Winlink Mobile: WaveTalkers LIVE 99

Winlink Mobile
Please Join Us this Sunday for WaveTalkers LIVE: Episode 99
This week the WaveTalkers crew dives into the basics of using Winlink with Mobile radios.
Mobile radios offer much more than an increase in power. These stations get installed in Go Boxes, Vehicles, Mobile Communications Trailers, EOCs, and are the most common stations used for VHF/UHF Winlink RMS Gateways.
We will begin by exploring the key features you need to look for on a mobile station to help you determine what is the right hardware for you. We will explore various mobile installations and options you may want to consider for your Mobile Winlink Station.
This episode will be part 2 of our 3 part series of running winlink with various radios and connection modes.
We will wrap up Episode 99 with an after party for all of those joining us in the Zoom. We would love to hear about your mobile winlink station and any plans you have for a future station.
Winlink Mobile (Episode 99)
March 17, 2024
1pm Pacific ST / 4pm Eastern ST / 2000 UTC
Zoom Doors will open approximately 10 min before the live stream starts.
Thank you for joining us our this journey into ham radio and emergency communications.
73!
Chris Mattia de W6AH
Website: wavetalkers.com
Amazon Affiliate Links of tools shown in this episode and used by W6AH:
Klein Tools 2100-7 Electrician Scissors, amzn.to/3Hiqlod
Jonard Tools Wire Stripper and Cutter, amzn.to/3O7FnRl
Powerwerx TRIcrimp, amzn.to/47vhmL3
Ancor Torches and Heat Guns amzn.to/3vKgrJe
Mini Wire Stripper, amzn.to/3tXq4Ut
150 Piece Assorted 15/30/45A Anderson Powerpoles, amzn.to/48Qzctv
198 Piece Assorted Heat Shrink, amzn.to/3Slc4gN
Powerwerx TRIDIES Interchangeable die sets, amzn.to/48ToeCU
Greenlee DM-210A Digital Multimeter amzn.to/4aWn0Zt
Calcutta Stainless Steel Crimpers, amzn.to/3O5w8Bb
Ascend Tools 5-1/2 inch Multipurpose Electrical Shears, amzn.to/3RZJtMz
Fluke 15b+ Digital Multimeter F15b+ amzn.to/47FjP5J
Please consider supporting WaveTalkers:
BuyMeACoffee: buymeacoffee.c...
WaveTalkers Coffee Mugs: cafepress.com/...

[@techtopicsthursday8004]

Great presentation. However, except for the all band/all mode radios, all the other radios mentioned are no longer available from the manufacturer. Can you please suggest several VHF/UHF mobile models that are currently available and suitable for winlink. It looks like the current models do not have any data/USB connections and use the microphone to control the radio. Not sure how to get audio in and out from that connection. Thks

[@WaveTalkers]

Thanks for learning with us!
Nearly all of the interfaces we talked about especially the digirig, signalink, master communications, and pactor have cable specific solutions for nearly every mobile radio currently available as new and older models.
Perhaps the best place to look is digirig and look at their cable offerings. Their cables are extremely well made and readily available for nearly every model of Yaesu, Icom, Alinco, Kenwood, and Anytone. The digirig is also a relatively affordable interface that works very well for VARA Winlink modes. Tigertronics Signalink has a similar listing of cables on their website. You then set the internal jumpers on the signalink according to their instruction and pair that with the radio specific cables.
Radios that require the use of the mic and speaker port work the same way. We demonstrated this last week during our mobile show when we showed how the Baofeng works with a digirig and even how to balance the audio from the speaker and set the microphone levels in Windows. We referred to those videos in this episode as we were not going to repeat that information this week.
On the VHF/UHF side, all current mobile models of Icom and Kenwood have data ports (they don't call them that). Yaesu FTM-500DR, FTM-200DR, FTM-6000R, FTM300DR, just to name a few. There are tons of options on the used market of older rigs as well.
All band and all mode options are avail, the IC-7100 offers these features in a single radio, FT-891 offers all of the HF and would be paired with nearly any of their dual band VHF/UHF mobiles. The major manufacturers have been letting us down lately in not offering as many all mode all band options in the smaller mobile format so if this is an option you want you may need to look at some older rigs that are still very good and readily available on the used market.
Do you have a specific radio you are looking to use for winlink?
Hope that helps and again, thanks for learning with us.