My Adventures In… Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) CERT, SkyWarn, ARES Virginia Wireless Society January 24, 2020
Bio Started Programming as a High School Sophomore (1968) on IBM 1401 - Fortran Master of Engineering in Computer Science from University of Louisville in 1975 (Minor in EE) CompuServe -> AOL Beltway Bandit -> McDonnell Douglas -> Boeing (37 years before retiring in 2012) Developed Single & Multi User Operating Systems (long before CP/M, DOS, Windows, Unix, Linux, or iOS) Differential GPS for training at US Army’s Mobile Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) facility Air Traffic Management – Boeing Experimental 737 – Airframe system bus, IGS, Radar, GPS, ASDI Feed Local and Wide Area Networking for USSOCOM, USCENTCOM (Desert Shield/Storm) DoD Organizational Message Handling – Authentication, Non-Repudiation, Compartmentalized Implemented Large Scale Search Engines (long before Google, Bing, Yahoo) Latest Adventures ➢ CERT - 10/2018 ➢ HAM - Tech 12/2018, Gen 2/2019 ➢ ARES - Credentialed in 7/2019 ➢ Winlink - first discovered Winlink at the ARRL Field Day 6/2019 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 2
Preface Everybody has different requirements, budgets, and radios HF, VHF, UHF Mobile, HT, or Base Station Email User Interface (Windows, Mac, Android, iPhone) Your Level of Expertise in Gadget’ing There are many ways to skin a cat. Your mileage will vary. This presentation is based on my research and my implementation 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 3
My Initial Requirements • To be able to exchange Internet Email using either an Android cell phone or Windows PC when cell service and local Internet service are both unavailable. ✓ Off-Grid ✓ Power Outages ✓ Service Disruption ✓ Service Congestion • Work with my existing HT (Baofeng BF-F8HP) • Usable with future high-end radio purchases 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 4
Winlink Global Radio Email • Winlink is a worldwide radio messaging system that uses amateur radio bands and government frequencies to provide radio interconnection services that include email with attachments, position reporting, weather bulletins, emergency and relief communications, and message relay. • Administered by Volunteers • Financially supported by the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation • Also Known As • Winlink 2000 Network, WL2K or simply Winlink • But don’t confuse Winlink with Winlink Express , a Microsoft Windows Winlink Email Client ( Winlink Express was formerly known as RMS Express ) 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 5
Currently the Go-To App for ARES • Multiple ICS Forms Available on the Microsoft Windows flavor of Winlink Radio Mail Client • Weekly Check-Ins to confirm end-to-end system functionality – Winlink Wednesday 2787 Nodes (Radio Message Servers) to send/receive email to/from By Protocol By Band 908 stations using Packet 461 stations using Winmor 8 stations on 160m 3 stations on 12m 460 stations using Ardop 482 stations on 80m 53 stations on 10m 529 stations using Pactor 66 stations on 60m 13 stations on 6m 549 stations on 40m 781 stations on 2m 429 other 351 stations on 20m 16 stations on 1.25m 266 stations on 30m 118 stations on 70cm Packet By Speed 38 stations on 17m 15 stations on 15m 28 other 822 stations using 1200 53 stations using 9600 33 other 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 6
Packet https://winlink.org/RMSChannels 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 7
Winmor https://winlink.org/RMSChannels 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 8
Reporting Positions https://winlink.org/userPositions 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 9
Reporting Positions https://winlink.org/userPositions 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 10
Supported Communication Technologies 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 11
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Winlink Components R adio M ail S erver - RMS R adio M ail RF S erver - RMS Internet Radio Mail Client RF RF C ommon M essage S ervers CMS Radio Mail R adio M ail Client RF S erver - RMS Radio Mail Client RF Unlike APRS, multiple radio frequencies are used. Radio Mail RF P2P Multiple RMS stations can use same frequency. Client Routing info based on source and destination call signs 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 13
Mail Client Radio Mail Instantiations Client Newer Kenwood APRS Radios D710 & D72 Hardwired Connection Email Embedded • #1 Radio Speaker TNC SW App • Microphone • Transmitter Keying Email Embedded #2 Radio • PTT SW/HW TNC SW App • VOX • Tones Email #3 Radio TNC SW App Serial Data Protocols • Over Bluetooth or USB 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 14
#2 Mail Client Radio Mail SW TNC Client Windows PC Email Hardwired Connection #2 Radio SW TNC SW App • Speaker DireWolf Baofeng • Microphone Soundmodem BF-F8HP • Transmitter Keying • PTT Easy Digi Kit Could use internal Requires PTT • VOX Audio In sound card or or VOX • Tones Audio out USB sound card PTT (RS232) Be careful of VOX! Cannot use straight through audio in/out cables with Kenwood or Baofeng! They will keep radio keyed permanently. 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 15
Kenwood/Baofeng Too many wires & large footprint! MIC/SPK Diagram https://cupano.com/2018/12/27/packet-radio-connected-modes-with-the-baofeng-uv-5r-part-1/ 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 16
#3 Mail Client Standalone TNC Radio Mail Client Multiple Flavors Mobilinkd TNC3 --$120+$10(pigtail) Email Hardwired Connection Radio #3 TNC ▪ Small footprint • SW App Speaker ▪ USB rechargeable battery • ▪ Microphone USB and Bluetooth connections Baofeng ▪ Pigtails available for most radio models • Transmitter Keying BF-F8HP ▪ Designed for AX.25 and APRS • PTT Requires • VOX – Bad idea HW PTT MFJ TNC-X (aka 1270X) -- $139 • Tones – Radio must support it Coastal ChipWorks TNC-X -- $123 Serial Data Protocols TinyTrak4 -- $75 • Over Bluetooth or USB SignaLink -- $135 • Okay Out-of-Box for HF • Additional SW required for Packet Soundmodem DireWolf • Large footprint 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 17
TNC3 Firmware Updates f irmware-1_1_4.elf » 5.0 MiB - 34 hits - August 11, 2019 1.1.4: Do not detect carrier when no signal is present. This allows the TNC to work with a closed squelch. 1.1.3: Fix USB serial port behavior on Windows impacting Winlink Express. Improve 1200 baud decode performance. Change modulator to send HDLC idle frame during preamble (TX delay). 1.1.2: Fix corrupted packets caused by SLIP encoding error. Reduce packet collisions by fixing CSMA handling defect. 1.1.1: Fix issue where short 17-byte packets were being dropped. This defect impacted Winlink users. 1.1.0: This decreases the latency over BLE connections. It noticeably improves responsiveness of the iOS Config App. (This update does little if you are not on iOS.) 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 18
Mail Client Radio Mail Email SW Apps Client Winlink Express … Win Vista-10 Paclink ……………… Windows Paclink- Unix …….. Linux Pat …………………… Linux, Windows Email AirMail …………….. Windows Radio #3 TNC SW App Outpost ……………. Any PC • Hardwired Winlink Express • Bluetooth or USB Raspberry Pi Cell/PC/Mac “pat” Browser hotspot • Wifi 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 19
Windows PC Winlink Express VHF/UHF GPS HT TNC Bluetooth 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 20
VHF/UHF HT Raspberry Pi3 Cell “Pat” GPS Browser Power Wifi Pack Hotspot TNC 2200mAh 1000mA BT Configuration USB Ammeter Bluetooth Wifi 300 mA 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 21
Adjust Volume Level for TNC Power on TNC and Radio On HT, Open Squelch On PC or Android Make sure TNC is Bluetooth Paired Run Mobilinkd TNC Configuration Tool Adjust volume so it doesn’t overdrive Be sure to Disconnect Tool 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 22
Winlink Radio Mail Client • On PC… • Run Winlink Express • Create mail account - KW4SHP@Winlink.org Free to Use Registration is not necessary. But… • Supports ARSF and Eliminates Nag Screen • $24 per call sign 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 23
Winlink Radio Mail Client • On PC… • Run Winlink Express 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 24
• Compose Freeform Message • When done, Post to Outbox 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 25
• Select Outbox • Choose Session Type • Open Session 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 26
• First time use • Settings for TNC 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 27 27
• Channel Selection Picklist • Set radio to frequency • Click on Start • Watch Progress 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 28
Compose Message using a Template • Start with a blank Message • Select a Template 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 29
Selected form pops up in Browser • Fill in fields as necessary • Click on Submit 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 30
ICS-213 Form is converted to plain text. An attached XML file allows form to be recreated by Winlink Express addressees. 1/24/2020 Steve Palmer (KW4SHP) 31
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