Winlink 2000 WL2K Introduction

1
2006
Winlink 2000 (WL2K) Introduction
An Introduction and brief history of the Ham
Radio Winlink 2000 system.
Presented by Rick Muething, KN6KB Winlink
Development Team
2006 NATIONAL HURRICANE CONFERENCE ORLANDO,
FLORIDA APRIL 11, 2006
2
2006
WL2K.What is it?
WL2K is a Volunteer designed, maintained and
operated system for the delivery of Radio E-mail
and services for a variety of applications
Mobile user connectivity (Marine, RV, etc) On
demand information (Weather, Positions, Status,
etc.) Emergency Communications, Last Mile and
Long distance. Mercy Missions (Katrina, Rita,
Tsunami, Health missions.) Health and Welfare
traffic (normal E-mail with attachments) Over 4
million messages delivered via WL2K since 2000!
3
2006
WL2K.Brief History
Late 1980s DOS based APLink developed by Vic
Poor, W5SMM, used HF Amtor to provided VHF Packet
connectivity to marine mobiles. 1995 Renamed
Winlink (now called Winlink Classic) with a
small group of Radio stations (MBOs) eventually
linked via RF to Internet E-mail (NEXUS).
1999 Testing began on Winlink 2000, an expanded
and improved implementation based on a Central
Hub (CMBO) and Radio station gateways (PMBOs)
linked via Internet. 2006 Continual development
from a growing Winlink development Team, now
consisting of 8 members, all with specific duties
to match their skills.
4
2006
WL2K Today by the numbers

• Demonstrated gt 99 system availability since
  Nov, 1999.
• 3 Full-time Redundant Common Message Servers
  (CMS) in Detroit, San Diego and Perth, all in
  hardened caged sites, provide excellent
  reliability, worldwide.
• 81 total PMBOs, worldwide, in 4 Service Classes
  Public, EmComm, Army MARS, UK Cadet Forces offer
  each separated service class their own operation.
• Approximately 9,500 Radio users, 98,000 Email
  recipients, pushing an average of 150,000
  messages monthly. Average monthly connection
  time of 280,000 minutes with an average duration
  of 3.3 Minutes and 3,600 bytes/per message.
• Typical message latency sender to recipient
  delivery 1-2 minutes.
• In the EmComm Service Class, there are 287
  Active VHF/UHF TelPac Gateways.
• Many agencies have proven that WL2K is a viable
  primary source for Point-to-Point and
  Point-to-Multi-point communications where
  accuracy, speed and a permanent record is
  required.
• THE FIRST PRIORITY OF ANY SERVICE CLASS IS
  EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS.

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2006
WL2K System Overview
CMS Detroit
CMS San Diego
CMS Perth
Redundant Common Message Servers (Share the load
but any ONE can run the ENTIRE system)
Internet
Conventional Email Users Agencies
PMBOs and Radio Message Servers 81 HF, 287 Active
VHF/UHF
Links HF Radio VHF/UHF Radio D-Star
data radio WiFi, Telnet, Web
Existing Ham Radio Networks
9500 Active WL2K Radio Users
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2006
WL2K Example Users/Applications
Example of a few of the agencies that have used
and acknowledged WL2K for Many
Hurricanes 2004 Tsunami Failure of
IntelSat 804 Forest Fires, Typhoons Humanitarian
Missions Health Mercy Missions Lost vessel
location (continual)
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2006
Winlink 2000 (WL2K) More info and Follow up
System Details and Downloads Winlink 2000 web
site www.winlink.org EmComm WL2K
reflector http//groups.yahoo.com/group/wl2kemco
mm/ On-line course for Using WL2K programs for
EmComm http//groups.yahoo.com/group/LOADING_WL2
K_USER_PROGRAMS/ Published Information about
Winlink 2000 http//www.winlink.org/news.htm Sy
stem Questions and Volunteer info kn6kb_at_winlink.
org, k4cjx_at_comcast.net