[FADCA] Winlink 2000 (WL2K) and Classic Winlink

2 Mar 2002 21:19:05 -0800

I am encouraged by the discussion and response to this subject. It appears that we have the interest in developing a "responsible" response to a public safety need.

>From the messages and responses to my original and subsequent posts it appears that there is interest in providing a radio to internet connection to handle disaster messages and we may be able to handle some tactical communications also, but need to indentify additional stations in Florida that have or are willing to establiish "entry points" for VHF and/or UHF radio  connections to the internet to enable communications from an "effected area" to the State EOC.

Is there anyone to provide the Tallahasee work with the State EOC?

Russ, N4KOX

On Sat, 02 March 2002, "bud Thompson" wrote:

> 
> Deltona
> Saturday March 2  0720 EST
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: <[email protected]>
> Cc: <[email protected]>; <[email protected]>
> Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 10:04 PM
> Subject: Re: [FADCA] Fw: Internet/FBB/LINUX/FPAC
> 
> 
> > According to the Winlink page, as given below, there are 2 Winlink
> stations in Florida:
> >
> > Rockledge, Florida  KN6KB  on 145.090 and 441.000 + HF
> > Panama City, Florida N4RNM no vhf or uhf only HF
> >
> > Not quite enough unless the last mile is is from 200 to 300 Miles except
> Near Rockledge.  Do anyone know of more?
> >
> > Russ
> >
> 
> Hi - Further explanation -
> 
> The two "winink" stations listed in FL are WL2K stations.  There 
> is a difference between WL2K and Classic Winlink stations, the 
> latter does not have a connection to the WL2K CMBO. There are 
> also at least three active Classic Winlink stations in the state 
> - WX4J (Jacksonville), N4SS (Pensacola), and N0IA Deltona.  AE4DO 
> in Tallahassee has run a Classic Winlink in the past. 
> 
> For our Last Mile link to the outside wired world - It only takes 
> one station, any one, any where. 
> 
> 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. 
> 
> We should have an AirMail or WL2K station at the State EOC - work 
> on that, it may take a politician!
> 
> 73,
> 
> bud N0IA
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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