[FADCA] Florida Network and Winlink

[Russell Oder]

Several of the folks on the FADCA email reflector have responded to my 
request to Winlink Users to help with introducing Florida Department of 
Children and Families staff who have responded to our Department's request 
for staff to provide EMCOMMS support in a disaster.  I thank those of you 
who have responded and hope that others will so that we will have "Elmers" 
in all areas of the state.

I have also received responses from Winlink users/system resources providers 
from my post on the Winlink Yahoo mail.  My thanks to them also.

I met with Larry Workman who is coordinating the effort from our central 
office and demonstrated Paclink, TelPac, Airmail and Pactor.  He is now even 
more encouraged to pursue this means of communications.  He is experienced 
in IT, systems, organization development and management. He has outlined a 
good approach to use in the Department to follow-up on this concept.  While 
he is a relatively new HAM he sees the potential and was encouraged by what 
he saw.

My demonstration was brief, but we were able to both send and receive email 
using both VHF Paclink/Telpac and Airmail on HF with Pactor 3.  We did it 
from my car as it serves as a opportunity to see what can be done in a 
"portable" environment.

HE IS A LINUX enthusiast and understands networking, system development and 
system operation.  While he uses Apple, he knows that LINUX programs run on 
Apple computers, sees the potential that LINUX holds.

Russ