From c829bcfe27a129d27bef03af8630257fb1b6b069 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Bill Somerville Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2021 20:42:31 +0100 Subject: [PATCH] Description file updates --- README | 6 ++-- package_description.txt | 76 ++++++++++++++++++++++++----------------- 2 files changed, 48 insertions(+), 34 deletions(-) diff --git a/README b/README index c5fb24495..093333290 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -13,9 +13,9 @@ Copyright (C) 2001 - 2021 by Joe Taylor, K1JT. -WSJT-X Version 2.3 offers ten different protocols or modes: FT4, FT8, -JT4, JT9, JT65, Q65, FST4, MSK144, WSPR, FST4W, and Echo. The first -seven are designed for making reliable QSOs under weak-signal +WSJT-X Version 2.5 offers eleven different protocols or modes: FT4, +FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, Q65, FST4, 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 Q65 were designed for EME (“moonbounce”), but not limited to just that propagation path, on the VHF/UHF bands and JT65 diff --git a/package_description.txt b/package_description.txt index 12aae6d6a..46c5a73d9 100644 --- a/package_description.txt +++ b/package_description.txt @@ -4,41 +4,50 @@ 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. . -WSJT-X Version 2.0 offers twelve different protocols or modes: FST4, -FST4W, FT4, FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, QRA64, ISCAT, MSK144, WSPR, and Echo. -The first eight are designed for making reliable QSOs under extreme -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 -a number of advantages over JT65, including better performance on the -very weakest signals. We imagine that over time it may replace JT65 -for EME use. 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. FST4, and its quasi-beacon companion -mode FST4W (see below), are designed for LF and MF and offer -significant advantages over JT9 and WSPR on those bands. 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. 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. +WSJT-X Version 2.5 offers eleven different protocols or modes: FT4, +FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, Q65, FST4, 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 Q65 were designed for EME (“moonbounce”), but not +limited to just that propagation path, on the VHF/UHF bands and JT65 +has also proven very effective for worldwide QRP communication on the +HF bands. Q65 has a number of advantages over JT65, including better +performance on the very weakest signals and variants with different +T/R period lengths. We imagine that over time it may replace JT65 for +EME use, it has also proved to be very effective for iono-scatter +paths on 6m. 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. QSOs are possible at signal +levels 10 to 15 dB below those required for CW. FST4 has similarities +in use to JT9 but offers more flexibility as it offers different +period lengths allowing QSO completion time to be traded off against +sensitivity. In its base form of FST4-60A it has better sensitivity +than JT9A and should be considered as an upgrade where JT9 has been +the preferred slow QSO mode. . -ISCAT, MSK144, and optionally submodes JT9E-H are `fast` protocols -designed to take advantage of brief signal enhancements from ionized -meteor trails, aircraft scatter, and other types of scatter +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. +. +MSK144, and optionally submodes JT9E-H are `fast` protocols designed +to take advantage of brief signal enhancements from ionized meteor +trails, aircraft scatter, and other types of scatter propagation. These modes use timed sequences of 5, 10, 15, or 30 s duration. User messages are transmitted repeatedly at high rate (up to 250 characters per second, for MSK144) to make good use of the -shortest meteor-trail reflections or `pings`. ISCAT uses free-form -messages up to 28 characters long, while MSK144 uses the same +shortest meteor-trail reflections or `pings`. MSK144 uses the same structured messages as the slow modes and optionally an abbreviated format with hashed callsigns. . @@ -54,6 +63,11 @@ archival storage, and many other features. WSPR has a new companion FST4W which has a similar message content but offers up to 30 minute transmission periods for greater sensitivity on LF and MF. . +FST4W, like WSPR, is a quasi-beacon mode, it targets LF and MF bands +and offers a number of T/R periods form 2 minutes up to 30 minutes for +the most challenging weak signal paths. Similarly to WSPR reception +reports can be automatically uploaded to the WSPRnet.org web service. +. 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. .