Questions
Slide 16 of 16
The real strength of Winlink 2000 is the distribution of receiving stations for varying bands and propagation conditions. There are 91 PMBO or 315 VHF TELPAC gateway stations available at most times, day or night. All we have done by using audible tones to transmit email text files is to put a ham radio operator in place of that first Winlink 2000 PMBO. The ham operator (rather than the Winlink 2000 system) receives the email text file and enteres it into the Internet
There are already more PSK31 and PSK 63 ham radio operators than there are portals into the Winlink 2000 system. If the Arkansas DECs and county ECs (and AECs) were ready to receive emergency email text files over PSK31 or PSK63, then there would be just that many more additional hams ready to receive these emails and pass them on to the Internet. Alternatively, this method of using audible tones to transmit email is simple enough to teach to any receiving ham sation during a QSO. One could contend that this system is so simple (and potentially so useful during an emergency) that all hams should learn how to receive audible tones using PSK31 or PSK63. We should do everything we can to be sure that a station sending emergency email traffic will be able instantly to find somebody to receive a PSK31 or PSK63 signals and enter it into the Internet.
Bottom line: Winlink 2000 is marvelous but expensive, and will not be available widely in the damage area. Ham operators with laptops could be dispersed throughout the damage area, and they could send out the emails as text files to hams who could enter them into an ISP and make arrangements for direct delivery to a person, not just send an email to an email mailbox.
