Colorado ARES WinLink Tuesday
Receiving Station new “WINLINKTUES” OR “COARES-84”
WinLink Tuesday #30
This page is dedicated to the bi-weekly or every-other-week WinLink assignments and the map displaying all participants in the reports.
Who: All Amateur Radio Operators
What: Winlink Tuesday
When: Bi-weekly starting at the end of the week prior until 6:00 pm MST Tuesday of the following week.
How: Winlink instructions will be published bi-weekly on the Colorado ARES website. Each participant should follow the instructions as closely as possible. While we are working towards all operators to send Winlink messages via RF, Telnet Winlink, messages are also excepted to aid learning.
This week’s assignment is due no later than 6:00 PM Tuesday, April 30, 2024
While it may not be something you will be using right away, as ARES members, you are responsible for knowing what communication modes may be needed to get the job done. Remember, this is training; you may not be perfected, but we all learn from our mistakes.
Why not try another mode like VARA FM or HF, Packet P2P? We’ll spice it up in the next few weeks; stay tuned.
HERE ARE THE WEEK 30 EXERCISES
I have unfortunately had some experience with this situation; I hope you never will, but here is the latest exercise;
On the afternoon of 6 August 2027, a thick black plume grew over a Colorado sky 10 miles northeast of your location. As the air grew thick with smoke, residents instinctively knew the source: the local refinery that, for decades, has loomed over the working-class community.
The local ARES group has been called in to support the fire effort. This time, we will use the same scenario of the oil refinery, and we’d like you to fill out ICS 208 and save the message. You’ve told everyone what PPE they’ll need for the job, so now is when you want to tell him any specific things you might notice. One thing to remember about a refinery is that it can also be hazardous due to environmental issues, so feel free to report some of those things on this forum.
Refinery fires are more complex than regular fires. There are many hazardous chemicals you must be aware of before entering. The corrected personal protective equipment must be issued, as well as specific test equipment used. Training on all the equipment must be done before use.
For information about hazards you people might confront, CLICK HERE
For help with the form, Click Here
1. Open your Winlink program
2. Start a new message
3. Click on Select Template at the top of the message window.
4. Click the + symbol next to “ICS USA Forms.”
5. Select the “ICS 215A INCIDENT ACTION SAFETY ANALYSIS txt” template
Once you have the information filled in, click submit. This will transfer the attachment and data to your Winlink message. Once all the information is in the message window, you can fill in the address for sending. Remember that when sending to another amateur radio operator, you only need to put in the call sign of that individual or tactical call. When sending your form for WinLink Tuesday, use WINLINKTUES or COARES-84.
How to create a tactical address or Auxiliary callsign in WinLink
- Open Winlink Express Setup in the Settings menu.
- To the right of ‘Auxiliary Callsigns …” Click [Add Entry].
- Enter the tactical address. Tactical Addresses are 3 to 12 total characters, no numbers.
- If a number is to be used, place a (-) dash to the left of the call;
- Example: COSET-2023 not CO2023-SET
- A password is not required for short-term use.
- When the event ends, you can delete the tactical call.
For a detailed YouTube demonstration, click here
Week 29 Recap:
It’s a great exercise. I noticed a few of you put down the refiner of your choice or Suncor, which was the one that I worked with in the past. If you’ve ever worked in or around a refiner, you understand that there are many dangers there, but I noticed at Suncor the steps they took so no one would get hurt, and I was pretty impressed. I was doing safety training out there, and their first statement was that if we boil oil, this should scare just about anybody. Excellent job on the scenario, and I appreciate everybody who participates with Winlink Tuesday. We’ll see you again on or about April 24th; our next exercise is due on April 30th.
Purpose: These bi-weekly or every-other-week scenarios aim to teach and practice using an alternate form of communication that can be valuable in emergency communications. The ability to send a completed form in its original format will reduce miscommunication in messaging. This net is designed to help anyone new or an old pro at Winlink who is having problems sending and receiving data.
The forms sent during the specified time frame will be mapped. The video below will help you install and set up Winlink; for more information about how to set up your radio and any other issues with Winlink, send me a message at cowinlinkhelp01@gmail.com.