Even though recipients are on your Whitelist, some internet addresses get bounced.

Here's why:
There is a standard in e-mail delivery designed to prevent spam sent from domain names that do not match the IP address. (This is a common way spam originates). It's called reverse-DNS lookup. WL2K central servers check with the DNS of every incoming internet sender to be sure the 'From' address matches the IP address from which the message comes. If not, it is rejected as incoming spam. This is our firm policy.

Lesen Sie diesen Artikel in deutscher Sprache.

A small team from ARENA Notfunkgruppe of Austria has been busy testing Pactor and packet radio applications, and the focus has been on Winlink 2000 (WL2K). This global radio e-mail system was being considered due to the positive experiences of EmComm organizations in the United States, Canada, Australia and the Far East. WL2K was in use by amateur radio organizations in 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, forest fires, earthquakes and floods and it's success has convinced public service authorities that its technology is a meaningful complement to existing telecommunications facilities. In the USA, MARS (Military Affiliate Radio System), and ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service) are activated for disasters, and they employ WL2K if required. Press articles make it clear that these operations by local organizations were invaluable. Without doubt, radio amateurs in other countries have a higher priority in public service than here in Austria.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) called Army Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS) into action as tornados swept across the Southeastern United States February 5-6. According to Army MARS Chief Stuart Carter, "For the first time as far back as we can remember, a state government called for MARS deployment in response to an actual emergency. The resulting teamwork and use of Army MARS Winlink capability gave TEMA its only e-mail link during President Bush's visit to the storm-stricken area." At least 70 messages were sent during the state operation ranging from casualty figure updates and signal reports to staff rosters and photos. Read more on the ARRL web.

Our Medical/Dental International Health Services (IHS) team is operating in Auka Honduras Feb 19 - 26. We are in the Mosquitia region of NE Honduras, not far from the Nicaragua border. Our team consists of a doctor, RN, two pharmacists, two translators, paramedic, radio operator, and two general helpers. Besides our specialties we all share in cooking, water purification, washing dishes, filling sun showers, burning trash.

The radio set up is a station for both HF and VHF -- an Icom 706. We also have a HT for monitoring VHF. The HF antenna is a G5RV Jr at about 15', hung between a cashew tree and a palm tree, with an automatic antenna tuner. The VHF system is an Elk Antennas dual band 2M / 440 5 element log periodic at about 25' on two tree trunks spliced with duct tape.

Those tornados that swept across the Mid South Feb. 5 and 6 carried Army MARS into a new era of operations. For the first time as far back as we can remember, a state government called for MARS deployment in response to an actual emergency. The resulting teamwork gave the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency—TEMA—its only e-mail link during President Bush’s visit to the storm-stricken area. That link was the army MARS WinLink 2000 Radio e-mail system.

Stuart S. Carter, the Army MARS Chief, gave a full account of the MARS tornado response on his biweekly broadcast to members Feb. 15. Compiled from several after-action reports, Carter’s account follows verbatim.

By Vic Poor, W5SMM, AAA9WL
February 13, 2008

There seems to be confusion has to how WL2K deals with the loss of Internet. Let me address this question and see if I can bring a little clarity to it.

As presently designed and deployed, the assumption is made that Internet may fail regionally but not globally. A disaster may take out the Internet infrastructure over an area of as much as several states or a single country but not the entire world.

[As of 2009, all the items in this plan have been implemented. This document is now obsolete. Ed.]

Victor Poor, W5SMM
Rick Muething, KN6KB
September 28, 2007 Draft
Updated December 6, 2007 - Final

This document spells out how the WL2K developers see WL2K evolving over the near future. It is the intent of the development team to release and deploy new software in stages to provide a seamless transition from the current CMS/PMBO structure to a new CMS/RMS structure.