1. WINLINK GLOBAL RADIO EMAIL
Getting Started with Winlink Express
WINLINK GLOBAL RADIO

2. What is Winlink?
Worldwide system for sending/receiving via radio
Provides from almost anywhere in the world.
Mature, well-tested and full featured system.
Adopted for contingency communication by many federal, state and county government agencies
Used by the National Guard
Used by infrastructure-critical NGOs such as International & American Red Cross, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, DHS Tiered, AT&T Disaster Response & Recovery, FedEx, Bridgestone Emergency Response Team, etc.

3. Primary Winlink Networks
Amateur Radio - Over 10,000 amateur users are registered.
Winlink is used by most off-shore sailors. Operates within the international amateur radio frequency space.
SHARES - Federal system providing HF radio contingency communication for federal agencies. SHARES operates on NTIS, federal frequencies that are not part of the amateur radio frequency space.
MARS - Military Auxiliary Radio Service. Provides contingency communication for U.S. military. Operates in NTIS MARS radio frequency space.

4. What Winlink Offers for EmComm
Reliability, Accuracy and Flexibility:
High reliability (99.99% availability for 15 years)
100% accurate message transmissions.
Radio connection bridge to Internet
Radio-only store and forward without Internet
Geographical dispersion and redundancy for reliability
Peer-to-peer connections between radio end-users
Various levels of security including message encryption
Interoperability: Connect different types of systems

5. What Winlink Offers for EmComm Continued
Bridge different radio capabilities (VHF/UHF/HF)
Bridge protocols: Pactor, Winmor, Ardop, VARA, Packet.
Standard format with many features
Binary file attachments (pictures, pdf, spreadsheets)
Automatic message compression/decompression
Encrypted attachments using the encryption program you choose. No need to convert to letter groups.
Time independence and frequency agility
Not limited by station-to-station propagation

6. Winlink Definitions
Client system – Radio, computer with Winlink Express software, TNC (or sound card) and you, the end-user!
Radio Message Server (RMS) – Radio gateway between the client (end-user) and the Winlink system backbone.
Common Message Servers (CMS) – Winlink backbone.
Multiple CMS locations.
Redundant, fault-tolerant.
Located on 3 continents.
One CMS is sufficient for normal system operation.

7. Winlink Architecture
CMS RMS (Gateway) Client (You)

8. Winlink Connection Modes
HF Pactor – Fast but expensive - $1,500.
HF WINMOR – Much slower, but reliable (Sound card mode)
Ardop and VARA – Faster alternatives to WINMOR (Currently available in BETA update of Winlink Express)
VHF/UHF Packet – 9600 baud, $ , $100.
Telnet – Non-radio connection through the Internet.
Iridium GO! – Satellite phone connection.
MESH network to Winlink “Post Office” (RMS Relay).
Telnet peer-to-peer between to Winlink Express users.

9. Winlink Express Email Client

10. System Requirements
Microsoft-supported 32 or 64 bit Windows OS (Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 2003 Server, or later), or under Windows on Apple Mac machines using a VM engine or dual boot arrangement.
We no longer recommend Windows XP for common support and security reasons, and we will not address technical problems that arise as this OS ages without Microsoft support.
The program makes minimal CPU demands with the exception of WINMOR operation. The heavy DSP demands of WINMOR require a computer of at least MHz Pentium/Celeron class and at least 512 Meg of memory.
If multiple applications are running concurrently, we recommend a faster computer and more RAM.

11. Download Winlink Express
Go to Winlink.org, click on the link to Winlink Express, and follow the instructions to download. You will download a Zip file containing the installation package.

12. Typical Home or EOC VHF/UHF Winlink Station using Packet/Pactor

13. Typical High-Speed Pactor 3 HF Winlink Station

14. A Winlink Express Station (using Winmor, Ardop, or VARA sound card modem)

16. WINMOR
Winmor is an HF digital soundcard mode designed primarily for use with the Winlink 2000 radio- network. Winmor provides an alternative to expensive PACTOR hardware modems at speeds between Pactor 1 and 2.

17. Amateur Radio Digital Open Protocol - ARDOP
The ARDOP project is a joint development effort among amateur radio developers that seeks to provide a specification and implementation (software or hardware) for a modern versatile open digital protocol.
Open Source Design
Flexible Implementation
Audio bandwidth options (200 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz)
Supports FEC and ARQ operation
Strong resistance to multipath propagation
Flexible Operating modes and radios

18. Amateur Radio Digital Open Protocol - ARDOP

19. VARA
VARA is a High Performance HF modem based on OFDM modulation. VARA Modem, brings  state of the  art Military  grade technology to  new  and  existing HF data.
Introduces a new  standard of technology available for Amateur and  Commercial use. Designed for operation within a SSB Bandwidth of Hz.

20. VARA

21. WINMOR RMS

22. ARDOP RMS

23. VARA RMS

24. Packet RMS

25. PACTOR RMS

26. Winlink Setup

27. Get a Winlink Account Steps
Download, install and configure Winlink Express (or other client software).
Connect with the system (send a message) to create your account. Your radio address is
Use the form (lower right) to have a password sent to your new address. Retrieve it using your client program.
Use your callsign as your username, and password to log in here.
Winlink accounts stay alive only with radio use. Accounts off-air for days are automatically purged. Use it or loose it!

29. Preferences

30. Best Channel Setup

31. RMS EXPRESS MAIL BOX

32. Compose a message

33. Check Winmor, Ardop, or VARA Capture Device

34. HF Channel Selector

35. Wait for channel to be clear…

36. Start Session

37. Observe Session

38. Check Sent Items and Outbox

39. Troubleshooting
Check soundcard settings to be sure correct input and output devices are selected.
Adjust levels so receive audio is in the green.

40. Now get on the air!