4662 miles radio email sent w/ VARA HF from Oahu, Hawaii to Queensland Australia

The Winlink Global Radio Email..system is built, operated and administered entirely by licensed "Ham" volunteers. It supports email with attachments, position reporting, weather and information bulletins, and is well-known for its role in interoperable emergency and disaster relief communications. It is capable of operating completely without the internet--automatically--using smart-network radio relays. Licensed Winlink operators/stations use both amateur radio and government radio frequencies worldwide. Support for the system is provided by the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation, Inc., a US 501(c)(3) non-profit, public-benefit entity. Winlink Global Radio Email®️ is a US registered trademark of the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation, Inc.


KH6ML was able to send an email using only an amateur radio and PC. No internet No Problem!

Connection Detail:



Winlink Vara Connection to VK4LM @ 2021/04/09 06:22:47 USB Dial: 14100.000
Station Bearing: 231, Range: 4662 miles   RMS Trimode 1.3.37.0
{SFI = 076 On 2021-04-09 02:00 UTC}
Welcome to VK4LM located at Bouldercombe Central Queensland.

KH6ML, on Oahu Station info: Icom IC-7300 100watts
Using a MFJ-1778M - G5RV Junior Wire Antenna - Multi-Band center-fed dipole antennas. These are multi-band, center-fed dipole antenna capable of 1,500 watts. Designed as 3/2 wavelength antennas for 14 MHz, they provide reasonable performance on many other bands. They cover all bands from 40-10 meters with a wide range antenna tuner. They are 52 ft. long and are designed to be used as an inverted vee or sloper to be more compact. Specifications: Assembled Wire Antenna: Yes Wire Antenna Type: Multi-band, non-resonant Antenna Power Rating: 1,500 Watts Wire Antenna Length: 52.00 ft. Antenna Tuner Required: Yes Feedline Connection Type: UHF female, SO-239 Minimum Recommended Feedpoint Height: 35.00 ft. Wire Gauge: 14-gauge Center Insulator Maximum Rope Size: 0.375 in. Wire Antenna Weight: 2.90 lbs.

HERE is more info on the  K4LM Winlink Gateway in Bouldercombe Central Queensland  http://www.cqara.org.au/index.php/winlink

shed

Winlink hut coming together

site

Site preparations well under way

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Toyota loaded to the gills with gravel, about 1.5t. Decided to put 100kg of concrete powder on bonnet to help hold front wheels down for traversing steep road

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Mick VK4NHX fitting new hoses to machine

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Mick up and running building a new piece of road to negate the existing steep sections on the access road

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The crew digging the foundation holes. From left, Les VK4FLES on shovel, Chris VK4FGKO also on shovel, Bob VK4FRC on the water tank hose, Ray VK4XXX on the Dingo digger, arguing with the tough digging work. Ground is harder than concrete!

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When the digging gets tough, add more weight :-) from left, Mick VK4NHX, Trevor Bell, Chris VK4FGKO and Ray VK4XXX

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Mixing starts, from left is Les VK4FLES (our resident concreter) and Chris VK4FGKO on shovel!

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From left, Jack VK4JRC and trusty Dingo pouring in the mix, Chris VK4FGKO observing, Les VK4FLES guiding the mix into the hole and Mick VK4NHX (our resident foreman) supervising!

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Les VK4FLES finishing off troweling around the foundations.

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VK4LM Jack Picasso handy work :)

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At left, Mick VK4NHX, Les VK4FLES and Trevor cutting out insulation on tray of Landcruiser.

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Chris VK4FGKO and Ray VK4XXX installing insulation.

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It’s up and bolted down :-) Now to start the fitout.
From left Chris VK4FGKO, Mick VK4NHX, Jack VK4JRC and Les VK4FLES.

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Winlink site from the air.

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Winlink site from the air.

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View of winlink shed and what appears to be an abandoned vehicle :)

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Ray VK4XXX chief solar engineer at work!

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From left, Les VK4FLES, Mick VK4NHX (Project Works Foreman) Ray VK4XXX laying out panels on mounting hardware.

Solar panel brace installed by VK4LM and VK4NJR

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From left Mick VK4NHX, Merv VK4DV, Ray VK4XXX, Les VK4FLES (Concrete engineer) Neil VK4NJR. Taking advantage of cooler weather to get some more site works completed. Installation of the antenna feed point pole, for the sky loop antenna. Coax to shed has been laid underground in conduit. The RT-600 antenna tuner will be mounted on the pole and supplied with 12volts via a bias-t from the solar system.

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Chris VK4FGKO holding ladder for Ray VK4XXX as he slides the remote ATU enclosure up the pole.

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The enclosure final mount point at top of pole.

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Concreting Wireless Internet and VHF beam mounting pole and conduit into trench.
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Neil VK4NJR slaving over a hot shovel!

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Ray VK4XXX on shovel

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Jack VK4LM and Chris VK4FGKO working out 4G panel antenna mount.

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Les VK4FLES checking 4G panel antenna mounting.

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Jack VK4LM feeding cable into conduit.

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Kay VK4FKJW supervising work, Ray VK4XXX sorting cable into conduit
Chris VK4FGKO and Les VK4FLES taking a break.

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Today’s finished job! Battery installed, solar charger installed wired and working great. 19in cabinet in place awaiting equipment install. Loop antenna up and ready for some RF

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You can see the 4G patch antenna installed on the pole to the left, at this stage the yagi top left of shed is in use. We are modifying, updating and testing a number of things to make this gateway the best it can be.

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A view from a bit higher up. You can just pick out the VHF (vara fm) yagi atop the pole

winlinksmall

Ver 1

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Ver 2

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VK4LM Winlink node is online and installed in it's final site.

System is scanning dial frequencies 3590 7057 10130 14100 modes Ardop Pactor and VARA HF with a IC7200 connected to a Chameleon CHA SKYLOOP antenna. FT8800 on 144.075FM mode VARA FM on a home brew 3E horizontally polarized yagi. The PC stick has been getting a work out with concurrent connections on Pactor  HF and VARA FM VHF with out a problem.

We have been getting connections from ZL1 ZL2 ZL4 VA VK1 VK2 VK3 VK4 VK5 VK8 JA K7 SA6 as well as our local test team VK4JRC and VK4FLR on most bands and modes with good reports. Jack has been giving 160M a work out mobile also with great results (160M currently offline). Been able to maintain connections mobile on Mt Morgan range as well as Mt Morgan CBD. Capricorn Highway Burnett Highway and Gracemere CBD also work fine. Rockhampton CBD noise floor is a bit much. I have also used the gateway from the mobile on 30M in the CBD during the Emergency Services Day 2019. Watch this space for more mobile and field deployment testing.

Please Note: VK4LM is running VARA HF 4.3.2 and VARA FM 4.0.5

We have dropped support for Winmor. Over the last month (10 - 11/2020) winmor has been locking up VK4LM and has required a restart to release the TNC. Because of this we have been forced to remove it as a supported soundcard mode. Sorry of any inconvenience.

The below from www.winlink.org website.

10 July 2020 -- The Board of Directors of the Amateur Radio Safety Foundation voted in a recent virtual meeting to deprecate the WINMOR HF mode in the Winlink system. We request all HF RMS gateway sysops still offering WINMOR to remove it in favor of ARDOP, VARA HF and Pactor 3 or 4, where permitted by local rules.

The system will fill a big hole in the coverage of VKs East coast and the Pacific Ocean. It is a hybrid gateway so if the internet is down emails will be forwarded via HF radio to a node with internet it will then forward emails to the CMS.