Are you ready to level up your Winlink communication skills? This week, George (KZ4BN) has volunteered to host a Winlink Peer-to-Peer (P2P) messaging session for our local area using the VARA FM P2P protocol. George is an active participant in the local Winlink Wednesday Advanced Operators Net as well as the national net.

This direct station-to-station messaging mode is key for emergency communications, enabling operators to exchange messages without relying on internet-based RMS gateways.

📅 Exercise Overview

📌 Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
📌 Time: 0000 – 2359 (local time)
📌 Frequency: 145.530 MHz (Simplex)
📌 Target Station: KZ4BN
📌 Digipeaters (if needed): N2NVY-10 or KF4JVI-5

This is a 24-hour exercise, allowing operators in different time zones to participate at their convenience.

🔍 Why Is This Important?

Mastering VARA FM P2P ensures that you can:
✅ Communicate directly with other stations during internet outages
✅ Send messages in emergency scenarios where RMS gateways are unavailable
✅ Work with digipeaters to extend your communication range
✅ Gain confidence in using Winlink for real-world operations

📋 Task Details – How to Participate (view interactive demo)

1️⃣ Compose Your Message
• Open Winlink Express
• Click “Message” → “New Message”
• Select “Send as: Peer-to-Peer Message”

2️⃣ Use the ICS 213 Form
This is the standard Incident Command System message format for formal traffic.
• Click “Select Template” → “ICS USA Forms” → “ICS 213 General Message”
• Fill in the following required details:
• Call Sign
• Name
• City/Town
• County
• State
• Your message content

💡 Pro Tip: If you’ve never used ICS forms before, this is a great chance to learn how they work in digital communications!

3️⃣ Save and Prepare for Transmission
• Post the message to the Outbox
• Open a new session
• Session Type: VARA FM P2P
• Target Callsign: KZ4BN

4️⃣ Transmit Your Message
• Ensure you are on 145.530 MHz
• If needed, use the digipeaters N2NVY-10 or KF4JVI-5 to reach KZ4BN
• Click “Start” to begin your P2P session
• Wait for confirmation that the message was successfully sent

🔗 Need Help? Interactive Demo Available Here!

There are also plenty of online tutorials available to help you understand VARA FM P2P operations, ICS message forms, and digipeater usage.

📢 Final Check-In and Confirmation

Once you successfully send your P2P ICS 213 message, you’re done! We’ll post a map of all check-in’s

FINEX: 2359 Local Time on March 5, 2025

Test your skills and spread the word! Encourage other operators in our area to participate. Let’s make sure everyone is prepared when it counts!