Winlink & AirMail Intro

•

Winlink2000

system overview

– Global messaging service – Internet, HF & VHF/UHF components

•

AirMail

client program

(gotta have users) – Familiar interface, multi-mode

•

Gateways & Relays

, even APRS • What can

we

do with this ?

• Additional information references Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 1

Winlink2000 system overview

•

Global messaging service

: From the beginning,

Winlink2000

was designed to be compliant with IETF RFC 2821 in format so that it could provide direct Radio users and Internet third party users seamless, transparent email with attachments of reasonable size without any additional stress or learning curve.

This allows any mobile or portable operation to interface into the Internet e-mail system from virtually anywhere in the World over the various separate classes of users - such as Army MARS or the Amateur service. Each class of service is totally separated from the next so that boundaries and purposes are not mixed. Army MARS only sees Army MARS stations and users, while the Amateur stations only see other Amateur stations and users.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 2

Winlink2000 system overview

•

Winlink2000

is a worldwide radio messaging system that takes advantage of the Internet where possible,

to conserve radio spectrum

. Winlink2000 has been assisting the maritime community, NOAA, the United Nations, the US. Coast Guard and other agencies for over 6 years now. Only recently has it been brought to the attention of the greater emergency communications community due to recent domestic disasters.

• Several years ago, the Department of Homeland Security suggested to the

ARRL

that the Amateur community should design and maintain a national digital network for emergency communications purposes. Winlink2000 was their network of choice. Today, many ARRL Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES) and Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) groups have been deploying Winlink2000 across the country.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 3

Winlink2000 system overview

•

Internet, HF & VHF/UHF components :

The

Winlink2000

system is a "star" based network containing 5 mirror image, redundant COMMON MESSAGE SERVERS (

CMS

); located in San Diego (USA), Washington DC (USA), Wien (Austria), Halifax (Canada), and Perth (Australia). These ensure that the system will remain in operation should any chunk of the Internet become inoperative.

Traffic goes in and out between the

CMS

and the Internet email recipient, and between the end users and the RADIO MESSAGE SERVER (

RMS

) gateways. Multiple Radio-to-Radio addresses may be mixed with radio-to-internet e-mail addresses, allowing complete flexibility.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 4

Winlink2000 system overview

Winlink2000

appears complex, but each layer is simple.

This image will grow as additional layers are added, representing the various Winlink components.

Start

with 5 well-connected, mirror image, fully-redundant COMMON MESSAGE SERVERS (CMS) for the core ; located in San Diego, Washington DC, Wien, Halifax, and Perth.

These connect

Winlink2000

to the Internet and handle regular email Communications for the registered winlink.org users around the world.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 5

Winlink2000 system overview

Add

HF Paclink to connect via HF radios or the Internet to the core… Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 6

Winlink2000 system overview

Add

RMS Gateways, that connect VHF/UHF via Internet directly to the core… Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 7

Winlink2000 system overview

Add

AirMail Client stations, that can connect end users in many ways… Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 8

Winlink2000 system overview

Add

Relay stations for efficiency and to handle brief outages, Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 9

Winlink2000 system overview

Add

Peer-to-Peer for local traffic . . . and the map is complete.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 10

AirMail client program • Familiar interface, multi-mode capable:

To make it simple and attractive, a clean and functional client program was necessary to make this an efficient process.

AirMail

was designed to look and feel like more common email clients that folks were accustomed to.

This program can connect via HF, VHF, or the internet.

It shows an inbox, an outbox, and has an address book. You can attach small files, just like regular email. You can use this to send email to an internet address. Very simple, and straightforward.

We like simplicity .!.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 11

AirMail client program

• The first time you connect to a CMS it creates your account. You can then even access that account with your internet web browser. There is even an auto-white-list to help block SPAM.

• You can originate an email message with your computer and your radio that can be delivered to any valid internet email address worldwide ; …(think 3 rd party messages for a served agency)… … ( think

ICS213

forms, think Health & Welfare ) … … ( think . . . . . . . . . . . . . ) … Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 12

AirMail client program

• The main window looks like this.

• You compose and read your messages off-line.

You need some basic setup before you can send anything … Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 13

AirMail client program

• From the main AirMail window, select Tools, then Options : • Under the ‘Settings’ tab make sure to enter

your

callsign, and location • (This is not to replace the help file – but to show you some simple options to get started with . . .) Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 14

AirMail client program

• Then on the ‘Modules’ tab, you select which modules will be configured for use : • ‘Terminal’ is for keyboard sessions • ‘VHF packet’ is to setup your local RF link • ‘Internet’ is to connect via the internet with telnet Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 15

AirMail client program

• If you select the ‘VHF Packet’ module, click the ‘setup’ button : • Here you select your TNC and COMport & baud rate • In my case I’m using the AMPEstreams program which connects to AGWPE (because my TNC is really old).

•

Soundcard support and configuration will not be covered here

… Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 16

AirMail client program

• Or – configure the Telnet interface, and connect to the CMS using the internet. This is the easiest way to create your account initially.

(of course use

your

callsign, not mine) • I have both setup on my laptop; at home it connects over the internet, but I can take it portable and use a VHF radio and connect to an RMS Gateway . . .

•

I’m not going to cover HF here

… Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 17

AirMail client program

• Compose a new message • Post the message for sending • Connect, and it does both send & receive.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 18

AirMail client program

• With a TNC or soundcard modem, you would use the packet module, which connects and provides status, like this.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 19

Gateways & Relays, even APRS

• The basic idea is to get your (email) message to the internet, and allow you to retrieve messages sent to you.

• With the various gateways on VHF, D-Star, and even APRS – this actually works better than you might think.

• A new ‘Relay’ program allows a gateway station to even hold the messages during an outage for relay later, or by way of an alternate HF station… The relay software can even allow local traffic to deliver locally.

• Currently, there are more than 15,000 radio users on all the classes of users and approximately 100,000 Internet recipients. Monthly traffic averages over 150,000 messages. This

is

in place, and

is

working.!.!.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 20

HF & VHF Gateways

•

HF

enables long-range connectivity using Pactor 1, 2 & 3 •

VHF

provides last-mile connectivity using AX-25, D-Star & 802.11

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 21

VHF Gateways

• The new RMS Gateways have replaced Telpak, for widely deployed local VHF connectivity.

They connect in real-time to a CMS.

• VHF provides last-mile connectivity using AX-25, D-Star & 802.11

to the Airmail users.

• This map updates thru the day to indicate which relays have been active.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 22

VHF Gateways

• Looks like we have a bit of sparse coverage here in the deep south.

• My guess is that many groups have not yet recognized how well this system is working.

• We

all

can help by using it and spreading the word . . . . .

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 23

What can

we

do with this ?

• This network grows each time a new user registers on winlink.org via

Airmail

. If you have an internet connection (and who doesn’t these days) – you can download Airmail and setup with a telnet connection. Register your callsign. Take simple steps to expand.

• If you have VHF radios and an old idle TNC from the old days of packet radio, hook it up, and practice how you could use it if/when

your

internet was down. If you have enough equipment, consider establishing another RMS gateway in your area. To be most effective – each locality needs to have overlapping gateways, ideally connected via different ISP service. Think of contingency operations.

• If you have HF capability and digital desires, consider Pactor.

Yeah the fancy higher-speed modems are not cheap, but this

does work

– and during an emergency it may be

ALL

that is working.

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 24

Additional information

• There is so much more I have not even touched upon… • http://winlink.org

– for a lot of information.

• Be sure and download a copy of the FAQ : http://home.earthlink.net/~k7bfl/WL2K_FAQ.pdf

• Airmail comes from http://www.siriuscyber.net/ham/ • There are several Yahoo support groups related • AMPE http://www.qsl.net/mararc/ampe.htm

• Soundcard interface with VOX (thanks Skip) http://kh6ty.home.comcast.net/~kh6ty/JuneQST.pdf

Huntsville - Madison County ARES / RACES 25