Reminder: Another FT8 Roundup practice session starts about 3.4 hours
from now. See below.
The real FT8 Roundup starts in about 19.4 hours. See
https://www.rttycontesting.com/ft8-roundup/
See you in one or both events! Be sure to use RC5 and to read the docs.
-- 73, Joe, K1JT
-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: [wsjt-devel] "FT8 Roundup" mock contest
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2018 16:55:00 -0500
From: Joe Taylor <j...@princeton.edu>
Reply-To: WSJT software development <wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net>
To: WSJT software development <wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net>
Hi all,
Another one-hour "practice contest" is scheduled for Saturday, December
1, 0200-0300 UTC (that's Friday evening, Nov 30, NA time). This session
will serve as a final tune-up opportunity for those planning to operate
in the "FT8 Roundup" on December 1-2 (more details below).
DIAL FREQUENCIES
----------------
The practice event will use dial frequencies 7.080-7.100 and
14.130-14.150 MHz in 2 kHz increments -- the same as recommended for the
FT8 Roundup and the ARRL RTTY Roundup (January 5-6, 2019). Start at the
low end, dial frequency 7.080 or 14.130. If/when the lower sub-bands
fill up, QSY upward in 2 kHz increments (7.082, 7.084, etc.). (Use
keyboard shortcuts Ctrl+Shift+F11 and Ctrl+Shift+F12 to move dial
frequency down/up by 2 kHz.)
Everyone works everyone. Do not use a compound or nonstandard callsign
in this event.
To participate you must use WSJT-X 2.0 RC5 (or RC4, but RC5 is
preferred). Installation packages for RC5 in Windows, Linux, and macOS
can be found near the bottom of this web page:
https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html
A revised "Quick-Start Guide to WSJT-X 2.0" for RC5 is posted here:
https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Quick_Start_WSJT-X_2.0.pdf
Be sure to read this entire document before using WSJT-X 2.0.
PREPARATION FOR THE MOCK CONTEST
--------------------------------
Detailed setup instructions for the FT8 Roundup are posted here:
https://www.rttycontesting.com/ft8-roundup/preparation/
They serve equally well for the practice session.
Rules for the FT8 Roundup specify 100 W maximum power output. We
recommend the same limit for the practice session.
OPERATING PROCEDURES
--------------------
Best operating practices for FT8 in contests will surely evolve as users
gain experience. As initial suggestions we recommend procedures
slightly different from those used for everyday FT8 operation. CQing
stations ("Run" stations) should check TX EVEN/1ST and HOLD TX FREQ, and
select audio Tx frequencies 200, 400, 600, ..., integral multiples of
200 Hz. Search-and-pounce (S+P) stations should uncheck TX EVEN/1ST and
HOLD TX FREQ and should call a CQing station at 0, 60, or 120 Hz above
the CQ frequency. These procedures should help to contain the
mini-pileups around Run stations to relatively small frequency ranges.
S+P stations can use Shift+F11 and Shift+F12 to move their Tx frequency
down/up by 60 Hz.
If a 2 kHz segment becomes too full of stations, users should QSY upward
in 2 kHz increments, thus establishing new operating sub-bands. Again,
you can use Ctrl+Shift+F11 and Ctrl+Shift+F12 to QSY between
dial-frequency sub-bands.
THE FT8 ROUNDUP, DECEMBER 1-2
-----------------------------
The FT8 Roundup starts at 1800 UTC on Saturday, December 1 and ends at
2359 UTC on Sunday, December 2, 2018. Power limit is 100 W output: no
high-power amplifiers! Full contest rules are posted at
https://www.rttycontesting.com/ft8-roundup/ .
LOOKING TWO WEEKS AHEAD
-----------------------
We are planning to make the full General Availability (GA) release of
WSJT-X 2.0 on or before December 10, 2018. The necessary transition
from from WSJT-X v1.9.1 to WSJT-X v2.0 protocols for FT8 and MSK144
should take place by the end of calendar year 2018.
THEREFORE: As soon as possible after December 10, and certainly by
January 1, 2019, everyone should be using WSJT-X 2.0 or a compatible
v2.0 version of derivative programs such as JTDX or MSHV. As of today,
PSKreporter statistics show roughly 3000 users of WSJT-X versions older
than v1.9.1, 9500 users of v1.9.1, and 3000 users of v2.0-rc#. Please,
everyone, help us to spread the word that upgrading to v2.0 after
December 10 is very important. There will be no looking back!
-- 73, Joe, K1JT
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