GCARES in person meeting is Monday, February 24, 7 PM
We will meet at 7:00 PM in the Township Training Room in the lower level
of BTFD Station 61 (2195 Dayton-Xenia Rd, Beavercreek 45434, West end of
the complex, lower level near the Sheriff’s substation). The township
trustees have a meeting before ours that is scheduled to end at 7:00,
but they often run over a bit. If this happens, please be patient.
The meeting will be a workshop to help with setting up Winlink and
fldigi software and hardware interfaces.
I have set a goal to get more GCARES members proficient in the use of
digital message transmission. Should our assistance become required in
the event of a communications emergency, the ability to send messages
using digital radio will be important. We will focus on two systems:
Winlink is an email system that can be accessed via radio.
Fldigi is software that can interface to radios to send message files
from one station to another without the need for any infrastructure.
Files can be encapsulated such that nearly any type of computer file can
be sent over amateur radio, virtually error free.
To get Winlink, go to https://winlink.org and do a little reading. See
also the excellent information posted by KA0AZS at ohd3ares.org under
Training.
If you have a Windows computer, download and install Winlink Express.
The first time you run it, it will walk you through the registration
process.
If you have a MAC or Linux computer, refer to the section “Book of
Knowledge”. You might run Express using a virtual machine or you might
use the client program PAT. Or something else. If you need help, we are
having a workshop!
Once registered, run the program and select “New Message”. Address it
To: N8ADO CC: [your regular internet email address]. Subject: Test of
Winlink. Text: Hello World. Click “Post to Outbox”. In the box next to
“Open Session:” click the little pull-down arrow and select “Telnet
Winlink”. Click “Open Session”. In the window that pops up, click
“Start”. You have just sent a Winlink Message via the internet. Click
“Exit” to close the pop up window. Come to the workshop and we will help
with the radio part.
To get fldigi, go to www.w1hkj.org. Download and install the following:
fldigi/flarq flrig flmsg flamp flwrap
Recommended reading: www.w1hkj.com/beginners.html
You will want to have a way to interface the computer to your radio.
Some radios have built in USB interfaces that act like a sound card and
some include CAT control of the rig (can set operating frequency and
more). There are a number of add-on external interfaces available. I
like the digirig (from Giga Parts) that has a soundcard interface and
also a CAT interface for some radios. I also have a couple of SignaLink
USB interfaces that have the sound card type interface, but not CAT.
Typically, you order a radio specific cable to go with the external
interface, or build one.
For the workshop, bring your computer. Hopefully, with some software
loaded. If you have a radio interface, bring that and the radio (with
power supply). As much stuff as you wish to get working. If you already
have your station working well, come to the meeting and help others get
theirs going.
I plan to have an exercise during which we will practice sending digital
messages. It will not burn up a lot of time, but the intent is to send
several types of messages using both Winlink and fldigi. Tentative date
is Saturday, March 15.
I hope to see you at the workshop,
Bob Baker N8ADO AUXC
GCARES Emergency Coordinator