MARS addsWinlink to e-comm arsenal

After a thorough study of security and connectivity issues, Army MARS has launched the final phase of implementing Winlink 2000 with Airmail as a system-wide communications tool. A global MARS-Winlink 2000 network is expected to be in service by summer 2006.
    Grant Hays (AAA9E/WB6OTS), MARS Eastern Area Coordinator, announced the new undertaking. He said Winlink 2000 will provide rapid and reliable interconnection between government entities served by the Military Affiliate Radio System and the broad range of local and regional agencies accessed by Amateur Radio generally.
     Army MARS is an organization of some 2,500 amateur radio operators specially trained and licensed for military communications. The Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps field similar volunteer teams. Their shared mission is providing emergency communications to the Department of Defense and other government departments.
      Winlink and its client, Airmail, got extensive use during last year’s hurricane season by other volunteer Ham organizations. These included the Amateur Radio Emergency Service sponsored by the American Radio Relay League, and the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service, a FEMA auxiliary.
     In past emergencies ARES and RACES have informally linked with MARS through members whose stations participate in multiple systems. With Winlink 2000, Hays said, the different networks will continue to operate separately and independently, but the new software will automatically move messages between them as needed. It will also switch traffic to the Internet, where available and appropriate, to bridge any radio gaps or to deliver addressed e-mail.
      Winlink is augmented by Airmail, another program developed within the Ham community, for message management. Like Winlink, Airmail is free and can be downloaded from the Internet. MARS implementation will utilize both.
     Army MARS has long operated its own MMCS (MARS Message Center System,) utilizing short-wave radio to deliver messages throughout the U.S. as well as to military installations overseas. Before the advent of e-mail, keeping servicemen and their families and friends in touch was a major function. Disaster readiness has overtaken that function in the last decade and continues to expand.
During the catastrophic 2005 hurricane season, amateur operators provided indispensable backup when normal messaging systems failed. Like the telephone system, Internet service is also vulnerable during disasters: computers depend on electric power. That had been a significant concern for MARS management, but WL2K has the capability to automatically establish alternative routes utilizing its large number of participating amateur stations.
     Steve Waterman, (AAR4WU/K4CJX) of Nashville TN, the Winlink 2000 Network Administrator and a member of the Winlink Development Team, is the MARS team leader for the Winlink 2000 implementation.
Waterman said, “The amount of redundancy built into the system is really substantial. Among other things, where appropriate, Internet accessibility will take the load off the limited number of frequencies that are available for the MARS service.”
The Winlink 2000 network augmentation is one of two innovative technology projects currently underway in Army MARS, according to Coordinator Hays. In conjunction with Air Force and Navy-Marine Corps MARS, members are also testing an advanced implementation of ALE (Automatic Link Establishment.) This is the HF radio technology already widely used by military units and government agencies for moving traffic in large volume. MARS volunteers developed the software themselves. Hays said. Winlink 2000 and ALE can work in tandem to speed delivery of messages.
        MARS members utilize military frequencies allocated by the Department of Defense. Only MARS members can directly access the MARS WL2K system, Hays said. Messages to and from the amateur participants outside MARS would be interchanged automatically at designated PMBO (Participating Mailbox Operation) stations.
“While only designated members are authorized to use ALE, all MARS members may use the Winlink 2000 system after registering their call signs and passwords at one of the MARS participating stations. Four Winlink 2000 participating stations were fully operational for the  start of system testing. Others will be added as needed,” Hays said.
Early versions of Winlink and its predecessor, Aplink, have a long history in MARS going back to the early 1980s. However, concern for communications security delayed adoption of the advanced Winlink 2000 facility until recently.
        Working with team leader Steve Waterman on the MARS-WL2K project are Paul
Drothler (AAA4TN/WO4U), Crossville TN; Laurence Collins (AAA9NV/K7DMB), Las
Vegas; Don Nutt (AAR7JG/N6TDM) Greater Kansas City area, MO; and John
Scoggin, (AAA9AC/W3JKS) Newark DE.  Scoggin is the MARS National Automation
Coordinator. Drothler and Collins are state MARS Directors and Nutt is a
National Coordinator for SHARES, the Shared HF Resources network linking
federal agencies including MARS. All are experienced engineers.
        “Army MARS identified a real need to provide digital messaging to complement the existing voice and digital systems,” said Waterman. “It becomes a critical need as the demand for more and more capacity approaches. And, there’s a tremendous amount of interoperability built in,” he added.
       Waterman, a Ham since 1955, joined the original Winlink development team in 1986. In 1998 he was a part of the decision to wrap store and forward e-mail connectivity into the limited early Winlink “Classic’ versions.
The other members of that group were Victor Poor W5SMM, the team leader, who originally conceived Aplink and Winlink; Rick Muething KN6KB, and Hans A. Kessler N8PGR, Ed Galipeau, WA1LRL, Lee Inman, K0QED, and Tom Lafleur, KA6IQA. They assisted in the MARS project.
       More recently, the Winlink Development Team and its participating station system operators have also been active with the ARRL in providing a National emergency digital network system for the Amateur service.
--Bill Sexton

 

If not for Winlink, both myself and my son would be dead.

Dr Ed AE4TM

 

So, why would this be on a ham forum...
It is clearly not ham radio.
MARS is not ham radio
Winlink is not ham radio

 

Yes, I suppose that, under extremely unlikely circumstances, you both could have died. Based upon the scenario you shared with me via email.

Let me see if I remember: You and your son had driven out to the middle of Death Valley, to hike. Your car broke down. Your cell phone wouldn't work. But, only your Pactor III SCS Modem, and PC with WL2K and Airmail could prepare and send that "rescue email" to summon a tow truck.

Strange circumstances, indeed. Gee, my son's FT817 and buddy-pole antenna, or just an old hunk of wire in two minutes or less would have had someone on 40M or 75M making the call.

You didn't tell us how long it took for someone in lower Slobovia to open your Airmail (TM?) message and respond. Probably took a few hours longer than it should have.

Oh, well, so much for the Urgent category. Or, maybe the PMBO has an emergency button, of some sort.

Take a microphone with you the next time Ed, its a lot faster and more efficient in real emergencies, not just a disabled car in the middle of nowhere.


73,

Lee
W6EM

 

Actually, Winlink 2K makes a good deal of sense for MARS use.  Why?  Because MARS is CHANNELIZED.  Yep.  Have to be within 100Hz or less on assigned channels.  To a much higher standard of frequency accuracy on SHARES frequencies.

So, when confined to a very few, predetermined frequencies where it will not interfere with voice communications, as ALE is not supposed to do either, it makes some sense.  A lot more sense than having the robot PMBOs all over the phone bands, willy-nilly.

Now, to the speed issue.  Ah, but maybe its not a real issue.  MARS' primary mission is no longer to send health and welfare messages from and to military personnel.  AT&T satphones and free Internet access have ended that role.  Now, the primary mission is the preparation of Essential Elements of Information (EEI) Reports.  EEI Reports don't have graphic content.  They are just brief text messages concerning status of local emergencies and disasters.  Unclassified text material for the information of DOD officials in Washington.  FYI's, so to speak.

500hZ-wide Pactor I or Pactor II will do just fine for MARS WinLink activities.  And, will ensure that MARS members won't (or us taxpayers, on their behalf) have to fork over $1000 for each and every MARS member to have one of those SCS Pactor III modems either.  After all, MARS has been using Pactor for quite some time, from what I recall.

 

The only way I am aware of for a civilian to become a MARS operator to first get an Amateur license. Most (maybe even all) MARS operators are also ham radio operators.

You are right, it's not ham radio. It is also something some ham radio operators would certainly be interested in hearing. If you're not interested then turn the dial.

 

Given the fact that Ed is a physician, I wouldn't take this as being hyperbolic.

Man Ed; that's the largest tow charge I've ever seen!

73,
Chip N1IR

 

Good news.

As time will tell, this should provide enhanced emergency communications. Another tool in the toolbox for MARS, just like its use in amateur allocated frequencies

Proof was in Katrina support and past various other events. The use of WinLink and Pactor III will go well beyond any previous connectivity rates of HF packet, or other previous used modes.

The backbone network, the software ease of use, the ability to do point to point if thats all that is left, takes MARS service beyond the call of duty.

This is a great use of spectrum for the sending of interent email messages, in remote and under emergency conditons.

Great use of HF radio whatever the frequency or service.

Good job, makes sense.

 

This seems like the perfect match for emcomm emails  to/from Alpha Romeo Romeo Lima One Alpha Whiskey!

Now, if only we could convince the powers that be that personal emails to/from boats, RVs etc would be ok for MARS traffic too!
Perfect!

 

Somebody, quick!

Draft up a petition for rule making!

 

Me thinks you struck a nerve.........

Ah, but anything communicated via MARS has to be Official Business. Not unknown third party traffic, originating from God knows where. Or, with content being automatically forwarded, that leaves the door wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide open for unauthorized, maybe even Seditious traffic.

Not such a good idea.

So, if not official MARS business, sending miscellaneous emails from everybody to everybody else sounds a bit concerning. Especially since it could tie up official MARS channels when needed for Essential Elements of Information reporting.

Files of pictures and so forth. Hmmmm. Here's a thought: Send the latest issue of Playboy, complete with photos, to deployed troops via Winlink2K and through those super-fast, clandestine Pactor III modems.

 

The MARS frequencies are a perfect place for Winlink 2000.

In fact, anywhere outside the Ham bands is perfect.

 

Agreed!

Winlink, just another nail in the coffin we call Ham Radio.

K2WH

 

Chip,

Some have not seen the tow bill that shows that we were 7 hours down a 4x4 road in the hottest desert in the western hemisphere.

Saline Valley Tow Bill (Death Valley Nat Park)

Sure wish it were tax deductable, but again it wasn't a business expense. Glad my son and I are alive to laugh about it.

Ed

 

I don't think, Ed, that anyone doubts the validity of where you were and what it cost you to be towed out. However, taking your young son of about six years so far from civilization, and placing him at such risk, seems to be questionable. At least from a juvenile welfare perspective.

But, you still didn't answer the question, as put to you:

If you had used your microphone, instead of your SCS modem and WL2K AirMail email for information through-put, how much faster would the tow truck have been summoned (and subsequently arrived) to rescue you?
Or, did your car/truck/SUV battery die too and you had to whip out your Gibson Girl surplus generator?

I guess it all boils down to this: Wasn't sending an email requesting assistance a bit chancey with your son's welfare?

73,

Lee
W6EM