so ive been trying to get Winlink working for a few weeks now and i think i finally understand most of it but the RMS gateway part is still kind of fuzzy to me. like i get that the gateway is basically a node that forwards your email over HF or VHF to the internet, but when i'm looking at the RMS map i see some listed as RMS Relay and some as just RMS and i cant figure out what the practical difference is when im just trying to send a simple message to a regular email address.

my setup right now is a Yaesu FT-991A going into a Signalink USB, running Winlink Express on Windows 10. im mostly trying to do this on 2m packet through a local gateway first before i tackle HF. got VARA FM installed too but havent messed with it much yet. the TNC side seems ok, i can see the modem connecting but when i try to open a session with the nearest RMS it just times out. im pretty sure im on the right frequency, i checked the gateway list and it shows 144.990 for the one closest to me.

also not sure how message handling works on the receiving end - like if i send something to a regular gmail address does it just show up normally or does it have some weird formatting? and what about attachments, should i even bother trying those on a slow link?

the RMS Relay thing confused me too when i first started. basically a relay is kind of an intermediate node that passes traffic between other RMS stations, not necessarily one that has a direct internet connection itself. for what you're doing - just connecting as a client to send emails - you dont really need to worry about that distinction, just look for ones marked as RMS Gateway on the map and those are the ones you actually connect to as an end user.

the timeout issue on 2m is almost always either frequency offset or the squelch/audio levels being wrong in the Signalink. what does your waterfall look like in Winlink Express when you're trying to connect, are you actually seeing any audio coming back from the gateway? also double check that the gateway you're targeting has been heard recently - the RMS map shows last heard timestamps and some of those listings are stations that haven't been on the air in months. sort by last activity and pick one that was active in the last day or two.

and yeah emails to regular addresses show up totally normal on the other end, recipient has no idea it came over radio. attachments work but keep them tiny on a slow packet link, like under 10-15k if you can, otherwise the session just drags on forever or times out.

144.990 is the standard but honestly check if theres a more active gateway in your area, some areas have moved to VARA FM and the old packet gateways dont get much maintenance anymore. i went through the same thing trying to connect to a gateway that technically existed on the map but the sysop hadnt touched it in like a year. switched to VARA FM and it connected first try once i got the audio levels sorted on the Signalink. the adjustment pots on those things are fussy, tiny little adjustments make a big difference.