US Army MARS Digital Operations Website
ACP121(F) - Communications Instructions General
ACP123(A) - Common Messaging Strategy and Procedures
ACP124(D) - Communication Instructions Radio Telegraph Procedure
ACP125(F) - Communication Instructions Radiotelephone Procedure
ACP126(C) - Communication Instructions Radioteletype Procedure
ACP127(G) - Communication Instructions Tape Relay Procedures
ACP128(A) - Allied Telecommunications Record System (ALTERS) Operating Procedures
ACP131(E) - Communication Instructions Operating Signals
ACP135(E) - Communications Instructions Distress and Rescue Procedures
ACP167(H) - Glossary of Communications-Electronics Terms
Soundcard Packet - A great resource site if you are interested in running VHF packet without using a TNC!
9600 bps Packet VHF Radios - A useful resource from San Diego ARES and the ARRL
Airmail 2000 - An OUTSTANDING program for accessing HF and VHF digital BBS's. Works with both MSYS and Winlink BBS and also includes a keyboard mode. There is a Yahoo Group for the support of Airmail 2000 and Winlink at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/airmail2000/ . A setup guide for MARS operators is HERE. Airmail supports most TNCs - AGWPE support is in the offing.
MSYS - The old standby BBS - runs in a "DOS Box" - Warning, runs best under DOS, Windows 95 or Windows 98! Using WindowsME is just asking for trouble! Very stable and supports HF and VHF packet (including multiple concurrent connections per TNC) and HF PACTOR on KAMplus TNCs. Most Army MARS BBSs are running MSYS, I believe. There is a Yahoo Group devoted to the support of MSYS at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MSYS-PACKET/.
Winlink Classic The Eastern and Western Area gateways run this software, primarily due to its support for Clover. Downside is that the VHF packet port can only support one connection at a time (not an issue for MSYS).
Winlink Classic (2.9/3.0) MARS Users Manual
Interested in an SCS PTC-II TNC for PACTOR II or PACTOR III support? Farallon Electronics, the US Distributor of the products, has a special discount for bonafide members of ARES and MARS organizations. You will need to file this document along with your order to receive a 10% discount on the TNC(s) or a 20% discount on accessories. (I don't have any connection to Farallon, except as a happy customer, but 10% of a 600-1200 dollar order is nothing to sneeze at!).
Winlink 2000 - Winlink 2000 is now accessible for Army MARS members! Several Region and State Gateways have already implemented Winlink 2000 PMBOs and Telpac gateways. Note - Winlink 2000 does not support H-routing like MSYS or Winlink Classic. It is a fabulous packet for providing HF and VHF email access to members and served agencies. It also permits instant interoperability with many ARES and RACES organizations, as much of the backbone infrastructure is shared. Airmail 2000 is a great tool for accessing Winlink 2000 using HF PACTOR (I/II/III), VHF packet and/or telnet over the Internet. The Paclink tool is useful for providing access to Winlink using standard email programs such as Outlook and Outlook Express. Note: SCS PTC TNCs are only required for HF PMBOs - they are not required to access the network as a user.
MIXW - NOT a free program, but it is very reasonably priced and supports tons of soundcard modes, including RTTY, PSK31, MFSK16, MT63, HF/VHF packet, Q15X25 ... Very slick software. There is a very active Yahoo Group for support.
WinPack - An excellent program for accessing BBS via VHF packet radio. Supports many TNCs. No TNC - no problem - through AGWPE it is possible to utilize your PC's sound card to operate on VHF packet. The WinPack Yahoo Group can be found at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/winpack/.