We had another Winlink session this week, with a concentration on P2P with packet. P2P is peer-to-peer, sending messages directly from one Winlink client (i.e. Winlink Express) to another without going through an RMS or the CMS. Five people brought their equipment this week, and we successfully accomplished P2P message transfers between three of them.
Next month we'll be playing catch up, trying to get everyone up and running with working Winlink accounts, getting RF working, and getting P2P working with both packet and VARA FM. If you're planning to attend the Advanced Topics class next month, please plan to bring your radio(s), computer or other computing device, and an interface if required (some radio/computer combinations do not require an interface device). If you need help figuring out what you need, let Jan (KD7ZWV) know or use the Contact Us form.
Our ultimate goal is to be able to haul our gear out into the wild and pass messages with Winlink. To that end, we want everyone comfortable with the following:
- Winlink Account Creation
- Telnet Connections
- RF Connections to the CMS via an RMS
- RF Connections P2P with packet
- RF Connections (to RMS and P2P) with VARA
- Using Winlink Forms
Being comfortable doesn't mean you are ready to teach someone how to do it, but it does mean that you're able to get your own setup working. You're encouraged to practice using Winlink often, send messages to each other, take your setup apart and put it back together, and understand the Winlink concepts. If there are any of these you're uncomfortable with, come to the meeting in June and ask!