Winlink Thursdays: How Do They Work?

===Information===>>

Step One:  Find your Clearinghouse Tactical Winlink Address here...

Step Two: This Week's Winlink Thursday assignment:

What happens next? [click here to expand]

  • After the Exercise has concluded, all submissions will be gathered from our Clearinghouse Receiving Stations, and compiled for processing;

  • In a few days, you'll receive an announcement from our Group.io mailing list, that the Results are available on the ETO "Winlink Thursdays" page.

  • Visit the Winlink Thursdays page, click on the "Results" link, and find your submission listed under your Callsign.

[to find pre-2023 Winlink Thursdays, and their results, click here]

Exercise Schedule: August thru December 2023:
Date Form Note
August 24th, 2023 ICS-205 Re-Do Results of "Operation Clear Fog" Re-Do
Postponed until December ICS-213RR Resource Request Form
October 5, 2023 Winlink Check In Form Instructions   Results
October 19, 2023 USGS "Did You Feel It?" Report non-ETO: Great American Shake Out.
November 11, 2023 ICS-213 RR Message Form Semi-Annual Drill
December 14, 2023 Holiday Surprise Start making your wish list for Christmas / the Holidays.

[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 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").

October 19th:
"Did You Feel It?" Report, for the Great American ShakeOut

  • Updated Exercise Instructions:

    Please use the instructions that are on the Winlink.org website for completing and sending your DYFI form.
    The instructions are located on the Winlink.org website and can be found at this link:
    https://www.winlink.org/sites/default/files/ShakeOutWinlinkExercise_cm6.pdf
    If you have already submitted the exercise, you will need to do it again using the instructions from the Winlink.org website using the timeframe in their instructions.
    This change will allow ETO’s participants to be in better sync with the activities planned for the Great American Shakeout 2023.

10/10/2023: Results for October 5th Winlink Check-In Form exercise

Results Map for October 5th, 2023, Winlink Check-In Form exercise

We are trying a different approach to providing feedback. [click here to expand]


Instead of a numeric score, we provide information about why a particular field entry was considered wrong, and give you the correct response.

We hope you will find this to be More Useful and Informative.

When you click on your "push-pin" on the Results Map, you'll find Useful Feedback, as well as a record of all the information you submitted.

(be sure to scroll down on the left side Information Panel, to view all of the information there.)

Here is an example of Feedback to one of our own Programmers:

"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
  1. In your Web Browser, with our Results Map displayed...
  2. On the left side, you'll see a list of the 12 ETO Clearinghouses.
  3. Click the  ∨  (down-pointing caret), and the list will expand vertically;
  4. Type a Ctrl-F, to use the Browser's "Find On This Page" function;
  5. Type your Callsign;
  6. Your Browser will highlight your callsign, in the vertical list on the left.
  7. Click on your Callsign, and the Map will show you your "pushpin".
  8. Click on your Pushpin, and, on the left side of the screen, all of the information you sent in, will be listed.

[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents]

October 5th: Winlink Thursday: Winlink Check-In Form, Version 5

Difficulty Level:   Basic  

Exercise Message Submission Period

  • October 3rd, 00:00 UTC — October 6th, 15:00 UTC

  • Purpose: In July the Winlink development team made a major modification to the Winlink Check-in Form in their Version 5 release of this form. This exercise is for you to demonstrate the basic understanding of the fields and the ability to send, 1) a correctly formatted and 2) Winlink mappable check in to a Net Control Station or an Exercise Leader.


All,

We have decided to reschedule the ICS-213RR exercise for 9/14/2023 to December 14th.

Some of our key people in ETO are deployed with their respective disaster response organizations and are not available to support this week’s exercise. Also many of participants are either deployed on Wildfire responses or are on standby for possible impacts from hurricane Lee. Responding to actual disasters has to take priority over exercises.

We will continue on as planned with the exercises for October.

Regards,

The ETO Team

8/30/2023: Results for August 24th "Re-Do" of "Operation Clear Fog" 8/10 Exercise:

Results Map for August 24th, 2023, Re-Do by Clearinghouse

We are trying a different approach to providing feedback. [click here to expand]


Instead of a numeric score, we provide information about why a particular field entry was considered wrong, and give you the correct response.

We hope you will find this to be More Useful and Informative.

When you click on your "push-pin" on the Results Map, you'll find Useful Feedback, as well as a record of all the information you submitted.

(be sure to scroll down on the left side Information Panel, to view all of the information there.)

Here is an example of Feedback to one of our own Programmers:

"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
  1. In your Web Browser, with our Results Map displayed...
  2. On the left side, you'll see a list of the 12 ETO Clearinghouses.
  3. Click the  ∨  (down-pointing caret), and the list will expand vertically;
  4. Type a Ctrl-F, to use the Browser's "Find On This Page" function;
  5. Type your Callsign;
  6. Your Browser will highlight your callsign, in the vertical list on the left.
  7. Click on your Callsign, and the Map will show you your "pushpin".
  8. Click on your Pushpin, and, on the left side of the screen, all of the information you sent in, will be listed.

[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents]

NEW! as of 8/24/2023: Re-Calculated Results for August 10th "Operation Clear Fog" ICS-205 Exercise:

New! Results Map 2.0 for August 10th, 2023

"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
  1. In your Web Browser, with our Results Map displayed...
  2. On the left side, you'll see a list of the 12 ETO Clearinghouses.
  3. Click the  ∨  (down-pointing caret), and the list will expand vertically;
  4. Type a Ctrl-F, to use the Browser's "Find On This Page" function;
  5. Type your Callsign;
  6. Your Browser will highlight your callsign, in the vertical list on the left.
  7. Click on your Callsign, and the Map will show you your "pushpin".
  8. Click on your Pushpin, and, on the left side of the screen, all of the information you sent in, will be listed.

[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents]

Winlink Thursday "Operation Clear Fog" ICS-205 Re-Do for August 24th, 2023

Difficulty Level:   Advanced  



Instructions for REDO exercise only. Changes from original exercise highlighted.

NOTE WELL that instructions have changed for the following fields:

  • Date/Time Prepared
  • Operational Time Period From
  • Operational Time Period
  • Special Instructions
  • Date/Time Approved
  • To: address

Purpose: To demonstrate the basic understanding and the ability to send a correctly formatted ICS-205 form to a Net Control Station or an Exercise Leader, to facilitate interoperable unit or agency communications.

  • Identify resources for collecting radio frequency information;
  • Properly format and complete the entries for an ICS-205 form;
  • Provide interoperability information to disparate agencies in a related incident;
  • Convey the completed document by Winlink to participant agencies.
    See your clearinghouse addresses in Resources below, and always, in addition to your designated clearinghouse address, include ETO-BK (a backup address to mitigate potential primary clearinghouse issues.)

Exercise Message Submission Period

  • August 21st 00:00 UTC — August 25th 15:00 UTC

Results for July 27th "Severe Weather Report" Re-Do Exercise:

7/27/2023 "Severe Weather Report" Re-Do Exercise: Results Map

7/27/2023 "Severe Weather Report" Re-Do Exercise: Both 7/13 and 7/27 for Participants of Both WLT's

The link below displays the grading key that was used to grade the exercise.
You can compare your message to the table to determine which fields you may have missed.

Grading Summary for 7/27/2023, Version 1.0

"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
  1. In your Web Browser, with our Results Map displayed...
  2. On the left side, you'll see a list of the 12 ETO Clearinghouses.
  3. Click the  ∨  (down-pointing caret), and the list will expand vertically;
  4. Type a Ctrl-F, to use the Browser's "Find On This Page" function;
  5. Type your Callsign;
  6. Your Browser will highlight your callsign, in the vertical list on the left.
  7. Click on your Callsign, and the Map will show you your "pushpin".
  8. Click on your Pushpin, and, on the left side of the screen, all of the information you sent in, will be listed.

[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents]

Re-Do: Winlink Thursday for July 27th, 2023

Difficulty Level:   Basic  

Purpose: To demonstrate the basic understanding and the ability to send 1) a correctly formatted and 2) Winlink mappable Severe Weather Report to a Net Control Station or an Exercise Leader.



Summary: In this Exercise for Thursday, July 27th, 2023, you will:
  • Use Winlink Express to create and send the mappable Winlink Severe Weather Report Form.
  • Properly enter the Latitude and Longitude in a Winlink Mappable Form.
  • Use the provided simulated weather conditions to complete your update report.

  • Important! for this week ONLY, use a Single Clearinghouse Address for ALL Submissions, no matter where you live: ETO-REDO

Exercise Message Submission Period

  • July 24 00:00 UTC --- July 28 15:00 UTC
  • DateTime Window for section two if one exists

Results for July 13th "Severe Weather Report":

7/13/2023 "Severe Weather Report": Results Map

The link below displays the grading key that was used to grade the exercise.
You can compare your message to the table to determine which fields you may have missed.

Grading Summary for 7/13/2023, Version 1.2

"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
  1. In your Web Browser, with our Results Map displayed...
  2. On the left side, you'll see a list of the 12 ETO Clearinghouses.
  3. Click the  ∨  (down-pointing caret), and the list will expand vertically;
  4. Type a "Ctrl-F", to use the Browser's "Find On This Page" function;
  5. Type your Callsign;
  6. Your Browser will highlight your callsign, in the vertical list on the left.
  7. Click on your Callsign, and the Map will show you your "pushpin".
  8. Click on your Pushpin, and, on the left side of the screen, all of the information you sent in, will be listed.

[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents]

Winlink Thursday for July 13th, 2023

Difficulty Level:   Basic  

Purpose: To demonstrate the basic understanding and the ability to send 1) a correctly formatted and 2) Winlink mappable Severe Weather Report to a Net Control Station or an Exercise Leader.



Summary: In this Exercise for Thursday, July 13th, 2023, you will:
  • Use Winlink Express to create and send the mappable Winlink Severe Weather Report Form.
  • Properly enter the Latitude and Longitude in a Winlink Mappable Form.
  • Use the provided simulated weather conditions to complete your update report.

Exercise Message Submission Period

  • July 13 00:00 UTC --- July 14 15:00 UTC
  • DateTime Window for section two if one exists

Results for June 15th "Check-In Form":

6/15/2023 "Check-In Form": Results Map
We didn’t reject any messages so the sender can see what the issues were so they can correct it next time.
The table below contains the grading key that was used to grade the exercise.
You can compare your message to the table to determine which fields you may have missed.

Grading Criteria:
Field Name Grading Criteria
Status Exercise
Title EmComm Training Organization
Date/Time Filled In
Call/Tactical Sender: Filled In
Initial Assigned Operators: Filled In
Station Contact Name: Filled In
Location: Filled In
LAT/LONG Filled In
MGRS Filled In
Grid Square: Filled In
Band Used: Estimated selected
Session Type: Filled In
Comment General or MAPPING-GIS

Note 1: The comment field was worth 50% of the grade
Note 2: Some participants of ETO-09 may not have been graded due to a technical issue with the ETO-09 Computer.
If you are missing from the map, you can resubmit your message to

ETO-BK

.
Note 3: If your location is incorrect please send a winlink message to

K7ZPJ

.

"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
  1. In your Web Browser, with our Results Map displayed...
  2. On the left side, you'll see a list of the 12 ETO Clearinghouses.
  3. Click the  ∨ (down-pointing caret), and the list will expand vertically;
  4. Type a "Ctrl-F", to use the Browser's "Find On This Page" function;
  5. Type your Callsign;
  6. Your Browser will highlight your callsign, in the vertical list on the left.
  7. Click on your Callsign, and the Map will show you your "pushpin".
  8. Click on your Pushpin, and, on the left side of the screen, all of the information you sent in, will be listed.

[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents]

Winlink Thursday for June 15th, 2023

Difficulty Level:   Basic  

Purpose: To demonstrate the basic understanding and the ability to send, 1) a correctly formatted and 2) Winlink mappable check in to a Net Control Station or an Exercise Leader.



Summary: In this Exercise for Thursday, June 15th, 2023, you will:
  • Use Winlink Express to create and send the mappable Winlink Check In Form.
  • Properly enter the Latitude and Longitude in a Winlink Mappable Form.
  • Understand Winlink’s concept of a Default Position.
  • Acknowledge some forms are accessible via multiple paths within the Winlink Template Manager.

Exercise Message Submission Period

June 15 00:00 UTC --- June 16 15:00 UTC


Results for April 13th "Weather Report":

4/13/2023 "Local Weather Report": Results Map

"How do I interpret the score I received from my submission?"

The table below contains the grading key that was used to grade the exercise.
You can compare your message to the table to determine which fields you may have missed.

Field NameGrading Criteria
Observer Name: Filled In
DateTime: Filled In
Location: Filled In
LAT: Filled In
LON: Filled In
City: Filled In
County: Filled In
State Filled In
Current Conditions Filled In
Temperature Filled In
Wind Speed: Number & Estimated selected
Notes: Filled In
Breakdown of Errors by Message Field
Field Number of Messages
With Errors		 Percent of Messages
With Errors
Wind Speed: 87 15.62%
Location: 74 13.29%
Notes: 31 5.57%
State 12 2.15%
Current Conditions 12 2.15%
County: 9 1.62%
City: 3 0.54%

Example of Completed Local Weather Report


If you have questions please send email to: ETO.Technical.Team@EmComm-Training.groups.io
Regards,
The ETO team


"How do I find my Check-In on the Map?"
  1. In your Web Browser, with our Results Map displayed...
  2. On the left side, you'll see a list of the 12 ETO Clearinghouses.
  3. Click the  ∨ (down-pointing caret), and the list will expand vertically;
  4. Type a "Ctrl-F", to use the Browser's "Find On This Page" function;
  5. Type your Callsign;
  6. Your Browser will highlight your callsign, in the vertical list on the left.
  7. Click on your Callsign, and the Map will show you your "pushpin".
  8. Click on your Pushpin, and, on the left side of the screen, all of the information you sent in, will be listed.

[Click on the ▶ or the line of text above, to expand its contents]

WLT Weather Report for April 13th, 2023:
Summary: In this Exercise for Thursday, April 13th, 2023, you will:
  • Use the Beaufort scale to estimate wind speed at your location.
  • Use Winlink Express to create and send a Local Weather Report form.

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
===Information===>> Find YOUR Region's Clearinghouse Tactical Address HERE...
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