How to Access the N8QB-10 RMS Packet Gateway in Hoover, AL

How to Access the N8QB-10 RMS Packet Gateway in Hoover, AL operating on 145.010 MHz at 35w into 5/8 wave ground plane half way up Double Oak Mtn. near Hwy. 280 on battery.

Introduction
A "Radio Message Server" Packet Gateway is basically an improved version of a TELPAC gateway that provides an interface back into the worldwide WL2K system utilizing a standard TNC over VHF/UHF (rather than an expensive PACTOR modem over HF).

For an explanation of WL2K, please visit http://www.WinLink.org.

Using a PC, there are at least two ways to connect to a packet gateway with free software:

AirMail -- http://www.siriuscyber.net/ham/
PacLink -- http://www.winlink.org/files/Software--Client%20(for%20users)/Paclink%204.1.0.12%20Full%20install.zip

You may want to choose which software to use based on a couple of factors. One such factor is whether either program shown above supports your brand of TNC directly or whether it must utilize a middleware program, such as AGWPE, available at http://www.sv2agw.com/ham/agwpe.htm. AGWPE works fine, but if the packet software directly supports your TNC, it's best to cut out the middleman.

Another factor in deciding which software to use has to do with the way each program handles email, the heart of the system. AirMail is a self-contained program that not only connects to the packet gateway but also includes its own inbox, outbox, address book, propagation tool, etc. If you want to utilize Outlook, Thunderbird, or some other program for email, then PacLink is the way to go.

AirMail
AirMail has the ability to control your radio directly if it's listed in the Tools/Options/Connection tab. Most popular models from Kenwood, Yaesu, TenTec, and a few Icom's are supported. AirMail also supports several TNC's directly (without requiring the AGWPE middleware) including the PTC-II series, KAM, PK232, MFJ1278, and more. Other than selecting the type of radio, TNC type, comm port, baud rate, and setting the call sign (under Tools/Options/Settings), the default options should be fine. Also, under the Tools/Options/Modules menu, be sure to check the box next to "VHF Packet Client" which will make that module available from the menu system.

The first time you connect to the gateway, you should probably send a message to yourself to determine everything is working correctly. Once the options mentioned above are set up properly for AirMail, prepare a message to be sent by clicking on "inbox" and then clicking the File/New menu.

A dialog box will appear allowing you to add a new contact. After adding the contact, you can then select the contact as recipient. (All that's required is to enter text into the "Name" and "To" address fields. It is not necessary to include the email gateway, subject, or text in the "new contact" dialog box.)

Once a recipient is selected, a new message window is available for entering the subject and text of the message. After finishing the message, click on the gray mailbox in the upper-left section of software. This will queue the message for sending, which will occur after connecting to the gateway.

Next, select Modules/Packet_Client to prepare for a connection. You will notice another window is displayed. Make sure you're tuned to 145.010 MHz and enter N8QB-10 in the "Connect To" field, then enter your call sign in the "Connect As" field. (Just the call sign! No hyphen or dash with number after...) You should notice that the handshake icon is already selected, but if not, please select it.

Now you're ready to connect to the packet gateway. Clicking on the green dot icon in the upper-leftmost corner will cause the TNC to connect to the gateway and will cause AirMail to exchange any incoming and outgoing messages. The system will automatically disconnect once finished. Click "Close" to clear the packet client window out of the way and click on the Inbox to check for new messages.

The first time you connect to the system, an account will be set up for you on the main WinLink2000 servers. WinLink uses the concept of a "white list" of email addresses which are allowed to send mail to your WinLink.org email address. In order to receive a message from someone not on your white list, the sender must include the following text at the beginning of the subject line of their message to you:

/WL2K

This will allow the incoming message to get past the spam filter until you have a chance to add them to your white list. To send a message to your WinLink email account, it should be addressed to:

yourcall@winlink.org

In addition to HF propagation info available within AirMail, another nice feature is its ability to easily sign up for periodic reports to be sent to you on schedule (such as weather reports for ships at sea). This is the "catalog" feature within AirMail which allows you to request from among several bulletins, which can be found under the Window/Catalogs menu. After selecting a bulletin from the catalog, clicking the "close" button queues the request in your outbox. The catalog request will be sent the next time you connect to the gateway. (A reply will be sent on a subsequent connection to the gateway.)

PacLink
PacLink has the ability to directly interface with certain brands of TNCs such as PTC, KAM, PK, Kenwood, and "generic KISS." Additionally, PacLink has the ability to utilize the AGWPE middleware (but only if necessary). Hint: if your TNC is listed by PacLink, try that method first. If you get an error, or just can't get it to work, try using "generic KISS" as the TNC model. If all else fails, configure PacLink to use AGWPE.

Start by creating a new channel within PacLink from the File menu. You must decide which type of channel to create, one based on Packet_TNC, Packet_AGW, Pactor (via external modem), or Telnet. For purposes of connecting to the RMS Packet Gateway, you would want to either create a channel for Packet_TNC, or one for Packet_AGW.

In my case, after selecting File/Packet_TNC" I attempted to have PacLink directly access the built-in TNC in a Kenwood TH-D7 handheld by selecting that model from the drop-down menu and selecting the proper comm port and baud rate. I suspect there may be a bug with the "TH-D7 int" configuration file because I could not get it to work. However, by selecting "generic KISS" as the TNC type, I was able to use the direct approach and avoid having to run AGWPE.

If the "generic KISS" selection had not worked in PacLink for the TH-D7, the alternative would have been to configure AGWPE to interface with the TNC, and then configure PacLink to utilize AGWPE as though it were the TNC.

After installing AGWPE, and creating a port within AGWPE with the correct comm port and baud rate, select "TAPR TNC2" as the TNC Type and select "Kiss Simple" as the TNC Sub-type. All other default options should be fine, but you may want to change the text for "Port1" to accurately describe your station.

Assuming AGWPE is now properly configured, you should see a couple of modem/antenna icons in the lower-right taskbar. This indicates AGWPE is running. You are now ready to configure PacLink to utilize AGWPE.

From within PacLink, first select the File/AGW_Engine menu. A dialog box will pop up allowing you to browse to the folder where you installed AGWPE. (Mine was c:\Program Files\AGWPE\ but yours may vary.) Next, select "Local Machine," leave the other fields set to their default values, and click the "Update" button.

Next, create a channel using File/Packet_AGW menu and give it a name. I named mine TH-D7_AGWPE to remind me that this channel requires AGWPE to be running concurrently. Enter N8QB-10 in the remote call sign field. You should be able to select the AGWPE engine port1 from the drop-down menu, which should bear the name you gave it within AGWPE earlier. Click "Add New Channel" and then click "Close."

Next, you will need to configure PacLink to act as an email server for the local machine in order for Outlook or Thunderbird to interface with it. From the File/Site_Properties menu, enter your call sign... (without a dash/number combination after it) and enter a password that will be used by your email program. Enter your grid square and leave everything else as default settings. Click "Update" and click "Close."

The final step is to configure your email program to utilize PacLink as the email server. Configuration of an email program is beyond the scope of this document, but as a hint, you would set your SMTP server to localhost, set your POP3 server to localhost, and enter the case-sensitive password you chose within PacLink earlier.

With PacLink and your email program both running (and possibly AGWPE as well), create a message and hit the "Send" button within the email program. This will queue the message within PacLink.

Next, switch back to PacLink and select the Connect/AutoConnect menu. This will cause PacLink to connect to the packet gateway and send/receive any messages in the queues. After the system disconnects, you should have the email program check for new messages while PacLink is running.

Summary
With an RMS Packet Gateway available, AirMail and PacLink offer easy ways for someone with a limited budget to send digital traffic using 20-year-old technology. Virtually any TNC with KISS mode can be put into service with this free software. Also, both PacLink and AirMail support sending binary attachments, but please be courteous and limit them to a reasonable size, such as 120,000 bytes or less.

AirMail may also be used for NTSD traffic. For information on how to use AirMail with the National Traffic System, start here:

http://home.earthlink.net/~bscottmd/airmail_ntsd.htm

For current system status, follow this link: http://www.winlink.org/RMSpacketStatus.

73,
Robert, N8QB (Click my Call Sign for Email Instructions.)

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