so ive been trying to get winlink working for about two weeks now and im honestly more confused than when i started. i got the basic Winlink Express installed and i can connect to a telnet gateway just fine which i know doesnt really count but at least the software makes sense now. the problem is when i try to actually connect via RF to the local RMS gateway i keep getting timeouts and i cant figure out if its my radio setup, the soundcard interface, or if the gateway is just not responding for some reason.

im running an IC-7300 into a SignaLink USB, vara HF is installed and licensed. i can see the gateway listed in the channel selection window, it shows a frequency and everything, but when i try to initiate a session it just sits there doing the handshake sound for a while then fails. i checked the audio levels in vara and they look okay, PTT is keying up because i can see the TX light on the radio, so signal is going out... i think.

also a separate question - does the RMS gateway operator have to be online for it to work or is it basically always running unattended? i dont really understand how the whole store and forward thing works with gateways vs the CMS. like does my email actually sit on the gateway or does the gateway just pass it upstream to the common message server? been reading the docs but honestly they assume you know more than i do about how packet works in general

the gateway doesn't need anyone sitting there, most of them run 24/7 unattended on a dedicated machine. your message goes from your radio to the RMS, the RMS forwards it to the CMS (that's the central server Winlink runs), and from there it gets routed to wherever - either another ham's Winlink inbox or out to the internet as actual email. so the store and forward happens at the CMS level mostly, not really on the gateway itself.

for your connection issue - what mode are you trying, VARA HF or VARA FM or Winmor? if there's an RMS near you on VHF that'd be way easier to test with first since you dont have to worry about propagation being the problem. also double check your dial frequency vs the center frequency thing in VARA, thats tripped up a lot of people. the waterfall in VARA should show the other station's signal when it responds, if you're not seeing anything at all in the waterfall then either the gateway isnt hearing you or something with your audio routing is off.

yeah i went through basically the same thing last year. one thing that got me was the ALC on the IC-7300 - vara really wants you to run it with no ALC movement at all, like set your output power lower than you think you need to. i was running 100w and the ALC was pumping all over the place and every session failed. dropped it to like 40w and kept an eye on the ALC meter and suddenly it started working. the 7300 and SignaLink combo is pretty common so theres probably someone local whos got it dialed in if you have a club nearby