About Winlink 2000 and Packet Radio

WHAT IS PACKET RADIO?

A Short History - How it all began It was in March, 1980, that the Federal Communications Commission approved the transmission of ASCII for Amateur Radio in the United States. That was a year and a half after Canadian hams had been authorized to transmit digital "packet radio", and the Canadians had already been working on a protocol for it. Doug Lockhart, VE7APU, of Vancouver, British Columbia, had developed a device that he called a terminal node controller (TNC). It worked with a modem to convert ASCII to modulated tones and convert the demodulated tones back to ASCII. Doug had also formed the Vancouver Amateur Digital Communications Group (VADCG) and named his TNC the "VADCG board".

Hams here in the U.S. started experimenting with the VADCG board, but in December, 1980, a ham from the San Francisco Bay Area, Hank Magnuski, KA6M, put a digital repeater on 2 meters using a TNC that he had developed. A group of hams interested in Hank's TNC started working together on further developments in packet radio and formed the Pacific Packet Radio Society (PPRS). AMRAD, the Amateur Radio Research and Development Corporation, in Washington, DC became the center for packet work on the east coast, and in 1981 a group of hams in Tucson, Arizona, founded the Tucson Amateur Packet Radio Corporation (TAPR).

Working together these groups developed a modified version of the commercial X.25 protocol called Amateur X.25 (AX.25) and in November, 1983, TAPR released the first TNC in kit form, the TAPR TNC1. In 1984, a great deal of packet experimentation was done, software for packet bulletin board systems was developed, and packet radio started becoming more and more popular all across the U.S. and Canada.

What is WinLink 2000?

WinLink 2000 is a system that utilizes enabling technologies (VHF/UHF Packet, HF Pactor l, ll, lll, D-Star, 802.11) and sound operating practices to provide a full-featured radio digital message transfer system, worldwide.  E-mail transfer with attachments, position reporting, graphic or text-based weather bulletins, and emergency communications are now available separately to the Amateur radio, Army Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS), and UK Cadet Forces communities by linking radio to the Internet.

Here are some excellent links:

INTRODUCTION TO PACKET RADIO

Winlink 2000 Home

How to configure Airmail Telnet Client"

NTSD Links Page

KB9MMC File downloads

KB9MMC Powerpoint presentation on Winlink 2000

Winlink 2K Live RMS Nodes (click on KB9BYP-10 on the right and the map will zoom to Wisconsin)

Wisconsin Valley Radio Association Web Page on Winlink (Scroll to the bottom, past the map for some hints on configuring your software)

Excellent information on setting TNC Audio Levels

Sound Card Packet Engine (AGWPE) Download, Install and Configuration

WinPack (Windows-based packet terminal program) Download, Install and Configuration

Setting up AGWPE Packet Engine, Paclink and Outlook Express

A few comments before we get started: 1) It's best to start with a PC that is not used for anything else such as email, or anything using your sound card until you have this up and running. Since the programs used here are going to use com ports, sound card settings and your Outlook express. This will simplify configuration issues! 2) If you are currently using Outlook Express for your email and you want to use it with Paclink, DON'T click on SEND! USE SEND RECEIVE drop down and click your call sign account to send via Paclink. 3) In Paclick/FILE/POLLING INTERVALS uncheck both Poll every 60 minutes and Send automatically. 4) Make sure you have your radio set to 145.610 before you run Packlink or you will transmit packet over your repeater frequency! (Unless of course you have a dedicated radio for packet only).

In order to use Winlink Paclink, your need to create an account (free) at http://www.winlink.org/user/login

Note: PACKLINK MP is and older program. It has been replaced by Paclink. So if you're looking at the PowerPoint presentation ignore the MP. The installation is basically the same with a few screen layouts slightly different. PacLink: Is a WinLink 2000 client email server application that enables the use of a single or multiple computers with email program interfaces such as MS Outlook, MS Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Netscape, Eudora, etc. for the purpose of sending and receiving email via Telnet or VHF/UHF Packet.

PacLink utilizes the AGW Packet Engine to drive Packet modems, including computer sound cards. With one single PacLink application, in front of a firewall and behind a router, multiple computers may be enabled with radio email when used with the WinLink 2000 network system. PacLink has 5 automatic routing levels. AGW Packet Engine is a special Windows© utility for amateur radio operators who use 'Packet' digital communications. This unique program makes it possible for multiple Packet programs to access multiple Packet devices, such as TNCs (Terminal Node Controllers) or radio modems, and sound cards acting as radio modems. Generally most Packet programs can only use one device at a time and most Packet devices can only be used by one program at a time. The AGW Packet Engine changes all that. How to set up AGWPE Packet Engine and Paclink with Outlook Express"

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