Winlink is a worldwide network of gateway stations that pass email between radio and the internet. You connect to a gateway by radio, exchange messages, and the gateway handles the rest.
It is the backbone of a great deal of emergency and maritime communication, and it is why a boat in the middle of an ocean or a shelter with no connectivity can still send and receive mail.
VARA is the most commonly used HF transport now, though packet remains standard on VHF.
At a Glance
- Category
- Digital data
- Bandwidth
- Varies by transport, roughly 500 Hz to 2.4 kHz
- What you need
- A sound card interface for HF, or a TNC for VHF packet
- Where to listen
- Gateway stations rather than a calling frequency