The Amateur Radio Safety Foundation (ARSFI) has announced the availability of RMS Express user software with WINMOR, a new radio-email application for use with the Winlink 2000 network.

The WINMOR protocol was introduced at the 2008 ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference in Chicago. The goal of the WINMOR development effort was to create a soundcard digital mode that would provide an alternative to PACTOR for accessing the Winlink 2000 network. After two years of beta testing, WINMOR TNC, a software-based “helper application”, is now available as part of the new Winlink RMS Express user software suite.

For a number of years hams who’ve accessed the Winlink network on the HF bands have used PACTOR, primarily PACTOR II or III. This required the purchase of an external hardware modem. With the advent of WINMOR, no external hardware is required other than the same type of interface used for other sound-card-based digital communication modes.

The WINMOR protocol and the RMS Express application were developed by Rick Muething, KN6KB and Vic Poor, W5SMM. It includes innovative features such as a “busy frequency” detector to reduce potential interference. A complete description of the WINMOR protocol is available here.

In addition to WINMOR, the RMS Express suite currently also supports Telnet for Internet, HSMM and D-Star connections, a wide selection of TNCs for packet radio, and SCS hardware modems for PACTOR II, and III. It also supports WINMOR peer-to-peer connections as well as connections with Winlink Radio Message Servers.

The WINMOR TNC helper application is also available separately to third party developers who wish to add the WINMOR protocol to their products.

The RMS Express suite for Windows is available free of charge. A $39 donation to ARSFI, a non-profit 501C(3) charity, is suggested for use of the WINMOR component, but payment is not mandatory. The RMS Express suite and WINMOR TNC helper application can both be downloaded from the Winlink Web site.