Installing Winlink And Creating Your Account

[@stephentoons]

This is the best winlink video I've seen so far. Thank you for making it very clear how to get it set up.

[@AG6AG]

You're very welcome! Stu AG6AG

[@tomhenderson944]

Great content Stu -- thanks!

[@AG6AG]

My pleasure! Stu AG6AG

[@funkenakrobat3856]

Hi Stu, tnx for your light and refreshing way of presenting informations :-)

[@TheModularDiver]

Thank you so much for sharing this video!

[@AG6AG]

You bet!

[@michaelo6003]

Hi Stuart! I followed your video to set up a Winlink account. Thank you! What I want to be able to do next is to send messages via Winlink to family members from my APRS enabled ham radio from an off grid cabin. Can you point me to where i can find out how to do that? Thanks again!

[@AG6AG]

Hi Michael, Whatever device you are using as the TNC portion of your setup needs to be capable of running as a full TNC and not limited to APRS packet only. This seems to usually not be the case with the many of the radios that have APRS functions... Stu AG6AG

[@travisgoehring2814]

Great video! Thanks

[@AG6AG]

You're welcome! Glad you liked it. Stu AG6AG

[@PhillipZyllo]

Hi Stuart! I just watched this excellent video and installed Winlink Express on my Windows computer. However, when I attempted to do the "setup", Winlink claimed my callsign does not exist. It really does exist. I ran into the very same problem about 10 days ago, when I installed Pat Winlink on my Raspberry Pi machine. Do you have any suggestions on how I can get Winlink to acknowledge my callsign? Thanks!!!

[@AG6AG]

Hi Phillip, Is your callsign W0PAZ? Looks like you just got it as a vanity. Sometimes it takes a while for the services out there to get and import new info from the FCC. You can post your issue here: groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/winlink-programs-group and hopefully get someone to verify your new call. Or you could just wait a bit and see if they import the update? Hope that helps, Stu AG6AG

[@anthonyspina4093]

A MAC version is needed.

[@AG6AG]

Hi Anthony, There's some MAC stuff out there, but it's pretty weak in comparison with the M$ software offerings... Maybe a good MAC programmer might be able to write something for the Open Source software community? Stu AG6AG

[@petersichel9934]

The "Pat" Winlink client is open source and works on the Mac and Raspberry Pi but is less complete than Winlink Express. VARA only runs reliably on Windows because it's written in Visual Basic. From my perspective as a Mac developer, creating a Mac compatible version of Winlink Express would be a large undertaking if it's even practical. Mini PCs (or DigiPis) are pretty cheap these days so I've taken that route. While there's a learning curve and lack of elegance in some areas, it's the path of least resistance.