Colorado ARES R1D5 (ARESDEC) conducted a hands-on Winlink exercise at the Parker United Methodist Church on Saturday, February 19th and again on Saturday, July 9th. Perry, W6AUN, organized the trainings in an effort to have members come to a location and set up a Winlink station and receive help from fellow members if they ran into problems. Members were able to successfully send Winlink messages on both HF and VHF/UHF.
Setting up a station in the field or at a shelter location can be a challenge. There are always unexpected issues to deal with and sometimes leaving behind that one little cable can cause a major problem. So, being able to practice bringing the go-kits out, setting up radios, antennas, power sources and computers is a valuable experience that can help you prepare for a real deployment.
As always, there were some unique problems that popped up. When computers are involved in the actual communications, there can be many more issues to deal with, compared to just setting up a radio and microphone. The software, operating system and computer-to-radio interface come into play and can create additional challenges. These training exercises help everyone work through the issues with their fellow members and hopefully come to a solution.
Additional Winlink exercises are scheduled in the future so that members can continue to practice their ability to set up a Winlink station in the field. The goal is for R1D5 members to be proficient in setting up and properly operating a Winlink station in a field location.
FEBRUARY 19, 2022 WINLINK TRAINING WORKSHOP
JULY 9, 2022 WINLINK TRAINING WORKSHOP
