VHFcontesting
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: [VHFcontesting] New WSJT-X Messaging System available for testing

To: <vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] New WSJT-X Messaging System available for testing
From: <chetsubaccount@snet.net>
Date: Sat, 9 Nov 2024 16:55:57 -0500
List-post: <mailto:vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
Good points Alex, plus don't we already have this ability by composing TX
macros using $DX?

Chet, N8RA

-----Original Message-----
From: VHFcontesting
<vhfcontesting-bounces+chetsubaccount=snet.net@contesting.com> On Behalf Of
alex@kr1st.com
Sent: Saturday, November 9, 2024 2:21 PM
To: w3sz@comcast.net; vhfcontesting@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] New WSJT-X Messaging System available for
testing

Hi Roger,

I can appreciate what you are trying to do, but I wonder how effective this
method will be for several reasons.

1) From a UI perspective, pop ups are annoying. 
Who would want to have to click away a popup when you are mid QSO with
someone else just because someone you just worked sends you a QSY request? I
would use a separate window for it or utilize unused space on the main
window. Nothing should be interfering with what you are doing already.

2) It clutters a shared channel with non-QSO traffic. 
Unless you can somehow squeeze a QSY request into a message that is already
part of the QSO exchange, you are generating non-QSO traffic that has no
guarantee of being delivered. Also, what happens when someone replies "no'
but that doesn't get received? Will you continue to get pop up if the
requester continues to send QSY requests?

I do like the QSY request idea but would implement it very differently.
Instead of on-air messaging, I would utilize use an IP based mechanism. And
instead of a Message Creator window I would build a Message Center window in
which one can send QSY requests and reply to such requests. This same
Message Center could also be used for a regular QSO request as well. Sure,
this would add quite a bit of complexity to implement, but it would be a lot
more elegant, less interfering with the flow of making QSO's, and not add
clutter to a shared channel. Heck, it would make for a great alternative to
the KST chat page! With this option I could continue to make QSO's while
also handle QSO/QSY requests at the same time if I choose to do so.

73,
--Alex KR1ST


-----Original Message-----
From: VHFcontesting <vhfcontesting-bounces+alex=kr1st.com@contesting.com> On
Behalf Of Roger Rehr via VHFcontesting
Sent: Saturday, November 9, 2024 8:49 AM
To: vhfcontesting@contesting.com
Subject: [VHFcontesting] New WSJT-X Messaging System available for testing

Hi All,

The WSJT modes have been an exciting and revolutionary addition to our
amateur radio armamentarium.  They have allowed us to make contacts that
would be impossible without them.

An unfortunate side effect of their use in some contests (e.g. the ARRL
January, June, and September VHF Contests) is that it has become difficult
to pull folks away from FT8 on one band, particularly on 50 MHz, to make
digital or analog contacts on other bands.

Because of the above, a new WSJT-X Message System is under development. 
The system is specially designed for VHF/UHF/SHF applications, but is now
also suitable for general use. It is based on a messaging algorithm proposed
by W4ZST in 2021 for the NA VHF Contest to invite your QSO partner to QSY to
another QRG or mode.

A first prototype is ready for testing now in the latest release of
wjst-x_improved, and if the system proves successful, it will likely be
introduced in plain WSJT-X with a future Release Candidate 8.

With this new system, generating these request messages requires just a few
mouse clicks and no typing.  When WSJT-X-improved receives such a request
message it generates a pop-up indicating the requested frequency and mode
and gives the recipient the opportunity to reply "yes" or "no" 
to the request.  When the requestor's instance of WSJT-X-improved receives
an affirmative or negative reply it generates a pop-up indicating that
response.

A Windows installer and a pdf file describing how to use the messaging
system are available on SourceForge at
https://sourceforge.net/projects/wsjt-x-improved/files/WSJT-X_v2.7.1/Test%20
versions%20%28WSJT-X%20Message%20System%29/

as is a png image file that shows at a single glance how everything works.

wsjt-x_improved is an enhanced version of the excellent WSJT-X software by
Joe Taylor K1JT, Steve Franke K9AN, Bill Somerville G4WJS, Uwe Risse DG2YCB,
and others.  Uwe is the project leader for wsjt-x_improved as well as being
one of the members of the core WSJT Development group.

If you try this new version of wsjt-X_improved and have questions regarding
the use of the messaging system, feel free to email me for help.  If you
have questions or comments that you feel would be of interest to / helpful
to other users, please consider posting them to either the
wsjt-x-improved-community mailing list or the WSJT GROUP forum.  You can
sign up for the former at:
https://sourceforge.net/projects/wsjt-x-improved/lists/wsjt-x-improved-commu
nity
and for the latter at:
https://groups.io/g/wsjtgroup

Thanks to Dick Frey W2AAU and the N.E.W.S. Group club members, whose
discussions spurred the development of this messaging system!

73,

Roger Rehr
W3SZ


_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting


_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting


_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>