[RTTY] Winlink

Tue Apr 12 19:40:29 EDT 2005

Frank Fallon wrote:

"As an ARRL Director and a member of the ARRL Board Executive Committee
that is studying the issue of a  "Regulation by Bandwidth Proposal" I
feel I must correct some of your blatant errors in fact."

"6. There is currently NO widespread deployment of SBC Pactor III modems
in the USA."

"8. Most Winlink traffic is confined to UHF/VHF.  Even if eventually
fully deployed there would be no more than 75 HF gateway stations.  Few
of those would be operating Pactor III and they would not all be
operating at the same time.  And those operating would be on only a few
frequencies.  Fears of Winlink taking over HF are not realistic.  Few
hams are going to spring for $1500 for a modem to do it."

Frank,

Based on the following information from the Winlink website, www.winlink.org, EVERY Winlink
PMBO, except for one, is equipped with a Pactor-III modem, contrary to your point 6.

Out of 22 Winlink mainland stations listed, 21 use Pactor-III modems, and utilize 51
different frequencies with transmissions up to 2400 Hz wide, if my count of the below
listing is correct. You can multiply these numbers and the QRM by almost four times if all
75 gateway stations are deployed.
Based on http://winlink.org/status/ :

 Telnet Messages Received or Delivered  21841
 Telpac Messages Received or Delivered  0
 WEB Messages Received or Delivered  Not Available
 VHF Messages Received or Delivered  890
 HF Messages Received or Delivered  150356
 HF Minutes Air Time (All Stations)  295896
 HF Average Minutes Air Time Per Message  1.97
 HF Average Message Size (Characters)  1635
 Total Messages Received or Delivered  173087

HF messages totaled 150,356 compared to 890 on VHF, contrary to your point 8.

I hope you did not take such misformation to the Executive Committee meeting, and I hope
the rest of the members of the Executive Committee are not similary misinformed!

Winlink is a "sleeping giant", and if not contained, will cover the bands we use for
contesting, Dxing, award-chasing, and ragchewing with signals FIVE (5) times as wide as
RTTY, randomly destroying QSO's if anyone happens to land on their PUBLISHED frequencies,
either here or abroad.

If everyone fails to get involved in this, and email comments to bandwidth at arrl.org as ARRL
has requested, then they will have to suffer the consequences of non-action.

Isn't it time to wake up and see what is about to happen to our hobby!

73, Skip KH6TY

******from www.winlink.org ************************

KA6IQA Scan Center Frequencies:
7066.9   7101.2(P3)   14112.4   14104.2(P3)
18102.9 18106.7(P3)   (13:00 to 03:00  UTC)

KB6YNO  Scan Center Frequencies:
7063.9   10124.9   14063.9   14108.9(P3)  18098.9

KQ4ET  Scan Center Frequencies:
3628.7 (all Pactor modes)    7067.9(P2) 10146.5(P3)  141110(P3)

K4CJX Center Scan Frequencies :
Station # 1: 7076.9 (P2)   7101.2 (P3)  14076.9 (P2)   14106.7(P3)
Station # 2:  10123.9 (P2)  10141.2(P3)
Station # 3:  18103.9 (P2)  18108.7(P3)

K4SET Scan Center Frequencies:
7074.9  7103.7(P3)   10,136.9  10143.4P3)    21073.9    21095.2 (P3)

K6CYC Scan Center Frequencies:
7069.9   10123.9   10143.7# - Omni-directional
21068.9   21096.2(P3)   14068.9   14102.7(P3)  - Beaming South Pacific

W7IJ Scan Center Frequencies:
Station 1:  3631.9(P3)  7068.9(P2)   7103.7 (P3)   10139.5 (P2)
Station 2:  14069.4 (P2)    14110.0 (P3)    21077.9 (P2)     21091.2 (P2)

K6IXA Scan Center Frequencies:
Station # 1:  10122.9    10143.7(P3),
Station # 2:  14064.9    14102.7(P3)

K7AAE Scan Center Frequencies:
Station # 1:  3629.9   7076.9  10133.9   10145.7(P3)
Station # 2:  14067.9  14109.2(P3)

N8PGR Scan  Center Frequencies:
3621.9    7071.9    10140.4    14117.9
Pactor-II only

N0IA Scan Center Frequencies:
3626.9   7072.9   10133.9   14072.9   14098.7(P3)    18106.2(P3)

WA2DXQ Scan Center Frequencies:
7074.9   10143.7(P3)   14075.9   14101.7(P3)
HF Packet Port: 144.93 MHz 1200 Baud AX.25
7074.9   10143.7(P3)   14075.9   14101.7(P3)

WB5KSD Scan Center Frequencies:
7075.9   10132.9   14078.9   14109.2 (P3)

Express* PMBO" WB0TAX Scan Center Frequencies:
7103.7 (P3)   10133.9   10143.7 (P3)   14066.9 (P2)   14096.2 (P3)    18106.2 (P3)

WD8DHF Scan Center Frequencies:
Station #1:  3590.9  7075.4   70103.7 (P3)   10,127.9
Station #2:  14075.4   14098.7 (P3)   18075,4   18107.9 (P3)
Station # 3:  21075.4  21091.2 (P3)

WU3V Scan Center Frequencies:
3631.2 (ALL) 7074.9  7103.7(P3)   10126.9  10143.4(P3)   14069   14102.7(P3)

WX4J Scan Center Frequencies:
3622.4 (3620.9) P3 7066.9 (7065.4) 10143.4 (10141.9) P3 14066.9 (14065.4)

W1ON Scan Center Frequencies:
3620.9   7070.9   14075.9    14104.2(P3)   18100.9

W6IM Scan Center  frequencies:
Dipole - 7073.9, 10141.2(P3)
Beam (135 deg) - 14073.9  14098.7(P3)

W7BO Scan Center Frequencies:
7.067.9   7101.2(P3)

W9GSS Scan Center Frequencies:
7072.9   14073.9   14109.9(P3)   21098.0 (P3)

W9MR Scan Center Frequencies:*
7065.9   10145.2#  14069.9   14101.7#
 * "#" Indicates a Pactor III only frequency.