1. Understanding the Airmail
Subject-Date/Time Group

2. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO – 201006050830 – ICS213
 This is an example of a properly formatted
Airmail Subject-Date/Time Group
 Note that each section is separated by a
hyphen

3. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
It consists of 3 components…
1. W7FLO (County Mnemonic Callsign)
2. 201006050745 (YYYYMMDDHHMM)
4 digit yr., 2 digit mo., 2 digit date, 2 digit
24-hour based hr., 2 digit min. (Local
Time)
3. ICS213 (Type of Message)

4. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO – 201006050730 – DOE
 W7FLO – 201006050745 – SITREP
 W7FLO – 201006050835 – ICS213
 W7FLO – 201006051330 – QRTRLY RPT
 W7FLO – 201006051456 - REQUEST
 W7FLO – 201006051845 - ACTIVATION
 W7FLO – 201006051920 - SERVICE
 Currently, these 7 are the only templates in use. Additional
ones may be in development.

5. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
W7FLO201006050830 – SITREP
Common mistake:
Callsign not separated from Date-Time
section by hyphen

6. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
W7FLO-201006050830SITREP
Common mistake variation:
Or, type of message not separated from
Date-Time section by hyphen

7. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO201006050830SITREP
 Or, no hyphens at all…

8. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO – 20100605 – SITREP
 Here, the “HHMM” section of the date time
group has been omitted. Sometimes it is
the “YYYY” part, or the “MMDD” part that
is missing.

9. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO – 1006050830 – ICS213
 Here, only two digits used for the “YYYY”
part of the Date-Time group, not the
required four.

10. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO – 201006050835L – SITREP
There is no need for an “L” after the Date-
Time group; all emergency traffic is
always expressed in local time.

11. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO – 201006050835Z – SITREP
 Same issue; no need for the “Z” after the
Date-Time group. In fact, the “Z” is
incorrect whether typed or not; all
exercise traffic is always reported in local
time, not UTC (ZULU).

12. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 K7BHB – 201006050835 – ICS213
 The OADN system operator should not
use their personal callsign – use only the
County mnemonic callsign.

13. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 W7FLO – 201006050845 – ICS213
requesting logistics support for bottled
water.
 Some people want to append the subject line of
the transmitted ICS-213 to the Airmail Subject
Date-Time Group. Please don’t do this. The two
are independent of each other.

14. Airmail Subject-Date/Time
Group
 Don’t use…
“//WL2K” or “R, P, I” in the Subject Date-Time
Group, irrespective of what the Winlink Dev.
Team says. The OADN is not controlled by
the WDT.
Why?
Unnecessary; makes no difference in msg
delivery, thus performing no real purpose.
Adds complexity… and potential for errors.
Defeats the sorting and tracking features…which
is the sole purpose of the use of the Subject
Date-Time Group.

15. Airmail Subject Date/Time
Group
 Important!
 YYYYMMDDHHMM
 The Date-Time section must always be a
unique number; thus, each message sent will
have a unique “tracking number” for follow-up
if necessary.
 Avoid the temtation to use the same “HHMM”
for all messages prepared in quick
succession. Increment the “MM” portion by at
least 1, or the actual new time, whichever is
greater.