[FADCA] Winlink 2000 (WL2K) and Classic Winlink

[Dale Coleman]

At 08:32 AM 3/2/02, you wrote:
------cut--------
> > For our Last Mile link to the outside wired world - It only takes
> > one station, any one, any where.

Hi all, yes this is what is so interesting about the Airmail and WL2K 
system. Could be very flexible and give the portable station lots to work with.

> >
> > It doesn't have to be in FL - it can be elsewhere.
> >
> > Daily my Classic Winlink MBO station exchanges traffic with WL2Ks
> > KN6KB (Rockledge/MLB) and N4RNM in the Keys, and Classic Winlinks
> > WX4J and N4SS, as well as other stations in CT, TX, LA, WA, OR,
> > IN, VA, NC, NV, CA, MN, OH, and TN.  Those are just the network
> > stations I try to work - there are others I don't call. (Dale
> > has supplied a link to the list of Classic Winlinks.)  Any one
> > of those that is a WL2K is all we need to use to get outside the
> > Last Mile.
> >
> > On HF I use 80, 40, 30, 20, 17 and 15 meters every day to make
> > these contacts, and once in a while 10m.  HF is alive with digital.
> >
> >
> > Any EOC or incident command could set up an AirMail station on
> > vhf/hf to make these links  -anywhere an HF station might be utilized
> > in a tactical operation could be used as an AirMail digital station
> > to get traffic outside the Last Mile.  Ideally, "portable" or
> > shelter vhf packet stations would be using Airmail and
> > sending messages back to the EOC where they would be further processed.
> >
> >  This processing could be on to the layered packet network for
> > those messages not needing to go to the internet, or on to a WL2K/Airmail
> > station via HF. (We should have an AirMail or WL2K station at
> > the State EOC - work on that.   At the very least we should have
> > a PacTOR ARQ MBO there - then we would not be so pressed to work
> > the layered network all the way to Tallahassee.)
> >
> > Night time HF communications within the state do not lend themselves
> > to the highest throughput rates on digital modes due to propagation.
> >  While links can be made and traffic flows, the rates might be
> > better on 40 or 30 meters out a tad further than 200 - 300 miles.
> >
> > In a wide-spread Last Mile, there would be several HF stations
> > (ostensibly Airmail) inside the Last Mile working several WL2K/Airmail
> > stations on HF outside the Last mile - effectively increasing
> > the useable bandwidth.
> >
> > Yes,  we will want more stations - but we establish those as part
> > of our plan for tactical operations within the Last Mile.
> >
> > An example would be here in my area where there are five counties
> > in this "ARES District".  If each county EOC had an AirMail station
> > on  the layered network (three LANs), and one or more of those
> > had HF capability (HF Gateway), the District could get outside
> > the Last Mile here - whether a five square mile area in Orange
> > County or all of Seminole County.  Even if the layered network
> > were the wonderful web we visualize and the State EOC were on
> > it, it would be more efficient to get traffic from this distance to
> > the State EOC on HF.
> >
> > The purpose is to get information (e-mail messages) generated
> > within the Last Mile out to a station where there is an internet
> > link - or the wired station.  We only have to get the e-mail to
> > a WL2K station - any WL2K station- or to an AirMail station outside
> > the Last Mile that has the link to the CMBO through the internet.

The Airmail to Airmail idea is something I have wanted to experiment with 
for a while now. Anybody interested in this?
I just upgraded to a new PTC-IIe and can now run Pactor I or Pactor II. The 
controller just arrived on Friday and I ran my first tests with it today - 
was able to send a 4018 byte picture file on 17 meters in 2 minunts 20 
seconds and this includes the time for making the connect and checking for 
other mail (start to finish - impressed to say the least).

Please let me know if there is anybody that is more then about 300 miles 
away that would be interested in a schedule. The 300 miles is temporary as 
I have a new flat top 40 / 80 meter dipole on order and when it come in I 
should be able to work closer in.

Thanks, Dale

> >
> > We should have an AirMail or WL2K station at the State EOC - work
> > on that, it may take a politician!
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > bud N0IA
> >