WIN system: A great linked vhf/uhf wide coverage system

[Moleculo]

If you're not familiar with the WIN System, you really should check it out. It is an open VHF/UHF linked repeater system that is active in 12 States and Canada. It's simply a fantastic system with tremendous coverage and activity much of the day. The system is also linked up to IRLP on node 9100 so any ham operator can get in. Check out all of the information on the frequencies and sites here: WIN System repeater list

If anyone wants to set up a QSO time on this system, let me know! I can get into it with an HT around most of Southern California!

 

[74IN]

It's linked all the time? Seems like it would be swamped with alot of local traffic.

Bummer no midwest (great lake states).

Maybe the CFMC and Valpo big repeaters will join.

 

[Moleculo]

It's linked all the time? Seems like it would be swamped with alot of local traffic.

As far as I know, the whole system is linked the whole time. The website says that they are looking for opportunities to expand the system to other areas, so maybe you could have the owners of those other systems contact Shorty and see if there is interest?

 

[KJ6KQE]

I love this system. It's the most active repeater in my area.
I sometimes hear England, Australia and Japan.

And I live in the high desert!

 

[89gta]

Yep, I monitor it every day on my drive to work, from the inland empire into city of industry, for about 4 years now. They had a repeater on Sunset ridge that was great but it doesn't seem to be in the system anymore so I mostly monitor through Santiago peak out in Orange county. I only have an HT in the car....my mobile is set up at the house.
N6RDC

 

[W5LZ]

The 'WINsystem' is internet based on and uses IRLP, much like 'Echolink', which is a means of sending voice traffic over the internet. Each linked station, or repeater, is a gateway into the system. Many of them use a 'PL' tone for access, just like repeaters do and for the same reason, there's a lot of them. Each of those gateways has a computer and/or a TNC to control/'shape' that voice traffic into usable form for sending over the internet, and has a 'node' number as an internet 'address'. (Same basic thing as a phone-patch, which connected radios with the telephone system.)
It's a very 'structured' system and requires some patience to use. It takes some time for the various 'links' to do the switching, so you have to allow some time between one station's ending transmission and the next, or something get's 'cut-off'.
Probably the most fascinating part of it is that it uses VHF/UHF frequencies which are normally very short ranged, and you can hear stations from literally anywhere in the world. All that is basically required is a stations which is linked to the internet, and you being near enough to that linked station to be heard. It works.
- 'Doc

 

[Moleculo]

The 'WINsystem' is internet based on and uses IRLP

Much of it is IRLP, but some are actually RF linked. I think most of the RF linked ones are in California, but I'm not entirely sure.