I wont go too much into about what WinLink is as there is plenty of information on their site (https://winlink.org/). But in a nut shell - "Email over RF".
After my experience running a ALE Pilot Station and not having no much interest from local Australian operation using such mode. I decided to try my hand at setting up running HF/VHF WinLink Wingates.
Before I did this and I started of by installing the WinLink Express (client) software. This allowed me to easily configure my Yaesu FT-991A fairly quickly. Then via sessions I was able to try out and successfully contact and send / receive emails via HF to several other Australian operator providing Wingates supporting Winmor, ARDOP and VARA modes.
With that done and me up to speed with the client software, I turned to reading up on running HF and VHF Wingate.
WinLink VHF Packet WinGate
Starting of with the WinLink VHF Packet Wingate, I firstly decided to set up my BTECH UV-50x3 VHF/UHF rig along with my Mobilinkd Bluetooth TNC. I was able to install the WinLink Packet application and very quickly configure it to use "KISS TNC".
HF Winlink Wingate (Winmor, ARDOP and VARA modems)
With success of easily running and operating the WinLink Express client software with the FT991A I was expecting the WinLink RMS Trimode application to be just as easy.NOPE!!!! First hurdle was the FT991 was not among the set of support HF rigs under server side application. Fortunately I was able to quickly develop a little powershell script which acted as a "translator" between one of the rigs available under RMS Trimode. I opted for Kenwood TS590 to control the Frequency and PTT control via CAT commands. Using VSPE to have 2 virtual comm ports I was able to intercept the Kenwoods CAT commands and translate and even inject extra control commands to the FT991. My script is available on GitHub: https://github.com/vk4tmz/rigtrans
but please note its not refined by any stretch of the imaghination, but if you know your rigs CAT commands and have a bit of understanding of powershell you'll be able to alter it to suit your own needs. This sorts me out until hopefully the fine developers of WinLink RMS tools support FT991A.
Once I got over that little hurdle, the next challenge was finding clear frequencies that would have minimal impact on other operation as the station runs 24x7 fully automated. The modems (Winmor, ARDOP and VARA) have "channel busy" detection of sort. But it must be kept in mind that its up to operator wishing to connect to my wingates to perform due diligence and ensure to the best to their awareness the frequency is not in use. Wingates DO NOT auto beacon so until they are polled they will operate silently.
Once I had my frequencies selected which I opted to support / scan through 80-40-30-20-17-20m bands.
PLEASE NOTE: It takes ~45 secs for RMS Trimode logic to scan through and spend ~7sec dwell time on each band. So please ensure if trying to connect to any of my wingates you give it a couple of goes incase when you tried I just missed you polling attempts.
So witth the HF and VHF set up I'm hoping this service will provide valuable to Ham both Land and Maritime Mobile on your travels.
Please drop me a email via VK4TMZ[AT]winlink.org and say gday.
Why no Pactor Modem / Support
Pactor modems are very expensive and are not opensource. Many other stations around Australia seem to support Pactor, but at this time I've no intention to purchase one of these modems.That's all for now folks
73
de VK4TMZ (Mark)
I just found your article on HF/VHF wingate setup with the FT991A. you said that you had success sending and receiving email with it. I am having trouble getting winlink to work with the FT991a on HF. I live in a small town in the western part of Texas in the Chihuahua desert area that has no VHF connection within around 200+ miles. So winlink on vhf is useless here. I need the HF setup. Could you offer me advice and settings info on how you accomplished this? I have read that its possible to do with only the radios built in soundcard and winlink software and a usb cable to the PC but I can find no instructions on how to actually accomplish it on HF. The other articles that I have seen say HF/VHF but only show instructions for VHF settings and never get to the HF portion. I have tried what little I have found but when its time to try for a connection I get an error message that a com port is busy or something of that nature. recently the fiber optics cable supplying all public communications to our county was cut and the town was cut off for several days from the rest of the world until the phone company finished repairs. I work as a Hospital Maintenance Director/Safety Officer/Security Director and communications maintainer at a small local hospital and we were in the middle of a surgery at the time the lines were damaged and the Doctors needed a way to contact their office in another town to get info for an individuals surgery in the middle to the actual surgery. Amateur radio was our only reliable form of communication. I am the only active licensed radio operator in the county so I was the only one that was able to communicate besides the local police. but the general public has no access to their radio system so i was the only one that could handle any traffic messages. I desperately needed Winlink email over HF for several important issues. I just cant get it to work. I live in a area that has constant oilfield construction and our fiber-optics communications lines get cut frequently.
ReplyDeleteAny help/advice would really be appreciated.
73 and Thanks
Jeremy Martin KF5YKO