The goal of Iowa ARES® Winlink Weekend is learning and practicing the use of the Winlink system to prepare for its use with the agencies we intend to serve, as well as supporting ARES® itself. Everyone is invited to participate!

We will be practicing the various message forms we can expect to be asked to use.

Messages are to be sent any time on Saturday or Sunday, Central Time.

Specifics for Check-in weeks:
Use the basic Winlink Check In template which is in Standard Templates, in both GENERAL and MAPPING-GIS forms.
Enter WINLINK WEEKEND, using the Setup button.
In Comments: call sign, first name, city or town, county, state, mode (Winlink HF, VARA FM, VHF packet, etc.)
Example: WB0GAG, Bruce, Muscatine, Muscatine, IA, VARA HF
Fill in the remaining entries as you wish, but make your location data accurate "enough".
You can save your data for reuse with the Save Check In Data button.
If you don't want to include your own phone number, use (any area code)-555-0121, which is not in use anywhere in North America.
Click the Submit button and follow the prompts.
Send any time Saturday or Sunday, preferably by radio (RMS), although you can use Telnet if you are just starting or can't get a radio connection.
Eastern Iowa and Illinois are on 145.610 MHz, packet Winlink. We are working to extend deeper into Iowa.
Send to WB0GAG. Check the exercise scenario for any additional addresses.
Peer to Peer (P2P) volunteers are welcome and don't need to be available for the whole time. Notify WBØGAG of the hours, band and mode you want so it can be added to the web site.

September 19-20, 2026

EXERCISE, EXERCISE

A mud slide next to a local highway has blocked access to your city from one side.
3 hilltop or hilside homes have been impacted.
Your clup or group has been called upon to assist primarily with health and welfare traffic.

Start a new message and select Standard Templates > Radiogram & RRI Forms > RRI Welfare Radiogram.
Leave the (message) Nunber as is.
Select Precedence TEST W (test welfare).
Handling Instructions, Station Of Origin and Check should be left as they are unless your callsign is wrong.
Place of Origin, enter CENTRAL CITY.
Time, enter the current time and identify local unless you use UTC, i.e., 10:00L
Date, enter the current date.
Under TO:
Name: SAM SMITH
Address: 123 Cedar St. City / Town: Washington State or Province: MO Zip: 12345
Country: leave blank
Phone: 555-555-5555 Extension: leave blank E-mail: SSS23@Mail.com
Op Note for Message Delivery: One way message.
MESSClAGE TEXT Check: will autofill as you enter the message.
Check at the top of the form will also autofill.
Click "Click here to insert a short prepared message" (choose one, your choice) then enter your:
call sign, first name, city or town, county, state, mode (Winlink HF, VARA FM, VHF packet, etc.) GPS location
2 letter state abbreviation and no parentheses, please!
Example: WB0GAG, Bruce, Muscatine, Muscatine, IA, VARA HF, 41.427500N 91.058500W (the commas will be stripped out.)
Signature (name) of person for whom message originated: SAM SMITH
Instead of selecting a Liason Station, enter WB0GAG

Save a copy for later if you wish.
Review your message, then click Submit and set "Subject:" to "Iowa Winlink Weekend".

In the message composition window, make sure "Send As:" is set to Winlink Message.
Check "Request message receipt" if you wish a confirmation message.
"To:" will be WB0GAG. Add any others you would like to receive the message.

When you are satisfied with the message, click "Post to Outbox".

Send as normal. If you have no radio capability yet, use telnet.

RMS submission

In the message composition window, make sure "Send As:" is set to Winlink Message.
Check "Request message receipt" if you wish a confirmation message.
Set "To:" to WB0GAG. Add any others you would like to receive the message.
Set "Subject:" to Iowa Winlink Weekend.

When you are satisfied with the message, click "Post to Outbox".
Select the appropriate session type and proceed as normal.