Email and Text via Ham Radio

[Sailor]

Just a quick test this morning as I was free from the family for a little bit. Pardon the quality of the video, holding a dslr in one hand and 3d printer noise in the background.

Setup is Yaesu FT-817D, Signalink USB and attic wire antenna. Using RMS Express to send myself a text via HF radio through an RMS express node that is located in GA.

Later I will show this setup in the field, low power, and also via VHF locally.



[video=youtube;I3zKiZvj2yg]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I3zKiZvj2yg&feature=youtu.be[/video]

 

[dusty88]

Thank you Sailor. When I finally buy a radio and start learning I'll be reviewing your posts and hopefully taking a class from you.

 

[Sailor]

Post up an questions you have, many ham guys here can get you on the right path.

 

[gutpile]

Too friggin neat

 

[foszoe]

Text files and pics can also be sent.

Read up on Win Links 2000.

Digital modes such as Dstar are also interesting. Hams talking to each other during Katrina were actually sending data files on the digital bandwidth while talking.

 

[PistolBob]

Text files and pics can also be sent.

Read up on Win Links 2000.

Digital modes such as Dstar are also interesting. Hams talking to each other during Katrina were actually sending data files on the digital bandwidth while talking.

Over the internet..so as long as there is internet....

Some DStar radios can send images, data, point to point if they are within range of each other too...which is nice.

 

[gutpile]

lets be realistic, in a total GTH situation(emp, or worse)..no use. However in a regional sense like me my adult kids are farming and ranching in northern florida and one in michigan lets say the new madrid tears up the midwest knocking out comms for a while. This setup could allow communication with loved ones from the disaster area on a schedule TO the OK areas not affected enabling meetups,supply transfers etc...... i am curious of the maximum range of such a set up to a station/node for transfer to the internet/ cellular networks. this may push me into the Ham arena as well as the adult kids. damn sure something to thing about......Thanks Sailor

 

[Sailor]

I have sent small pictures with this mode. It is very slow going. I only intend to use this mode to contact non ham family or friends. Range is more a matter of your hardware/skills remote message servers are located all over the world with the main common message servers located here, Australia, Canada and Europe.

 

[Sailor]

Quick test, changed out the radio to FT-857D and antenna to a Chameleon Mag loop. Long wire antenna's in thick brush can tangle on everything. This mag loop is my fastest antenna to set up. For field use the loop is thick coax not the aluminum. Put it on the patio table and and connected to an RMS node in the Catskill Mountains of NY. Successful email sent. [video=youtube;H7v_gK6K5Kw]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7v_gK6K5Kw[/video]

 

[Sailor]

Same test, different antenna. Trying the Chameleon Mil-Whip. Successful HF to email through a node in St. Louis. If anyone wants to try some P2P tests let me know. I am usually available in the evenings.

[video=youtube;XDzkCcbAtns]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDzkCcbAtns[/video]

 

[Sailor]

My smallest and lightest setup if talking to other hams. The only missing item is the phone I used to take the picture. Tiny antenna, and cables to interface with my android.

Used my other TNC and my tablet to send an email. Confirmed contact with St. Louis, Knife River MN, Catskill Mtns in NY and GA.

 

[PistolBob]

Sailor...do you know what the capacity of these email systems might be? Do they use the public internet to relay the email or is this all carried on RF?

 

[Sailor]

The traffic between the remote message servers what I call nodes and the large common mode servers is via the internet. The 5 large CMS are are carbon copies of each other and located SW USA SE USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. I don't know their capacity but they have been serving the sailing community for a long time. http://www.philsherrod.com/Winlink/Radio_Only_Winlink.pdf

All the traffic to the nodes is via Pactor (high speed high expense modem) winmor soundcard modem, telnet, or VHF Packet. I have only used Winmore and VHF packet.

My goal is always to connect to a node well outside my area and send emails or texts.

Did some testing today will gather up some results when I have time.

I am also looking and PSKmail using my android phone. I need to read up and test that.

 

[Sailor]

6 contacts to RMS Express nodes last night using the MPAS antenna made by Chameleon in the NVIS configuration. The height was about 12-15 feet above ground. All at 5 watts with the FT-817.

 

[padawan]

Like others have stated... Its INGO users and projects like this that will probably finally push me into HAM.

Very nice setup Sailor.

 

[bb37]

For a long time (I've been a ham for 25 years), I was against Winlink. I saw it as overly complex and a little self-serving.

Let me explain that last point. Many users of Winlink in non-emergency situations are ocean sailors who want/need a way to exchange emails primarily with non-hams. To some, this usage is outside the purpose of amateur radio because it involves using amateur radio as a substitute for commercial communications services. In other words, these sailors are using a free, non-commercial point-to-point service instead of using a paid, commercial satellite service.

However, as someone involved in auxiliary communications, I now choose to set aside my concerns and see the value of Winlink in an emergency situation.

The basic structure of Winlink is that you, the user, run a client program (RMS Express) on your computer to connect to a node using either VHF packet radio, HF digital radio, or telnet (Internet). Once connected, you can enter a message into the Winlink system. This message looks like an email. The nodes then connect to a server and the servers exchange your message in order to get it to a destination. There are at least 5 of these CMS servers scattered around the world and they all have very solid connections to Internet backbones. And, there are many RMS nodes around the world that can connect to a CMS server.

Your message can be directed to another Winlink user or to anyone with an email address. Therein lies one of the real utilities of Winlink. To an outside user, the message, either to or from the Winlink user is just another email.

The other real utility of Winlink is the diversity of radio connections that you can make. From my home in Brownsburg, I can connect to a local RMS node in Indianapolis using packet radio over 2 meters (think small antenna and inexpensive radio). Or, I can connect to a more remote RMS node via HF radio and the Winmor data mode using any HF band (larger antennas and more expensive radios, but more possible nodes to connect to). Depending on propagation conditions, I'm pretty much guaranteed of being able to connect to an RMS node. In addition to these user-to-node connections, I can also use any of the above connection paths to connect to another user in a peer-to-peer fashion. So, if I'm unable to connect to an RMS node directly, I might be able to connect directly to another Winlink user and, if he's able to connect to a node, he can forward my message into the Winlink system.

I'm a firm believer that most emergencies are local. Take the current Hurricane Matthew. This is a bad situation for anyone living along the southeast Atlantic coast (Florida, Georgia, South Carolina). But, for us in the midwest, we might get only a little rain. Folks in the impacted area who are dependent on the "last mile" of Internet or cellphone coverage may experience extended communications outages. But, the rest of the country will be OK. The ham in Miami, Orlando, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston area who can use Winlink will still be in good shape. Even though his neighbors might be cut off from the Internet world, our Winlink-enabled ham can throw up a wire antenna into a tree, fire up his battery-powered HF radio and tablet computer, and still send an email to family or friends. Having that ability sounds like preparedness to me.

Here's a link to a YouTube video that explains how Winlink works: https://youtu.be/1v330_1dezw
The K4REF YouTube channel has several good videos about how to use Winlink for auxiliary communications.