Wednesday, April 24, 2013

Winlink using Robust Packet

Helge DF8LS has just published a web page showing how to send and receive email on HF using Winlink and the SCS Tracker TNC. I just sent an email to myself (isn't this one of the signs of madness?) and it was received, so the instructions are obviously good!

A Winlink session on HF
Mention of Winlink seems to cause strong emotions in some quarters. Personally I think using ham radio to send and receive email is rather cool, even if it is too slow to use for today's level of email use. It's a pity more hams don't activate their Winlink account, which is callsign @ winlink.org .

If you use APRS then you can also send and receive email by that means using a feature called APRSlink. The trouble is, I use it so infrequently that I forget the commands. It would be wise only to use it if the APRS channel is quiet like it is here.

3 comments:

Patrick said...

I did some succesful tests one day with PSKMail.
It uses PSK125 and PSK500 with the FlDigi software.
The advantage is that you can use your normal digimode setup with the soundcard modem, instead of the SCS Tracker.

http://pskmail.wikispaces.com/

73 Patrick ON4CDJ

Unknown said...

Yes, that could be an advantage, though here the SCS Tracker is always connected to my K2 for HF APRS use and I don't have a soundcard connection to that radio.

73 Julian, G4ILO

ishbel07 said...

Winlink is a lot more than email ... the catalogs make a fantastic array of weather reports and grib files available. The system is extremely popular with long distance sailors. That smart phone stops fairly quickly offshore. The winmor software allows you to access the same system with a sound card based modem... then there are position reports via aprs in the system as well ... only problem is new comers with 150 watts of digi not listening before they tx although this is getting much better. m0dki / kf6uiy