howto:winlink
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howto:winlink [2019/08/02 16:50] – [Winlink Operating Modes] ve7hzf | howto:winlink [2023/11/05 04:54] – va7fi | ||
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====== Winlink ====== | ====== Winlink ====== | ||
+ | This section outlines how to send and receive messages with [[https:// | ||
- | ===== Winlink | + | ===== Operating Modes ===== |
- | + | ||
- | When composing a new message, you must choose how the message will be sent as: | + | |
- | * **Winlink Message**: Your station makes a radio connection to a Radio Message Server (RMS). The RMS makes an Internet connection to a Common Message Server (CMS) that is the central message repository. Your messages are sent via radio to the RMS and then through the Internet to the CMS until the recipient connects and downloads messages addressed to themselves. | + | |
- | * **Radio-Only Message**: Where as the previous mode relies on an Internet connection between the RMS and a CMS, this mode does away with the CMS and the internet connection it relies on. Instead, messages are sent to a designated RMS for storage until it is retreaved. This mode of operation can operate with local and total Internet outages. For testing and exercises, messages can be composed and sent into a Hybrid RMS as “Radio-Only Messages.” Because of the way these messages are tagged and the type of connection made to the RMS, these messages are forced to be handed using radio-forwarding mode even if the Internet is available. | + | |
- | * **Peer-To-Peer Message**: This mode of operation transfers messages directly from one client station to another client station without going through an RMS or a CMS and without the Internet. | + | |
- | * Both stations to be on the air at the same time and on the same frequency, which must be clear. | + | |
- | * Both stations must use the same transmission protocol (Packet, Winmor, Pactor, etc). | + | |
- | * Messages cannot be sent to Internet e-mail accounts. | + | |
+ | When composing a new message, you must choose how the message will be sent: | ||
{{ : | {{ : | ||
+ | * **Winlink Message**: Your station makes a radio connection to a Radio Message Server (RMS). The RMS makes an Internet connection to a Common Message Server (CMS) that is the central message repository. Your messages are sent via radio to the RMS and then through the Internet to the CMS until the recipient connects and downloads messages addressed to themselves. | ||
+ | * **Radio-Only Message**: Where as the previous mode relies on an Internet connection between the RMS and a CMS, the Radio-Only mode does away with the CMS and the internet connection it relies on. Instead, messages are sent to a designated RMS for storage until it is retrieved by the recipient. This mode of operation can operate with local and total Internet outages. | ||
+ | * **Peer-To-Peer Message**: This mode of operation transfers messages directly from the sender to the recipient without going through an RMS or a CMS and without the Internet. | ||
+ | * Both stations to be on the air at the same time and on the same frequency. | ||
+ | * Both stations to use the same transmission protocol (Packet, Winmor, Pactor, etc). | ||
+ | |||
+ | So the steps to compose a message are to: | ||
+ | - Select how the message will be sent as. | ||
+ | - Enter the recipient' | ||
+ | - And lastly, after the message is written, **Post to Outbox**, which saves the message locally and marks it to be sent. | ||
+ | |||
+ | Before initiating a connection (section below), you can write and post multiple messages to the outbox first. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== SSID ===== | ||
+ | Before going into more details, it might be worth taking a small detour to learn about SSIDs (the dash number after the callsign) since it has a different meaning depending on whether it's for APRS or Winlink. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Winlink Messages ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |||
+ | Messages that are marked to be sent as Winlink Messages require a Winlink connection: | ||
+ | * **Telnet Winlink** sends the message directly to the CMS via the Internet, by-passing the RMS. It's pretty much like sending an email and doesn' | ||
+ | * **Packet Winlink** is typically a VHF or UHF connection to an RMS, which will then connect to a CMS via the internet. | ||
+ | * **Pactor Winlink** is an HF connection to an RMS. It requires an expensive [[wp> | ||
+ | * < | ||
+ | * **Ardop Winlink** is another HF connection to an RMS that doesn' | ||
+ | |||
+ | For Winlink connections, | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | Once the table is updated, select an RMS near you, and ensure that the frequency of your radio matches that of the RMS listed in the table and press **'' | ||
+ | - All the Winlink messages in your Outbox will be sent to the RMS and forwarded to the CMS, and | ||
+ | - All the messages that the CMS has for you will be sent to your Inbox. | ||
+ | |||
+ | A few things to note about Winlink Messages: | ||
+ | * You can send a message to a station callsign (mine for example is '' | ||
+ | * You can send a message to a regular email address since the RMS has access to the internet. | ||
+ | * You can retrieve messages sent to your station callsign | ||
+ | * You can retrieve emails sent to '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Messages ===== | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | * **Packet P2P** is a direct VHF or UHF connection between the two stations exchanging messages. | ||
+ | * **Pactor P2P** is a direct HF connection between the two stations exchanging messages using the PACTOR protocol. | ||
+ | * < | ||
+ | * **Ardop P2P** is a direct HF connection between the two stations exchanging messages using the Ardop protocol. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Direct ==== | ||
+ | For a '' | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | * Ensure that the frequency of your radio matches that of the recipient. | ||
+ | * Ensure that the recipient has a P2P session open. | ||
+ | * There are two different transmit speeds: 1200 Baud and 9600 Baud. You can only use 9600 Baud if your radio can transmit at that speed AND if the other station is also equipped for 9600 Baud and listening at 9600. Otherwise, use 1200 Baud. A rule of thumb if you're unsure what the other station is using is to: | ||
+ | * Set to transmit at 1200 Baud (the other station will be able to receive you at either 1200 Baud or 9600 Baud) | ||
+ | * Set your standby receive mode to 9600 baud (so you'll be able to receive stations transmitting at 1200 Baud or 9600 Baud). | ||
+ | * press **'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | At this point, two things will happen: | ||
+ | - All the P2P messages in your Outbox addressed to the recipient will be sent to them, and | ||
+ | - All the messages that the recipient might have in their outbox addressed to you will be sent to your Inbox. | ||
+ | |||
+ | This second point is worth highlighting: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Script ==== | ||
+ | It's possible to connect to a station out of reach using a digipeater. | ||
+ | |||
+ | * The first step is to create a script: {{ : | ||
+ | * In this example, I named it '' | ||
+ | * Once saved, select it and press **'' | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you monitor the traffic as you connect to the digipeater, you'll notice a few things: | ||
+ | * Everything you send to '' | ||
+ | * Your callsign (in this case '' | ||
+ | * The exchange takes more than twice the time of a direct connection because unlike a voice repeater that repeats in real time, a digipeater waits for you to stop transmitting before it repeats it. | ||
+ | |||
+ | As Robert pointed out (see email with '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | <WRAP group> | ||
+ | <WRAP quarter column> | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | c ve7lso-8 | ||
+ | conn | ||
+ | c [callsign] | ||
+ | conn | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | <WRAP quarter column> | ||
+ | c ve7-8 | ||
+ | conn | ||
+ | c 2 [callsign] | ||
+ | conn | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | <WRAP quarter column> | ||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | <WRAP quarter column> | ||
+ | |||
+ | </ | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Digipeaters ==== | ||
+ | From Roberts Creek, VA7FI is able to hear the following digipeater ('' | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{pdfjs 800px, | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | **Important Caveat:** My knowledge of these stations is minimal. For more information, | ||
+ | |||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Winlink Message via Digipeater ===== | ||
+ | If a Winlink station (-10) is too far to be reached directly, a digipeater station (-8) can be used to relay the message. | ||
+ | * Write your message as a '' | ||
+ | * Open a '' | ||
+ | * Connection type: '' | ||
+ | * Add a script like this one:< | ||
+ | c ve7lso-8 | ||
+ | conn | ||
+ | c ve7gn-10 | ||
+ | conn | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | * Select your script and start. | ||
+ | |||
+ | In this example, my message will be sent to VE7LSO-8, which will repeat it to VE7GN-10, which will then send it to the CMS via the internet. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Message Templates ===== | ||
+ | |||
+ | Templates are a way to send complex pre-formatted '' | ||
+ | * Select a template from Winlink, which opens a form in your web browser. | ||
+ | * Use the web browser to fill out the form and " | ||
+ | * The attachment that's actually sent via Winlink is an '' | ||
+ | * Once the receiver opens the message, Winlink uses that '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | The result is that both the sender and the receiver see the fancy form, but only the actual information is transmitted (not the formatting). | ||
+ | |||
+ | If you use the same template often, there are two things you can do to expedite the process. | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Template Shortcut ==== | ||
+ | The first is to set a template shortcut: | ||
+ | * Click on '' | ||
+ | * Click on '' | ||
+ | * To use it, open a new message and click on the name you entered earlier. \\ {{ .winlink: | ||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Save Message Data ==== | ||
+ | Many templates allow you to save the message body so you can quickly reload it later. | ||
+ | * I first wrote the message I want to save **without the date** | ||
+ | * Then '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | When it's time to use it: | ||
+ | * I click on '' | ||
+ | * Click in the '' | ||
+ | * Then click '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | {{ winlinktemplate04.png }} | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ===== EasyTerm by UZ7HO ===== | ||
+ | <WRAP round todo box center 80%> | ||
+ | I'm still learning lots about this so please consider this section to be vastly incomplete and probably wrong. | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | An easy way to connect a radio to a computer using a Signalink is to use the UZ7HO Soundmodem program (see the [[howto: | ||
+ | |||
+ | For example, VE7HZF connected to '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | < | ||
+ | *** Connected to station VE7LSO-8 2019-09-02 6:33:56 AM | ||
+ | :>H | ||
+ | 497LSO: | ||
+ | BYE | ||
+ | PORTS | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | This is the list of commands that this station accepts. | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | ==== Setup ==== | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
+ | |< 100% 50% 50% >| | ||
+ | ^ EasyTerm Setup screen. | ||
+ | |I used '' | ||
+ | |||
+ | ===== Sources ===== | ||
+ | * [[https:// | ||
+ | * [[http:// | ||
- | Main source: [[https:// |
howto/winlink.txt · Last modified: 2023/11/05 05:08 by va7fi