IridiumGO connection on RMS Express for Winlink

[Alan N Crichton]

Originally Posted by AA3JY

From the Winlink Q&A’s..

6) Iridium GO users with Winlink Express will need to update to Express version 1.5.9.4 and Iridium GO firmware version 1.5.2 to use a fix for a problem making Telnet connections to the new servers through our load balancer

Thank you - done all that before posting for help - trying the Winlink Forum but it appears the number of users of a Go with Winlink is minimal.


Regards Alan

[AA3JY]

Express‘s latest ver. 1.5.28.0 ..1.5.9.4 is an older version. I’ve also seen a beta ver. 1.5.28.4 being used

[Brian.D]

Originally Posted by Alan N Crichton

Thank you - done all that before posting for help - trying the Winlink Forum but it appears the number of users of a Go with Winlink is minimal.


Regards Alan

There must be a way to go straight to the developers. They are mostly all hams so looking up their call sign and getting email addresses should be somewhat simple. It is also possible that their contact info is on the website.

[Auspicious]

Originally Posted by Brian.D

There must be a way to go straight to the developers. They are mostly all hams so looking up their call sign and getting email addresses should be somewhat simple. It is also possible that their contact info is on the website.

Going to the developers has been and continues to be done. It's a volunteer group and their priorities are elsewhere. We make progress in fits and starts but EMCOMM is higher priority than cruisers. If you knew the history of Winlink that would astound you. *sigh*

[SoggyPaws]

Trying to help a friend with Iridium Go and a Winlink email get set up on a new computer. I got confused a few posts back whether Airmail was the best solution, and whether Winlink Express currently works with Go. Can you tell me what direction he should go? (Already has updated Winlink Express, don't know what v of Go firmware he has, and it's not working. Don't know the error. Predictwind works fine.)
He's familiar with Airmail and happy to switch if that's the answer.
Thanks
Sherry

[Auspicious]

Hi Sherry,

There is a bug in the latest version of Winlink Express that makes connection to the GO! sporadic and error prone. It is a low priority for the WDT but is on the list.

Definitely update the GO! firmware.

Airmail just works. Even ignoring the bug, the grib viewer is better and Winlink uses Airmail/Viewfax for downloaded synoptic charts.

The lead developer for Winlink Express is an EMCOMM guy and cruising needs fall to the bottom of the list. The only reason I have for choosing Winlink Express is to use HF/SSB with ARDOP or VARA for connection to Winlink. For HF/SSB with Pactor use Airmail for Winlink, Sailmail, Cruisemail, Brunei Radio, etc. as well as weather fax and Navtex. The catalog of Saildocs products in Airmail is better than the Winlink Express catalog.

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by SoggyPaws

Trying to help a friend with Iridium Go and a Winlink email get set up on a new computer. I got confused a few posts back whether Airmail was the best solution, and whether Winlink Express currently works with Go. Can you tell me what direction he should go? (Already has updated Winlink Express, don't know what v of Go firmware he has, and it's not working. Don't know the error. Predictwind works fine.)
He's familiar with Airmail and happy to switch if that's the answer.
Thanks
Sherry

Airmail can work with winlink(I use airmail exclusively), but there are a few gotchas. In order for airmail to connect to the winlink via the iridium, you must have connected to sailmail via the iridium within the past 30 days. The connect button for winlink telnet is greyed out until that happens. Then if you cancel sailmail, 30 days after your last sailmail connect, it stops working again. My guess is that the airmail folks had to pay iridium for a license, and sailmail pays airmail for a license, so hams that use airmail it for free get stiffed.

That said, once I figured this out(after I canceled sailmail and it stopped working), I found in the .ini files a last connect date, and I just keep moving it forward.

The other issue I have is that DNS doesn't work though the connection that airmail opens. So you can't use server.winlink.org, but need to use the IP address, which changes, but infrequently. A few times I have had to use the iridium mail app to email a friend and find out the new IP address for me.

<rant>
It's frustrating. This should be very simple, the winlink server software is free, clients are free, yet there is always something to block it. Email services like sailmail and xgate are ridiculously priced. And there seems to be an active push to kick sailors off of winlink altogether.

Really, if I could access my @myiridium.net email from my laptop, that would be perfect, I already pay iridium $150 per month for that. Accessing that email from airmail would be gold. But, no, to do that I need to subscribe to Xgate for some obscene amount of money.
</rant>