June 2025 Tech Talk – Introduction to Winlink and VarAC

5 June, 2025

Tech Talks

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Join Us Saturday Morning, June 21, at 10 AM at the EOC For An Introduction to Winlink and VarAC Presented by Rebecca W5TTA • VarAC—Text Communications (and Winlink-Email) Over HF are the perfect solutions for EMCOMM communications, keyboard chat beyond what you can do with FT8, and email when the internet is down. • The proprietary but incredibly effective VARA protocol is required for VarAC to work, and VARA is also one of the protocols you can use for Winlink Email programs. • VarAC can provide 12 –20 wpm text communications when signals are down to –18 db (typical with minimal antennas and low power such as encountered in portable operations or when EMCOMM is needed). • What kind of equipment is needed and what are my antenna and power requirements for reliable communications when needed? • Our focus in this tech talk is to show how the newbie can set this up and get up in an hour. • We will provide a live demonstration on 7105 KHz between Hurst and Bastrop to show its effectiveness, the propagation muses permitting. • In the future we will show the only competitive mode around, JS8Call, that comes close to what we can do with VarAC.