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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Catching up on emails, looks like a lot
of good stuff is going on. VARA is technologically interesting,
but all this proprietary stuff has its caveats - in this case, the
need to use Windows for things like digipeaters. I'm not a fan of
(consumer) versions of Windows running infrastructure - a borked
Windows update can bring the system down.<br>
<br>
I've had parallels in my playground of VHF/UHF digital voice,
where a hardware AMBE dongle is often required to process audio -
not the best thing if you're building a server in the cloud!
There, M17 (being 100% open source) is a refreshing change -
vocoder hardware will never be required, Codec2 is freely
available for implementation however one feels.</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">And I'm seeing history repeat itself
with Winlink data modes - we're being forced to use form factors
that the vendors are willing to implement. But still, it's worth
exploring these issues in a real world environment, and
experimentation is a good thing.<br>
<br>
Unfortunately, I'm not available during the evenings, and the
concentration of WICEN Vic's activity in the evenings is keeping
me out of the loop.<br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix"><br>
</div>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 13/9/21 11:47 am, Mark Hudson wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote type="cite"
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<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">Good morning,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Many thanks to those who were able to
attend Friday evenings Winlink Emcomm Training Exercise. There
were some interesting lessons learned. One that comes to mind
was we found VARA HF Chat is less practical as a message
handling tool as compared to a VARA P2P session which we had
running concurrently on VHF FM.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Over the past few days several members have
been further experimenting and this coming Thursday evening @
2000hrs well open the digital playground up again. On
Thursday evening we’ll be playing with VARA FM as a
digipeater. Now you can’t run VARA FM through the current
packet digi repeaters on 145.200 however you can run a station
as a digi repeater. Rik VK3EQ will operate his station as a
Vara FM digi. Rik has kindly provided below instructions on
how to set your station as a digi and also how to send a
message through a digi station.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So please join us via Zoom Thursday @
2000hrs and we’ll see just how VARA FM behaves as a digi with
those that can access Rik’s station sending messages to
others. A good example is both Don VK3SP and myself can
connect to Rik’s stations. Don and I have a poor path direct
between our stations and have not been able to hold a
successful connection. So I should be able to send Don a
message via 3EQ. Thursday night we’ll see just how it all
works.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">So join us if you can this Thursday evening
even if it’s just to catch up with other members. Remember
Rik’s station is on the air if you wish to ping it and from a
previous email from Rik he is also available if you have any
questions.
<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Topic: WICEN Digital Playground<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Time: Sep 16, 2021 20:00
Australia/Melbourne<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Join Zoom Meeting<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a
href="https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82921546634?pwd=cU1OMXoyZFhmMnhmZTlnR2ZOekt2Zz09"
moz-do-not-send="true">https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82921546634?pwd=cU1OMXoyZFhmMnhmZTlnR2ZOekt2Zz09</a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Meeting ID: 829 2154 6634<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Passcode: 324016<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="margin-bottom:8.0pt;line-height:11.75pt"><span
style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Setup at the
digipeater station<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"
style="color:black;margin-bottom:8.0pt;mso-list:l1 level1
lfo1">
<span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Download and
install v4.0.1 start Winlink** and in Winlink open a VARA
FM P2P session. In the Vara Modem box (the one with the
gauges) click on Settings, Vara Setup and put your
callsign in the box titled Digipeater, click on CLOSE.
That’s it, your station is now a Vara FM digipeater. Make
sure your radio is on the correct frequency and follow the
band plan please. Keep the squelch turned to zero and
volume turned down to a level you like.</span><span
style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:8.0pt"><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Passing
traffic</span><span
style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<ul style="margin-top:0cm" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l0 level1
lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Use a
Vara FM digipeater to pass traffic to another Vara FM
station that is out of my simplex range? Step number 3
above should not have anything in the digipeater box at
the initiating station. In the Vara FM peer to peer
session box on the second line from the top where it says
connection select digipeater, then in the next box type in
the stations callsign your want to pass traffic to. After
that is the word VIA and after that type in the digipeater
station callsign that you would like to connect.</span><span
style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l0 level1
lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Turn the
volume up on the radio and listen for other traffic, if
the frequency is not in use. Perform the drive level
calibration and use the digipeaters call sign. Make sure
you get a reply back from the digipeater station.</span><span
style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="color:black;mso-list:l0 level1
lfo2"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times
New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">In the
Vara peer to peer session box….Click on START</span><span
style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">·</span><span
style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> </span><span
style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">All 3
stations must be on the same frequency. And all must be in
Vara FM P2P mode.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">·</span><span
style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> </span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">**
Digipeaters don’t need open Winlink Express necessarily. You
only need VARA FM, the FM Rig and the computer to create a
Digipeater. </span><span
style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:36.0pt"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">·</span><span
style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> </span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Digipeaters
can pass P2P traffic or Winlink traffic messages
indistinctly. Using digipeaters you can connect with distant
VARA FM Gateways too.</span><span
style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"
style="mso-margin-top-alt:0cm;margin-right:0cm;margin-bottom:8.0pt;margin-left:36.0pt;line-height:11.75pt"><span
style="font-size:10.0pt;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">·</span><span
style="font-size:7.0pt;font-family:"Times New
Roman",serif;color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> </span><span
style="color:black;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">The
digipeater doesn’t require a VARA license, but, <b>you need
a VARA license</b> to connect via digipeaters.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<table class="MsoNormalTable"
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Cheers,</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Mark</span><o:p></o:p></p>
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style="max-width:382.5pt;border-collapse:collapse"
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cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0">
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<table class="MsoNormalTable"
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width="420" cellspacing="0"
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#EB7305;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Mark
Hudson</span></b><span
style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2D2B2C;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><br>
</span><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2D2B2C;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">State
Ordinary Member </span><span
style="font-size:8.5pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2D2B2C;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">&
Membership Officer
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#EB7305;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">WICEN
Victoria</span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#EB7305;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Mobile </span></b><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><a
href="tel:+61%20409%20500%20414"
title="tel:+61%20409%20500%20414" moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2D2B2C;text-decoration:none">+61
409 500 414 </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style="mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><a href="mailto:vk3mdh@gmail.com "
moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="color:#0563C1">vk3mdh@gmail.com</span><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#0563C1"> </span></a></span><span
style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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style="font-size:12.0pt;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><a
href="http://www.vic.wicen.org.au/"
title="http://www.vic.wicen.org.au/" moz-do-not-send="true"><span
style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:#2D2B2C;text-decoration:none">www.vic.wicen.org.au </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<pre class="moz-quote-pre" wrap="">_______________________________________________
wicenvic mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:wicenvic@vic.wicen.org.au">wicenvic@vic.wicen.org.au</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://vic.wicen.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wicenvic_vic.wicen.org.au">http://vic.wicen.org.au/mailman/listinfo/wicenvic_vic.wicen.org.au</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<p><br>
</p>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
73 de Tony VK3JED/VK3IRL
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://vkradio.com">http://vkradio.com</a></pre>
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