[KL7AA] New ARES VHF RMS Available

[Ron]

KL7AA-10 is now accepting email connections from your VHF radio at 144.98.

This is a second Winlink VHF RMS in Anchorage, so you have WL7CVG-10 
(144.90) and KL7AA-10 (144.98) now.  These are used to support the ARES 
mission for emergency communications but are available for general use 
so you can practice using the process. Think of this as a modern form of 
Packet Mail.  This is not your Dad's Iceworm Network!

More info can be found at http://KL7AA.NET press the "Packet" Button on 
the top menu bar.

Being VHF it is basically a local service. Testing has shown Palmer and 
Wasilla should be able to reach the KL7AA-10 VHF RMS system and of 
course the WL7CVG-10 VHF RMS is easily within range as it is on high 
ground on JBER.  These two systems use different routes to the internet 
and thus one of them should remain available even in a crisis.

You still need to be running RMS Express, Packlink or Airmail 
applications.  As well as having a Kantronics 3, 3+ etc TNC as well.  
The list of possible TNCs for this is limited to mostly modern modems.  
So if you using a MFJ TNC odds are it won't work in this situation.  
Same with the old AEA TNC's.  Only Airmail still supports gear that old 
and even then most of that gear is no longer supported.  The Airmail 
program is no longer being supported for updates and will in time be 
dropped as an option.  All three programs are free and can be downloaded 
from Winlink.org.

RMS Express is the newest full featured program with an email editor 
built into the software.  It also supports many related modes of operation.

Best hardware practice is to get yourself a recent vintage Kantronics 
TNC, even the old Kam98 models still works for this.  If your lucky 
enough to have a Kenwood 710 radio with the internal TNC you may have 
some success as well, for sure peer2peer.  That said receiving an email 
from one of the VHF RMS's of size or with large attachments may prove a 
bridge too far.  The internal TNC in the Kenwood has memory limitations 
and have been known to hang up when large files are received over them.  
If you get a hang you risk losing the email since the only fix in that 
situation is to power the radio off/on which clears the memory.  The RMS 
will assume you received the message since the problem was on your side 
of the exchange and clears it out of its storage.

The recommended setup even using the 710 is to use an external TNC for 
Winlink service.  Perhaps Kenwood will add memory to the next version of 
their radios with an internal TNC.
I am not going to tell you the 710 won't work.  I am telling you there 
are known issues using it for large messages.  Sending a message is 
fine, it's when you receive a large message the problem pops up.

Along those lines any of the Alinco radios with an internal TNC will not 
work either.  That's because Alinco chose to use the cheapest internal 
TNC available at the time and even using it on regular old packet proved 
to be problematic.

If you have questions about how to use Winlink please ask, I will be 
happy to assist and in a worst case situation I will hunt an answer down 
for you from the Winlink Development Team (WDT).

Interested is hosting a VHF RMS yourself?  Ask and I will pass on the 
particulars of how to do that.   I would like to see two more operating 
in Anchorage for best coverage, maybe one on the hillside and another 
out by the Airport.  The Kenai Peninsula could use one in Soldotna or 
Kenai as well.  Just thinking out loud.  Idea is if one of the current 
two are busy or if there is a localized internet issue keeping some 
parts of town off the internet perhaps one elsewhere in town will remain up.


Ron Keech, KL7YK
ARRL, Alaska RMS Coordinator, South Central

---
This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active.
http://www.avast.com