RRI Quick Welfare Message

Overview

This is a form to allow the transmission of a simple status message from someone inside an affected area without normal communications to a family member or friend outside of the affected area. The message will be sent as an email or SMS text. These messages are one way, no reply permitted.

The form is a complement to the RRI Welfare Radiogram form and may be used if the sender knows either the email address or mobile phone number for SMS text. Unlike the prior version, this form does not require knowledge of the recipient's phone carrier. The carrrier link is made via a relay to the cellular carrier. This is handled by a gateway operated by RRI. For reliability, we are using SMS rather than MMS so text messages must be brief.

For email, one address may be entered. If there is no SMS message with an email address, 500 characters are permitted. If a SMS message is to be sent in addition to the email, both are restricted to the SMS character count. This is sufficient for 2 of the standard short prepared texts. Free text may also be used.

The form may be used off-line on any computer with a browser. This mode of use is especially valuable in situations where there are many parties in a given location wishing to send messages. For example, in a shelter where many people may wish to send messages to loved ones, copies of the template html file may be installed on thumb drives and then be given to the data entry people. They would then create individual messages, saving each one to the thumb drive. The drives can then be given to a radio operator for sending.

For saving, be sure you have set your browser preferences to ask for the save to location. This will permit you to select the correct drive and also permit you to change the file name from the default.

There is no anticipated reply and the party(s) you are sending the message on behalf of need to be informed of this.

Form Information.

BE SURE TO INFORM THE PARTY THIS IS ONE WAY WITH NO GUARANTEE OF DELIVERY Why? You are sending to an email address that has to be received and READ by the intended party(s).

The transfer from Winlink to SMS is performed by a server that automatically acquires the carrier address that is associated with the phone number. The process is email to SMS. At least one carrier (AT&T) has announced that they will be suspending email to SMS services as of mid June 2025. If a text message is rejected for this reason or any other (e.g. an invalid phone number), the message will be relayed to a Winlink to RRI liaison station when using this form. The operator will then manually insert the message into the SMS system.

Questions or suggestions concerning the RRI templates or their use may be submitted via Winlink to KB1TCE.