There 7 or so VHF/UHF Winlink Gateways that show up on the map in the Dallas, TX area. So, even without HF you may be able to send and receive email via VHF by connecting to one of them. The HF option is very nice IF you have a Pactor III modem. I am looking forward to WINMOR myself.
Here is some info on the VHF/UHF side of things. A 1200 baud hardware TNC is very inexpensive or some people have reported good success with the free software/soundcard TNC from SV2AGW. <http://www.sv2agw.com/ham/sc.htm> Map of packet stations: <http://www.winlink.org/RMSPacketPositions> Two of those, N5BYL-10 (Plano) and KY5S-10 (Mansfield) show 9600 baud service on 440 MHz in addition to the more common 1200 baud 145 MHz service typically offered. Paclink (your user client program) can connect to the Winlink servers via 3 methods: 1) A telnet connection when your Internet service is working (you do not type at a telnet terminal, Paclink uses telnet in the background.) 2) A 1200/9600 baud packet radio connection if an RMS Packet gateway is nearby and has Internet connectivity 3) An HF connection which presently requires a TNC/Modem capable of Pactor I, II, or III. (Many users do not use this 3rd option.) The idea behind having the telnet connection is that at a given location the user does not need to know if the Internet connection works or not. If it is working your winlink.org emails come and go over the wired connection. When the Internet to your location is out your winlink.org email comes and goes via packet radio. If you use an HF option a licensed operator must "listen before you transmit" to avoid QRM and a lot of ill will from other users of the HF bands. Tim, N9PUZ (N9PUZ-10 Gateway in Springfield, IL) Warren Moxley wrote: > > Andy, > > I Live in Dallas, TX and there are neighbors who have relatives on the > coast who need Ham guys to help out in times of Hurricanes or some other > kind of emergencies. I heard that WinLink got its claim to fame during > the Katrina disaster, because of this WinLink got a real boost and has a > large base over other HF email solutions. > > "via the Internet abd the Telnet client." I am using Windows XP and do > not have a Unix computer, but can use telnet in command mode via DOS.. > Have not used Unix in years even though I retired from Sun Microsystems > in 2004. These days all my computers are Windows XP mainly because of > the software I use and my XYL uses. > > "WINLINK is easy and you do not need HF to use it" > Anyway, I thought the whole purpose of WinLink is to get email access > when you do not have internet access. If I have Internet access I don't > really need WinLink. So in my case I really need HF not VHF.. This is > what I want for emergency operations. When Power and communications are > down, we can use email via HF as a client. I do not have WinLink because > I have do not have a hardware TNC of any kind, just a HF Radio > (ICOM-746), PC (dedicated Lenovo NetBook 3g of memory) and a Buxcom > Rascal. I do use many of the digital modes via FLDIGIROL and really like > Olivia and Domino EX and FLDIGI has a email solution via psk250. I am > on 30m most days. I was looking for a software email solution when ran > into to a WinLink guy in California and he told me about WINMOR. I don't > think he knew it was not ready for prime time since he has a real Pactor > III TNC. It still looks to me that your are pretty much stuck without > this piece of hardware if you really need to do WinLink via HF. It looks > to me that WinLink is great for guys at sea who can afford the hardware, > but I don't see it for hams guys on limited funds. Maybe pskmail is > better for us guys without this expensive hardware. > > I do not have WinLink and I understand I do not know all of what It can > and can not do. > > So I really don't understand your answer, Andy. Please give me some more > detail and tell me what I am missing. > > Thanks in advance, > > Warren - K5WGM > > > --- On *Mon, 8/24/09, Andrew O'Brien /<[email protected]>/* wrote: > > > From: Andrew O'Brien <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [digitalradio] WINMOR > To: [email protected] > Date: Monday, August 24, 2009, 6:26 AM > > > > WINMOR is still several months from initial release. WINLINK is easy > and you do not need HF to use it, your can use it without Pactor via > VHF (Packet) or via the Internet abd the Telnet client. > > Andy K3UK > > On Sun, Aug 23, 2009 at 8:42 PM, Tim N9PUZ<tim.n9...@gmail. com > </mc/compose?to=tim.n9puz%40gmail.com>> wrote: > > > > > > I do not think an actual price has been mentioned but I recall the > > idea is just for the development team to partially fund some needed > > test equipment for future projects. An example mentioned a while back > > was "under $50" but I do not recall if that was from someone on the > > development team or not. > > > > With all they provide free of charge I expect that if it is not free > > it will be affordable for anyone who needs it. Consider that > WINMOR is > > a sound card mode. Since you don't have to buy even a 1200 baud style > > TNC, that would make WINMOR worth at least the $75 you might pay for > > the least expensive TNC kit you can buy. > > > > Tim, N9PUZ > > > > Russell Blair wrote: > >> > >> Warren, It's my understanding that WINMOR is not going to be free > >> software, that going to cost something. ? do you know what the price > >> goig to be.? > >> > >> Russell > > > >
