure for using voice using the ARRL National Traffic System to pass the traffic to a digitally equipped station. HF Liaison used VHF Packet to receive traffic and used HF to forward * SOC is the State Operation Center on Lamar in Austin ARES

HF Liaison with WINMOR / Pactor Local Winlink Network with HF Liaison - Improved Routing Mail outside the local Area – through local liaison Additional N5TW RMS Trimode server located at Rabbit Hill HF Liaison with WINMOR / Pactor N5TW RMS Trimode server with VHF and HF capability VHF Winlink email server in RF only mode SOC An alternative to having the regional VHF mail server directly forward the mail to the Central Texas central backup server is through a local proxy. This proxy station receives mail to be forwarded out of the area and uses one of a number of digital techniques and sends it to a similarly equipped station in central Texas. This activity will be coordinated using an HF voice net. These HF liaisons can be from the local area or from a dispatched ARES Amateur Radio Communication team or a portable MARS station using his or her amateur callsign. All else fails, we have a procedure for using voice using the ARRL National Traffic System to pass the traffic to a digitally equipped station. HF Liaison uses VHF Packet to receive traffic and HF to forward directly to N5TW at N5TW or Rabbit Hill locations Plus: Added HF bandwidth Plus: Added Redundancy ARES

HF Liaison with WINMOR / Pactor Local Winlink Network with HF Liaison – Future? Routing Mail outside the local Area – through local liaison Additional N5TW RMS Trimode server located at Rabbit Hill HF Liaison with WINMOR / Pactor N5TW RMS Trimode server with VHF and HF capability VHF Winlink email server in RF only mode SOC An alternative to having the regional VHF mail server directly forward the mail to the Central Texas central backup server is through a local proxy. This proxy station receives mail to be forwarded out of the area and uses one of a number of digital techniques and sends it to a similarly equipped station in central Texas. This activity will be coordinated using an HF voice net. These HF liaisons can be from the local area or from a dispatched ARES Amateur Radio Communication team or a portable MARS station using his or her amateur callsign. All else fails, we have a procedure for using voice using the ARRL National Traffic System to pass the traffic to a digitally equipped station. HF Liaison uses VHF Packet to receive traffic and HF to forward directly to N5TW at N5TW or Rabbit Hill locations. Rapid path to SOC Plus: Added HF bandwidth Plus: Added Redundancy Plus: Fast path to the SOC ARES

ARES Winlink Overview Conclusion: This stuff really works! From: Alfonso Tamez, XE2O [] Sent: Monday, September 11, 2017 3:44 PM To: Tom Whiteside <> Cc: 'Mike Burton' <> Subject: Appreciation from FMRE   Dear Tom Whiteside, N5TW. Tom, on behalf of Federacion Mexicana de Radioexperimentadores, A.C. (FMRE) thank you for your support with all the traffic of emails during the last week earthquake and hurricane that affected Mexico. Without any hesitation, Winlink prove once again,  it’s the best communication service on emergency situations like the ones we have last week. Our Winlink gateways lost internet sometimes and yours gave us the support we need to forward messages. If you need something from us, we will be glad to help. 73, Alfonso Tamez, XE2O President FMRE ARES

Winlink Express Installation Go to https://Winlink.org and select “User Programs” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Go to https://Winlink.org and select “User Programs” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Scroll down to the end of the page and click on the Downloads link ARES

Winlink Express Installation Click on the User Programs link ARES

Winlink Express Installation Click on the Winlink_Express_install_xxx.zip link ARES

Winlink Express Installation Bring up Windows Explorer and click on the Winlink Express zip file Select the extraction option and click “Extract”. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Double click on the Winlink_Express_install.exe file ARES

Winlink Express Installation Override Windows by clocking on “More info” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Then click on “Run anyway” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Then click “Yes” (damn it) ARES

Winlink Express Installation Then click “Next” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Again click “Next” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Click “Create a desktop shortcut” box then click “Next” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Click “Install” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Watch in awe and wonder! ARES

Winlink Express Installation Finally click “Finish” (unless you prefer Norwegian…) ARES

Winlink Express Installation Select the “Settings” tab on upper left then “Winlink Express Setup” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Fill out the information and click “Update” Pro tip: Update your location before a deployment and download station lists before you go! ARES

Winlink Express Installation How to determine your grid square. http://www.levinecentral.com/ham/grid_square.php Enter address… it will give you the grid square. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Enter grid square in the “My Grid Square” block of your settings. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Other ways… GPS – get latitude/longitude. Google Maps https://stevemorse.org/jcal/latlon.php All you need to enter is the degrees and minutes. Example – from yahoo latitude longitude altitude decimal 30.50904 -97.67722 deg-min-sec 30° 30' 32.544" -97° 40' 37.992" 30 30 N – 97 40 W ARES

Winlink Express Installation Click the “Lat/Lon to Gridsquare” Button Enter degrees and minutes, then “Calculate” and “Accept”. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Click “Update” on the settings tab, then next to the Open Session tab select “Packet Winlink”. Click “Open Session”, “Channel Selection”, “Update Table Via Internet”. Winlink will now update all of the closest packet stations. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Let’s create a simple message. Select “Message” then “New Message” ARES

Winlink Express Installation When you are done click “Post to Outbox” ARES

Winlink Express Installation To use a form, click on “Message”, “New Message”, “Select Template”, click on the + button next to “Standard Templates”, then the + button next to “ICS_USA_FORMS”. Click on the form you want use then the “Select” button. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Internet Explored will open with the form. Fill it out then click on the “Submit” button. A pop-up window will ask if you’re really done… if you click OK it will then it will take you back to the previous screen to enter the recipient’s name. After entering the recipients and any other pertinent data, post to the outbox. ARES

Winlink Express Installation To attach a file, select “Message”, “New Message”, “Attachments”. When the Attachments screen pops up, select “Add” and then go into the file menu screen and find the file. After you select the file click on the “Close” button, go back to the previous screen and again, enter the recipients and post to the outbox. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Attachments have a maximum file size of 120k bytes. The following is approximate transfer times for a 4k bytes file. Packet (1200) direct 2 minutes Packet (1200) 1 Node 2.5 minutes Packet (9600) direct 1 minute Pactor 1 15 minutes Pactor 2 4 minutes Pactor 3 30 seconds Pactor 4 15 seconds WINMOR 500 10 minutes WINMOR 1600 3 minutes Telnet (Internet Access) second or two Recommended maximum file size – 5k bytes and .txt file. Adding a digipeater adds to the transfer times. Maximum 2 “hops”. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Notice “Outbox” has new items. Unlike regular mail, we have to explicitly select how to send traffic and make it actually go out… ARES

Winlink Express Installation Use Open Session pulldown menu to select “Telnet Winlink” ARES

Winlink Express Installation Click “Start” to initiate a Telnet session ARES

Winlink Express Installation Here is our message going out! ARES

Winlink Express Installation Each message has a unique ID. This one is ESD4R40SPMH. It is 159 bytes in size and compressed down to 149 actual bytes to send. That “FF” and “FQ” you will see at the end of a successful transfer. Do not close the window until you see the “Disconnected” line at the bottoms of the screen. ARES

Winlink Express Installation When you use Packet instead of Winlink, you’ll click on “Packet Winlink” next to the Open Session text. Click on “Channel Selection”, select a channel then click on “Select Channel”, then “Start” to initiate the session. ARES

Winlink Express Installation To add a digipeater(s), change the Connection type in the Session window from “Direct” to “Digipeater” and add the digipeater(s) in the field(s) to the right of the station (see below) ARES

Winlink Express Installation Troubleshooting Packet Issues Ensure the radio is tuned to the frequency listed on the station list you selected. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Troubleshooting Packet Issues Ensure the correct port and TNC are selected in the “Settings” menu. ARES

Winlink Express Installation Troubleshooting Packet Issues Ensure all cables are correctly plugged into the correct ports on the radio and laptop (serial cable, power, USB cable, antenna. If using a go-kit, ensure the antenna cable is plugged into the correct antenna mount. Ensure the power on the TNC is turned on. If none of these steps work, please contact Logistics or whoever is the on-call support technician for further troubleshooting. Do not take the go-kits apart or laptops apart unless you have express approval from Logistics or the on-call support technician. ARES

Questions ARES