Thank you Joe. This is great news. I apreciate the effort by the team.
I look forwards to being able to try out the new software in due course.
73
Mark S
VE7AFZ
On Tue, Jul 24, 2018 at 1:32 PM, Joe Taylor <j...@princeton.edu> wrote:
> Hi Mike and all,
>
> On 7/23/2018 7:37 PM, W0MU Mike Fatchett wrote:
>
>> First of all I want to thank everyone for this great advancement in the
>> hobby!
>>
>
> ... (however, ...)
>
> The CQ WW VHF was my first exposure to contest mode and it was a very
>> frustrating 27 hours.
>>
>
> Thanks for all the messages about contest mode. Of course we are well
> aware of the issues experienced when using WSJT modes in North American VHF
> contests. To summarize, there are two main problem areas:
>
> - Decoding of messages with two callsigns followed by "R " and a
> 4-character grid, and the related auto-sequencing, depend of proper
> and coordinated setting of a checkbox at both stations.
>
> - There is a crying need for transparent support of "/R" (Rover)
> callsigns in all standard messages, during contests.
>
> Here's some background information aimed at relative newcomers and casual
> users of WSJT, followed by a brief preview of program features we plan to
> make available in Version 2.0 of WSJT-X.
>
>
> Contest Mode
> ------------
>
> Standard JT-style messages (those used in all of the structured WSJT
> modes) have 71 information bits: two 28-bit callsigns and a 15-bit grid
> locator. The 15-bit field can alternatively convey a signal report (with
> optional "R"), or "RRR", "RR73", or "73". One additional bit re-purposes
> the 71 bits to carry a 13-character free test message. In a 72-bit packet
> there are NO free bits available to insert "R " before a grid locator, or
> "/R" after a callsign.
>
> The "NA VHF Contest" checkbox presently in WSJT-X is a stop-gap feature
> added in 2016 to the MSK144 mode, and later to FT8. These modes
> conventionally use 15-second T/R intervals and offer semi-automated message
> sequencing. NA VHF contests require the exchange of 4-character grid
> locators. Signal reports are OK, but not required. Contesters wanted a
> way to send messages like "K1ABC W9XYZ R EN37", thereby increasing their
> QSO rates by eliminating some transmissions from the standard minimal-QSO
> sequence.
>
>
> Rovers
> ------
> Rovers move from grid to grid and must append "/R" to their callsign
> during the contest. These hardworking folks definitely need some help if
> they are to use WSJT modes effectively.
>
> All structured modes currently supported in WSJT-X permit messages like
> these:
>
> CQ K1ABC/R FN41
> DE K1ABC/R 73
>
> ... but you can't use a second callsign in place of the "CQ" or "DE". Once
> again, there is no room for such information in a 72-bit packet.
>
> Some time ago we created workarounds that enable QSOs using a "/R"
> callsign or an "R+grid" message fragment. But these capabilities are
> limited and necessarily somewhat clumsy. Users must understand what's
> possible and what's not, and they must be careful about some necessary
> program settings. Decoding "R+grid" messages requires ticking a checkbox,
> and if someone else sends you standard signal reports you need to uncheck
> the box or manually edit your messages. Also, for reasons explained in the
> WSJT-X User Guide, this feature cannot work well when world-wide
> propagation is possible -- as it has been recently on 6 meters.
>
> All in all, it's not a happy situation -- especially when considering the
> typical presence of many casual operators who happen upon a contest and
> just want to make a few QSOs.
>
>
> Recently K9AN, G4WJS, and I have been developing enhanced versions of the
> MSK144 and FT8 protocols that extend the message payload to 77 bits. For a
> taste of what's to come, here's a brief list of things made possible by the
> extra bits:
>
> 1. NA VHF Contest operation with full support of grid exchanges and
> "/R" (Rover) callsigns
>
> 2. EU VHF Contest operation with the exchange of 6-digit grids, QSO
> serial numbers, and "/P" (portable) callsigns
>
> 3. ARRL Field Day operation with standard Field Day exchanges
>
> 4. ARRL RTTY Roundup operation with standard contest exchanges
>
> 5. Better and more user-friendly support for compound and nonstandard
> callsigns
>
> 6. A special "telemetry" message format for exchange of arbitrary
> information up to 71 bits
>
> 7. The existing FT8 DXpedition mode will be supported, and a more
> powerful DXpedition mode may be offered as well.
>
> All of these features work seamlessly and automatically. No "contest
> mode" checkboxes are needed. In most situations decoding sensitivity will
> be slightly better than at present for FT8; for MSK144 it will sometimes be
> about 0.5 dB worse. Occupied bandwidths will be the same as they are now,
> and false-decode rates will be significantly lower.
>
> Much of the necessary programming is finished. Many of the new features
> have been tested on the air, and we find them to work well.
>
> Don't rush to download something -- these capabilities are not yet
> publicly available. There is more testing and code optimization to do. With
> summer vacation plans, etc., our current plans call for a beta-testing
> period probably starting in mid to late September. A full release should
> then be possible a couple of months later.
>
> In particular: we are planning to make WSJT-X Version 2.0 available in
> time for you to read its new documentation and practice using it before
> (for example) the ARRL RTTY Roundup, January 5-6, 2019, and the ARRL VHF
> Sweepstakes, January 19-21, 2019.
>
> THIS IS IMPORTANT: The new protocols cannot be backward compatible with
> the existing ones. We will probably provide some temporary "bi-lingual"
> capability for FT8, but not for MSK144. It will be essential for users to
> upgrade to Version 2.0 in order to use the new features and communicate
> with others who have made the upgrade.
>
> We will provide plenty of advance notice about a transition interval and
> an essential "must upgrade by" date.
>
> -- 73, Joe, K1JT
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> ------------------
> Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
> engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
> _______________________________________________
> wsjt-devel mailing list
> wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wsjt-devel
>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Check out the vibrant tech community on one of the world's most
engaging tech sites, Slashdot.org! http://sdm.link/slashdot
_______________________________________________
wsjt-devel mailing list
wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wsjt-devel
