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All About the YCARES Weekly Winlink Net
History

In April of 2018, YCARES members participated in a Oregon State Simulated Emergency Test (SET) where one of the primary tasks was to exchange Winlink Emails with neighboring counties using radio session modes but via the Peer-to-Peer protocols. Prior to this SET, several practice sessions were performed, initially between members within YCARES, and then with a few members of ARES groups with counties to our south. It did not go without notice that this was a learning experience for all.

On the day of the SET, it quickly became noticeable that those who had participated in the practice sessions quickly became informal instructors for those who hadn't. And coordination with other counties did not go as well as was expected. Several found that they had old versions of Winlink Express, and a few found their Winlink accounts had expired due to not being used within the 400 day time limit. One of the topics discussed in the discussion of what worked and what didn't immediately after the set, was to initiate a Winlink Net. While it may have not been an equitable trade, I took on the role as Net Control for the Winlink Net, with the expectation I didn't have to be in the Net Control rotation for the the Monday YCARES VHF/UHF voice net. On June 3rd, 2018, the first Winlink net Call for Check-ins was emailed.

In November while ham from a neighboring county discovered I was performing this net from a topic in the Winklink group within Groups.io's Internet email group, and requested to join.  We welcomed him, and others within his county ARES group.   This worked well, and it was made known on several other Internet email groups, with a result of members in many other states, including Hawaii, Florida,  Minnesota, Ohio, Illinois and Texas.