Winlink Thursdays: How Do They Work?
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Step One: Find your Clearinghouse Tactical Winlink Address here... |
Step Two: This Week's Winlink Thursday assignment: |
[Click on a ▶ link, to expand its contents]
General Notes on Frequently-Seen Mistakes... Please Read!:
General Notes:
We see many of the same mistakes being repeated week after week, across different exercise types, so we think it’s worthwhile to call these out.
Sending incorrect longitude and latitude data
We use the latitude and longitude data to plot you onto maps. Sometimes that map data is obviously incorrect. This occurs when folks in the Western Hemisphere omit the minus sign in front of longitude or when folks in the Southern Hemisphere omit the minus sign in front of latitude.
The use of a GPS dongle helps to mitigate against this. If you’re not using a GPS dongle, do take extra care in copying/pasting or entering those numbers
Incorrect format when answering a multiple choice question
When we ask a multiple choice question on a Winlink Check In message, we require the answer to be in a specific format: a single character, uppercase letter on the first line of the Comments field. We don’t want any punctuation before or after that single letter. We don’t want an explanation. We just want a single letter.
Here’s a partial list of answers that we consider “not valid”:
- B is the answer
- The answer is B
- “B”
- B.
- Providing real-time tactical digital communications in conjunction with a map showing the locations of stations
Not sending to an ETO clearinghouse
We use a group of volunteers to act as the “Clearinghouses” for most exercises. The purpose of the Clearinghouses is to divide the work that we do to process your messages. Each Clearinghouse has a specific Winlink tactical address: ETO-01 through ETO-10 (corresponding to USA FEMA regions), plus ETO-DX for non-US participants and now ETO-CAN for Canada.
If you don’t address your message to one of these tactical addresses, we won’t receive your message.
Even though some Winlink Templates, such as the Winlink Check In, allow you to address your message directly from the message itself, we strongly discourage this. Instead, we would strongly encourage you to create a Winlink “contact” for your clearinghouse.
Then, after you hit the [Submit] button on the template, click on the [To:] button and select your clearinghouse contact.
Yes, it’s a bit more work to set up, but once you have it correctly set up, you will not make an accidental mistake by entering “ETO-1”, or “ETO-O1” ( with a letter "O" next to the "1" ) when you meant to enter “ETO-01” ("eee-tee-ohh-dash-zero-one").
June 16th Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History Notes on the Results from the June 16th Exercise [PDF] |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
June 9th Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Results by Ease or Difficulty Scale Results Map, showing Results by Ease or Difficulty Scale Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History Notes on the Results from the June 9th Exercise [PDF] |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
June 2nd Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
May 26th Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
No Winlink Thursday for this week: May 19th, 2022
No Winlink Thursday for this week: May 12th, 2022
The "Operation Ashfall" Semi-Annual Drill is Saturday, May 14th: See the "Drills" page for more information!
May 5th Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History |
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[Click on a ▶ link, to expand its contents]
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
April 21st Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
April 21st Assignment |
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Instructions: In this week's Winlink Thursday, for April 21st, 2022, you will:
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April 14th Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Water Works Status Results Map, showing Water Works Status Results Map, showing TV Stations Status Results Map, showing TV Stations Status Results Map, showing Internet Service Status Results Map, showing Internet Service Status Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
April 7th Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Graded Responses of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Participants' History Results Map, showing Participants' History | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
April 7th Assignment |
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Instructions: In this week's Winlink Thursday, for April 7th, 2022, you will:
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March 31st Results Maps:
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Check-ins Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Check-Ins Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing RF Mode of Check-Ins Results Map, showing RF Mode of Check-Ins Results Map, showing RF Bands of Check-Ins Results Map, showing RF Bands of Check-Ins Results Map, showing Participants History Results Map, showing Participants History | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
March 31st Assignment |
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Instructions: In this week's Winlink Thursday, for March 31st, 2022, you will:
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March 24th Results Maps:
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Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Results Map, by Clearinghouse Results Map, showing Graded Responses Results Map, showing Graded Responses Results Map, showing Participants History Results Map, showing Participants History | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
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Instructions: In this week's Winlink Thursday, for March 24th, 2022, you will:
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March 17th Results Maps:
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Custom Template Message: March 17th Results Map, by Clearinghouse: March 17th Results Map, by Clearinghouse Alternate Exercise: March 17th Results Map, by Clearinghouse: Winlink Check-in Submissions: March 17th Results Map, by Clearinghouse [if you didn't find your Callsign on the first Results Map, try this second Results Map] | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
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In this week's Winlink Thursday for March 17th, 2022, You Will:
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
March 10th Results Maps: |
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March 10th Results Map, by Clearinghouse:
March 10th Results Map, by Clearinghouse
Other Results Map: General/Winlink Check-In Submissions, Results Map | |
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In this week's Winlink Thursday for March 10th, 2022, You Will:
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
March 3rd Results Maps:
Winlink Thursday for March 3rd, 2022.
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Results (grouped by Clearinghouse): Results Map for March 3rd Winlink Thursday, by Clearinghouse
Results (grouped by Form Version): Results Map for March 3rd Winlink Thursday, by Form Version Results (grouped by First Name): Results Map for March 3rd Winlink Thursday, by First Name |
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In this week's Winlink Thursday:
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Instructions for March 3rd Winlink Thursday Exercise[PDF] | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
February 24th Results Maps:
Winlink Thursday for February 24th, 2022.
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Results (grouped by Clearinghouse): Non-P2P Results Map for Feb. 24th Winlink Thursday | |
Peer-to-Peer Results Map for Feb 24th. Winlink Thursday | ||
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Sample Disaster Photos Submitted by our Participants | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
February 17th Results Maps:
Winlink Thursday for February 17th, 2022.
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Results (grouped by Clearinghouse): Results Map for Feb. 17th Winlink Thursday | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
February 10th Results Maps:
Winlink Thursday for February 10th, 2022.
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Results (grouped by Clearinghouse): Results Map for Feb. 10th Winlink Thursday | |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the line of text above, to expand its contents] |
February 3rd Results Maps:
Winlink Thursday for February 3rd, 2022.
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Results (grouped by Clearinghouse): Results Map for Feb. 3rd Winlink Thursday
Results (grouped by Temperature): Results Map for Feb. 3rd Winlink Thursday Check-ins Only (no WX info provided): Non-WX Check-ins Map for Feb. 3rd Winlink Thursday |
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"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
[Click on the link above, to expand its contents] |
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Instructions: PDF for February 3rd Winlink Thursday here |
January 27th Results Maps:
Winlink Thursday for January 27, 2022.
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Results: Results Map for 1/27/22 Winlink Thursday |
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Instructions: PDF for January 27th Winlink Thursday here |
January 20th Results Maps:
Winlink Thursday for January 20, 2022.
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Results: Results Map for 1/20/22 Winlink Thursday |
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Instructions: PDF for January 20th Winlink Thursday here |
Please send any questions about the Winlink Thursdays to: ETO.Technical.Team@EmComm-Training.groups.io
Please send any questions about our group on groups.io to: main+owner@EmComm-Training.groups.io
73's from the EmComm Training Team
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Find YOUR Region's Clearinghouse Tactical Address HERE... |