In today’s communications landscape, being prepared for disruptions to standard networks is more important than ever. Whether you’re coordinating a field exercise, supporting emergency comms, or simply exploring resilient messaging workflows, knowing how to send short‑messages outside normal cellular networks is a powerful skill. That’s where the new ARCWC mini-course “Sending SMS via Winlink Express” comes in.

Why this course matters

Standard SMS and mobile data services rely on commercial infrastructure that may become unavailable due to natural disaster, power outage, remote terrain, or equipment failures. The course walks you through the process of using the software Winlink Express (widely used in amateur radio for email‑over‑RF and hybrid data links) to send SMS‑style messages when other options aren’t available.

As of June 17, 2025, many carriers have discontinued support for email-to-text and text-to-email services, rendering the original capability non-operational. A workaround has been developed, and this course has been updated to reflect this change.

What you’ll learn

Here’s a breakdown of what to expect:

• How to Opt-in to the SMS relay service for yourself, your family, or your group, ensuring you’re ready before an emergency happens.
• Compose and format effective messages that are optimized for transmission via Winlink and compatible with SMS delivery—keeping them short, clear, and actionable.
• Educate non-hams on how to reach you if you’re inside an affected zone—providing them with simple instructions and backup communication paths so they can send replies or initiate contact even when you’re off-grid.

Messaging capabilities that go beyond standard infrastructure broaden your operational resilience and deepen your preparedness. By investing a few minutes in the “Sending SMS via Winlink Express” course, you’re not just learning a software trick—you’re elevating your communications toolkit for real‑world contingency scenarios.

All ARCWC Courses are free!