GA ARES Winlink P2P Exercise Results and Maps

GAARES-P2P NET 2JUN2024 TRIAL NET MAPPING, RESULTS & SUMMARY REPORT WITH TUTORIAL
TTL UNIQUE CALLSIGNS:     33
TTL Check-in Messages:  47

SEE MAP LINKS BELOW

Thanks to all who participated in this first TRIAL NET.  GAARES is very pleased with the participation and ask that you spread the word around to friends who may want to join in next Sunday, 9 June and also 16 June.  This report includes many subjects, including analysis, bandwidth, mapping, acknowledgements, and problems/tutorial assistance. 

NOTEWORTHY:  ALL 47 messages received were correctly addressed to GAARES-P2P and not ND1J.  Fantastic!
As noted in the instructions, a message to ND1J would be sent but it would not be counted for a check-in.

MULTIPLE CHECK-INS:
For these trial nets, participants are free to do multiple check-ins, one for each of the session periods, in order to test propagation conditions throughout the day.  Several stations sent messages on each band.
KUDOS:  AD4MC, KE4QCM & WR4O sent messages during all 3 sessions!

MAPPING (4 MAPS):
Please see each session’s map to analyze how each band and session did.  Despite rough propagation, each of the selected bands session periods were able to cover the state well.

MAP 1 – 80m AM Session  (20 msgs)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1WkI6OYzhQHdE28wsEhq9NnGnb3ZvvjQ&usp=sharing

MAP 2 – 40m Midday Session (16 msgs)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1c6nCvMrnVUPMS89mFKkz-QJI0oJX_1E&usp=sharing

MAP 3 – 80m PM Session (10 msgs)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1R1rS1oS9wDI0RAD2nxqBDm6kQiTgR3A&usp=sharing

MAP 4 – ALL CHECK-IN MSGS (47 msgs)
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=14BYEZVdonhUjGas0PjVImN3zCQpcJYg&usp=sharing

VARA BANDWIDTH TUTORIAL AND JUSTIFICATION FOR 500-HZ:
Msgs received at 500-Hz Vara bandwidth = 25
                        at 2300-Hz                         = 21
For the Trials, you may use either 500 or 2300.  However, keep in mind that 500-Hz is the normal mode for P2P in order to not use so much frequency spectrum.  But, there are other advantages.  For short messages, 500 is every bit as fast as 2300 and often faster.  This is because the energy in the transmitted signal is being directed in a 500-Hz area, not a 2300-Hz area, thus the signal is stronger.  A cardinal rule of Digital Ops is the wider the signal, the more power required.  With 500-Hz, your system will require less repeats and therefore transmit faster.  If you are interested in using 500-Hz, it is easy to set up.  First, in the Vara HF modem window, the one with gauges, click Settings, then Vara Setup.  Click the box “Accept 500 Hz connections” and click CLOSE. This allows NCS to call you back at 500-Hz bandwidth.  To use a 500-Hz bandwidth, use the session window.  You can use the dropdown box “Bandwidth”, to the right of the dial frequency window, and select 500, then Start.   

MSG ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
As mentioned in the TRIAL NET Instructions, NCS was mostly available to send a short message back to stations right after they sent their check-in messages.  Alternatively, you would receive that P2P msg if you reconnected later.  NCS sent 34 acknowledgement replies back to stations, most of them within a minute or so after disconnect.  If you want to receive one, either leave your rig setup alone and on frequency for a few minutes after sending your message <or> reconnect a bit later to ND1J.
In P2P, you do not need to do anything except leave the station alone in order for another station to call and connect to you.

NCS also sent, via telnet, a full acknowledgement for every message, just as the regular GAARES Winlink Net does.
PLEASE do not “Request message receipt” in Winlink Express for these nets.

PROBLEM AREAS:
NCS monitored the radio nearly all of the day.  Here are four common errors that were observed during the trial net.   Don’t feel bad if you did some of these things because we all have!

#1 – DATE not current date of Net.  The Date/Time stamp on any message in Winlink Express is when the message is POSTED to the outbox.  You can re-open the message and the re-post it to update this date/time.  This also changes the message ID.
Emcomm operations (including exercises & nets) must be dated the day of the event.  Two messages were dated before 2Jun.
For the Trial Nets, these were accepted.  For a real net, they will not be, just like they aren’t for the GAARES Winlink Net.

#2 –SESSION TYPE:  Opening a regular “Vara HF Winlink” Session instead of a “Vara HF P2P Session”:  When this occurs, your radio will call and call but the P2P station you are calling will not answer

#3 –Center vs Dial Frequencies:  In Winlink, the standard nomenclature is “Center Frequency” expressed in kHz.  That converts to the “Dial Frequency” that is on the transceiver’s DIAL and most rigs display it in MHz.  With Rig control, your radio will auto-tune to the correct Dial Frequency when you enter the correct Center Frequency in that block in the Vara session window.  If you do not use rig control, you must manually tune the Dial Frequency on the rig.   One station called many times on a Dial Freq of 3584.5 kHz instead of 3583.  Dial Freq is always 1.5 kHz below (less than) the Center Freq.  (Note:  a recent change to Winlink Express now allows you to actually enter the Dial Freq in the Dial Freq box in the Vara HF Session Window.  Previously, that window only displayed Dial but you could not enter anything there.

#4 –NO MSG Sent after Connection to ND1J:  This occurred many times yesterday.  Don’t feel bad as we have all made this error – not saving the message as a “Peer-to-Peer Message” in the Winlink Express Outbox.  If the message is not a P2P message, it will not be sent.  In the outbox, look at the message “Recipient”.  If it does not have a (P2P) after it, it is not a P2P message.  Open it, change the “Send as:” dropdown menu to “Peer-to-Peer Message”, then click “Post to Outbox” and recheck that it indeed shows (P2P).

#5 – MSG Information Incorrect:  The vast majority of the messages were perfect.  The message is simple, with subject line specified and body line(s) specified.  Follow specific instructions.  In a real net, incorrect wording, order, etc in a message would be cause for rejection.

HELP GAARES:
Thanks again for participating.  As mentioned in the telnet reply messages, GAARES wants your feedback – suggestions, comments, complaints, anything!   Please send these to the preferred address for NCS.   nd1j73@…   I will log them and pass them up the chain.  We need your feedback regarding establishment of a permanent P2P Net.  Your thoughts on operations, procedures, instructions, times/frequencies, net frequency (how many nets a month), etc.  In addition, help solicit participation.

73,
David Blubaugh  ND1J
TRIAL Net Control Station