First cut at adding FST4, FST4W to the User Guide.

This commit is contained in:
Joe Taylor 2020-09-23 15:03:33 -04:00
parent 475fe79d05
commit 598835d9c9
11 changed files with 222 additions and 158 deletions

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@ -30,8 +30,7 @@ set (UG_SRCS
install-mac.adoc
install-windows.adoc
introduction.adoc
measurement_tools.adoc
protocols.adoc
intro_subsections.adoc
logging.adoc
make-qso.adoc
measurement_tools.adoc
@ -53,6 +52,8 @@ set (UG_SRCS
tutorial-example2.adoc
tutorial-example3.adoc
tutorial-example4.adoc
tutorial-example5.adoc
tutorial-example6.adoc
tutorial-main-window.adoc
tutorial-wide-graph-settings.adoc
utilities.adoc
@ -82,6 +83,9 @@ set (UG_IMGS
images/FreqCal_Graph.png
images/FreqCal_Results.png
images/freemsg.png
images/FST4_center.png
images/FST4_Decoding_Limits.png
images/FST4W_RoundRobin.png
images/ft4_decodes.png
images/ft4_waterfall.png
images/ft8_decodes.png

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@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
=== Documentation Conventions
In this manual the following icons call attention to particular types
of information:
NOTE: *Notes* containing information that may be of interest to
particular classes of users.
TIP: *Tips* on program features or capabilities that might otherwise be
overlooked.
IMPORTANT: *Warnings* about usage that could lead to undesired
consequences.
=== User Interface in Other Languages
The _WSJT-X_ user interface is now available in many languages. When
a translated user interface is available for the computer's default
System Language, it will appear automatically on program startup.
=== How You Can Contribute
_WSJT-X_ is part of an open-source project released under the
{gnu_gpl} (GPLv3). If you have programming or documentation skills or
would like to contribute to the project in other ways, please make
your interests known to the development team. We especially encourage
those with translation skills to volunteer their help, either for
this _User Guide_ or for the program's user interface.
The project's source-code repository can be found at {devrepo}, and
communication among the developers takes place on the email reflector
{devmail}. Bug reports and suggestions for new features, improvements
to the _WSJT-X_ User Guide, etc., may be sent there as well. You must
join the group before posting to the email list.
=== License
Before using _WSJT-X_, please read our licensing terms
<<LICENSE,here>>.

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@ -3,42 +3,39 @@
_WSJT-X_ is a computer program designed to facilitate basic amateur
radio communication using very weak signals. The first four letters in
the program name stand for "`**W**eak **S**ignal communication by
K1**JT**,`" while the suffix "`-X`" indicates that _WSJT-X_ started as
an extended and experimental branch of the program _WSJT_,
first released in 2001. Bill Somerville, G4WJS, and Steve Franke,
K9AN, have been major contributors to program development since 2013
and 2015, respectively.
K1**JT**,`" while the suffix "`*-X*`" indicates that _WSJT-X_ started
as an extended branch of an earlier program, _WSJT_, first released in
2001. Bill Somerville, G4WJS, and Steve Franke, K9AN, have been major
contributors to development of _WSJT-X_ since 2013 and 2015, respectively.
_WSJT-X_ Version {VERSION_MAJOR}.{VERSION_MINOR} offers ten different
protocols or modes: *FT4*, *FT8*, *JT4*, *JT9*, *JT65*, *QRA64*,
*ISCAT*, *MSK144*, *WSPR*, and *Echo*. The first six 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 LF, MF, and lower HF bands. Its submode JT9A is 2 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. 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.
Note that even though their T/R sequences are short, FT4 and FT8 are
classified as slow modes because their message frames are sent only
once per transmission. All fast modes in _WSJT-X_ send their message
frames repeatedly, as many times as will fit into the Tx sequence
length.
_WSJT-X_ Version {VERSION_MAJOR}.{VERSION_MINOR} offers twelve
different protocols or modes: *FST4*, *FT4*, *FT8*, *JT4*, *JT9*,
*JT65*, *QRA64*, *ISCAT*, *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 nearly 2 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; further details can be found in the following
section, <<NEW_FEATURES,New Features in Version 2.3.0>>.
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.
*ISCAT*, *MSK144*, and optionally submodes *JT9E-H* are "`fast`"
protocols designed to take advantage of brief signal enhancements from
@ -51,15 +48,25 @@ messages up to 28 characters long, while MSK144 uses the same
structured messages as the slow modes and optionally an abbreviated
format with hashed callsigns.
Note that some of the modes classified as slow can have T/R sequence
lengths as short the fast modes. "`Slow`" in this sense implies
message frames being sent only once per transmission. The fast modes
in _WSJT-X_ send their message frames repeatedly, as many times as
will fit into the Tx sequence length.
*WSPR* (pronounced "`whisper`") stands for **W**eak **S**ignal
**P**ropagation **R**eporter. The WSPR protocol was designed for probing
potential propagation paths using low-power transmissions. WSPR
messages normally carry the transmitting stations callsign, grid
locator, and transmitter power in dBm, and they can be decoded at
signal-to-noise ratios as low as -31 dB in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. WSPR
users with internet access can automatically upload reception
reports to a central database called {wsprnet} that provides a mapping
facility, archival storage, and many other features.
**P**ropagation **R**eporter. The WSPR protocol was designed for
probing potential propagation paths using low-power transmissions.
WSPR messages normally carry the transmitting stations callsign,
grid locator, and transmitter power in dBm, and with two-minute
sequences they can be decoded at signal-to-noise ratios as low
as -31 dB in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. *FST4W* is designed for
similar purposes, but especially for use on LF and MF bands.
It includes optional sequence lengths as long as 30 minutes and
reaches sensitivity tresholds as low as -45 dB. WSPR and FST4W users
with internet access can automatically upload reception reports to a
central database called {wsprnet} that provides a mapping facility,
archival storage, and many other features.
*Echo* mode allows you to detect and measure your own station's echoes
from the moon, even if they are far below the audible threshold.

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@ -1,107 +1,31 @@
[[NEW_FEATURES]]
=== New in Version {VERSION}
*Improvements to decoders*
_WSJT-X 2.3.0_ introduces *FST4* and *FST4W*, new digital protocols
designed particularly for the LF and MF bands. On these bands their
fundamental sensitivities are better than other _WSJT-X_ modes with the
same sequence lengths, approaching the theoretical limits for their
rates of information throughput. FST4 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 time
synchronization and phase locking of modes like EbNaut.
*FT4:* Corrected bugs that prevented AP (_a priori_) decoding and/or
multi-pass decoding in some circumstances. Improved and extended the
algorithm for AP decoding.
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.
*FT8:* Decoding is now spread over three intervals. The first starts
11.8 s into an Rx sequence and typically yields around 85% of the
possible decodes, so you see most decodes much earlier than before. A
second processing step starts at 13.5 s, and the final one at 14.7 s.
Overall decoding yield on crowded bands is improved by 10% or more.
Systems with receive latency greater than 0.2 s will see smaller
improvements, but will still see many decodes earlier than before.
SNR estimates no longer saturate at +20 dB, and large signals in the
passband no longer cause the SNR of weaker signals to be biased low.
Times written to cumulative journal file ALL.TXT are now correct even
when the decode occurs after the T/R sequence boundary. In FT8
DXpedition Mode, AP decoding is now implemented for Hounds when the
Fox has a compound callsign.
*JT4:* Formatting and display of averaged and Deep Search decodes has
been cleaned up and made consistent with other modes used for EME and
extreme weak-signal work on microwave bands.
*JT65:* Many improvements have been made for averaged and Deep Search
decodes, and their display to the user. For details see <<VHF_JT65,JT65>>
in the <<VHF_AND_UP,VHF+ Features>> section of this guide.
*WSPR:* Significant improvements have been made to the WSPR decoder's
sensitivity, its ability to cope with many signals in a crowded
sub-band, and its rate of undetected false decodes. We now use up to
three decoding passes. Passes 1 and 2 use noncoherent demodulation of
single symbols and allow for frequency drifts up to ±4 Hz in a
transmission. Pass 3 assumes no drift and does coherent block
detection of up to three symbols. It also applies bit-by-bit
normalization of the single-symbol bit metrics, a technique that has
proven helpful for signals corrupted by artifacts of the subtraction
of stronger signals and also for LF/MF signals heavily contaminated by
lightning transients. With these improvements the number of decodes
in a crowded WSPR sub-band typically increases by 10 to 15%.
*New message format:* When *EU VHF Contest* is selected, the Tx2 and
Tx3 messages -- those conveying signal report, serial number, and
6-character locator -- now use hashcodes for both callsigns. This
change is *not* backward compatible with earlier versions of _WSJT-X_, so
all users of *EU VHF Contest* messages should be sure to upgrade to
version 2.2.0. See <<CONTEST_MSGS,Contest Messages>> for details.
*Minor enhancements and bug fixes*
- *Save None* now writes no .wav files to disk, even temporarily.
- An explicit entry for *WW Digi Contest* has been added to *Special
operating activities* on the *Settings | Advanced* tab.
- The contest mode FT4 now always uses RR73 for the Tx4 message.
- *Keyboard shortcuts* have been added as an aid to accessibility:
*Alt+R* sets Tx4 message to RR73, *Ctrl+R* sets it to RRR.
- The *Status bar* now displays the number of decodes found in the
most recent Rx sequence.
- As an aid for partial color-blindness, the "`inverted goal posts`"
marking Rx frequency on the Wide Graph's frequency scale are now in a
darker shade of green.
=== Documentation Conventions
In this manual the following icons call attention to particular types
of information:
NOTE: *Notes* containing information that may be of interest to
particular classes of users.
TIP: *Tips* on program features or capabilities that might otherwise be
overlooked.
IMPORTANT: *Warnings* about usage that could lead to undesired
consequences.
=== User Interface in Other Languages
Thanks to Xavi Perez, EA3W, in cooperation with G4WJS, the _WSJT-X_
user interface is now available the Catalan language. Spanish will
follow soon, and other languages when translations are made. When a
translated user interface is available for the computer's default
System Language, it will appear automatically on program startup.
=== How You Can Contribute
_WSJT-X_ is part of an open-source project released under the
{gnu_gpl} (GPLv3). If you have programming or documentation skills or
would like to contribute to the project in other ways, please make
your interests known to the development team. We especially encourage
those with translation skills to volunteer their help, either for
this _User Guide_ or for the program's user interface.
The project's source-code repository can be found at {devrepo}, and
communication among the developers takes place on the email reflector
{devmail}. Bug reports and suggestions for new features, improvements
to the _WSJT-X_ User Guide, etc., may be sent there as well. You must
join the group before posting to the email list.
*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.

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@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ Special cases allow other information such as add-on callsign prefixes
aim is to compress the most common messages used for minimally valid
QSOs into a fixed 72-bit length.
The information payload for FT4, FT8, and MSK144 contains 77 bits.
The information payloads for FST4, FT4, FT8, and MSK144 contain 77 bits.
The 5 new bits added to the original 72 are used to flag special
message types signifying special message types used for FT8 DXpedition
Mode, contesting, nonstandard callsigns, and a few other
@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ were the callsigns `E9AA` through `E9ZZ`. Upon reception they are
converted back to the form `CQ AA` through `CQ ZZ`, for display to the
user.
The FT4, FT8, and MSK144 protocols use different lossless compression
The FST4, FT4, FT8, and MSK144 protocols use different lossless compression
algorithms with features that generate and recognize special messages
used for contesting and other special purposes. Full details have
been published in QEX, see {ft4_ft8_protocols}.
@ -71,6 +71,21 @@ _WSJT-X_ modes have continuous phase and constant envelope.
[[SLOW_MODES]]
=== Slow Modes
[[FST4PRO]]
==== FST4
FST4 offers T/R sequence lengths of 15, 30, 60, 120, 300, 900, and
1800 seconds. Submodes are given names like FST4-60, FST4-120, etc.,
the appended numbers indicating sequence length in seconds. Message
payloads contain 77 bits, and a 24-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC)
appended to create a 101-bit message-plus-CRC word. Forward error
correction is accomplished using a (240,101) LDPC code. Transmissions
consist of 160 symbols: 120 information-carrying symbols of two bits
each, interspersed with five groups of eight predefined
synchronization symbols. Modulation uses 4-tone frequency-shift
keying (4-GFSK) with Gaussian smoothing of frequency transitions.
[[FT4PRO]]
==== FT4
@ -225,6 +240,20 @@ information the least significant. Thus, on a 0 3 scale, the tone
for a given symbol is twice the value (0 or 1) of the data bit, plus
the sync bit.
[[FST4WPRO]]
==== FST4W
FST4W offers T/R sequence lengths of 120, 300, 900, and 1800 seconds.
Submodes are given names like FST4W-120, FST4W-300, etc., the appended
numbers indicating sequence length in seconds. Message payloads
contain 50 bits, and a 24-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC) appended
to create a 74-bit message-plus-CRC word. Forward error correction
is accomplished using a (240,74) LDPC code. Transmissions consist of
160 symbols: 120 information-carrying symbols of two bits each,
interspersed with five groups of eight predefined synchronization
symbols. Modulation uses 4-tone frequency-shift keying (4-GFSK) with
Gaussian smoothing of frequency transitions.
[[SLOW_SUMMARY]]
==== Summary
@ -239,17 +268,28 @@ which the probability of decoding is 50% or higher.
[[SLOW_TAB]]
.Parameters of Slow Modes
[width="90%",cols="3h,^3,^2,^1,^2,^2,^2,^2,^2,^2",frame=topbot,options="header"]
[width="100%",cols="3h,^3,^2,^1,^2,^2,^2,^2,^2,^2",frame=topbot,options="header"]
|===============================================================================
|Mode |FEC Type |(n,k) | Q|Modulation type|Keying rate (Baud)|Bandwidth (Hz)
|Sync Energy|Tx Duration (s)|S/N Threshold (dB)
|FT4 |LDPC, r=1/2|(174,91)| 4| 4-GFSK| 20.8333 | 83.3 | 0.15| 5.04 | -17.5
|FT8 |LDPC, r=1/2|(174,91)| 8| 8-GFSK| 6.25 | 50.0 | 0.27| 12.6 | -21
|FST4-15 |LDPC | (240,101)| 4| 4-GFSK| 16.6667 | 67.7 | 0.25| 9.60 | -20.7
|FST4-30 |LDPC | (240,101)| 4| 4-GFSK| 7.14 | 28.6 | 0.25| 22.4 | -24.2
|FST4-60 |LDPC | (240,101)| 4| 4-GFSK| 3.09 | 12.4 | 0.25| 51.8 | -28.1
|FST4-120 |LDPC | (240,101)| 4| 4-GFSK| 1.46 | 5.9 | 0.25| 109.3 | -31.3
|FST4-300 |LDPC | (240,101)| 4| 4-GFSK| 0.56 | 2.2 | 0.25| 286.7 | -35.3
|FST4-900 |LDPC | (240,101)| 4| 4-GFSK| 0.180 | 0.72 | 0.25| 887.5 | -40.2
|FST4-1800 |LDPC | (240,101)| 4| 4-GFSK| 0.089 | 0.36 | 0.25| 1792.0| -43.2
|FT4 |LDPC |(174,91)| 4| 4-GFSK| 20.8333 | 83.3 | 0.15| 5.04 | -17.5
|FT8 |LDPC |(174,91)| 8| 8-GFSK| 6.25 | 50.0 | 0.27| 12.6 | -21
|JT4A |K=32, r=1/2|(206,72)| 2| 4-FSK| 4.375| 17.5 | 0.50| 47.1 | -23
|JT9A |K=32, r=1/2|(206,72)| 8| 9-FSK| 1.736| 15.6 | 0.19| 49.0 | -27
|JT9A |K=32, r=1/2|(206,72)| 8| 9-FSK| 1.736| 15.6 | 0.19| 49.0 | -26
|JT65A |Reed Solomon|(63,12) |64|65-FSK| 2.692| 177.6 | 0.50| 46.8 | -25
|QRA64A|Q-ary Repeat Accumulate|(63,12) |64|64-FSK|1.736|111.1|0.25|48.4| -26
| WSPR |K=32, r=1/2|(162,50)| 2| 4-FSK| 1.465| 5.9 | 0.50|110.6 | -31
|FST4W-120 |LDPC | (240,74)| 4| 4-GFSK| 1.46 | 5.9 | 0.25| 109.3 | -32.8
|FST4W-300 |LDPC | (240,74)| 4| 4-GFSK| 0.56 | 2.2 | 0.25| 286.7 | -36.8
|FST4W-900 |LDPC | (240,74)| 4| 4-GFSK| 0.180 | 0.72 | 0.25| 887.5 | -41.7
|FST4W-1800 |LDPC | (240,74)| 4| 4-GFSK| 0.089 | 0.36 | 0.25| 1792.0| -44.8
|===============================================================================
Submodes of JT4, JT9, JT65, and QRA64 offer wider tone spacings for
@ -259,12 +299,10 @@ threshold sensitivities of the various submodes when spreading is
comparable to tone spacing.
[[SLOW_SUBMODES]]
.Parameters of Slow Submodes
.Parameters of Slow Submodes with Wider Tome Spacings
[width="50%",cols="h,3*^",frame=topbot,options="header"]
|=====================================
|Mode |Tone Spacing |BW (Hz)|S/N (dB)
|FT4 |20.8333 | 83.3 |-17.5
|FT8 |6.25 | 50.0 |-21
|JT4A |4.375| 17.5 |-23
|JT4B |8.75 | 30.6 |-22
|JT4C |17.5 | 56.9 |-21
@ -272,7 +310,7 @@ comparable to tone spacing.
|JT4E |78.75| 240.6 |-19
|JT4F |157.5| 476.9 |-18
|JT4G |315.0| 949.4 |-17
|JT9A |1.736| 15.6 |-27
|JT9A |1.736| 15.6 |-26
|JT9B |3.472| 29.5 |-26
|JT9C |6.944| 57.3 |-25
|JT9D |13.889| 112.8 |-24

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@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
FST4 is is designed for making 2-way QSOs on the LF and MF bands. Do
not confuse it with FT4, which has a very different purpose! Most
on-screen controls, auto-sequencing, and other features behave in FST4
as in other modes. However, operating conventions on the 2200 and 630
m bands make it desirable to have additional user controls that set
the active frequency range for decoding. Spin boxes labeled *F Low*
and *F High* set lower and upper frequency limits for the FST4
decoder.
image::FST4_center.png[align="center"]
Decoding limits are marked by dark green angle-bracket symbols *< >* on
the Wide Graph frequency scale:
image::FST4_Decoding_Limits.png[align="center"]
In general the specified range should be no larger than needed, since
detected transmissions in modes other than the selected FST4 sequence
length will be undecodable and will slow down the decoding process.
If *Single decode* on the the *File | Settings | General* tab is
checked, the decoding range is further limited to the *F Tol* range
around *Rx Freq*.

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@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
FST4W has significant advantages over WSPR for use on the 2200 and 630
m bands. As for WSPR, the default Rx Freq is 1500 Hz and F Tol is
100 Hz, so the active decoding range 1400 to 1600 Hz. However, for added
flexibility you can select different center frequencies and F Tol values.
We expect that usage conventions will soon be established for FST4 activity on 2200 and 630 m.
A new drop-down control below F Tol offers a round-robin mode for
scheduling FST4W transmissions:
image::FST4W_RoundRobin.png[align="center"]
If three operators agree in advance to select the options 1/3, 2/3,
and 3/3, for example, their FST4W transmissions will occur in a fixed
sequence with no two stations transmitting simultaneously. Sequence 1
is the first sequence after 00:00 UTC. For WSPR-like scheduling
behavior, you should select Random with this control.

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@ -32,6 +32,9 @@ include::introduction.adoc[]
[[NEW_FEATURES]]
include::new_features.adoc[]
[[INTRO_SUBSECTIONS]]
include::intro_subsections.adoc[]
[[SYSREQ]]
== System Requirements
include::system-requirements.adoc[]
@ -162,6 +165,14 @@ include::tutorial-example3.adoc[]
=== FT4
include::tutorial-example4.adoc[]
[[TUT_EX5]]
=== FST4
include::tutorial-example5.adoc[]
[[TUT_EX6]]
=== FST4W
include::tutorial-example6.adoc[]
[[MAKE_QSOS]]
== Making QSOs
include::make-qso.adoc[]