[RVRC] K2GE-10 Radio Message Server for WL2K
drew Moore
drumor at optonline.net
Fri Jun 22 08:53:56 EDT 2012
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K2GE-10 RMS (Radio Message Server)
K2GE-10 RMS (Radio Message Server) on 145.05MHz is a server that is part of
the Winlink 2000 (WL2K) system http://www.winlink.org/ and has just been
moved back to its permanent home at the WB2SNN/R water tower site in South
River, NJ. Over a year ago, the WB2SNN repeater, K2GE-10, along with other
equipment, were moved from the water tower site to other locations so that
work could be done to paint the water tank inside and out, and perform other
maintenance. All the antennas and feed lines were removed from the water
tower so that this could be done. The work has now been completed and a new
radio building (a modified shipping container) has been deployed at the site
and it all really looks great. Warren, WB2ONA, did a great job at the
tower, and there are new antennas and feed lines for all the systems. This
should make K2GE-10 the best it has even been and the station should hear a
lot better, especially to the south. If you have had a problem accessing
K2GE-10 during the time work was being done on the tower, give it another
try now that it's back at its permanent location at the WB2SNN repeater
site. Congratulations to Charlie, WB2SNN, Warren, WB2ONA, Joe, KC2OBI and
everyone else that worked on this project- great job guys.
K2GE-10 is intended to be used as a portal for radio E-Mail users and
provides "last mile" wireless communications to/from the Internet in the
event that normal Internet communications are not available. The server and
associated equipment allows users to send/receive E-Mail messages to/from
the Internet via VHF radio at 1200 baud; messages are then passed by the
K2GE-10 RMS over the Internet to/from one of five CMS (Common Message
Servers) located in different parts of the world.
K2GE-10 RMS is made up of 3 major hardware components: Windows XP Pro PC SP3
connected to the Internet, Kantronics KPC3+ TNC (Terminal Node Controller),
and a Yaesu FT-2600M VHF FM radio. The server is running Version 2.1.1.14
RMS code and the WL2K ID is K2GE at winlink.org. The station is currently
running 10 watts of power (60 watts possible).
K2GE-10 deployed location is at the same location as the WB2SNN repeater:
Winlink sites (like K2GE-10) are also listed on APRS (not
the exact location is shown on the map):
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=K2GE-10
Grid: FN20tk
Lat: 40 26 192N Long: 74 22 582W
Decimal: Lat: 40.438611N Long: 74.382778W
A list of all of the K2GE stations on APRS:
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=K2GE*
<http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=K2GE%2a>
Current Status:
K2GE-10 has been in service for several years, communicating over the
Internet to WL2K CMS (Common Message Servers), and is sending/receiving
messages; the WL2K web site: http://www.winlink.org/RMSPacketStatus shows
the K2GE-10 server as operational. Please try the K2GE-10 RMS now that it's
back at its permanent location and let me know how it works for you.
The K2GE-10 RMS allows normal packet stations to connect: C K2GE-10 and
provides a 10 minute keyboard window. Although this is not the preferred
method to send E-Mail using WL2K, any packet program can be used and should
work for this. As an example, to use your keyboard to send an E-Mail
message via K2GE-10 with a regular 1200 baud packet connection on 145.05
MHz, do the following:
C K2GE-10 ç Connect to K2GE-10 RMS
sp <mailto:WA2NXK at winlink.org> WA2NXK at winlink.org ç Send a
private message to Walt
Hello from K2GE-10 ç Message Subject
This message sent using a keyboard connected to K2GE-10. ç
Start of message body
.... More text
/EX ç End of message, and will be automatically sent. No
confirmation....
BYE ç End of session
So existing packet stations with no modifications can use the K2GE-10 RMS in
"Keyboard" mode; the only extra item needed is a yourcall at winlink.org ID.
However, better interfaces to this RMS are available by using RMS Express,
Airmail or Microsoft Outlook Express that uses B2F protocol to do automatic
message transfer. These require reconfiguration of your TNC and the correct
software:
Client Interface into the system:
There is a lot to learn about WL2K, and K2GE-10 RMS is only a very tiny part
of a very large WL2K global system. I joined the "Loading WL2K User
Programs" Yahoo Group and took the "WL2K for Dummies" on-line assignment
course; Bud, N0IA (November Zero India Alpha), is the moderator of the group
and is very helpful. Course assignments are in the Files section of the
group called: "New Email Assignments". By taking the course, you'll have a
better understanding of many of the programs used in WL2K, and as part of
the course, download and correctly configure much of the software on your PC
that you'll later use for WL2K operations. To sign up for the free "Loading
WL2K User Programs" Yahoo Group and then take "WL2K for Dummies", you must
already be a licensed amateur, then using your Internet browser, just go to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/LOADING_WL2K_USER_PROGRAMS/ and sign up. As
part of the course, you will download and configure Airmail, RMS
Express(WINMOR), PACLINK, AGWPE, and other programs, and request a WL2K ID
(i.e., yourcall at winlink.org). Users are required to have a Winlink ID to
use the system, some examples are: wa2nxk at winlink.org, ka2oon at winlink.org
<http://ka2oon%40winlink.org/> . Once you have your ID, you can send WL2K
E-Mail using Airmail via CMS Telnet, and if you have a VHF radio, TNC, &
software, operate through our K2GE-10 RMS, or perhaps configure your system
to run Pactor or WINMOR on HF.
With a PC connected to the Internet, you can send text E-Mail messages at
lightning speed directly over the Internet to a CMS(Common Message Server) -
no radio or TNC required to do this, just a PC connected to the Internet, a
WL2K ID and Airmail3 software. Text E-Mail messages can be sent to anyplace
in the world, including to commercial E-Mail accounts, but you must first
send a text message to a commercial account before they can send one back to
you at yourcall at winlink.org.
APRSLink: http://www.winlink.org/aprslink
It's also possible to send messages to and from WL2K by using APRS. The
system has been tailored to work with a Kenwood:TH-D7, TH-D72, TM-D700 or
TM-D710, but any APRS station capable of sending/receiving short messages
will work. Click on: http://www.winlink.org/aprslink for full details about
this. Especially useful is if you want to find out the location of the
nearest RMS (Radio Message Server), then send an APRS message to WLNK-1 with
just a "G" in the message body. Depending on your current location, the
closest active RMS location will be returned to you.
The preferred method to send/receive Email via an RMS is with B2F protocol:
If you have a PC with a correctly configured TNC and VHF FM radio, you can
setup RMS Express, Airmail, Microsoft Outlook Express with PACLINK to
send/receive messages using B2F(a compressed binary format)
http://www.winlink.org/b2f My current favorite is RMS Express because it's
easy to use, works in many differ modes including WINMOR, VHF/HF, and
automatically attaches to an RMS (i.e., K2GE-10), sends and receives all the
messages that are pending, then disconnects. Setup of these systems with
natively supported TNCs (like the Kantronics KPC3+ TNC) is pretty straight
forward. RMS Express supports the TASCO modems that are in the Kenwood
radios (i.e., Kenwood:TH-D7, TH-D72, TM-D700, TM-D710 or TS-2000). Other
TNCs that are not natively supported will also work in this mode, but the
setup is more complicated and may require the use of AGWPE.
Please try WL2K, K2GE-10 RMS, and other associated software and let me know
how it works for you. Report any problems with the K2GE-10 RMS to me.
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K2GE-10 RMS (Radio Message Server) FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
Here are some questions (and answers) about the K2GE-10 RMS, Winlink 2000
(WL2K), packet radio (which includes APRS) in general, and some start up
questions.
K2GE-10 RMS is a server that operates on 145.05 MHz and is part of the
Winlink 2000 (WL2K) system http://www.winlink.org/; K2GE-10 is currently
located at the WB2SNN/R site in South River, NJ. K2GE-10 is intended to be
used as a portal for radio E-Mail users and provides "last mile" wireless
communications to/from the Internet in the event that normal Internet
communications are not available. The server and associated equipment
allows users to send/receive E-Mail messages to/from the Internet via VHF
radio at 1200 baud; messages are then passed by the K2GE-10 RMS over the
Internet to/from one of five CMS (Common Message Servers) located in
different parts of the world.
K2GE-10 is operational: http://www.winlink.org/RMSpacketStatus .
Location of K2GE-10: http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=K2GE-10
All current K2GE stations on APRS:
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=K2GE*
<http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=K2GE%2a>
Q. If I'm connected to the Internet, do I need a TNC & VHF radio to
send/receive WL2K messages? Do I still connect to K2GE-10 RMS?
A. No, all that's required is a PC with a connection to the Internet and a
WL2K ID (i.e., yourcall at winlink.org). E-Mail can be sent/received in a
couple of ways:
1. Using the Internet browser, click on http://www.winlink.org/webmail
Login to Webmail and read/send your messages.
2. On your PC, configure to use RMS Express, Airmail or Microsoft
Outlook Express with Packlink and a CMS (Common Message Server) Telnet
client. The remote call should be WL2K and the Remote Host is
Server.winlink.org. Run the CMS Telnet connection and it will automatically
connect to one of the five CMS and all pending E-Mail will be sent/received.
If the PC is connected to the Internet, then K2GE-10 RMS is not needed.
Instead, a connection is made directly to one of the five CMS (Common
Message Servers) using CMS Telnet. K2GE-10 is an RMS (Radio Message Server)
that is used to pass E-Mail to/from a VHF radio client to the Internet and
on to a CMS.
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Q. Why is the device used between the PC and radio called a TNC (Terminal
Node Controller)?
A. In the old days, folks connected these modem (modulator/demodulator)
devices to dumb terminals that consisted of a keyboard and video monitor or
a paper roll with a serial port all in one device. That's why the device is
referred to as a "Terminal Node" controller. Today, just about everybody
uses a PC instead of a dumb terminal, but in some setups, the PC is used
just like a dumb terminal - standard classical packet works like that.
However, there is software that can be run on a PC (example: B2F Protocol,
APRS applications, etc.) that can't be done with a dumb terminal. A TNC is
also referred to as a radio modem.
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Q. I'm having a hard time connecting my radio to a TNC (Terminal Node
Controller). How is this done?
A. The cable that's used from the PC to the TNC is a standard serial cable,
so just purchase this (typically it's a female DB9 and a Male 25 pin
standard modem cable). However, the cable that is used to connect the TNC
to the radio is always a custom cable. There are usually only 4 wires
needed to connect a radio to a TNC for packet/APRS - these are shown in the
sample lash-ups below. I recommend that you purchase a radio that has a
packet connector port on the back of the radio - yes if you're a real pro,
you can probably get any radio to work with any TNC, but it's much easier if
you have packet port instead of wiring into the microphone circuit. Notice
that the description names (below) might be slightly different in each of
the examples - that's because different vendors refer to the same thing
using slightly different names; read the names more closely, and see that
they really are the same. Don't be afraid to take a factory finished cable
with an end that's needed and cut the cable to create the final custom
cable. Using an Ohm meter, (you have one of those, right?), check the pin
connections and note the pin a wire color as shown in the samples below.
Here are a few connection samples for VHF 1200 baud packet/APRS:
Custom cable from KPC3+ TNC to Yaesu FT2600M radio: (the custom cable will
have a male connector on each cable end). Important: Use the factory
finished DB9 cable end to the Yaesu FT2600M radio, and the custom DB9 cable
end goes into the KPC3+; the cable is marked, but please be careful when
connecting the cable and follow this instruction.
Yaesu FT2600M Radio DSUB-9 (female) at back of radio.
Yaesu FT2600M Radio Description
Wire Color
KPC3 Plus TNC (female) DSUB-9 at back of TNC
KPC3 Plus TNC Description
1
Squelch Signal Output
Brown
2
Pkt Rx Data Out (9600 bps)
Red
3
Pkt Tx Data Input (9600 bps)
Orange
4
Pkt Rx Data Out (1200 bps)
Yellow
5
Receive Audio
5
Ground
Green & Braid
6
Ground
6
Not Used
Blue
7
External PTT Signal Input
Violet
3
PTT
8
DC Output (5.0V for acc)
White
9
Pkt Rx Data Input (1200 bps)
Black
1
Transmit Audio
Custom Cable Connections between Yaesu FT-8100R 6 Pin (rear of radio) to
Timewave PK-12 TNC
Two different finished end cables are used and these are joined together to
create the single custom cable:
· The cable that goes into the Yaesu FT-8100R started as a
RS8100A-06 (Mini din 6 Pin with two male ends) and was cut in half to allow
for the creation of two custom cables. It turns out that the Mini din 6 Pin
connector for the Yaesu is the same connector used for a PS2 Mouse or
Keyboard, so an old mouse or keyboard could be cannibalized if additional
connectors are needed.
· This cable was supplied with the PK-12 and has a large round 5 pin
connector.
Yaesu FT8100 Radio Data Pin
Yaesu FT8100R Radio Description
Wire color of the 6 pin mini din
Wire color of the PK-12 cable
Timewave PK-12 TNC Pin
PK-12 TNC Description
1
Data In
Black
White
1
Transmit Audio
2
GND
Brown & braid
Brown
2
GND
3
PKT PTT
Red
Red
3
PTT
4
Data Out 9600
5
Data Out 1200
Yellow
Green
4
Receive Audio
6
SQL
Here is a lash-up that connects a Tiny Tracker III Plus (TT3 Plus) to a
Maxon-Midland SD-125 data radio for use in APRS. It is the exception to the
rule in that is has a 5th connection for 12 Volts to power the TNC.
Normally, 12 Volts to power the TNC is done separately:
TT3Plus
Pin
TT3 Plus Pin Description
Color of Wire
wire colors may change depending on the serial cable used
Radio Pin
Maxon-Midland
SD-125 V2 Radio Pin Description
1
Audio Out
Brown
7
MIC In AF
2
Carrier Detect
Red
6
Carrier Detect (Squelch)
3
PTT
Orange
3
PTT
6
Ground
Blue
4
Ground
7
B+ (12 Volts DC)
Violet
5
B+ (12 Volts DC)
Custom cable from KPC3+ to Yaesu FT8100R radio: The cable that's connected
into the Yaesu FT-8100R started as a RS8100A-06 (Mini din 6 Pin with two
male ends) and was cut in half to allow for the creation of two custom
cables. It turns out that the Mini din 6 Pin connector for the Yaesu is the
same connector used for a PS2 Mouse or Keyboard, so an old mouse or keyboard
could be cannibalized if additional connectors are needed. The other
(custom) end of the cable that goes into the KPC3+ is a DB9 (with a male
connector).
Yaesu FT8100R Radio
Yaesu FT8100R Radio Description
Wire color
KPC3 Plus TNC (female) DSUB-9 at back of TNC
KPC3 Plus TNC Description
1
Data In
Black
1
Transmit Audio
2
GND
Brown & braid
6
Ground
3
PKT PTT
Red
3
PTT
4
Data Out 9600
5
Data Out 1200
Yellow
5
Receive Audio
6
SQL
Looking at the samples above (except one) all the connections are done with
just 4 wires, and the exception is just that 12 Volts is wired into the
connector and not as a separate 12V line as is usually done. Don't be
afraid to start out with "factory finished end" cable and modify the cable
to your needs. Cables can be cut and two cables can be joined to create the
final custom cable. Also, read the documentation, and then read it again.
Important: when looking at a hook-up diagram in the user manual, be sure
that you understand which end of the connection you're looking at. Is it
the radio/TNC end or the cable end? Also, for DB9 connectors, and many
other connectors for that matter, have the pin numbers are stamped on the
connector (look hard, the pin numbers are stamped there). A good soldering
technique (this is a tip from Charlie, WB2SNN), for attaching wires to a DB9
connector is to fill the selected terminals with solder first, then while
heating the terminal, insert the wire into the terminal - this works well.
If all else fails, check the Internet for a supplier that will create the
custom cable for the TNC to radio that you need - don't give up just because
of a bad cable.
Some radios like the Kenwood TM-D700A, TM-D710A, TS-2000, and others have
built-in TNC, so no external cable between the radio and TNC is required.
Now that the hardware is connected, it's time to start a packet program and
set some basic parameters and the audio levels. On some of the new TNCs,
audio levels are set with software, and on others, a pot (usually at the
back of the TNC) that can be turned with a screw driver is used to
increase/decrease the signal level into the radio. If the PC does not have
a serial port, a USB to Serial Port adapter can be used. Let's assume that
the TNC has been connected to COM1 on the PC. Then on a Windows PC, click
on Start, Control Panel, System, Device Manager, Ports (COM & LPT), right
click on the device, Properties, set Port Settings to: 9600,8,N,1,Hardware.
Don't get confused by the 9600 speed - this is the speed (9600 baud) that's
used to communicate between the PC and TNC. The TNC/radio will actually run
On-the-Air on at 1200 baud in this example. Hint: VHF packet is 1200 baud
and UHF is generally 9600 baud - it's a little harder to get a 9600 baud
packet signal levels setup properly. On-the-Air speed is determined by the
amount of bandwidth you have and there is generally more bandwidth available
at higher frequencies.
Start a packet program, let's just use Hyper Terminal for this example (any
packet program will do), and set it to COM1 and the speed to 9600. Usually
hit enter on the PC to get to a cmd: prompt. Your callsign must be entered
with any new TNC or if you have reset the TNC (example: MYcall WA2NXK). In
the case of the KPC3+ TNC, Newuser mode is the default and this only
provides a limited number of commands. Try to connect to K2GE-10 (C
K2GE-10) on 145.05MHz to see what happens and it might be that the default
audio levels are correct and it will just work. If it does,
congratulations.
However, most of the time, levels need to be set. If you have a KPC3+ TNC,
get out of Newuser mode so that a calibrate command can be issued. To
properly set the levels, another receiver tuned to your transmitter output
frequency is required to monitor the signal. Pick a packet frequency like
145.05 MHz, set your radio to the lowest power level and put the output into
a dummy load, now type in CAL (short for calibrate) into the program and hit
enter. Sometimes a "K" command is used to start and stop the transmission,
in other TNCs a little menu will show what keys to hit to run the test.
While transmitting and listening on another receiver, adjust the level
either by software or by turning the pot on the back of the TNC until the
level sounds right. For example, if the radio has a properly working 16
digit DTMF pad, push the B key on the pad and this level should be about the
same level (1750 Hz) as your packet tone - adjust "by ear" as required. The
deviation should be around ±2.5 kHz ~ ±3.5 kHz. This is a rough estimate
for 1200 baud packet and should work OK. For 1200 baud packet, try to
adjust this by ear to get into the ballpark, but for 9600 baud packet, this
usually requires instruments to make the level adjustments correctly -
contact one of the folks on the RBRA technical committee for help with this.
Good luck. If after trying this, and it still does not work, give me a call
and we can try to work on it together.
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Q. I want to learn more about classic packet radio (not WL2K). Where can I
find this information?
A. Try http://www.choisser.com/packet/
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Q. How do you send/receive WL2K messages from APRS?
A. http://www.winlink.org/aprslink
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Q. Someone told me that there is very little VHF/UHF packet activity
anymore. Is this true?
A. Yes, it's true that the amount of classic packet activity (PBBS, etc.)
has decreased, probably due to high speed Internet and free E-Mail as much
as anything else. However, APRS (Automatic Packet/Position Reporting
System), which is packet radio, is very busy. 144.39 MHz, which is the
National frequency used across the US for APRS, is perhaps the busiest
frequency in all of amateur radio. Listen on 144.39 MHz to the "packet
bursts" that almost never stop. Other packet activities like DX Clusters,
Bulletins, and to a much smaller extent, WL2K, have picked up some of the
slack. Speeds of 1200/9600 baud are very slow when compared to broadband
Internet, but it can literally be a "life-saver" in emergency situations
when Internet services are not available.
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Q. What kind of equipment and software are you using to access K2GE-10 RMS?
A. One of my stations consists of an HP laptop running Windows 7, KPC3+ TNC,
Yaesu FT-8100R radio, and Airmail software. Here are the details:
HP DV7 PC running Windows 7 (64 bit). The PC does not have
a serial port, so a USB to serial adapter is used.
The TNC is a KPC3+ and the radio is a Yaesu FT-8100R. The
lash-up of the TNC to the radio is shown above (look at the last example
shown connecting a TNC/Radio in one of the previous questions.)
Airmail software Version 3.4 beta has been installed and
provides 3 possible connection modes: CMS Telnet Client (when the PC is
connected to the Internet), dumb terminal which allows Keyboard mode and
connection to other classic packet stations, and Airmail using B2F protocol
to K2GE-10 RMS.
After installing the Airmail client, in the packet setup,
the TNC device selected is a KAM+ instead of a KPC3 so that XMITlvl
(Transmit Level) would not be inadvertently changed by the software.
XMITlvl 100.
Another station is a PC running Windows XP Pro that has both Airmail and
Microsoft Outlook Express with Packlink software.
Yet another station is a Windows 7 Pro desktop PC, a RocketPort II USB to
Serial adapter (COM1 through COM4) into a Kenwood TM-D700A using RMS
Express B2F (this works great).
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Q. Can I communicate to MARS stations?
A. Yes, it's possible to send/receive messages to/from MARS users. There
was a short while (perhaps a few weeks) that the people at MARS determined
that WINMOR and WL2K did not provide the necessary security and failure
robustness that their systems require, however, this has changed, and MARS
message traffic can again be sent via WL2K. For example, to send a message
to Skip's (K3GNZ) MARS account, send a message to AAT2BF at winlink.org.
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