Checklists for Winlink Tasks

Steps for Creating an ICS 213 for Transmission

1. Start a new by either clicking on the in the upper left below your call sign OR click on Message and then New Message.
2. Click on Select a Template.
3. Click on the + next to Standard Templates.
4. Click on the + next to ICS USA Forms.
5. Click on ICS213.txt.
6. Click on Select.
7. This should open your web browser and display a form.
8. Fill in the form.
9. Click on Submit at the bottom.
10. Click on OK.
11. Navigate back to Winlink.
12. You should see the content of the form reformatted in the body of your message.
13. Fill out the To field with the call sign of the station that should receive the message or fill in a standard email address.  Separate multiple call signs or addresses with semicolons.
14. Click on Post to Outbox.

Steps to Adding a “Favorite Template,” which creates short-cut buttons when you create a new message

1. Start at the main Winlink window.
2. Click on Message at the top of the screen.
3. From the drop down menu, click on Set favorite templates...
4. You should see a new window titled Set Favorite Templates
5. If you remember the name of your first favorite, type it into the first Display name field under "Favorite Template 1.  Otherwise, skip that field for now.  
6. Click on the "+" to expand the list.
7. Click on Browse on the right.
8. One of your favorites is likely to be the ICS 213 template.  Click on "+" next to "ICS USA Forms".  You should see a list of ICS forms.
9. Click on "ICS213.txt"
10. Click on Select at the top.
11. Now that you've picked a favorite, type or edit its name as Display name Feel free to abbreviate to reduce the size of the short-cut button you're creating.
12. Repeat the steps 5 through 11 above using other Favorite Template fields to add more short cuts as needed.  
13. Make sure you click on "Save" at the bottom when you're done.
14. To verify that the button(s) have been created,
    1. Click on Message
    2. Click on New Message from the drop-down menu.
    3. You should see your new buttons between Select Template"and Attachments  You can click on one of them if you want to use one of these templates to create a message.  To use a template without a shortcut button, click on "Select Template" and navigate through the list of templates.

Steps to “Attach a File”, allowing you to attach files such a CSV files containing a roll-up received from teams in your NET simplex region

1. Open up Message, then New Message.

2. Click on the Attach: button below the Subject field

3. A popup screen will open that says “Attachments” in the header

4. Click on Add – this should bring up a list of files

5. Double click on the file you want to attach – the file name and size should now show in the popup screen

6. Click on Finished – this should return you back to the New Message screen

7. Fill in the other fields and in the message and Post to Outbox

Steps to “Create a Personal Folder,” allowing you to create folders for storing messages by categories.

Example: You may need to create one folder for Emergency messages yet to be sent, Priority messages, etc. rather than putting them all in your Outbox

1.  Click on the Personal Folders heading on the left side of the Winlink home page

2.  Type in the name of the Personal Folder

3.  Click Update

Steps for Moving a Message to a Folder

1. Select the target folder from the drop-down list to the right of “Move To:” at the top of Winlink window.
2. Highlight the messages you want to move.
3. Right click on the highlighted messages.
4. Click on Move to folder Selected Above.

Steps for Editing a Message Already in Your Outbox

1. Click on Outbox in the left column under System Folders
2. Click on the message you want to edit.
3. Do one of the following

• Right click in the body of the message and then click on Edit
• Click on Message in the menu at the top and click on Edit

1. Make your changes.
2. Click on Post to Outbox

Steps for Updating a Table of Available Gateways

1. Open a Packet Winlink or VARA FM Winlink Session.
2. Click on Channel Selection.
3. If you have Internet access click on Update Table via Telnet
4. Otherwise click on Update Table via Radio.

Steps to Generate an ICS-309, allowing you to create a communication log as a PDF file that can be printed or emailed

1.  Click on Message then Generate ICS-309 Communications Log

2.  Set the filters

a. Check Inbox, Sent and Read.  

b. Check the box next to Personal Folders if you placed any sent or received mail there, and select the appropriate folders.

c. Check the boxes next to the Start Date/Time fields and the Stop Date/Time fields; then fill in the appropriate date and time values, restricting the time frame to that of the exercise or deployment.

3.  Select option to Combine Recipients into a Single Entry

4.  Fill in Task ID, Task Name, Operational period, and Operator name, as appropriate

5.  Enter your call sign as the Station ID

6.  Select the folder where you want that resulting PDF to be placed by clicking on Browse to the right of Output pdf file

7.  Click on Generate ICS-309

8.  Use Windows File Explorer to navigate to the folder where you placed the ICS-309 and open it to verify it is correct in two ways: (a) Covers both the messages you sent and received and (b) does not include anything outside the time frame of the exercise or deployment.