Ham Radio And The Winlink 2000 Digital Communications System WL2K
During Emergencies Ham Radio operators will be doing More of their communications Using Ham Radio Digital Modes.
That Means We will send & receive messages With computers connected to Ham Radio s With a special interface That functions like a modem.
Currently Winlink 2000 -Is the Digital Ham Radio system used by a majority of the Counties in The State of Oregon.
Who Will We Communicate With We could send and receive Digital Communications between C.A.R.S. And Stakes throughout the Region
Who Else? We could send and receive Digital Communications between C.A.R.S. And City, County, and State EOC s
Who Else? We could send and receive Digital Communications between C.A.R.S. And Church Headquarters
To perform this task we will use AirMail and/or RMS - Express Software This Software is free to Ham Radio Operators and looks like regular email, and can also interact with regular Email.
Peer To Peer Message s AirMail and/or RMS - Express Software Can also be used to send messages directly between stations without going through the WL2K system. This is very easy to do and should also be practiced by Ham Radio Operators who are in communications range of each other.
AirMail Message Screen
RMS-Express Message Screen
In essence what we will do is E-Mail via Amateur Radio
In Clatsop County We are increasing the number of trained Ham Radio Operators that are able to provide Digital Communications during Emergencies. At Locations Such As: The Clatsop County EOC Providence Seaside Hospital Cannon Beach Fire As well as other locations
Digital Communications Are: 1) Much faster to send and receive messages compared to voice communications. 2) Able to get to the recipient with no errors. 3) Capable of being sent to multiple recipients when going thru Winlink. 4) Able to accept attachments such as images when it is a critical need. 5) Very quick and easy to learn. 6) Able to have the messages typed up by the originator, and then handed off to a Ham Radio Operator so it can be sent off to its destination. 7) Easy to duplicate if a paper copy of the message gets lost.
When conventional communications have been disrupted or overloaded by an incident. Ham Radio may be needed to step in and fill the void for critical needs.
Local? Unfortunately, in today s World, we cannot predict the frequency, size, nature or location of our disaster areas! We Must Prepare NOW! Regional? Global?
Winlink 2000 is a very dependable, Emergency Communications System that bridges any distance around the World. Radio Radio
Winlink is very easy to use It looks like e-mail and uses familiar software like Outlook You have an address book and a spell-checker The software allows multiple recipients (to:, cc:) You can send and receive multiple attachment It is a very easy system to learn
What Can We Provide With Amateur Radio? We can Provide digital communications with between the following (EOC's, hospitals, shelters, the Bishops Storehouse and Regional Stakes) We can Provide Voice communications with those same entities. We can Report health and welfare information for those in our Stakes, Ward, and communities. Formal, Structured written emergency traffic.
Brief Overview of How The Winlink System Works
How? do Hams do that?
Radio Access CMS Halifax CMS San Diego CMS Perth Redundant Common Message Servers 5 Servers Worldwide Upper Level CMS-sites This Is How: The WL2K System Works Upper Level CMS-sites (Share the load but any ONE can run the ENTIRE system) - callsign@winlink.org Internet Mid Level RMS-sites Links: HF Radio VHF/UHF Radio D-Star data radio WiFi, Telnet, Web User Level Conventional Email Users & Agencies Radio Message Servers (RMS) RMS HF Gateway = HF RMS Packet Gateway = VHF Existing Packet Ham Radio Networks Users Running Airmail & Winmor
User Level Users = Ham Radio Operators At The User-Level of the Winlink System Ham Radio Operators are Running AirMail and/or Winmor Software Over Ham Radio Equipment To Send and Receive Messages for Served Agencies.
Clatsop County Ham Radio Operators at Camp Rilea Sending Messages Over WinLink Using AirMail
RMS-Sites RMS = Radio Message Servers At The Mid-Level of the Winlink System These are gateways that Ham Radio Operators connect to, and then His or Her message is routed automatically on to one of the 5 World Wide CMS Sites. This Can be done with VHF, UHF, or HF
VHF/UHF-Radio RMS Sites
VHF/UHF Radio RMS Site Near Bishops Storehouse
KD7IBA-10 RMS-Site With Satellite Internet And it has backup Emergency Power Providence Seaside Service Area VHF RMS-Sites WA7VE-10 RMS-Site Land Based Internet. It is one block away from Providence Hospital. If its Internet fails, This RMS-site automatically becomes a Digi-Peater which means everyone can start connecting to KD7IBA-10 thru WA7VE-10
HF-Radio RMS Sites
HF-Radio RMS Sites
HF-Radio RMS Sites
HF-Radio RMS Sites
VHF/UHF-Radio RMS Sites
HF-Radio RMS Sites
CMS-Sites CMS = Common Message Servers This is The Upper-Level of the Winlink System
Worldwide Winlink CMS-Sites CMS=Common Message Server CMS CMS CMS CMS CMS Perth, Australia San Diego, CA Washington DC Halifax, Nova Scotia Wien, Austria (Vienna)
New Addition for WL2K WINMOR Is Now Here WINMOR = WINlink Message Over Radio WINMOR is a new sound card based message protocol intended to be a Lower cost alternative to Pactor for HF access to the WL2K system:
What s Needed to Use the System To Access an RMS Packet Gateway (Local) Computer with Airmail software To Access an RMS HF Gateway (Worldwide) Computer with RMS Express or Airmail software VHF/UHF Radio Packet TNC (KPC-3+, TNC-X, etc or Radio with integrated TNC) HF Radio TNC with Pactor 1,2 or 3 or WINMOR Virtual TNC like a SignaLink USB
There is no substitute for Practice We must use our Radio Equipment This will insure that: we know how to use the equipment This will insure that: our equipment is ready and working This will insure that: we know how to interact with the agencies we serve, weather it be the Red Cross, Hospital, Police station, a County EOC or Stakes around the region.
Traditional Packet using AirMail You can also do Traditional Packet Radio with the AirMail Software. Last week using AirMail for Traditional Packet Radio I posted messages on the International Space Station for some of my Ham Radio Friends in Clatsop County.
AirMail and Telnet for Practice I have put together a list of Instructions so people can start now using AirMail with Telnet (over the Internet). Then you will be able to send and receive message with the WL2K system without a TNC for now. This is a great way to practice so that during an Emergency you will be able to help out using this Ham Radio Communications Tool. After you get a TNC, you can do this with your Ham Radio Equipment. The Instructions that I put together include the following 1) Downloading and Installing the AirMail Software 2) The Setup Process for AirMail 3) Configuring AirMail for Telnet 4) Creating your Address Book 5) Sending your first AirMail Message