diff --git a/doc/user_guide/en/decoder_notes.adoc b/doc/user_guide/en/decoder_notes.adoc index 7aa4f36bc..b6eb9b5ac 100644 --- a/doc/user_guide/en/decoder_notes.adoc +++ b/doc/user_guide/en/decoder_notes.adoc @@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ summarized in the following Table: |JT9 | @ | | |JT65 | # | | |JT65 VHF| # | *, # | f, fN, dCN -|QRA65 | : | | qP +|Q65 | : | | qP |MSK144 | & | | |=========================================== Sync character:: diff --git a/doc/user_guide/en/introduction.adoc b/doc/user_guide/en/introduction.adoc index 4013a66d4..3d83870f6 100644 --- a/doc/user_guide/en/introduction.adoc +++ b/doc/user_guide/en/introduction.adoc @@ -10,34 +10,34 @@ contributors to development of _WSJT-X_ since 2013 and 2015, respectively. _WSJT-X_ Version {VERSION_MAJOR}.{VERSION_MINOR} offers eleven different protocols or modes: *FST4*, *FT4*, *FT8*, *JT4*, *JT9*, -*JT65*, *QRA65*, *MSK144*, *WSPR*, *FST4W*, and *Echo*. The +*JT65*, *Q65*, *MSK144*, *WSPR*, *FST4W*, and *Echo*. The first seven are designed for making reliable QSOs under weak-signal conditions. They use nearly identical message structure and source -encoding. JT65 and QRA64 were designed for EME ("`moonbounce`") on -the VHF/UHF bands and have also proven very effective for worldwide -QRP communication on the HF bands. QRA64 has some advantages over -JT65, including better performance for EME on the higher microwave -bands. JT9 was originally designed for the HF and lower bands. Its -submode JT9A is 1 dB more sensitive than JT65 while using less than -10% of the bandwidth. JT4 offers a wide variety of tone spacings and -has proven highly effective for EME on microwave bands up to 24 GHz. -These four "`slow`" modes use one-minute timed sequences of -alternating transmission and reception, so a minimal QSO takes four to -six minutes — two or three transmissions by each station, one sending -in odd UTC minutes and the other even. FT8 is operationally similar -but four times faster (15-second T/R sequences) and less sensitive by -a few dB. FT4 is faster still (7.5 s T/R sequences) and especially -well-suited for radio contesting. FST4 was added to _WSJT-X_ in -version 2.3.0. It is intended especially for use on the LF and MF -bands, and already during its first few months of testing -intercontinental paths have been spanned many times on the 2200 and -630 m bands. Further details can be found in the following section, -<>. On the HF bands, -world-wide QSOs are possible with any of these modes using power -levels of a few watts (or even milliwatts) and compromise antennas. -On VHF bands and higher, QSOs are possible (by EME and other -propagation types) at signal levels 10 to 15 dB below those required -for CW. +encoding. JT65 was designed for EME ("`moonbounce`") on VHF and +higher bands and is mostly used for that purpose today. Q65 replaces +an earlier mode, QRA64; it is particularly effective for tropospheric +scatter, rain scatter, ionospheric scatter, TEP, and EME on VHF and +higher bands, as well as other types of fast-fading signals. JT9 was +originally designed for the HF and lower bands. Its submode JT9A is 1 +dB more sensitive than JT65 while using less than 10% of the +bandwidth. JT4 offers a wide variety of tone spacings and has proven +highly effective for EME on microwave bands up to 24 GHz. These four +"`slow`" modes use one-minute timed sequences of alternating +transmission and reception, so a minimal QSO takes four to six minutes +— two or three transmissions by each station, one sending in odd UTC +minutes and the other even. FT8 is operationally similar but four +times faster (15-second T/R sequences) and less sensitive by a few dB. +FT4 is faster still (7.5 s T/R sequences) and especially well-suited +for radio contesting. FST4 was added to _WSJT-X_ in version 2.3.0. +It is intended especially for use on the LF and MF bands, and already +during its first few months of testing intercontinental paths have +been spanned many times on the 2200 and 630 m bands. Further details +can be found in the following section, <>. On the HF bands, world-wide QSOs are possible with +any of these modes using power levels of a few watts (or even +milliwatts) and compromise antennas. On VHF bands and higher, QSOs +are possible (by EME, scatter, and other propagation types) at signal +levels 10 to 15 dB below those required for CW. *MSK144*, and optionally submodes *JT9E-H* are "`fast`" protocols designed to take advantage of brief signal enhancements from diff --git a/doc/user_guide/en/make-qso.adoc b/doc/user_guide/en/make-qso.adoc index 34f3f3330..5bdbc3db7 100644 --- a/doc/user_guide/en/make-qso.adoc +++ b/doc/user_guide/en/make-qso.adoc @@ -60,12 +60,10 @@ or rag-chewing. === Auto-Sequencing -The 15-second T/R cycles of FT8 allow only about two seconds to inspect -decoded messages and decide how to reply, which is often not enough. -The slow modes JT4, JT9, JT65, and QRA64 allow nearly 10 seconds -for this task, but operators may find that this is still insufficient -when workload is high, especially on EME. For these reasons a basic -auto-sequencing feature is offered. +The T/R cycles of many _WSJT-X_ modes allow only a few seconds to +inspect decoded messages and decide how to reply. Often this is not +enough time, so for FST4, FT4, FT8, MSK144, and Q65 the program +offers a basic auto-sequencing feature. Check *Auto Seq* on the main window to enable this feature: @@ -77,7 +75,8 @@ responder to your CQ. NOTE: When *Auto-Seq* is enabled, the program de-activates *Enable Tx* at the end of each QSO. It is not intended that _WSJT-X_ should make -fully automated QSOs. +fully automated QSOs. *Auto-sequencing is an operator aid, not an +operator replacement.* [[CONTEST_MSGS]] === Contest Messages @@ -160,7 +159,7 @@ guidelines for contest logging with FT4, FT8, and MSK144: [[COMP-CALL]] === Nonstandard Callsigns -*FT4, FT8, FST4, and MSK144* +*FST4, FT4, FT8, MSK144, and Q65* Compound callsigns like xx/K1ABC or K1ABC/x and special event callsigns like YW18FIFA are supported for normal QSOs but not for @@ -196,7 +195,7 @@ the types of information that can be included in a message. It prevents including your locator in standard messages, which necessarily impairs the usefulness of tools like PSK Reporter. -*JT4, JT9, JT65, and QRA64* +*JT4, JT9, and JT65* In the 72-bit modes, compound callsigns are handled in one of two possible ways: diff --git a/doc/user_guide/en/new_features.adoc b/doc/user_guide/en/new_features.adoc index a144a67cb..93a104092 100644 --- a/doc/user_guide/en/new_features.adoc +++ b/doc/user_guide/en/new_features.adoc @@ -1,39 +1,15 @@ [[NEW_FEATURES]] === New in Version {VERSION} -_WSJT-X 2.3.0_ introduces *FST4* and *FST4W*, new digital protocols -designed particularly for the LF and MF bands. Decoders for these -modes can take advantage of the very small Doppler spreads present at -these frequencies, even over intercontinental distances. As a -consequence, fundamental sensitivities of FST4 and FST4W are better -than other _WSJT-X_ modes with the same sequence lengths, approaching -the theoretical limits for their rates of information throughput. The -FST4 protocol is optimized for two-way QSOs, while FST4W is for -quasi-beacon transmissions of WSPR-style messages. FST4 and FST4W do -not require the strict, independent phase locking and time -synchronization of modes like EbNaut. - -The new modes use 4-GFSK modulation and share common software for -encoding and decoding messages. FST4 offers T/R sequence lengths of -15, 30, 60, 120, 300, 900, and 1800 seconds, while FST4W omits the -lengths shorter than 120 s. Submodes are given names like FST4-60, -FST4W-300, etc., the appended numbers indicating sequence length in -seconds. Message payloads contain either 77 bits, as in FT4, FT8, and -MSK144, or 50 bits for the WSPR-like messages of FST4W. Message -formats displayed to the user are like those in the other 77-bit and -50-bit modes in _WSJT-X_. Forward error correction uses a low density -parity check (LDPC) code with 240 information and parity bits. -Transmissions consist of 160 symbols: 120 information-carrying symbols -of two bits each, interspersed with five groups of eight predefined -synchronization symbols. - -*We recommend that on the 2200 and 630 m bands FST4 should replace JT9 -for making 2-way QSOs, and FST4W should replace WSPR for propagation -tests*. Operating conventions on these LF and MF bands will -eventually determine the most useful T/R sequence lengths for each -type of operation. We also expect that the 60 second variant of FST4 -(FST4-60) will outperform JT9 for DX QSOs on HF bands due, in part, -to the FST4 decoder's ability to use AP decoding for messages received -from a QSO partner. In addition, FST4 provides the added benefits -associated with 77-bit messages and auto-sequencing. +_WSJT-X 2.4.0_ introduces *Q65*, a new digital protocol designed for +minimal two-way QSOs over especially difficult propagation paths. On +paths with Doppler spread more than a few Hz, the weak-signal +performance of Q65 is the best among all WSJT-X modes. +Q65 uses message formats and sequencing identical to those used in +FST4, FT4, FT8, and MSK144. Submodes are provided with a wide variety +of tone spacings and T/R sequence lengths 15, 30, 60, 120, and 300 s. +A new, highly reliable list-decoding technique is used for messages +that contain previously copied message fragments. Message averaging +is provided for situations where single transmissions are too weak or +signal enhancements too sparse for a signal to be decoded. diff --git a/doc/user_guide/en/transceiver-setup.adoc b/doc/user_guide/en/transceiver-setup.adoc index d0d53ba53..13fdb5b99 100644 --- a/doc/user_guide/en/transceiver-setup.adoc +++ b/doc/user_guide/en/transceiver-setup.adoc @@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ TIP: The PC audio mixer normally has two sliders, one for each conventional JT65 and JT9 sub-bands simultaneously on most HF bands. Further details are provided in the <>. A wider displayed bandwidth may also be helpful at VHF - and above, where FT8, JT4, JT65, and QRA64 signals may be found over + and above, where FT8, JT4, JT65, and Q65 signals may be found over much wider ranges of frequencies. - If you have only a standard SSB filter you won’t be able to display diff --git a/doc/user_guide/en/vhf-features.adoc b/doc/user_guide/en/vhf-features.adoc index b78f4e92a..0d0429979 100644 --- a/doc/user_guide/en/vhf-features.adoc +++ b/doc/user_guide/en/vhf-features.adoc @@ -11,8 +11,8 @@ higher bands. These features include: - *JT65*, widely used for EME on VHF and higher bands -- *QRA65*, another mode for EME, also used for tropo-, and - iono-scatter propagation on VHF and higher bands +- *Q65*, for propagation modes including tropospheric scatter, rain +scatter, ionospheric scatter, TEP, and EME - *MSK144*, for meteor scatter @@ -175,9 +175,13 @@ RO, RRR, and 73. image::JT65B.png[align="center",alt="JT65B"] -=== QRA64 +=== Q65 -QRA64 is designed for EME on VHF and higher bands; its +Q65 is designed for propagation paths that produce signals exhibiting fast +fading, including tropospheric scatter, rain scatter, ionospheric scatter, +trans-equatorial propagation (TEP), and EME. + +EME on VHF and higher bands; its operation is generally similar to JT4 and JT65. The following screen shot shows an example of a QRA64C transmission from DL7YC recorded at G3WDG over the EME path at 24 GHz. Doppler spread on the path was 78 @@ -186,7 +190,7 @@ broadened enough to make them hard to see on the waterfall. The triangular red marker below the frequency scale shows that the decoder has achieved synchronization with a signal at approximately 967 Hz. -image::QRA64.png[align="center",alt="QRA64"] +image::Q65_6m_ionoscatter.png[align="center",alt="QRA64"] The QRA64 decoder makes no use of a callsign database. Instead, it takes advantage of _a priori_ (AP) information such as one's own