Providing radio mail flow statistics within Winlink RMSes (Radio Mail Server)
- Provide visual representations around the flow of mail within Winlink so users know how active a given RMS is.
- Act as a mailable service for Winlink users in the field to query about other stations.
The heatmap has about a dozen RMSes that are being tracked over a 2 week period, updated hourly. There is currently no mailable tactile callsign for Ebb within the winlink system and the functionality has not be written to reply to mail queries.
Initially when I got started with winlink there wasnt much I could find in regards to the various statuses of RMSes near my grid square. The Winlink RMS List provides a simple RMS status but it doesnt account for actual mail flowing through the system. It simply provides a status that the RMS can reach the CMS (Central Messaging Server). I had a few issues with a local station where it was reporting to Winlink as "Up" but the actual radio was having issues and no client would connect. I thought it would be really helpful to be able to track the flow of mail through a given RMS. This would help immensely in troubleshooting.
Additionally, I have found my self on many hikes without internet or cell coverage. Given the proximity to my QTH and one known good RMS, it would be helpful to see the status of other RMSes via radio mail.
Currently running NixOS 24.05 on a Hetzner VPS in the DC: hil-dc1
Initial bootstrap from ubuntu VM:
nix run github:nix-community/nixos-anywhere -- --flake .#hetzner root@<address>
Updating:
nixos-rebuild --flake .#hetzner --target-host root@<address> switch