A First Look at WSJT-X V2.0

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WSJT-X 2.0-rc1

WSJT-X 2.0-rc1 Beta Software

It looks like the first Beta Release of WSJT-X 2.0 is available. WSJT-X Version 2.0  includes a number of features to support contesting and longer compound callsigns when FT8 and MSK144 (Meteor Scatter) modes are used. The new features include:

  • Better support for North American VHF Contests with improved handling of grids and /R rover call sign designators
  • Six-character locators and call sign suffix support for portable operators focused on EU VHF contesting
  • Support for ARRL Field Day exchanges
  • Support for ARRL RTTY Roundup exchanges
  • Support for call signs up to 11 characters to support non-standard and compound call signs

The new version extends the length of the messages used for FT8 and MSK144 from 75/72 bits to 77 bits to enable the above features. As a result, there are compatibility issues between the v1.x releases of WSJT-X and v2.0 when FT8 and MSK144 modes are used. More detail about the new features and changes can be found here.

It is expected that the Meteor Scatter community (MSK144 mode users) will rapidly move to WSJT-X V2.0 so no backward compatibility features are provided for MSK144.

The transition for FT8 mode users is a much bigger problem. As a result, it is suggested that users test the new mode on alternative frequencies on the 20m band at 14.078 MHz and on the 40m band at 7.078 Mhz.

WSJT-X 2.0 FT8 Compatibility and Contest Options

WSJT-X 2.0 FT8 Compatibility and Contest Options

The Advanced Tab in the WSJT-X v2.0 settings provides some options to help with compatibility between v1.x and V2.0. One must choose whether to transmit using the shorter v1.x or the v2.0 messages. If you are operating in the above mention “2.0” frequency areas on 20m or 40m, it’s a good idea to transmit using the 2.0 message format (check always generate 77-bit messages).

The new version of WSJT-X can decode both the shorter v1.x and the longer v2.0 messages simultaneously. The decoding will be faster on slower computers if you check the Decode only 77-bit messages option when operating in the v2.0 frequency ranges.

If you want to try the new v2.0 FT8 mode in one of the supported contests, you’ll want to check the appropriate Special operating activity option. If you are not operating in one of these contests, you’ll want to select None.

All you need to do to try the new version is to download and install it and configure the FT8 options. I’ve been running WSJT-X v2.0 rc1 in the 20m band in the 14.078  MHz sub-band this morning and have made about 20 contacts using the new format. The v2.0 software is working well.

There are some additional enhancements which will be included in WSJT-X v2.0. Here’s some information on these features from the WSJT-X v2.0 Quick Start Guide –

WSJT-X 2.0 has several other new features and capabilities. The WSPR decoder has better sensitivity by about 1 dB. Color highlighting of decoded messages provides worked-before status for callsigns, grid locators, and DXCC entities on a “by band” basis. Color highlighting can also identify stations that have (or have not) uploaded their logs to Logbook of the World (LoTW) within the past year. The necessary information from LoTW can be easily downloaded from the ARRL website.

Currently, several additional release candidates are planned for WSJT-X v2.0 as follows:

  • September 17, 2018:   -rc1        Expires October 31, 2018
  • October 15, 2018:        -rc2       Expires November 30, 2018
  • November 12, 2018:    -rc3       Expires December 31, 2018
  • December 10, 2018:     GA         Full release of WSJT-X 2.0

Note that the release candidates will expire about 2 weeks after each new version becomes available. Also, its required that anyone who runs the Beta (release candidate) software agrees to report any bugs that they find.

We are looking forward to trying the new FT8 in the next digital contest which allows it.

Fred, AB1OC

Nashua Area Radio Society Youth Expo at Boxboro

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Karen KC1KBW a BGHS Teacher Building a Kit

Karen KC1KBW a BGHS Teacher Building a Kit

The Nashua Area Radio Society put together a successful Amateur Radio Youth Exposition at the New England Amateur Radio Convention at Boxboro this year. Our exposition features over ten displays with hands-on activities…

Source: NARS Youth Expo at Boxboro – Nashua Area Radio Society

Anita AB1QB and I are continuing to work along with the Nashua Area Radio Society to encourage young people to become licensed and join the Amateur Radio Service.

NARS Team at Boxboro

Nashua Area Radio Society Team at Boxboro

The Nashua Area Radio Society recently hosted an Amateur Radio Exposition for Young People at the New England Amateur Radio Convention in Boxboro, MA. Our event featured Remote HF and Satellite GOTA stations, a kit build, and many other hands-on activities which were part of the over ten displays at the event.

You can read more and see photos from our Youth Expo via the link above. We will be holding another Amateur Radio Youth Expo as part of NETT at NEAR-Fest in Deerfield, NH in October. We hope to see some of our local friends there.

Fred, AB1OC

Working IC-9700 Shown In Tokyo

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Working IC-9700 On Display In Tokyo

Working IC-9700 On Display In Tokyo

Icom displayed three working demonstration units of the forthcoming IC-9700 VHF/UHF/1.2GHz transceiver, Icom Inc. at the Tokyo Hamfair, which took place in Ariake, Tokyo on August 25th – 26th.

Source: New Icom Amateur Products Shown at Tokyo Hamfair 2018

The IC-9700 is a new VHF/UHF radio that is based upon the Software Defined Radio (SDR) platform that Icom uses in the IC-7300 and IC-7610.

It looks like this is going to be an excellent radio for Satellite, EME, and other weak-signal work on the 2 m, 70 cm, and 23 cm bands. The IC-9700 features a pan adapter display which will be very useful for working contacts through linear satellites.

Based upon previous new Transceivers release by Icom, I would guess we are at least 8 months to a year away from the time when this radio will be offered for sale in the USA.

Here’s some video of the forthcoming  IC-9700 as well as other gear from Icom. The video also features other new products and updated Firmware capabilities from Icom. Enjoy!

Fred, AB1OC

Please Help Us Grow the Amateur Radio Service

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Graduates from our Summer Youth Technician License Class

Source: Support the Nashua Area Radio Society on Amazon Smile and GoFundMe

Anita and I have been working to grow the Amateur Radio Service through our work at the Nashua Area Radio Society. The Nashua Area Radio Society is a 501c(3) public charity whose mission is to:

  • Encourage and help people to become licensed and active in the Amateur Radio Service
  • Spark Interest among Young People in STEM Education and Careers through Ham Radio
  • Provide training and mentoring to enable our members to improve their technical and operating skills and to be prepared to assist in times of emergency
  • Sponsor on-air operating activities so that our members may practice and fully develop their operating skills and have fun with Ham Radio!
Students and Teacher Ready To Launch Their High-Altitude Balloon

Students and Teachers Ready To Launch Their High-Altitude Balloon

The Nashua Area Radio Society has created many programs designed to provide STEM learning experiences and training through Amateur Radio. Some of these include:

To carry out our mission, we have formed close relationships with several schools. This helps us develop and deliver effective, high-quality programs that bring learning through Amateur Radio to young people. You can read more about what we’re doing via the link at the top of the page.

We provide many of these services either free of charge or at a very modest cost. We count on the generosity of our members, friends, and the Amateur Radio community to raise funds to support our work.

We hope that our readers will consider supporting our work at the Nashua Area Radio Society by using Amazon Smile and designating us as your favorite charity and/or by making a donation to our current fundraising campaign (click on the badge below).

GoFundMe Badge

Amazon Smile is free and it’s easy to set up and use (click here for setup information).

On behalf of the many young people and others that we help, thank you very much for your interest and support. We will continue to work hard to provide learning opportunities for young people through Amateur Radio and to continue to make the Amateur Radio Service the best it can be to benefit everyone.

Fred, AB1OC

Fall Youth Events at Boxboro and NEAR-Fest

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Quite a few Nashua Area Radio Society members have been working on a display to get young people and potential new Hams interested in Amateur Radio. Our display will be part of the New England Amateur Radio Convention in Boxboro, MA on September 8th and 9th. We are also planning a similar display for NEAR-Fest at Deerfield Fairgrounds, NH later in the fall. You can see more about our planned display and the associated hands-on activities via the following link.

Source: Fall Youth Events at Boxboro and NEAR-Fest – Nashua Area Radio Society

I want to share some information about an Amateur Radio event that we will be doing at the Boxboro, MA Ham Radio Convention in September. Our display and hands-on activities provide an introduction to Amateur Radio for young people and include information and a chance to try Amateur Radio activities such as:

You can read more about our plans for the event via the link above.

Morse Trainer Kit

Morse Trainer Kit

We’ve been working with Steve Elliot, K1EL to develop an inexpensive kit building project to include as part of our displays. We will be including a new kit building activity in as part of our display. Builders can purchase the Morse Trainer Kit shown above for $20 and build it at the show. We will provide soldering equipment and kit building mentors to help builders complete their kit. The package includes batteries and a printed manual. We will have these kits available for walk-up purchase at the show on both Saturday and Sunday.

I am also planning to provide forum presentation on the following topics on Saturday at Boxboro:

  • Creating Successful Youth Outreach Projects
  • Portable Satellite Station Design, Operation, and Planning for an upcoming ISS Crew Contact
  • STEM Learning for Young People via High Altitude Balloons Carrying Amateur Radio

You can view the Boxboro Forum schedule here.

I hope to see folks who follow our Blog at the New England at the Boxboro Convention. If you can make it, stop by our display or visit us in the forums and say “hello”.

73,

Fred, AB1OC

 

Operating FT8 Remote on the 6m Band

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FT8 Digital Remote Setup

FT8 Digital Remote Setup

I have been operating using the FT8 digital mode on the 6m band using our remote operating gateway quite a bit this summer. The SDR-based remote operating gateway in our station allows us to operate our station from other rooms in our home as well as from outside our QTH via the Internet. When I’m at home, I have computers set up with outboard monitors to create an operating setup for FT8 digital contacts on the 6m and other bands. The photo above shows this setup. Having the extra screen space and multiple laptops enables control of our station, making and logging QSOs, and checking propagation via Reverse Beacon Networks as we operate.

Radio and Logging System

Radio and Logging System

The main system is a windows laptop. It runs the SmartSDR software which operates the Flex-6700 Radio in our shack (upper right window below).

Flex-6700 SmartSDR and WSJT-X Weak Signal Digital Software

Flex-6700 SmartSDR and WSJT-X Weak Signal Digital Software

This laptop runs the WSJT-X software (left windows above) which conducts QSOs in FT8 and other weak signal modes and the JTAlert Software (lower right windows above) which interfaces WSJT-X to the DXLab logging suite. JTAlert displays all callsigns decoded by WSJT-X and compares them to my log to determine which potential contacts are new DXCC’s, Grids, States, etc. JTAlert adds contacts to my logs in DXLab when a QSO is completed using WSJT-X.

DXLab Suite Logging and Rotator Control Software

DXLab Suite Logging and Rotator Control Software

The windows laptop also runs the DXLab logging suite. DXLab handles logging of QSOs, one-click pointing of our antennas based upon the callsign being worked, and uploading contacts to LoTW, eQSL, and ClubLog for confirming contacts.

Reverse Beacon Network and Station Monitoring Computer

Reverse Beacon Network and Station Monitoring Computer

I like to use the second computer to monitor propagation and strength of my FT8 signal while operating.

PSKReporter RBN Monitoring on 6m

PSKReporter RBN Monitoring on 6m

I use two tools to assess propagation conditions while I am operating. The first is PSKReporter which is a Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) tool that is enabled by WSJT-X and most other digital mode software programs. Each time WSJT-X decodes a stations transmission, it reports the decoded callsign along with location and signal strength information to the PSKReporter website. This website then uses this information to display all of the stations that hear my and other’s transmissions in real-time. The RBN information is used to determine where a given band is open and as a tool to determine how much transmit power is needed to provide acceptable signal strength at stations that I am trying to work.

DXMaps Propagation Report on 6m

DXMaps Propagation Report on 6m

The DXMaps website shows a real-time map view of contacts being made on the 10m and higher bands. This second tool provides a real-time view of band conditions and opening on bands like 6m which have somewhat unpredictable propagation characteristics.

Together, these tools help to determine where to point antennas and what stations we can work on the 6m band.

The second laptop also runs Teamviewer remote control software. This provides access to the antenna switching controls, SWR and power monitoring equipment, station electrical power, and amplifier controls in our shack. These tools are important elements in safely operating and controlling our station when we are not in the same room as the radios and other equipment we are using.

I’ve been using the remote operating setup described here on the 6m band quite a bit over the last few weeks. I hope this post provides some ideas that other can use.

73,

Fred, AB1OC

A 6m Es Season to Remember

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AB1OC Worldwide 6m Grids

AB1OC Worldwide 6m Grids

2018 has been a summer 6m E-Skip (Es) season to remember. The Es openings have been strong this year and they are continuing into the second half of July. We are enjoying almost daily openings to Europe and the western USA from here in New England. For fun, I’ve plotted my 6m Grids worked and confirmed to date using WG7J’s GridMapper site.

We got started a little late with 6m Es operations this year but the conditions have really helped our Grids, DXCC’s, and States totals worked on 6m. My totals are currently standing at:

  • 6m DXCC’s – 55 worked
  • 6m US States – 48 of 50 (only AK and HI still needed)
  • 6m Grids – 357 worked

A great deal of this progress has been made in 2018. Here are my 6m worked totals since the beginning of the year:

  • 6m DXCC’s – 48 worked
  • 6m US States – 46 worked (All but AK and HI)
  • 6m Grids – 312 worked
AB1OC Europe 6m Grids

AB1OC Europe 6m Grids

The new FT8 and MSK144 modes has made more difficult 6m contacts much easier. This is especially true for DX contacts into Europe and Africa.

AB1OC Americas 6m Grids

AB1OC Americas 6m Grids

At this point, we have worked most of the grids in the eastern half of the US. There are still some “rare” ones that are needed and a contact with Delaware is still needed for my last state on 6m in the continental USA. Alaska and Hawaii will be a challenge on 6m and I may need to use JT65 and EME propagation to work these states on 6m.

With some work on QSL’ing, the recent 6m activity will add significant progress to several of my operating awards. The new 6m DXCC’s worked recently should enable breaking the 2,000 band point level on my DXCC Challenge Award.

If you are interested in trying 6m operations or perhaps you are a new Technician Licensee or are looking for something new to try, don’t forget about the Magic Band (6m). The availability of FT8 mode has really enhanced the activity on 6m. Give it a try!

Fred, AB1OC

The Thirteen Colonies Special Event Begins Sunday

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The Thirteen Colonies Special Event begin this Sunday, July 1 at 9 am EDT. The event runs for 6 days and is the largest Amateur Radio Special Event in the world. Each state that grew from one of the original Thirteen Colonies will be using a K2x call and will have a nice QSL card … Continue reading about the Thirteen Colonies Special Event →

Source: NARS Prepares for the Thirteen Colonies Special Event

HAB-3 To Launch On Sunday – How To Track Our High-Altitude Balloon

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We are planning the third launch of our High-Altitude Balloon (HAB-3) this Sunday, June 3rd between 10 am and 11 am ET. We will be launching locally from the Hollis-Brookline HS here in Hollis, NH. Checkout the link below to learn more about our HAB projects and how to track our HAB from anywhere in the world while it is in flight. You can also see live stream video froun our launch and recovery via the N1FD Facebook Page.

Source: HAB-3 To Launch On Sunday – How To Track Our High-Altitude Balloon