Due to lack of use by area Hams the KG5LAE-10 RMS Gateway will be removed
from service on January 1, 2020.
I will continue to utilize my personal station to transfer and receive
messages in the event of an emergency or other event requiring it.
Dale / KG5LAE
Dale,
I'm a bit late in this game, thus I'm not certain of what you refer to. Kindly explain by return email, if you would, please?
73's
Gil WA5YKK
Dale is it a vhf or hf gateway? I mostly seem to use hf ones overseas. It’s too difficult with some of the Texas as ones.
Eric B.
Dale, I’m sorry to hear this but I understand the frustration of tying up equipment if it’s not getting much useage. My station, W5RZG-10, doesn’t get a lot of traffic either. I keep it operational as a teaching aid. I’m running as fast I can to raise Winlink awareness and proficiency within a group of operators in Travis County and the South & Central Texas Red Cross region.
Thanks for your previous efforts in maintaining KG5LAE-10.
John Roberts W5RZG
AuxComm
American Red Cross CSTR
Travis County ARES
Texas State RACES
Gil,
Since I didn’t see a reply by Dale I’ll put in my 2 cents…
RMS Gateway refers to a WinLink station that relays emails sent via Ham Radio…
In Dale’s case, it is a VHF packet station that acts as a gateway between Packet Radio and the Internet…
In South TX there are about 100 RMS Gateway packet stations… Here is a link to a website that tracks which ones are live and connected to the Internet http://n5tw.ecpi.com/RMSstatus/
There are HF versions that link the email servers to each other so this is truly a worldwide email system…
Dale’s station with the aid of the BASRLY-2 Wide Area Digipeater means any WinLink packet station that could hit the 800’ tower in Bastrop Co can send emails and have them gatewayed to the Internet…
In short, any shelter or EOC in Dale’s county and possibly the surrounding counties would have a path to send/receive email…
The goal is to bridge the first/last few miles between the shelter or EOC and someplace that can relay the message either by packet radio, HF radio, or the Internet…
73 Dallas, KD4HNX
Whatever you do, don’t fall victim to “paralysis by
analysis.” Go ahead and buy/build one and start
tinkering with it. This is a learn by doing hobby.
No politician or scholar assured your freedoms.
A Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman did!
Dale,
I’m a bit late in this game, thus I’m not certain of what you refer to.
Kindly explain by return email, if you would, please?
73’s
Gil WA5YKK
Hi, John,
I appreciate your Winlink efforts. I hope to be a little more active with Winlink in 2020. I have reached W5RZG-10 a couple of times, but I am unable to have outdoor antennas, and I live in a part of Austin where the packet radio coverage is a bit sparse, unless I run 50 to 80 watts (not a good idea with indoor antennas near the operating position). I live between Burnet Road and Lamar Blvd, just a few blocks north of Koenig Lane (HIghway 2222). I used to have reasonably good access to W3MRC-10 and sent a number of Winlink messages via that site. But after it was taken down, my pathway to Winlink became more difficult. The terrain where I live is part of the problem. APRS also does not have good coverage over in my area. Basically, the only APRS digipeater I can reach without running high power is N5MLD-1, who has a site up on some of Austin’s highest ground several miles to the west of me.
I’ll keep trying to improve my antenna situation and see if I can do a bit better.
73,
Si, K5JRN
Si,
I am not sure why you sent this email to me. I live in Magnolia, Texas. If there is information you need or any assistance you need, I will be happy to help.
73,
Art Shaddix NW5R
Hi Si:
Try K5SOC-10. It’s almost in your back yard located at the State SOC at DPS on Lamar and 2222 Koenig. It has excellent range. Includes Vara FM.
Patrick
W5DVG
See Patrick’s message in this thread.
We just stood up K5SOC-10 in November. It really is in your backyard.
John Roberts W5RZG
AuxComm
American Red Cross CSTR
Travis County ARES
Texas State RACES
Dallas,
Tnx so much for clarifying this situation. I’m a bit behind times after the passing of my sister, then Hurricane Harvey. Relocating my entire mess to Yorktown, Tx., is a task, then getting set back up. I’m a past packet op, too, thus my surviving gear is in for a redo. My antenna situation in Port Aransas is “on hold” due to storm renovations, but I have plenty of freedom at the new place.
We shall see how this all works out!
73’s, Happy New Year 2020, thanks so much!! 
Gil WA5YKK
Air Force Veteran, 1963 - 1967…
What is the freq. for K5SOC-10 at DPS? 1200 or 9600 baud rate?
I don’t see it listed in the Winlink VARA FM online listing..
gr
K5FX
Glen,
In WinLink Express I’m not seeing K5SOC-10 in the Channel Listing choices.
It is listed on the WinLink Express Texas Local Listings:
https://winlink.org/RMSChannels
Go to Local tab
Then follow Texas RMS Packet Network Status link (http://n5tw.ecpi.com/rmsstatus/)
Then scroll down to Travis County
K5SOC-10 uses 145.070. It’s not listed, but I’ve used 1200 baud with it.
73,
Glenn
W5MTR
Glen and the rest…
On Tom’s TX RMS Packet/VARSFM website it list K5SOC-10 as being on 145.070
http://n5tw.ecpi.com/RMSstatus/
It also list the other known RMS sites in TX…
73 Dallas, KD4HNX
Whatever you do, don’t fall victim to “paralysis by
analysis.” Go ahead and buy/build one and start
tinkering with it. This is a learn by doing hobby.
No politician or scholar assured your freedoms.
A Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman did!
Glen,
In WinLink Express I’m not seeing K5SOC-10 in the Channel Listing choices.
It is listed on the WinLink Express Texas Local Listings:
https://winlink.org/RMSChannels
Go to Local tab
Then follow Texas RMS Packet Network Status link (http://n5tw.ecpi.com/rmsstatus/)
Then scroll down to Travis County
K5SOC-10 uses 145.070. It’s not listed, but I’ve used 1200 baud with it.
73,
Glenn
W5MTR
Thanks, Glenn.
I found K5SOC-10 by looking on the Packet Winlink list. It is not listed as VARA FM capable but I tried to connect 1200 baud with no luck.
I am not a packet guy, used WINMORE and ARDOP on HF for years. I have only been using VHF Winlink since VARA FM came along.
Was on VHF packet 20 years ago didn’t like all the fuss and noisy racket. As far as I can see Packet has not advanced at all in two decades – still fussy and raucous. I know – go ahead and say it – “grumpy ol’ fart” – an attribution I accept happily. If I was not a GOF, I would be dead 
.
VARA FM is so much better… so much faster even at 1200 baud…no packet TNC…no set up fuss… and a much more pleasant sound on the radio.
I know there are no “digis”–but I think either conventional repeaters or message store and forward devices might work on VARA FM to extend the range.
So far, the only VARA FM connections I have been able to make is with N5TW’s nodes up in WILLCO. His station is great. A real asset to this area. I am not sure why I can connect with 'TW but can not connect with other listed VARA RM stations at less than 1/3 the distance running the same power and antenna.
Thanks again for the info.
gr
K5FX
Thanks Dallas. I got it, it is not listed as VARA FM capable.
Yes. No Vara FM running there…
Tom N5TW
Thanks, Tom. An earlier message under a different subject suggested it was VARA FM capable, I tried but it did not respond. I think you are correct.
As you know, I don’t do packet – only HF and VHF VARA FM – so, I am always on the lookout for new local connections. Except for your excellent station, it seems to be a real VARA FM desert around here.
gr
K5FX
I share your enthusiasm for Vara FM! I and other testers in Williamson County plus folks in Hawaii and Switzerland have been pounding on new Versions of Vara FM getting ready for the next big release. I bet I have tested 50 versions over the last month and a half!
The new version is going to have provisions for automating setting the transmit level which will save a lot of airtime tweaking this in. There will be one mode instead of the “1200” and “9600” versions. The software will compensate for the radio’s bandwidth and channel capabilities on the fly and it will outperform the previous version in all ways. The PTT delay is no longer a set value with slower radios out of luck – the effects of PTT delays have been reduced and this has also been automated.
Below is the sound card (An RA-25) from Master Communications that I have been using:
It is only $65 assembled and tested with the case or you can get the kit version without the case for only $25 and it works for Packet and Vara FM with better performance and less cost than a SignaLink.
They will be sending me a prototype to test in the next couple of weeks with the DB-9 pinout changed to be compatible with Kantronics TNCs. This product will be called an RA-25K. This is VERY cool because it will make converting Kantronics packet only installations much easier to upgrade to packet plus Vara FM – no new cables to build!
Very exciting stuff!
73 and HNY,
Tom N5TW
Glen and FYI to the rest…
I guess I wasn’t clear enough… Tom’s RMS status page list RMS Packet and VARAFM sites…
The M column uses P p V and v to denote which ones are Packet and VARAFM…
If you mouse over the M at the top of the column it shows the decoder ring…
Mode: P=Packet V=VARAFM (Uppercase = 1200 Baud, Lowercase = 9600 Baud)
The R column tells you which sites have HF forwarding… Mouse over the R for the decoder ring…
http://n5tw.ecpi.com/RMSstatus/
73 Dallas, KD4HNX
Whatever you do, don’t fall victim to “paralysis by
analysis.” Go ahead and buy/build one and start
tinkering with it. This is a learn by doing hobby.
No politician or scholar assured your freedoms.
A Soldier, Sailor, Marine, or Airman did!
Thanks, Tom. An earlier message under a different subject suggested it was VARA FM capable, I tried but it did not respond. I think you are correct.
As you know, I don’t do packet – only HF and VHF VARA FM – so, I am always on the lookout for new local connections. Except for your excellent station, it seems to be a real VARA FM desert around here.
gr
K5FX
I will look forward to the new VARA FM release.
Thanks for the hint on the RA-25. Unless it has superior performance over the SignaLink, I will be staying with SigLink – I already have several with cables for all the radios – all working well.
gr
K5FX
