If you will be using AGWPE as your only packet input source, then you don' t need to worry about setting the normal TNC parameters such as baud rate, parity, etc.  AGWPE handles all that! In fact, the TNC parameters on this screen will 'gray out' (become inaccessible) since there is no need for them when you use AGWPE host mode.

AGWPE should be running before you start WinPack in AGW mode or try to toggle to AGW host mode. If you start AGWPE after WinPack, WinPack won't recognize AGWPE -- unless you toggle WinPack's host mode to NONE and then back to AGW. (Or you can close WinPack, start AGWPE, and restart WinPack.)

For specific help about AGWPE, read the Winpagw.txt file located in the main WinPack directory. You'll also find more information in program Help: select the Help Contents option from the Help menu and then, in the right index under Fundamentals, click on the third item down, Host Mode Support. On the resulting page, you should also look in the right index for additional topics about AGWPE and host modes in general.

Disable Sounds in WinPack

It's possible that the speech and sound options in WinPack could create a conflict with AGWPE's use of the sound card, so you should disable all the sound/speech options in WinPack (unless you're using two  sound cards in the PC).

Using WinPack with Different AGWPE radio ports

When you issue the connect command, put the AGWPE port number between the connect command "C" and the target station's callsign, for example:

C  2  KC2RLM

If no port number is inserted, WinPack will connect to AGWPE port #1.

Known Problems & Limitations of WinPack

1. WinPack uses a Windows DDE protocol to link to AGWPE and not the TCP/IP protocol. As a result, you can not link WinPack to an instance of AGWPE running on a different computer.

(One workaround, albeit a bit expensive; purchase Packet Engine Pro ($49 US) for both the WinPack computer and the distant computer. PE Pro's Radio Port Sharing feature will let the two instances exchange radio port data.)

2. WinPack is not able to send "unconnected"/<UI>/APRS-style packets.

3. If you execute the MHeard (MH) command in WinPack to request a list of stations heard, AGWPE will shut down if no stations have been heard. So enter the MH command only after AGWPE has successfully decoded a packet; or use the AGWMonitor program to check MHeard.