This is very promising. (Support for 6 character grids will also be nice and
this seems to be included in the plan for version 2.0)
To somewhat recap the comments I made on the WSJT-X development list,
I look forwards to trying this Software and thanks to Joe and the rest of the
team for this.
(Also sorry for the prior email I sent out with no meaningful text from me.
User error on my part.)
73
Mark S
VE7AFZ
mark@alignedsolutions.com
604 762 4099
> On Jul 25, 2018, at 3:39 AM, Steve Kavanagh via VHFcontesting
> <vhfcontesting@contesting.com> wrote:
>
> It looks we will only have one more major VHF contest with all the confusion
> on FT8 with regard to contest mode and rover procedures. Here is what K1JT
> posted to the WSJT Yahoo group yesterday. I suppose there will be some
> issues with people with out-of-date software, but the
> backward-incompatibility will soon get them to download the new version.
>
> 73,
> Steve VE3SMA
>
>
> Hi to all,
>
> Of course we are well aware of the issues many have 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
>
> It looks we will only have one more major VHF contest with all the confusion
> on FT8 with regard to contest mode and rover procedures. Here is what K1JT
> posted to the WSJT Yahoo group yesterday. I suppose there will be some
> issues with people with out-of-date software, but the
> backward-incompatibility will soon get them to download the new version.
>
> 73,
> Steve VE3SMA
>
>
> Hi to all,
>
> Of course we are well aware of the issues many have 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
> _______________________________________________
> VHFcontesting mailing list
> VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>
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