Winlink Information
The Rural Iowa Amateur Radio Club operates a VARA FM Winlink Gateway on 145.070. The callsign to connect to is W0OEL-10.
What is Winlink?
Winlink is a network of stations that allows you to send email over radio without the internet.
You can send email with attachments, weather reports, disaster assessments, ICS forms, and position reports, which makes it very useful for our club's mission.
Winlink isn't limited to a particular radio/brand or frequency/mode. Here in Fayette County, we have a VARA VHF RMS Gateway, but you can also use HF. Sending messages either through a RMS Gateway station or peer to peer directly to another station.
You can also use the gateway as a digipeter to send emails or other messages between 2 stations outside the range of each other, while both are in range of the gateway/digipeter.
Winlink Equipment
Items needed to connect to our VHF RMS Gateway (W0OEL-10)
- Amateur Radio Transceiver (VHF). A mobile radio with a 9600 baud connection is the best, but you can use almost any VHF radio, even a handheld. Of course, you will need a power source and antenna for the radio. Click here for a list of 9600 baud capable radios. Some of these can be purchased new, others are older models that can be found at a discounted price on online sites or hamfests.
- Windows Computer with following software. Out gateway is running VARA software, which currently is only available for Windows. If you are handy with Raspberry Pi, Mac, or other systems, you might be able to get VARA to run on that system through some sort of emulation.
- VARA FM - VARA FM can be downloaded at https://rosmodem.wordpress.com/. There is no cost to download the software. The software will run in Narrow mode (1200 baud) without purchasing a license. To take advantage of the faster speed that is available with our gateway, you can pay $69 to allow the VARA FM WIDE (9600 baud).
- Winlink Express - WinLink Express can be downloaded for free at https://downloads.winlink.org/User%20Programs/. This software is the email client that allows you to send and receive email messages.
- Interface between radio and computer. We recommend the DRA series by Masters Communications. The DRA-50 is most common as it will use the 6 pin mini din jack on the radio for 9600 baud, which will allow for the fastest connection speeds. There are other interfaces available, like SignalLink, DigiRig, RigBlaster. These other options typically can't reach at fast of speed as the DRA, but they will still work. If you already have one of these, we can make it work.
- NOTE: Eric (N0ZJT) has a 3D printer and can print you a case for the DRA with your callsign on it so you don't have to purchase one from Masters Communications.
Winlink Tips
Whitelist email addresses for use with Winlink
Whitelist Explained - N4SER has a nice article on how to whitelist email addresses so they can get passed to your Winlink address.
Using Tactical Addresses in Winlink
Tactical Addresses - Read this article from Winlink regarding Tactical Addresses
The rest of this page is still in progress