__ __ ______ _____ ________ __ __ | \ _ | \ / \ | \| \ | \ | \ | $$ / \ | $$| $$$$$$\ \$$$$$ \$$$$$$$$ | $$ | $$ | $$/ $\| $$| $$___\$$ | $$ | $$ ______ \$$\/ $$ | $$ $$$\ $$ \$$ \ __ | $$ | $$| \ >$$ $$ | $$ $$\$$\$$ _\$$$$$$\| \ | $$ | $$ \$$$$$$/ $$$$\ | $$$$ \$$$$| \__| $$| $$__| $$ | $$ | $$ \$$\ | $$$ \$$$ \$$ $$ \$$ $$ | $$ | $$ | $$ \$$ \$$ \$$$$$$ \$$$$$$ \$$ \$$ \$$ Copyright 2001 - 2021 by Joe Taylor, K1JT. Release: WSJT-X 2.5.0-rc3 Jul 5, 2021 ------------------------- Remember that the WSJT-X 2.5.0 package includes MAP65 3.0.0. Changes in the package since WSJT-X 2.5.0-rc2 include the following enhancements and defect repairs: MAP65: - Correct two defects that could cause "hung decoder" status - Translate reported frequencies so that |DF| <= 500 Hz for Q65 decodes. - Provide access to Release Notes from the Help menu - Correct the formatting of Q65 messages to livecq WSJT-X: - Repair a long standing defect that caused UDP Protocol Heartbeat messages to not be sent when no other intervening messages are sent. Release: WSJT-X 2.5.0-rc2 Jun 28, 2021 ------------------------- Remember that the WSJT-X 2.5.0 package includes MAP65 3.0.0. Changes in the package since WSJT-X 2.5.0-rc1 include the following enhancements and defect repairs: MAP65: - Compute polarization angle for Xpol systems and display to nearest degree - Compute and display the recommended Tx polarization - Protect against Fortran bounds errors in several places - Insert leading 0 when needed in UTC hours and minutes on waterfall - Wideband Q65 synchronization corrected to include single-polarization mode - Corrected a one-symbol (0.6 s) delay in Q65 Tx audio - Basic instruction document for building an MS Windows portaudio DLL for MAP65 users who are unable to use WDM/KS drivers for their multi-channel sound cards. WSJT-X (including the decoder for Q65 used by MAP65): - Increase maximum DT to 5.5 s when EME decoding is enabled in Q65 - Fix generation of Tx5 message when "hiscall" has suffix /P or /R. - Improve width management of GUI's band-selection combo box - Restore plotting of Q65 sync curve after a q3 decode - Disable selection of "View | Message Averaging F7" for modes other than JT4 and JT65 - Switching to Q65 mode now defaults to "Decode | Fast" - Repair a long standing regression with message generation for 72-bit modes when using a compound callsign. - Repair a defect in diagnostic logging that could cause crashes on some platforms. - Repair a defect which failed to strip leading and trailing spaces on input of callsigns during validation. - Hamlib updates including repair of defects with PTT handling on a separate serial port via rigctld, delayed PTT with Elecraft K3 series rigs, and support for the Icom IC-575 rig. - Updated CTY.DAT database Release: WSJT-X 2.5.0-rc1 Jun 3, 2021 ------------------------- WSJT-X in this release is nearly identical to that in WSJT-X 2.4.0. The Q65 decoder has been enhanced to measure and compensate for linear frequency drift in Q65 signals. In addition, the Windows installation package now includes version 3.0 of application MAP65 which has Q65 support to match and improve on its existing JT65 capabilities. The following notable defect and regression repairs are included: - FST4W mode no longer saves .WAV files when "Menu->Save->None" is checked. Release: WSJT-X 2.4.0 May 24, 2021 --------------------- WSJT-X 2.4.0 General Availability Release adds new Q65 mode functionality and decoder optimizations and repairs several defects and regressions discovered in the RC4 and v2.3.1 GA releases. Since the release candidates documented below this final release includes the following enhancements and defect repairs. - On MS Windows WSJT-X now ships with a DLL version of the Hamlib library, specifically Hamlib version 4.2. This should allow Hamlib bug fixes to resolved by the user replacing the DLL with an updated version. - Repair a defect with own call decode highlighting when callsigns with a common root are decoded. - Q65 message averaging correctly disabled as be menu option. - Repair a regression with missing timestamps in AlL.TXT for the MSK144 mode. - Repair a defect in the selection of working frequencies matching the current band and mode combination. - WSPR band hopping mode now generates a tune up tone for bands where it is scheduled to transmit. - Repair a long standing defect per band tune and Tx power level memories. - More flexibility for inputting calls into the DX Call field, leading and trailing white space characters are allowed but ignored. Release: WSJT-X 2.4.0-rc4 Mar 26, 2021 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.4.0 Release Candidate 4 adds new Q65 mode functionality and decoder optimizations and repairs several defects and regressions discovered in the RC3 and v2.3.0 GA releases. - Correct a problem with display of Q65 sync curves for submodes Q65-120x and Q65-300x. - Audio frequency and decoded message are now saved for up to 100 most recent Q65 decodes. Subsequent double-click on waterfall will search the list for the clicked frequency +/- 10 Hz, recover "DXCall" from the mosr recent decode there, and attempt a decode at that frequency with full "q3" sensitivity. - Use new ADIF recommendations for Q65: mode=MFSK, submode=Q65. - If "Single decode" is unchecked, look for Q65 decodes from accumulated average even after obtaining a single-sequence decode at selected Rx Freq. - For data read from .wav files, display the original UTC (derived from file name) on the waterfall instead of current UTC. - Protect against bounds errors caused by unusual settings on the Wide Graph. - Correct a problem with Split operation in FT4 mode. Thanks to JG1APX. Release: WSJT-X 2.4.0-rc3 Mar 15, 2021 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.4.0 Release Candidate 3 adds new Q65 mode functionality and decoder optimizations; repairs defects and regressions discovered in the RC2 and v2.3.0 GA releases. - Repaired a memory corruption related to display of Q65_Sync, particularly nasty on macOS. - Q65 now dissplays two sync curves: orange for the current sequence, red for the accumulated average. - Behavior of "Save decoded" has been corrected. - Repaired a defect that caused crash when displaying the Wide Graph with lower frequency limit set to 0. - Program no longer terminates a transmission when Settings is closed. - Program no longer forces TxFreq to 700 or 1000 Hz when entering Q65 mode or closing Settings. Instead, it highlights TxFreq with red background when its value should be 700 Hz but is not. - Program displays a warning label if a contest mode is active in Q65 mode. - Many updates to User Guide, mostly related to Q65. - Repaired a regression that disallowed a new QSO initiation after an abandoned QSO. Release: WSJT-X 2.4.0-rc2 Mar 6, 2021 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.4.0 Release Candidate 2 adds new Q65 mode functionality and decoder optimizations; repairs defects and regressions discovered in the RC1 release. - Q65 sample .WAV files added. - Repair a defect that caused WSJT-X to crash when launched from an icon on macOS. - Repair a crash when using the JT4 mode. - Sequencing improvements to hold transmitted signal report fixed during a QSO. - UI translation updates tnx to Sze-to, VR2UPU, and Michael, 5P1KZX. - Enable the "Call 1st" option for Q65. - Improved Q65 message averaging that linearly averages the first 4 sequences and averages exponentially thereafter using a time-constant of 4 sequences. - Improved macOS post-install instructions, tnx to John, G4KLA. - Enhanced Q65 simulator that generates file names compatible with message averaging, tnx Charlie, G3WDG. - Q65 simulator option to generate single tone waveforms, tnx to Charlie, G3WDG. - Better suppression of birdies in the Q65 decoder. - Blank Q65 decode messages removed. - Automatic low Tx audio offset for the widest Q65 modes to keep Tx signal in transmitter passband, tnx to Charlie, G3WDG. - Improved SNR estimates for Q65 mode. - Decode depths Fast/Normal/Deep are now identical in Q65 mode. - "Save decoded" is now enabled for Q65 mode. - The obsolete ISCAT mode has been removed. Release: WSJT-X 2.3.1 Mar 26, 2021 --------------------- WSJT-X 2.3.1 General Availability release updates the User Guide to cover the new modes FST4 and FST4W along with sample .WAV files and decoding tutorials. This release also repairs a number of defects and regressions discovered since the v2.3.0 release, including those below. - When sending traffic to a multicast UDP server ensure that the local loop-back interface is used if no others are selected. - Repair a defect in instance lock file handling that causes an infinite loop on start up. - Invert the PTT serial port sharing default behaviour, and enable sharing when non-Hamlib CAT control is combined with direct serial port PTT control. - Allow the FST4 and FST4W decoders to continue after the first successful decode when using negative NB values to try multiple NB values. - Repair defects in auto-sequencing, particularly with responding to a repeated final message. In general a double-click of the repeated message now does the right thing. - Repair a regression that had inadvertently disabled EU VHF Contest mode when using the MSK144 mode. - Repair a defect that could caused incorrect log entry fields when using FT4 mode and a priori (AP) decoding. - Repair defects saving .WAV files for periods with decodes. - Offer a new scheme for adjusting macOS shared memory parameters. Release: WSJT-X 2.4.0-rc1 Feb 3, 2021 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.4.0 is a program upgrade offering a new mode called Q65. It builds on the capabilities of the QRA64 mode to offer a flexible large symbol alphabet, low code rate, mode with excellent characteristics when used for EME on VHF through to microwave bands, and with challenging weak signal propagation via iono-scatter and similar on VHF bands. The Q65 mode carries the same 77-bit message payload as the popular FT8, MSK144, FT4, and FST4 QSO modes. Q65 also offers a range of T/R periods (15 second through to 5 mins) and tone spacings (up to 32 times the base spacing) suitable for adapting to required sensitivity and various channel frequency spreading characteristics. The Wide Graph plotter has a super-sensitive synchronization spectrum capable of detecting signals below visibility on the waterfall plot. The new synchronization plot combined with comprehensive a priori (AP) decoding techniques and message summing and averaging over multiple Rx periods should make use near the limits of extreme weak signal operating better than prior modes in all appropriate situations. Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0 Feb 2, 2021 --------------------- WSJT-X 2.3.0 General Availability release adds the new modes FST4 and FST4W along with many defect repairs. See summaries below and for the prior release candidates (2.3.0-rc1 through -rc4) of this version for details. - FST4/W: Disable envelope shaping at start and end of transmission when environment variable FST4_NOSHAPING=1. Works for fst4sim too. - Add time stamp to error message boxes to aid diagnosis. - Repair a defect that caused crashes at start up for some macOS Big Sur users. - Repair a defect that could cause the jt9 slow mode decoder process to exit incorrectly with a failure status. - Updated CTY.DAT file. Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc4 Jan 26, 2021 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.3.0 Release Candidate 4 is a stop-gap release while some recent important Hamlib changes are being verified. Also included are the following regression and defect repairs. - The wsprd command line tool uses the current working directory for the data file directory if it is not specified. - Updates to the language translations of the WSJT-X user Interface. Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc3 Jan 6, 2021 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.3.0 Release Candidate 3 adds an improved FST4W decoder and fixes several defects and regressions discovered since the second release candidate. - FST4W: Improve FST4W decoder sensitivity on fading channels and decrease false decode rate. FST4W uses 50-bit messages and a 24-bit CRC. The 74-bit message+CRC is encoded into a 240-bit codeword. Received messages are decoded by two different decoders: (i) a “belief propagation” (BP) decoder and (ii) an ordered statistics decoder (OSD). The ordered statistics decoder has a knob that allows any or all CRC bits to be treated as additional parity bits rather than as part of the message+CRC field. Thus, the OSD decoder can decode the received message as a (240,50+Nc) code, where Nc is any integer between 0 and 24. In the RC1 and RC2 releases the OSD decoding attempt treated the code as a (240,64) code (14-bit CRC). This release uses 2 OSD decoding attempts that treat the received word as (i) a (240,66) code with 16-bit CRC and code rate 0.308 and (ii) a (240,50) code with no CRC and code rate 0.208. Codewords returned by the (240,50) CRC-less decoding attempt are unpacked and the decode is printed only if it contains a callsign/grid pair that have been previously decoded by the belief propagation decoder (which treats the code as a (240,74) code with 24-bit CRC) or the ordered statistics decoder configured for (240,66) (16-bit CRC). The callsign/grid memory is stored in file “fst4w_calls.txt” which resides in the data directory. - FT8: Fixed a crash triggered by double clicking on the waterfall to invoke a decode of a signal in the preceding T/R interval. - FST4W: Do not save .c2 files. - FST4W: Correct a bug that could cause incorrect operation when using negative noise blanker (NB) percentage to trigger looping over a range of NB percentages. - fst4sim: Added simulation of Lorentzian fading spectrum, invoked by negative fspread values. - Color highlighting scheme window fixed in dark mode. - Reports sent by QSO partners to other stations no longer logged in error. - UDP Status(1) message now includes the current Tx message. - Example diagnostic logging configuration files included. - Use system localization for date fields in Log QSO dialog. - Improvements to audio input and output buffer sizes. - wsprd: Fails gracefully if data directory does not exist. - wsjtx_app_version: new utility to print application version string. - Regression causing incorrect working frequency selection when changing modes repaired. - Regression with QSO initiation with "Best S&P" repaired. - Updated installation instructions for macOS covering M1 hardware. - Improved compatibility is Debian 9 required distribution packages. - Repair regression with missing time-stamps in the ALL.TXT journal. - Allow hamlib_settings.json to work with PTT only configurations so that optional PTT sharing on RTS or DTR can be enabled. - Several improvements to main window sizing and layout. - Repair regression with OpenSSL libraries being required when LoTW highlighting is not enabled. - Repair a defect that caused 2 by 1 callsigns to be incorrectly parsed as non-standard. - Several updates to international UI translations. Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc2 Nov 16, 2020 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.3.0 Release Candidate 2 fixes issues found in RC1 and includes some new functionality that missed the RC1 cut off deadline. - Dropped audio samples message box removed, warnings and errors for these are now sent to the WSJT-X system log. - FST4W spots to WSPRNet.org will be augmented such that the server can distinguish the mode being spotted. Spots to WSPRNet.org will no longer be restricted to WSPR sub-bands. - A new internal system and data logging facility used to provide trace, debug, information, warning, error, and fatal error messages. The verbosity and filtering of messages is user definable via a configuration file. Without a configuration file a basic log is written with information, warning and error messages only. Log files are automatically rotated to limit disk usage. - Due to some users using inappropriate multicast IP addresses for their interoperating severs the default behaviour now is to only send multicast UDP datagrams to the loop-back network interface. Users who require WSJT-X UDP Message Protocol datagrams to reach other hosts will now have to configure WSJT-X to send on an appropriate network interface, and use an appropriately scoped multicast group address for their server applications. If you are not sure then 224.0.0.1 (or ff02::1 if IPv6 is desired) is a safe choice. Release: WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc1 Sept 28, 2020 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.3.0 is a program upgrade offering two new modes designed especially for use on the LF and MF bands. FST4 is for 2-way QSOs, and FST4W is for WSPR-like transmissions. Both modes offer a range of options for T/R sequence lengths and threshold decoding sensitivities extending well into the -40 dB range. Early tests have shown these modes frequently spanning intercontinental distances on the 2200 m and 630 m bands. Further details and operating hints can be found in the "Quick-Start Guide to FST4 and FST4W", posted on the WSJT web site: https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/FST4_Quick_Start.pdf WSJT-X 2.3.0-rc1 is a beta-quality release candidate for a program upgrade that provides a number of new features, capabilities, and defect repairs. These include: - New modes FST4 and FST4W targeting LF and MF bands. - Improved noise baseline discovery for more reliable SNR estimates. - On the waterfall and 2D spectrum a tool-tip shows the frequency offset under the mouse pointer. - The *On Dx Echo* Doppler compensation method has been modified in response to feedback from Users. Basic functionality is unchanged. See the User Guide (Section 8.1) for more information. - Improved user_hardware script or program initiation for WSPR band-hopping mode. - Decoded QSO mode message display narrowed to make appended information easier to view without scrolling the window. - Option to record the propagation mode in logged QSO records. - ADIF v3.1.1 compliance. - Option to connect to PSKReporter using TCP/IP for those with very poor Internet connections. - Major rewrite of the PSKReporter interface to improve efficiency and reduce traffic levels. - Removal of the Tab 2 generated messages. - Accessibility improvements to the UI. - Tweaked decode speed options for a better user experience with lower powered single-board computers like the Raspberry Pi. - Updates to UI translations in Spanish, Italian, Catalan, Chinese, Hong Kong Chinese, Danish, and Japanese. - Audio devices only enumerated when starting up and opening the "Settings->Audio" device lists. - Option to select the default audio device removed to minimize the likelihood of system sounds being transmitted. - Better handling of missing audio devices. - Improved and enhanced meta-data saved to .WAV files. - More reliable multi-instance support. - Included CTY.DAT file moved to installation share directory. - The bundled Hamlib library is updated to the latest available which fixes several regressions, defects, and adds new rig support. - Fixed some edge-case message packing and unpacking defects and ambiguities. - Fix a defect that allowed non-CQ messages to be replied to via the UDP Message Protocol. - Fix a long-standing defect with Tx start timing. - Repair a defect with style sheets when switching configurations. - Repair defects that made the astronomical data window an several main window controls unreadable when using the dark style sheet. - Repair a regression with setting WSPR transmitted power levels. - Repair a regression with newly created ADIF log file's header. - Many other defects repaired. Release: WSJT-X 2.2.2 June 22, 2020 --------------------- WSJT-X v2.2.2 is a bug fix release, mainly to incorporate the new RAC section PE into the FT8/FT4/MSK144 Contest Mode for Field Day. - Stations intending to operate in Field Day (FD) are urged to upgrade to this release, without it you cannot set your section to PE, and of equal importance you cannot decode contest messages from stations who are operating from PE without this upgrade. - FT8 decoder speeded up in Normal and Fast modes. This change gives a speed of decoding closer to that of v2.1.2 without compromising the number of decodes. It is particularly targeted for slower single board computer users such as the Raspberry Pi Model 3 or similar. - Thanks to our user interface language translation contributors for many improvements to the translated strings. - The DX Grid field is now cleared automatically when the DX Call field is changed. Care should be taken to complete entry of a callsign before entering a grid square. Release: WSJT-X 2.2.1 June 6, 2020 --------------------- WSJT-X v2.2.1 is a bug fix release that fixes regressions found in the prior v2.2.0 release. Here is a brief summary; - Incorporate a revised Hamlib version the address a regression in rig control of some rigs including the Yaesu FT-991 and FT-891. - Repair a defect in 6 character gridsquare lookup from the CALL3.TXT database, and improve "Lookup" button processing. - Repair a defect with selecting Wide Graph 2D spectrum types in translated UIs. - Repair a regression that blocked the Highlight Callsign UDP request from highlighting terms including a '+' character. - Repair a defect that caused hash code lookups of one's own call to fail after an extended period of inactivity, when operating with a non-standard callsign. - Repair a regression where occasional Highlight Callsign UDP requests with the 'Highlight last' parameter as true highlighted a match in a prior period. This fix include a performance improvement when processing any Highlight Callsign request with 'Highlight last' as true. - Include support for the Yaesu FT-920 when controlled by Ham Radio Deluxe. This change inadvertently missed the v2.2.0 GA release. - Correct a documentation issue with the UDP Message Protocol Status(1) message Special Operations Mode enumeration values ("WW DIGI added", Fox, and Hound renumbered). Thanks to Sam, W2JDB, for raising this issue. - Updated Catalan UI translation, tnx Xavi, EA3W. - Italian UI translation, tnx Marco, PY1ZRJ. - Updated Spanish UI translation, tnx Cédric, EA4AC. Release: WSJT-X 2.2 June 2, 2020 ------------------- WSJT-X 2.2 is a program upgrade that provides a number of new features and capabilities. Here is a brief summary; for further details see the notes for candidate releases 2.2.0-rc1, -rc2, and -rc3, below, and of course the updated WSJT-X 2.2 User Guide. - Significant improvements to the decoders for FT4, FT8, JT4, JT65, and WSPR. - New format for "EU VHF Contest" Tx2 and Tx3 messages 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. - Accessibility Keyboard shortcuts have been added as an aid to accessibility: Alt+R sets Tx4 message to RR73, Ctrl+R sets it to RRR. As an aid for partial color-blindness, the "inverted goal posts" marking Rx frequency on the Wide Graph's frequency scale are now rendered in a darker shade of green. - User Interface Translations have been enabled. Translations are now available for Catalan, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and Hong Kong Chinese. Additiional languages will follow, when available. Note that UI translation is automatic, based on your system primary language. If you do not want the WSJT-X UI translated to your local language then start WSJT-X with the '--language=en' command line option: wsjtx --language=en If you wish to contribute by authoring WSJT-X UI translations please join the new discussion group wsjtx-l10n@Groups.io (https://groups.io/g/wsjtx-l10n), where help from other translation authors and coordination with the development team is available. - 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. Contest mode FT4 now always uses RR73 for the Tx4 message. The Status bar now displays the number of decodes found in the most recent Rx sequence. The "Highlight Callsign" UDP message has been enhanced to allow clearing of old highlighting for a specified callsign. Please note a recommended restriction on the use of this message in the documentation here: https://tinyurl.com/y85nc3tg - Hamlib - this library which we use for direct rig control has had many defect repairs and enhancements, we thank the contributors to that project for their work. Release: WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc3 May 29, 2020 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc3 is the third release candidate for WSJT-X 2.2.0. The most important differences from the -rc2 version are the correction of regressions in hamlib code that affected particular radios and PTT keying by means of DTR or RTS on a COM port. In addition, RC3 has the following enhancements and minor bug fixes: - Updates to Catalan translation of the UI (thanks to EA3W) - Spanish translation of the UI (EA3W) - Load language translations only when matching primary language - Minor corrections to User Guide - Increased FT8 sync threshold in "Normal" and "Fast" decoding - Corrected the code that restores the WideGraph, EchoGraph, and FastGraph windows to normal view after they have been minimized. - Don't allow restart with "ISCAT B" mode label unless VHF features are enabled. - Repair regression defect in WSPR power combo box items Release: WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc2 May 25, 2020 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc2 is a release candidate for WSJT-X 2.2.0. The following bugs present in the -rc1 version have been fixed: - Missing blank line between some decode sequences. - Improper functioning of "Start new period decodes at top". - Font selection caused crash on some macOS systems. - Mouse action in band selector box not right in some macOS systems. - Incorrect recall of Tx power setting in WSPR mode. - Many fixes to hamlib library and executables (rigctld, etc.). - Some regional settings did not allow WSJT-X to start. - Main window "looked like old Windows" in macOS. - Crash when "Ref Spec" is selected and no refspec.dat available. - Improper decoding of some FT4 messages with hashed "MyCall". - Crash after warning message about double-clicking in ISCAT mode. In addition, we have made the following improvements: - Updated some figures and text in User Guide. - Corrected some formatting issues in the pdf version of User Guide. - Added some new sample files. - Improved shape and position of "green goal post" in Wide Graph. - Significantly reduced the rate of false decodes in FT4 and FT8. - Allow FT4 to use NA VHF Contest message formats. - Hold Tx frequency no longer cleared when switching between modes. - Added capability for translations of the user interface into languages other than English. First working example (special thanks to Xavi Perez, EA3W!), is Catalan. Spanish will be next. - Performance improvements to decode highlighting via UDP messages. And finally: Increasing FT8 usage on the popular bands 40, 30, and 20m means that the default 3 kHz sub-bands are often wall-to-wall with signals. Overcrowding encourages some to turn on their amplifiers, which only makes things worse. We are trying to coordinate the suggested frequencies in WSJT-X with updated band plans being considered by IARU, ARRL, and other amateur radio societies. On a trial basis, and in response to numerous suggestions from around the world, we have added a second set of suggested dial frequencies for FT8 on three HF bands and also on 6 meters. The new suggested dial frequencies are 7.071, 10.133, 14.071, and 50.310 MHz. These frequencies will appear in your drop-down band-selector list after you go to the "Settings | Frequencies" tab, right-click on the frequency table, and select "Reset". Alternatively, you can add the new FT8 frequencies manually. When the conventional FT8 sub-band on 6, 20, 30, or 40 m seems too full, please try moving your dial frequency down 3 kHz! Be aware that as currently implemented, WSJT-X will set your dial to the lowest frequency for the selected mode and band, when you switch bands. See the next section for a list of other program improvements since WSJT-X 2.1.2. Release: WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc1 May 10, 2020 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc1 is a beta-quality release candidate for a program upgrade that provides a number of new features and capabilities. These include: - Improvements to the decoders for five modes: FT4: Corrected bugs that prevented AP decoding and/or multi-pass decoding in some circumstances. The algorithm for AP decoding has been improved and extended. FT8: Decoding is now spread over three intervals. The first starts at t = 11.8 s into an Rx sequence and typically yields around 85% of the possible decodes for the sequence. You therefore 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.) JT4: Formatting and display of Averaged and Deep Search decodes has been cleaned up and made consistent with other modes. Together with JT65 and QRA64, JT4 remains one of the digital modes widely for EME and other extreme weak-signal work on microwave bands. JT65: Many improvements for Averaged and Deep Search decodes and their display to the user. These improvements are particularly important for EME on VHF and UHF bands. 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 format for "EU VHF Contest" Tx2 and Tx3 messages 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 versiion 2.2.0. - Accessibility Keyboard shortcuts have been added as an aid to accessibility: Alt+R sets Tx4 message to RR73, Ctrl+R sets it to RRR. As an aid for partial color-blindness, the "inverted goal posts" marking Rx frequency on the Wide Graph's frequency scale are now rendered in a darker shade of green. - 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. Contest mode FT4 now always uses RR73 for the Tx4 message. The Status bar now displays the number of decodes found in the most recent Rx sequence. Release candidate WSJT-X 2.2.0-rc1 will be available for beta-testing for one month starting on May 10, 2020. We currently plan a General Availability (GA) release of WSJT-X 2.2.0 on June 1, 2020. For those looking even farther ahead: We are well along in the development of two new modes designed for the LF and MF bands. One mode is for WSPR-like activity and one for making 2-way QSOs. Both use Low-density Parity Check (LDPC) codes, 4-GFSK modulation, and two-minute T/R sequences. The QSO mode reaches threshold SNR sensitivity around -31 dB on the AWGN channel, and the WSPR-like mode better than -32 dB. Release: WSJT-X 2.1.1 November 25, 2019 --------------------- WSJT-X 2.1.1 is a bug fix only release addressing regressions in the prior v2.1.0 release. - Document rules for the UDP message protocol. - Fix bug that could cause display of a blank Settings window. - Fix message parsing to properly handle 4-character directed CQs - Fix a potential crash in the interface to Omni-Rig. - Improve handling of unexpected rig off line status changes from Omni-Rig. - Add an option to highlight unworked 2-character grid fields rather than 4-character grid squares. - Fix bug that caused unwanted disabling of "Enable Tx" in Fox mode. - Log duplicate contacts in FT8 DXpedition Fox mode. - Regenerate the GFSK Tx waveform if Tx audio frequency is changed. - Fix the behavior of double-clicking on a decoded message with first callsign displayed as an unresolved hash code <...>. - Fix a problem with determining "worked before" status after a band change. - Updates to the WSJT-X 2.1 User Guide. - Fix a production issue with the macOS tool chain that generated broken executables. Release: WSJT-X 2.1 July 15, 2019 ------------------- WSJT-X 2.1 is a major update that introduces FT4, a new protocol targeted at HF contesting. Other improvements have been made in the following areas: - FT8 waveform generated with GMSK, fully backward compatible - user options for waterfall and spectrum display - contest logging - rig control - user interface - UDP messaging for inter-program communication - accessibility There are numerous minor enhancements and bug fixes. We now provide a separate installation package for 64-bit Windows 7 and later, with significant improvements in decoding speed. - New "Call Best" button for FT4 mode to select the best reply to a CQ call based on neediness. - Fixed UTC display on FT4 waterfall. This release is made by invitation only to selected testers to trial the FT4 mode in semi-realistic contest simulations and to elicit feedback to guide future development. *Note* this release is not for general public release and we request that it is not distributed. Release: WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc3 April 5, 2019 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.1.0 third release candidate is an enhancement release to change the implementation of the new FT4 mode to a synchronous T/R period of 6 seconds. This release is made by invitation only to selected testers to trial the FT4 mode in semi-realistic contest simulations and to elicit feedback to guide future development. *Note* this release is not for general public release and we request that it is not distributed. Release: WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc2 March 29, 2019 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.1.0 second release candidate is a bug fix release to repair some usability issues with FT4 contest mode. The following new features are also included. - Better options for QSO flow by clicking Tx# buttons to transmit - A 64-bit package for Windows 64-bit systems - Improved FT4 sync detection speed This release is made by invitation only to selected testers to trial the FT4 mode in semi-realistic contest simulations and to elicit feedback to guide future development. *Note* this release is not for general public release and we request that it is not distributed. Release: WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc1 March 25, 2019 ------------------------- WSJT-X 2.1.0 first release candidate is a preview alpha quality release containing the following new features. - FT4 mode, a new mode targeted at HF digital contesting - GMSK modulation for FT4 and FT8 - New waterfall option to select between raw sensitivity or a filtered signal representation for best visualization of signal quality This release is made by invitation only to selected testers to trial the FT4 mode in semi-realistic contest simulations and to elicit feedback to guide future development. *Note* this release is not for general public release and we request that it is not distributed. Release: WSJT-X 2.0.1 February 25, 2019 --------------------- WSJT-X 2.0.1 is a bug fix release including the following defect repairs reported since the v2.0.0 GA release. - Remove startup message about importance of upgrading to v2.0. - Relax ADIF log file parsing to allow garbage between records and records with no DX callsign - Fix bug that prevented retention of power and comments in Log QSO window - Updates to User Guide - MSK144 frequency defaults to 50.260 in IARU Regions 2 and 3 - Remove hexadecimal RGB values from color-configuration panel - Fix a bounds error by not executing Fox-related code when not in Fox mode - Allow the logQSO dialog to modify "Exch Sent" or "Rcvd" when operating in RTTY or NA VHF Contest mode, and to have any changes flow through to N1MM Logger. - Fix several problems in handling hashed callsigns - More rigorous quality checking of WSPR decodes from the OSD algorithm - Fix bug that prevented recevied signal reports from compound callsigns to be logged - Improved recognition of callsigns with /P or /R suffixes - Do not waste time trying AP decoding of nonstandard callsigns - Make OSD decoding work with WSPR "type 2" messages - Retain in Tx6 message field any CQ messages like "CQ xxxx K1ABC FN42", where xxxx is 1-4 letters or 1-3 digits - Optional key bindings for F1 through F5, especially for contest use - Include grid in Tx1 messages with hashed callsign, for example " K1ABC FN42" - Better formatting for the files ALL.TXT and ALL_WSPR.TXT - Correct a flaw in validating contest exchange data when logging - Option to always start new decode periods at top of Band Activity window - New command "Erase WSPR hashtable" on the File menu - Improved validation for ARRL RTTY RU and FD exchange fields - UDP Reference applications join a multicast group on all available multicast capable network interfaces - Minor code changes to support Qt versions >=5.10 - Changes to support x64 Windows builds in preparation for Qt v5.12 - Add "ADIF Export ..." to Fox Log's contextual popup menu - Use ARRL-required names for VHF+ bands in exported Cabrillo log - New utility program rigctlcom-wsjtx (from Hamlib) - Remove temporary FT8 working frequencies from default frequency list - UDP protocol's Clear (3) message is made two-way, for better communication with DX Lab Suite applications - Reset QSO start time when aborting a QSO or clearing messages by ESC or F4 - Correct a logging issue in Fox's ADIF log when Fox sends RR73 to more than one Hound in the same Tx sequence. Release: WSJT-X 2.0 December 10, 2018 ----------------------- WSJT-X 2.0 is a major update that introduces new protocols for FT8 and MSK144. The new protocols become the world-wide standards on December 10, 2018. WSJT-X 2.0 cannot communicate in these modes with other stations using WSJT-X v1.9.1 or earlier. Please help by urging everyone to upgrade no later than January 1, 2019. New features since WSJT-X v1.9.1: 1. Compound and nonstandard callsigns are automatically recognized and handled using new message formats. 2. The new FT8 protocol provides optimized message formats for North American VHF contests, European VHF contests, ARRL Field Day, and ARRL RTTY Roundup. Similarly, the new MSK144 protocol provides optimized message formats for North American VHF and European VHF contests. Full support is provided for "/R" and "/P" calls in the relevant contests. 3. The new protocols provide nearly equal (or better) sensitivity compared to the old ones, and lower false decode rates. 4. New logging features are provided for contesting and for "Fox" (DXpedition) mode. Logging is optionally integrated with N1MM Logger+ and WriteLog. 5. Color highlighting of decoded messages provides worked-before status for callsigns, grid locators, DXCC entities, continents, CQ Zones, and ITU zones on a “by band” and “by mode” basis, and for stations that have uploaded their logs to Logbook of the World (LoTW) within a specified time interval. 6. The WSPR decoder now achieves decodes down to S/N = -31 dB. For the particular benefit of LF/MF users, an option "No own call decodes" has been added. 7. The UDP messages sent to companion programs have been expanded and improved. Some details of changes since WSJT-X-rc5 include the following: - Initial load of ADIF log in background - Correct the UTC displayed in Fox/Contest log - Faster entry and correct scrolling for Fox/Contest log - Add contest exchanges and contest type to UDP logged QSO message - Fix a bug that suppressed decodes with negative DT. - AK and HI are DXCCs, not states, for RTTY Roundup - Fix improper truncation of some non-FT8 messages in ALL.TXT - Various minor bug fixes and code cleanup - Update the WSJT-X User Guide to v2.0 (more to come...) - Update cty.dat Release: WSJT-X 2.0-rc5 November 26, 2018 ----------------------- Release Candidate 5 ("RC5") is stable, works well, and fixes the known problems in RC4. It is likely that the General Availability (GA) release of WSJT-X 2.0 will be nearly identical to RC5. Changes from WSJT-X 2.0-rc4 include the following: - Make the "Auto Seq" checkbox sticky, again - Remove the 5-minute mouse timer - Correct the "worked before" logic for color highlighting - Add "No own call decodes" checkbox in WSPR mode - Display and log UTC (not local time) in contest operations - Validate contest QSO details before allowing logging - Force Aqua theme on macOS to avoid issues with Mojave dark theme - Move Fox log Reset action to Fox log window context menu - Improve layout of Working Frequencies and Station Information tables - Allow deletes and editing in Fox and Contest log windows - Add Tool Tips for Fox and Contest log windows - Fix a bug causing false AP decodes in JT65 VHF+ operation - Fix a bug that could switch unexpectedly from JT65 to JT9 mode PLEASE NOTE: As far as WSJT-X 2.0 (RC4, RC5, and GA releases) are concerned, signals using the old FT8 protocol are undecodable interference. This means that regenerated replicas cannot be subtracted from received data, and consequently second- and third-pass decodes may be impeded. Full performance of the 77-bit decoder will not be realized until most signals on a crowded band are using the new FT8 protocol. Release: WSJT-X 2.0-rc4 November 12, 2018 ----------------------- Changes from WSJT-X Version 2.0.0-rc3 include the following: - Fix the "cannot open file fort.81" bug - Avoid too many redirect loops related to openSSL support - Fix the auto-generated messages for nonstandard callsigns - Remove all support for the legacy FT8 protocol - Disallow selecting MSK144 with RTTY or Field Day messages active - Correct and expand support for color highlighting decoded messages - ESC key aborts a QSO, clears DX Call, and selects Tx6 - Disable "nextCall" procedure for RTTY contest; it still needs work - Correct a flaw in handling MSK144 Sh messages - Prevent Fox from inadvertently toggling Tx 1st/Even - Re-organize the Fox/Hound/Contest selection boxes - Improve the validators for contest exchange boxes - Disable Tx after 5 minutes of no mouse movement - Remove end-of-line AP info when using contest messages - Fix forwarding of Sent and Rcvd exchanges to N1MM+ and ADIF log - Don't auto-log a QSO with incomplete exchange info - Fix two sequencing flaws after double-clicks on a decoded msg - New facilities for Contest and Fox-mode logging Release: WSJT-X 2.0-rc3 October 15, 2018 ----------------------- Changes from WSJT-X Version 2.0.0-rc2 include the following: - Improved SNR calculation for FT8 - Test grid4 (not grid6) for matches in ADIF log - Auto-generate 77-bit messages for callsigns with /R or /P - Fix auto-sequencing for "CQ ABC ...", "CQ ABCD ...", etc. - Fix the "CQ RU RU ..." bug - Implement AP decoding for contest messages and for Hound - Check Field Day and RTTY Roundup exchanges for validity - Implement "Select next caller" and use of "TU; ..." messages - Option to "auto log" in contests - Real-time display of contest log - Contest exchanges sent to ADIF log and N1MM+ - Function to export Cabrillo log - Convert DXpedition mode to always use 77-bit messages - Fix bug associated with opening "houndcallers.txt" - Remove end-of-line numbers from MSK144 decodes - Finish MSK144 encoding/decoding for Sh msgs and nonstandard calls - Halt Tx before resetting power after Tune - Auto update of LoTW info, and faster program startup Release: WSJT-X 2.0-rc2 September 25, 2018 ----------------------- Changes from WSJT-X Version 2.0.0-rc1 include the following: - Corrected a flaw that encoded a message's first callsign as hexadecimal telemetry data if the call consisted only of letters A-F and digits 0-9. - Corrected program logic that failed to identify certain callsigns as "nonstandard". - Fixed a bug that color-highlighted bare CQ messages (no grid locator) as "New DXCC". - Fixed a bug that failed to log Report Sent if MyCall is a nonstandard call. - Fixed a bug that generated incorrect MSK144 tones for certain messages and caused a "memory" effect on stations receiving the incorrect tones. - Fixed several bugs that could cause certain Tx messages to crash the program. - Suppressed the display of certain illogical false decodes. Release: WSJT-X 2.0-rc1 September 17, 2018 ----------------------- This is the first candidate release on WSJT-X 2.0, intended for beta-level testing. For details see: http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/New_Features_WSJT-X_2.0.txt http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Quick_Start_WSJT-X_2.0.pdf http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/77bit.txt Release: WSJT-X Version 1.9.1 June 1, 2018 ----------------------------- This critical bug fix release repairs an unintended restriction in the FT8 DXpedition mode. It supersedes v1.9.0 and must be used for DXpedition Fox operators. Release: WSJT-X Version 1.9.0 May 28, 2018 ----------------------------- Changes from WSJT-X Version 1.9.0-rc4 include the following: - Display in the right text window of MSK144 messages addressed to "MyCall" has been restored. - Fox is not allowed to transmit in any of the default FT8 sub-bands. - Fox can now work Hounds using compound callsigns. - Fox can now transmit free-text messages (and any standard FT8 message) by using Tab 1 or Tab 2. - Added a checkbox to enable more frequent programmed CQs by Fox. Default is OFF. - Alt+N keyboard shortcut has been restored. - MacOS program crash on unexpected decode request has been fixed. - Several minor bug fixes and added convenience features. - Hamlib, support for TRXManger added. - Hamlib, improved support for flrig. Release: WSJT-X Version 1.9.0-rc4 April 30, 2018 --------------------------------- Changes from WSJT-X Version 1.9.0-rc3 include the following: - Corrected a number of flaws in Fox and Hound behavior, FT8 DXpedition Mode - Decoded CQ calls where a prefix has been used as a suffix should have the DXCC entity name assigned correctly in almost all cases - Improved AFC capability for the wider JT65 sub-modes to help with drifting signals - Better support for macOS using hi-DPI Retina displays - New UDP message that allows external applications to highlight decoded callsigns - Main-screen geometry and state of the "splitter" setting between its two text windows is now properly restored after program restart. - New simulator jt49sim[.exe] replaces jt4sim and jt9sim - Correct S/N measurements for the JT9 slow/wide submodes - Other minor bug fixes - Updated copy of cty.dat Release: WSJT-X Version 1.9.0-rc3 March 18, 2018 --------------------------------- Changes from WSJT-X Version 1.9.0-rc2 include the following: - Corrected a number of flaws in Fox behavior, FT8 DXpedition Mode - Allow Hounds to use compound callsigns - Write debugging information to FoxQSO.txt. - Fix the "Blue Decode Button" bug - Allow partial processing of incoming UDP Reply messages so that non-CQ/QRZ decodes can be processed. The processing is the same as double-clicking the same decoded message within WSJT-X except that "Enable Tx" will not be enabled. - Send DX grid locator to wsjt_status.txt, for use by applications like PstRotatorAZ - Correct the display of DXCC status of KG4 calls - Updated copy of cty.dat - Updates to documentation - Other minor bug fixes - This release contains updated Hamlib functionality including changes to the Yaesu FT-817 back end that allows the uBITx kit transceiver to be CAT controlled by WSJT-X. Release: WSJT-X Version 1.9.0-rc2 February 26, 2018 --------------------------------- Changes from WSJT-X Version 1.8.0 include the following: - New FT8 DXpedition Mode to facilitate high QSO rates in pileup situations - Decoding improvements for JT65 mode, including a priori (AP) decoding when VHF/UHF/Microwave features are enabled - Optional Auto-Sequencing in JT4, JT9, and JT65 when VHF/UHF/Microwave features are enabled - Better suppression of low-confidence false decodes generated by AP decoding in FT8 mode - Improved decoding performance for WSPR mode, especially effective at LF and MF - Minor adjustments to auto-sequencing behavior - More flexible Doppler control features for EME - Improved waterfall sensitivity for very weak signals - Automatic real-time forwarding of logged information to N1MM Logger+ - Expanded and improved UDP messages sent to companion programs - Bug fixes and other minor tweaks to user interface A primary purpose of this beta release is to allow field testing of FT8 DXpedition Mode. Instructions for this mode are posted here: http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/FT8_DXpedition_Mode.pdf Contacts in FT8 DXpedition Mode must use WSJT-X v1.9.0 at both ends of the QSO. Please report any anomalous behavior to email list wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net. You must be a subscriber in order to post there. Release: WSJT-X Version 1.8.0 October 27, 2017 ----------------------------- This is the full General Availability release of WSJT-X Version 1.8.0. Changes from WSJT-X Version 1.8.0-rc3 are very minor: - Right-click on the Wide Graph now pops up a Context Menu. Select the item *Set Rx & Tx Offset* to complete a one-handed setting of both red and green frequency markers. - Several clarifications and additions to Tool Tips and the User Guide. We recommend that all users should upgrade to WSJT-X Version 1.8.0. If you upgrade from v1.8.0-rc1 it may be necessary to do a one-time reset of the default list of suggested operating frequencies. Go to *File->Settings->Frequencies*, right click on the table and select *Reset*. Release: WSJT-X Version 1.8.0-rc3 October 16, 2017 --------------------------------- Most (but not all) changes since Version 1.8.0-rc2 involve user control of the increasingly popular FT8 mode. The "RC3" release also includes minor bug fixes and updates to the WSJT-X User Guide. The following list includes all of the more important changes: - New optimization of GUI for simplex and split behavior in FT8 mode. 1. Checkbox "Lock Tx Freq" on main window is relabeled "Hold Tx Freq". 2. Double-clicking on decoded messages that do not contain your own call moves both Rx and Tx frequencies. If the first callsign is your own call, only Rx freq moves. 3. Double-clicking on decoded messages moves the Rx frequency. If "Hold Tx Freq" is checked, Tx frequency is moved only if CTRL was held down. 4. Clicking on the waterfall moves Rx and Tx frequencies as before: Rx only on a simple click, Tx only on SHIFT-click, and both on CTRL-click. This happens even if "Hold Tx Freq" is checked. - Add a semi-automated "FreqCal" procedure: see *Solve for calibration parameters* on the Tools menu. - Improv auto-sequencing behavior: stop and on-frequency transmission if a called station comes back to someone else. - Improve S/N estimation in some situations involving QRM. - Fix an initialization issue with user-modified application fonts. - Fix an issue with Tx5 message generation with Type 2 compound calls. - Enhance and improve the ADIF parser of logbook records. Update the band limits as per ADIF 3.0.6 specification. - Increase the FT8 DT range to +/- 2.5 s. - Do not allow window manager events to close the astronomical data window. - Add an "Erase" item to the context (right-click) menu for decoded text. - Extend UDP messages with an "off air" boolean field indicating that the decode was derived from a .WAV file playback rather than an on air reception. - Extend reference applications to use the new off air decode message field. - Improve performance of FT8 decoder, especially for overlapping signals. - Allow specialized use of "x2 Tone Spacing" in FT8 and slow JT9 modes. - Move "NA VHF Contest Mode" checkbox to main screen. Query the operator if d > 10000 km. - Adjust UI to improve portability with font size changes and between platforms. - Extend UDP Reply message to support keyboard modifiers. This allows UDP servers to emulate keyboard modified double-clicks on decoded messages, e.g. ALT+double-click for replying to a CQ or QRZ call without changing ones Tx frequency offset. - Update the cty.dat file (21st Sept 2017). - Ensure that Fast Graph is properly initialized. - Better handling of worked before and country name display. Appended text is added at a fixed column unless the message overlaps in which case the appended information floats to the right. - Restore printing of MSK144 decode quality information. - Display Echo Graph automatically when Echo mode is started. - Fix a bug that prevented double-click on a JT65 EME-style "OOO" message from populating the Tx message boxes. - Fixed behavior with double-click on 'CQ .' - Update the "blank line" divider with band ID at 4*TRperiod/5. - Fix cty.dat lookups that were not honouring exact match flags - Add some further Copyright protections. - Fix a bug involving "firstcall contains mycall" but not equal to mycall. - Fix an issue with editing IARU regions in the working frequencies table. Release: WSJT-X Version 1.8.0-rc2 September 2, 2017 --------------------------------- Implementation of FT8 and its auto-sequencing feature is now more capable and more polished. The decoder is faster and better: it now includes signal subtraction, multi-pass decoding, and the use of accumulated "a priori" information as a QSO progresses. Sensitivity extends downward as far as -24 dB in some circumstances. Overlapping signals 2 and 3 deep are frequently decoded at essentially the same frequency. On a crowded band we sometimes see more than 30 decodes in a single 15-second interval, over a 2 kHz window. The North American VHF Contesting Mode has been extended to include both FT8 and MSK144 modes. The "RC2" release also includes many minor bug fixes and an extensively updated WSJT-X User Guide. Depending on what code revision you upgrade from, it may be necessary to do a one-time reset of the default list of suggested operating frequencies. Go to *File->Settings->Frequencies*, right click on the table and select *Reset*. Release: WSJT-X Version 1.8.0 ----------------------------- NEW FEATURES IN WSJT-X Version 1.8.0 ------------------------------------ 1. New mode called FT8: sensitivity down to -20 dB on the AWGN channel; QSOs 4 times faster than JT65 or JT9; auto-sequencing includes an option to respond automatically to first decoded reply to your CQ. 2. New mode for accurate Frequency Calibration of your radio. 3. Improved performance of decoders for JT65, QRA64, and MSK144. MSK144 includes facilities for amplitide and phase equalization and an "SWL" mode for short-format messages. 4. Options to minimize screen space used by Main and Wide Graph windows. 5. Enhanced management scheme for table of operating frequencies, and a new set of default frequencies specific to the three IARU Regions. 6. Improved CAT control for many rigs, including those controlled through Commander or OmniRig. 7. New keyboard shortcuts to set "Tx even/1st" ON or OFF. 8. A number of (mostly minor) bug fixes and tweaks to the user interface. For example: new behavior for the audio level slider; correctly logged QSO start times in certain situations; correct control of FT-891/991 and some other radios via rigctld. At the time of the v1.8.0-rc1 release the following tasks are yet to be completed: 1. Updates to WSJT-X User Guide. 2. Sample files for FT8. 3. Enhanced decoding using AP ("a priori") information. 4. Signal subtraction and multi-pass decoding. 5. Option to Auto-respond to the weakest responder to your CQ. Installation packages for Windows, Linux, OS X, and Raspbian can be downloaded from the WSJT web site: http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx.html Please send bug reports to either wsjtgroup@yahoogroups.com or wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net. Such reports should include a full prescription of steps to reproduce the undesired behavior. You must be a subscriber to post to either of these lists. Brief Description of the FT8 Protocol ------------------------------------- WSJT-X Version 1.8.0 includes a new mode called FT8, developed by K9AN and K1JT. The mode name "FT8" stands for "Franke and Taylor, 8-FSK modulation". FT8 uses 15-second T/R sequences and provides 50% or better decoding probability down to -20 dB on an AWGN channel. An auto-sequencing facility includes an option to respond automatically to the first decoded reply to your CQ. FT8 QSOs are 4 times faster than those made with JT65 or JT9. FT8 is an excellent mode for HF DXing and for situations like multi-hop E_s on 6 meters, where deep QSB may make fast and reliable completion of QSOs desirable. Some important characteristics of FT8: - T/R sequence length: 15 s - Message length: 75 bits + 12-bit CRC - FEC code: LDPC(174,87) - Modulation: 8-FSK, tone spacing 6.25 Hz - Constant-envelope waveform - Occupied bandwidth: 50 Hz - Synchronization: 7x7 Costas arrays at start, middle, and end - Transmission duration: 79*1920/12000 = 12.64 s - Decoding threshold: -20 dB; several dB lower with AP decoding - Multi-decoder finds and decodes all FT8 signals in passband - Optional auto-sequencing and auto-reply to a CQ response - Operational behavior similar to JT9, JT65 We plan to implement signal subtraction, two-pass decoding, and use of a priori (AP) information in the decoder. These features are not yet activated in v1.8.0. We haven't yet finalized what the three extra bits in the message payload will be used for. Suggestions are welcome! -- Joe, K1JT, for the WSJT Development Team WSJT-X v1.6.0 Release Notice ============================ New Features ------------ WSPR mode, including coordinated automatic band-hopping and a new two-pass decoder that can decode overlapping signals. EME-motivated features including JT4 (submodes A-G), Echo mode, and automatic Doppler tracking. The JT4 decoder is more sensitive than that in the latest WSJT, and message averaging is fully automated. (Note that submodes JT65B and JT65C are also present in Version 1.6, but the high-sensitivity decoder required for EME with JT65 is not yet included.) Tools for accurate frequency calibration of your radio, so you can be always on-frequency to within about 1 Hz. Mode-specific standard working frequencies accessible from the drop-down band selector. Maintenance ----------- A number of corrections to the Hamlib library, fixing balky rig-control features. A few unreliable features peculiar to particular radios have been removed. WSJT-X v1.5.0 Release Notice ============================ Decoder Performance Improvements -------------------------------- The most notable change in v1.5.0 is improved speed and quality of the JT9 and JT65 decoders. Algorithms have been fine-tuned, and advantage is taken of the multiple CPUs found on most modern computers. Overall speedup factors of three or more have been attained since the v1.4.0 release and more signals are being successfully decoded as well. For those interested, here's a summary of speed tests of three benchmark versions of WSJT-X, based on reading and decoding an identical set of 10,682 *.wav files. The files were recorded on various bands from 160 m to 10 m; the number of decodable JT65 signals is typically about 5 times the number of JT9 signals. For each test the program was set to "JT9+JT65" mode with "Deepest" selected on the *Decode* menu. Other setup parameters were identical in all cases. The test computer runs Windows 7 and has an Intel i5-2500 processor with 4 CPUs. Columns labeled "JT9" and "JT65" in the following table give the number of decoded signals in each mode. Numbers in the "Time" column are total processing time in seconds, and columns labaled "Factor" give ratios of the corresponding numbers, relative to WSJT-X v1.3. Program Version JT9 Factor JT65 Factor Time Factor ------------------------------------------------------- v1.3 r3673 7691 1.000 40831 1.000 14061 1.00 v1.4.0 7693 1.000 41796 1.024 13320 1.06 v1.5.0-rc1 8024 1.043 43946 1.076 4224 3.32 On the benchmark computer the decoder in v1.5.0-rc1 is more than 3 times faster than the ones in program releases v1.3 r3673 and v1.4.0. At the same time, the number of decoded signals has increased by as much as 7.6%. Users will notice another consequence of taking advantage of multiple CPUs. JT65 and JT9 decodes in dual "JT9+JT65" mode are now done in parallel, so decodes are delivered to the Rx activity window as they are decoded rather than finishing the current mode before starting the other mode. Decoding at the QSO frequency is still given priority, but it may not be the first decode displayed because the first decodes of the other mode may be produced more quickly. Dual mode decodes are now interleaved in the Rx activity window. UDP Broadcast ------------- WSJT-X v1.5.0 introduces a new facility that broadcasts status, decode and logged QSO information via the network. Although this facility gives no obvious change to the application other than a few new settings options, it should allow cooperating applications to interact with WSJT-X far more smoothly than the current file based mechanism which is prone to contention. The file access contention can be detrimental to both WSJT-X and the cooperating application whereas the new broadcast mechanism will not. Currently the only only cooperating application we know of is JTAlertX by Laurie VK3AMA and that currently uses the file based mechanism. We hope that Laurie will try the new mechanism but we will continue to provide the file based mechanism as well. We also know of at least one other application in development for the Apple Mac platform to provide similar features to JTAlertX. A contribution for Linux would also be most welcome. Rig Control ----------- This continues to be an area of development. There are still many untested combinations of equipment since we have to wait until a user tries WSJT-X for the first time with each combination before we can be sure that any defects have been removed. Hundreds of hours of testing have been done and we thank those who have reported issues and offered their time to test fixes where necessary. FlexRadio & HPSDR Users ----------------------- Currently the Hamlib library that we use for direct CAT control of your rigs does not provide a fully functioning driver for these radios. Instead the TS-2000 emulation mode of these SDRs must be used as the Hamlib driver for this has tweaks added to cooperate correctly with SDRs. Version v1.4 of WSJT-X did not work with these radios in TS-2000 emulation mode and at the time we were not informed of that, it appears to have become common knowledge that using the TS-480 emulation mode was the correct procedure, this is incorrect although it did work at the time. The TS-480 emulation may cease to work in a future version because it is due to a defect in Hamlib that it works at all. The TS-2000 emulation mode is the correct selection and should be used with these radios. Generated Messages for Type 1 and Type 2 Compound Callsigns ----------------------------------------------------------- This is a complex area because it requires special action by both parties in a QSO since the automatically generated standard messages are not always suitable. We have tried to improve the standard message generation and recognition along with better recognition of own call messages. As before it is imperative that operators take note of their QSO partners responses and be prepared to manually edit replies when communicating with compound callsign stations. WSJT-X v1.4.0 Release Notice ============================ Migration of User Files ----------------------- This release includes a new install mechanism that separates user files from installation and program files. This means that going forward upgrades will be seamless with user files preserved and automatically carried forward without user intervention. For this release only it is necessary to move your user files manually if you wish to preserve them. The locations of user files have changed and now vary depending on the installation platform. The following notes are intended to guide you in moving your user files, this is a one time action. On Microsoft Windows: The new location for user files is %LOCALAPPDATA% which is an environment variable defined automatically by Windows, you may use the environment variable any place where a file path would normally be used e.g. in the location entry bar in Windows File Explorer or in arguments to command line programs from a Command Prompt window. On Linux and other Unix systems: The new location for user files ~/.local/share On Mac: The new location for user files is ~/Library/Application\ Support In all cases the files are stored in a subdirectory which by default is WSJT-X In the case of users who run multiple instances of WSJT-X on a single computer there are different user file locations for each instance. The non-default locations are in sibling subdirectories each suffixed by the rig name argument passed to WSJT-X at startup (See Running Multiple Instances below). The user files that you may wish to migrate from older versions of WSJT-X are: ALL.TXT CALL3.TXT wsjtx.log wsjtx_log.adi The format of each of these files is unchanged in WSJT-X v1.4 so all that is needed is to copy them to the new location. For example on Microsoft Windows assuming a WSJT-X v1.3 installation in C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3, using a command prompt window: copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\ALL.TXT %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\CALL3.TXT %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\wsjtx.log %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ copy C:\WSJT\wsjtx-1.3\wsjtx_log.adi %LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X\ On Linux: cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/ALL.TXT ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/CALL3.TXT ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx.log ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx_log.adi ~/.local/share/WSJT-X/ On Mac: cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/ALL.TXT ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/CALL3.TXT ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx.log ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ cp ~/wsjtx-1.3/wsjtx_log.adi ~/Library/Application\ Support/WSJT-X/ If you have a customized cty.dat file installed, then that too should be copied to the new directory. Settings -------- WSJT-X v1.4 introduces a new settings regime. There is no facility to migrate settings from prior versions and copying the wsjtx.ini settings file to the new user files location will not carry over any useful information. The new settings dialog is very different from prior versions but it is intuitive and will not take long to configure for you equipment and preferences. Running Multiple Instances -------------------------- For users with multiple radios or multi-receiver SDRs WSJT-X offers multiple instance support. Prior to WSJT-X v1.4 this involved installing the application multiple times in separate locations, this is no longer necessary and multiple instances MUST be run from a single installation. This is possible as user and other writable data files are stored in a unique location for each instance. WSJT-X has a new command line option that coordinates multiple instances called --rig-name (-r for short) which allow you to specify a unique key for each instance. If no --rig-name option is supplied a default location is used for writable files as specified in the Migrating of User Files section above. If a key is provided then the same key must be used every time that instance is started so as to associate it with the correct data files. If the unique key were ft-857 then you must start WSJT-X using that key e.g. wsjtx --rig-name=ft-857 and the data files will be stored in a directory "WSJT-X - ft-857" for example on Windows: "%LOCALAPPDATA%\WSJT-X - ft-857\" Multiple instance support may also be used if more than one operator uses the same computer with their own call signs, or a single operator who operates in multiple locations with different call signs or wishing to maintain separate log files for each location. Known Issues ------------ Editing station details in the frequencies tab of the settings window may not save the changes to the settings file. Updates will show in the settings tables until application exit but may not be used by the application. A workaround is available, delete the whole row and re-enter the details rather than editing individual fields. This defect is resolved in the next release (v1.5). WSJT-X ChangeLog ------------------------------------------------------------------ October 7, 2013: Version 1.2.1, r3590 Windows Vista has a broken rate converter which gets invoked when an input audio stream at 48kHz sample rate is requested. To correct this problem, WSJT-X revision 3590 reverts to input sampling at 12000 Hz by default when run under Vista. All other platforms use 48000 Hz sample rate for both input and output. October 3, 2013: Version 1.2.1, r3587 1. Input sample rate is now uniformly 48000 Hz on all supported platforms. 2. Properly handle DNS lookup failures for PSKreporter site. 3. Clear the logbook "Name" field after logging a QSO. 4. Add tuning paramegters for better audio performance on some machines. 5. Improved handling of displayed text when larger fonts are used. 6. Fix message truncation when a callsign is unexpectedly long. 7. Fix the "stuck decode" bug experienced by some users. 8. Remove the bogus error message sometimes printed upon program exit. August 17, 2013: Version 1.2, r3563 ------------------------------------ Changes since revision 3556 include the following: 1. Fix bug preventing program restart with "+2 kHz" already set. 2. Fix bug causing problems if program is installed in a directory with embedded space(s) in the name. 3. Fixed an audio input problem (seen on some computers) by moving audio input to the audio thread, running at High Priority. 4. Re-enabled the capability for running multiple instances. August 16, 2013: Version 1.2, r3556 ------------------------------------ Changes since code revision 3520 include the following: 1. Audio I/O now uses Qt's built-in multimedia library inatead of PortAudio. User options are provided for input (mono/left/right) and output (mono/left/right/both), and a digital attenuation slider to control Tx audio level. In "Split Tx" mode, Tx signals are now cleaner because Tx audio is constrained to the range 1500 - 2000 Hz. 2. Windows reports to PSKReporter now use our own code, rather than PSKReporter.dll. 3. Many new optional palettes for waterfall colors, selectable from a drop-down list on the Wide Graph window. 4. Fixed bug causing misalignment of Cumulative spectrum when start frequency is not 0. Decoding begins at start frequency rather than 0 Hz. 5. Tx message #6 is now selected at program startup. 6. Faster logbook lookup when "Show DXCC entity and worked B4 status" is selected. Also better ADIF compatibility and better text alignment in left and right text windows. 7. Improved Tool Tips for on-screen controls. 8. Various other code changes for uniformity across platforms, ease of maintenance, and good programming practice. (Most of these will be invisible to users.) 9. Program is now built with the latest Qt, version 5.1. 10. Updates to User's Guide. August 2, 2013: Version 1.1.1, r3520 ------------------------------------ Improvements since Version 1.1, r3496 include the following: 1. New organization of the "Band Settings" tab on the configuration screen, including antenna descriptions for PSK Reporter on a "per band" basis. 2. Full control is provided for DTR and RTS lines on the serial port used for CAT control. 3. Optional user control of font sizes. Use a text editor to create a file "fonts.txt" in the WSJT-X installation directory. It should have four numbers on a single line. The first two are point size and weight (0-100 scale) for GUI labels, the next two are point size and weight for the decoded text windows. For example, try "9 50 12 100". 4. New user control at bottom of Wide Graph window sets the start frequency of the waterfall scale. 5. New optional palette "gray1" for the waterfall. 6. The small colored button just right of the "+2 kHz" checkbox now shows the letter "S" if "Split Tx" has been checked. 7. New user option appends DXCC country name and "QSO B4" status to decoded CQ messages. 8. Setting of dial frequencies through Commander should should now be aware of local convention for decimal separator. 9. Several minor bug fixes. 10. Refactoring of code to move audio input.output into the GUI thread. (Should be invisible to users). 11. Updated credits displayed in the "About" window. 12. Updated User's Guide. July 19, 2013: Version 1.1, r3496 --------------------------------- This is a full release of WSJT-X Version 1.1. It provides an easy way to make QSOs in both JT65 and JT9 modes. Changes from the most recent beta release, r3487, include the following: 1. Significant optimizations of the JT9 decoder, providing speed improvements up to 5 times. 2. Frequency-setting through DX Lab Commander now works properly at non-integral kHz frequencies. 3. A new meter widget has been added (thanks to PY2SDR). 4. Implementation of "multiple instances" has been completed and tested (thanks to KK1D). 5. Several minor bug fixes. July 15, 2013: Version 1.1 Beta Release, r3487 ---------------------------------------------- Version 1.1 of WSJT-X is "bi-lingual" -- it transmits and receives both JT9 and JT65 signals, switching between modes automatically as needed. The maximum displayed bandwidth has been increased from 1 to 5 kHz. If your receiver has an upper-sideband filter at least 4 kHz wide, on most bands you can have all the JT65 *and* all the JT9 activity on screen at once, available for making QSOs. Other improvements since v1.0, r3323 include the following: 1. CAT control via DxLab Commander. 2. Improved GUI appearance, especially on Linux and OS X. 3. Compilable with Qt5 as well as Qt4. 4. Fixed occasional program crashes caused by receiving a message in the form "call1 call2" (with no grid, report, etc.). 5. Improved handling of audio device selection in Linux. 6. Log QSO frequency, instead of dial frequency only. 7. Added Tx Power to ADIF log information. 8. Added option to retain between QSOs the Power and Comments fields for ADIF and wsjtx logs. 9. Added optional antenna description for PSK Reporter. 10 Fixed a bug in handling of logged grid locator when none was available on the double-clicked line. 11. Fixed a bug that caused small differences in the lengths of transmitted symbols. This leads to improved decoding. 12. Tx message (highlighted in yellow) now includes a mode flag and the audio offset from dial frequency. 13. Added a spinner control for Rx Freq. 14. New on-screen button "Lock Tx=Rx" locks Tx and Rx frequencies together. 15. Allow Windows COM port number greater than 9. 16. Don't clear DxGrid when user double-clicks on a message with no grid, if the message's Tx call is same as DxCall. 17. Double-click on yellow Tx message now sets frequency, but does nothing else. 18. Rationalized the logic of the CAT control indicator button. Now colored grey/green/orange/red -- see User's Guide. 19. Operating in "Split Tx" mode is optional (but with most radios is necessary if you will transmit at more than 2.7 kHz above dial frequency). 20. The correct TxMode label now appears on program startup. 21. "Transmitting..." message in ALL.TXT now has the correct TxMode. 22. File wsjt_status.txt includes TxMode. 23. F4 clears Az, Dist, and the Tx message boxes. 24. You can decode JT9 signals in the JT65 frequency range, and vice-versa, by double-clicking the signal in the waterfall. 25. Better logic for enabling/disabling the TestPTT button. 26. Do not call getFreq() when the TestPTT button is clicked and PTTmethod is via CAT control. 27. New cold-start default frequencies are set at reasonable values for JT65. A "+2 kHz" checkbox is provided for quick setup in JT9-only mode. 28. Default macros added as simple examples. In case you wondered about r3482, which was posted for a few hours only... It was repleced by r3487 in order to fix two bugs. Revision 3487 uses more sensible logic for what to do when the "DX Grid" entry is edited, and it fixes a bug that could prevent program restart if you had exited the program with "+2 kHz" checked. May 30, 2013: Version 1.0, r3323 -------------------------------- With this release of WSJT-X Version 1.0 we include a few (relatively minor) enhancements in response to user requests, as well as some program polishing and cleanup. Active program development will continue, but new releases will become less frequent. 1. New option on the Setup menu: "Tx freq locked to Rx freq". 2. Double-click on a decoded "73" message now sets Tx5, rather than Tx6. 3. New keyboard shortcuts: Alt+1 through Alt+6 set the next Tx message at the corresponding number. 4. PTT control via Ham Radio Deluxe has been imnplemented and tested. 5. "Tool Tips" are now provided for most on-screen controls. 6. Under Linux and OS X, listings of available audio devices and APIs have been corrected. 7. Tab order among GUI controls has been cleaned up. 8. Updates to the WSJT-X User's Guide. May 22, 2013: v0.99, r3297 -------------------------- 1. CAT control via Ham Radio Deluxe is now available. For setup details see item #5 at the top of page 6 of the updated WSJT-X User's Guide. 2. Submodes JT9-5, JT8-10, JT9-30 have been de-activated. (As far as I know, nobody was using them.) This action makes the program smaller by some 150 MB and able to run effectively on some older computers. 3. Bizarre ordering of COM port numbers on the drop-down list has been corrected, and suitable serial ports added to the list displayed in Linux. 4. Gray bar between decoding periods now contains a dashed line. 5. Corrected a bug that prevented use of Setup | Configuration with no existing wsjtx.ini file. May 17, 2013: v0.95, r3278 -------------------------- 1. Double-clicking on a decoded text line in "Band Activity" window now copies the line into the "QSO Frequency" window if it was not already there. 2. Option "Color highlighting in left window" removed from Setup menu. Highlighting is now always done. 3. Positions of "QSO Frequency" and "Band Activity" windows have been swapped. 4. F4 was restored to its previous use; F5 is now used to display Special Mouse Commands 5. Small square between Band selector and Frequency readout was made a control button. Orange indicates one-way CAT control from program to radio, red indicates bi-directional control. Clicking the orange button causes a one-time readout of dial frequency. 6. If Save=None, the last recorded file is deleted on program exit. This prevents unwanted accumulation of files in the Save directory. 7. Status-bar messages were re-arranged in a more logical order. 8. Tx signal report was added to wsjtx_status.txt (for JT-Alert) 9. More informative labels were placed on the "Tab 2" GUI controls. 10. Better default scaling for the "Cumulative" spectrum. 11. New algorithm for identifying JT9 signals to send to decoder, resulting major improvements in decoder speed. 12. Bug fixes: - Incorrect displayed frequencies for JT9-2 signals - Infinitely repeated "Error rigOpen -1" messages - User tries to open CAT control using busy or nonexistent serial port 13. Many updates to the User's Guide May 2, 2013: v0.95, r3251 ------------------------- 1. The "band change" function is executed whenever the Band combobox is activated, even if the selected band has not changed. 2. The program does not set rig mode. That task is left to the user. 3. Time interval for polling rig frequency is now a user parameter on the setup screen. I set mine to 1 second, which works fine with the Kenwood TS-2000. Set it to 0 if you want no polling for frequency (which means unidirectional CAT control from program to radio). Choose something like 10 s for the K3. 4. Much new work on the WSJT-X User's Guide, which is approaching its final form for Version 1.0. Please read it and tell us about anything you find unclear or missing! These changes address nearly all of the CAT issues found by a few users -- those with K3, IC-746, IC-706, in particular. One additional piece of advice when running WSJT-X in Windows: connect and turn on the radio and any interface equipment before starting WSJT-X, and exit the program before turning such equipment off. April 29, 2013: v0.95, r3243 ---------------------------- 1. Now has bi-directionsl CAT control using direct calls to hamlib functions. Highlights displayed dial frequency with red background if frequency differs from nominal for the selected band by more than 100 kHz. (Is there a more useful or logical condition to flag?) Small red square between Band selector and Dial Frequency display to indicate that CAT control is active. Mode is set to USB on startup. (Note: CAT control diagnostics are presently rather rudimentary, we're still working on this. Feedback is welcome!) 2. New controls on Setup | Configuration screen: - RTS/DTR OFF -- needed by K2 and maybe other radios - Data / Mic -- select CAT-control PTT type - Test CAT Control -- try settings before returning to main screen - Test PTT -- try settings for toggling PTT On/Off 3. Help menu now provides displays of Keyboard Shortcuts (quick access via F3) and Special Mouse Commands (F4). 4. Option "Setup | Advanced | Allow multiple instances" enables the use of more than one instance of WSJT-X for special applications. (The program must be copied into and run from different directories.) 5. No posts to PSK Reporter if band was changed during the reception period. 6. Improved behavior of Tune button. 7. Improved inter-process communication between WSJT-X and JT-Alert-X. 8. Better interaction between "Report" spinner control and Tx messages. 9. Removed the NB checkbox and slider. (Has anyone found these useful?) 10. New buttons on main window: "Tx=Rx" sets Tx frequency to current Rx frequency; "Rx=Tx" does the opposite. 11. Log QSO confirmation window is now "non-modal": you can keep it open and still access controls on the main window. 12. Tab-order has been rationalized on most screens. 13. Dial frequency and mode written to file ALL.TXT. 14. Double-click on decoded line sets Tx message #3 if message has the form "MyCall Call2 rpt". 15. Bug causing occasional, seemingly unpredictable program crashes has been fixed. 16. The WSJT-X User's Guide is somewhat closer to being complete. User feedback on the Guide will be most welcome. What is unclear? What is missing? April 17, 2013: v0.9, r3195 --------------------------- 1. Sorry, the CAT control changes in r3187/3188 were a dismal failure in many stations, and they introduced other bugs as well. This revision goes back to uni-directional CAT control: the program can set the radio's dial frequency and do T/R switching, but that's all. The band setting is not reset on program startup. 2. Logic for the Tune button has been corrected. 3. For Linux compile-it-yourself enthusiasts: the interface to PSK Reporter is now working undel Linux. April 16, 2013: v0.9, r3188 --------------------------- 1. CAT control now reads and follows changes in radio's dial frequency. Readout gets red highlighting if radio is on wrong band. On program restart, band is reset to the last selected band. 2. New "Tune" button generates an unmodulated carrier. Toggle button a second time to turn Tx off. 3. Added labels at top of "Tab 2" and enlarged the text entry fields. 4. Fixed the broken logic for "Runaway Tx watchdog". 5. Fixed "Prompt me to log QSO" so that it no longer requires also setting "ID after 73". 6. Additional changes of (eventual) interest to Linux users. Code for sending spots to PSK Reporter now in place. April 13, 2013: v0.9, r3166 --------------------------- 1. Option to send Tx messages (highlighted in yellow) to the QSO window. 2. Prevent starting a transmission more than 24 sec into a Tx period. 3. "Setup | Options" changed to "Setup | Configuration". 4. Type Alt-V to save the most recently completed Rx file. 5. Fixed bug that truncated Rx messages to 16 characters. 6. Internal program changes that should provide better user diagnostics when necessary at program startup. April 11, 2013: v0.9, r3157 --------------------------- 1. Maximum size of several window areas increased to accommodate system fonts set larger than default. 2. New behavior of Erase button: click once to erase the left (QSO) window, twice to erase both decoded text windows. 3. Keyboard shortcuts: Alt-D: decode again at QSO frequency (same as clicking the Decode() button) Shift-D: do another full decode in both windows Alt-E: Erase() Ctrl-F: Edit the free text message box Alt-H: Halt Tx() Alt M: Monitor() Alt-N: Enable Tx() Alt-Q: Log QSO() Alt-S: Stop() 4. New Setup options: "Tx disabled after sending 73" and "Runaway Tx watchdog". 5. Fixed bug in saving the "report received" for logging purposes. 6. Corrected the logic for "Runaway Tx watchdog". 7. Fixed bug that truncated characters 17 and 18 of decoded messages. April 10, 2013: v0.9, r3151 --------------------------- 1. Blank line between decoding periods is now in the right-hand text window, where it should be. 2. Decoding range defined by fMin and fMax is now enforced. April 9, 2013: v0.9, r3143 -------------------------- This minor release restores the decoding speed of earlier revisions and corrects a bug that prevented sending CW ID. April 9, 2013: v0.9, r3142 -------------------------- This version of WSJT-X has a number of significant changes. Please read the following notes carefully. Also -- even if you are already familiar with WSJT-X -- be sure to read the updated WSJT-X User's Guide at http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSJT-X_Users_Guide.pdf , especially pages 3 and 4. Changes since v0.8 r3118 include the following: 1. There are now two scrolling windows for decoded text. The left window contains decodes only from close to the designated QSO frequency. The right window includes signals over the full decoding range. 2. An alternative set of controls is now available for generating and selecting Tx messages. Some may find these more convenient to use than the Tx1 through Tx6 message boxes. 3. A number of new user options are available on the Setup menu: - Blank line between decoding periods (right window only) - Clear DX Call and DX Grid after logging QSO - Display distances in miles - Runaway Tx watchdog - Background colors for left window - Double-click on decoded message sets Tx Enable 4. New or changed on-screen features - "Tol" replaced by fMin and fMax on waterfall screen (see User's Guide) - Spinner control for signal report - On waterfall scale: green marker for Rx freq, red for Tx. blue for decoding range 5. New behavior - "CQ DX" is now treated properly when decoded line is double-clicked - Message formate for compound callsigns (e.g., PJ4/K1ABC, G4XYZ/P) are now handled correctly. (Some restrictions apply, and will be spelled out in the completed User's Guide.) - Decode button now causes a decode only at the specified Rx frequency. - Click on waterfall spectrum sets Rx freq; double-click also invokes decoder (as though Decode button had been clicked). CTRL-click moves both Rx and Tx freqs. - Amplitude at end of transmission is ramped down to prevent a final key click. 6. The following bugs have been fixed: - Logic error in decoder - Certain non-standard Tx messages could cause a program crash. - Certain (rarely used) messages did not pack/unpack correctly April 2, 2013: v0.8, r3118 -------------------------- 1. Improved interface to program JT-Alert, by VK3AMA. 2. The LogQSO confirmation dialog no longer blocks the GUI updating process. 3. A blank line with gray background separates the decoded text lines for each new invocation of the decoder. 4. New suggested default frequencies: 5.357, 18.104, and 24.918 MHz. Be sure to edit these entries on the 'Default Frequencies' tab of the Setup screen. (When you have done this once, the new values will be remembered.) 5. The LogQSO button now does nothing is the 'DX call' entry field is blank. 6. Several minor bugs were fixed. March 27, 2013: v0.8, r3113 --------------------------- 1. Bug fix: VOX control of T/R switching now works. 2. Potentially useful error messages now appear when CAT control has failed. 3. Added an instruction on the Log QSO confirmation screen. 4. Clear the DXcall and DXgrid entries after logging a QSO. March 26, 2013: v0.8, r3112 --------------------------- Edson Pereira, PY2SDR, recently became an active contributor to this open-source project. Edson and I have been very busy over the past few days! WSJT-X revision 3112 has many changes and new features. 1. The GUI layout has been adjusted and optimized. 2. CAT control is now operational, offering optional control of your radio's dial frequency and T/R status. Go to the Setup | Options window to select the necessary parameters. 3. CW ID has been implemented. You can have your ID sent after a fixed time interval, or automatically when you transmit a "73" or free text message. 4. Default dial frequencies are available for each band on a new tab on the Setup | Options window. Please note: some of these frequencies are probably wrong! You can edit them as needed. (Please let us know if the original values are inconsistent with actual practice on any band.) 5. Several new options appear on the Setup menu. Try them! 6. Azimuth and Distance information is displayed whenever a valid grid locator appears in the "Dx Grid" box. 7. The decoder has again been adjusted for better compromise between sensitivity and decoding time. 8. The User's Guide is out of date, and needs work. We hope to get to that task soon. 9. Very important for some would-be users: WSJT-X now runs properly under Linux. We haven't made a package yet, so for now you must compile your own. If you don't know how, we hope to be set up to make packages before too long. 10. If you know someone who might be interested in contributing to the development of WSJT-X and related projects, please send him/her our way! We're especially looking for someone interested in producing packaged Linux distributions -- for example, *.deb or *.rpm packages, but other programming help is also wanted. As always: please report bugs, and don't be bashful about sending us your feature requests! March 22, 2013: v0.7, r3071 --------------------------- 1. Correct a bug that (still) allowed display of previous decodes when nothing new was decoded. 2. Add a user confirmation screen activated when you click Log QSO. This lets you edit or add information before it is written to the ADIF file. 3. Tx message macros and now available. Configure them on the Setup window. They are invoked as a pop-up menu by right-clicking on the Tx5 message window; then select the desired message by left-clicking on the desired message. March 20, 2013: v0.7, r3063 --------------------------- 1. Add Frequency to the generated ADIF records. 2. Correct a decoder bug that led to duplication of previous output when nothing new was decoded. March 19, 2013: v0.7, r3061 --------------------------- 1. Allow Windows COM port numbers up to 99. 2. Replace status files wsjtx_qrg.txt and wsjtx_txcall.txt with a single file, wsjtx_status.txt. 3. Combine wsjtx_rx.log and wsjtx_tx.log into a single file ALL.TXT. 4. "Log QSO" now writes a file in ADIF format. 5. Starting to implement popup macros for Tx message #5. 6. Big improvement in decoding speed. *** More changes to come! Please report any problems, especially *** with the ADIF-format log. March 12, 2013: v0.6, r3046 --------------------------- 1. Decoded calls can now be uploaded to the PSK Reporter web site. Check the box "Enable PSK Reporter" on the Setup screen, and go to http://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html to see the spots. Be sure to enter your "Dial Frequency (MHz)" at lower right of the Wide Graph window. (Rig control features are yet to come...) 2. Added some interfaces to permit use with the program JT-Alert, by VK3AMA. Look for this capability in the near future. March 6, 2013: v0.5, r3038 -------------------------- 1. Selection of Current/Cumulative/JT9Sync for the 2d spectral display changed to a combobox. 2. Double-click on decoded text does not change frequency settings if first decoded call is MyCall. March 1, 2013: v0.5, r3026 -------------------------- 1. The horizontal scale of 2d spectra (e.g., the "red curve") is now correct when the user has selected FFT Bins/Pixel > 1. 2. Double-clicking on a decoded text line now selects the second callsign independent of exactly where one has clicked on the line. In addition, it sets the selected frequencies (both Tx and Rx) to the frequency of the decoded transmission. December 11, 2012: v0.5, r2791 ------------------------------ 1. Messages of the form "CQ DX K1ABC" are now supported. November 30, 2012: v0.5, r2788 ------------------------------ 1. A bug was introduced when support for positive signal reports was added. It could cause a program crash when certain free-text messages were composed for transmission. The bug has been fixed. 2. In the slower JT9 sub-modes, the UTC listed on decoded text lines has been changed to the start time of the Rx sequence, rather than the time of the final minute. 3. The waterfall's "Auto Zero" button had no function, and has been removed. 4. In previous revisions the installer put a number of DLLs into the Windows system directory, normally C:\Windows\System32. This revision installs the DLLs to the WSJT-X installation directory. November 29, 2012: v0.5, r2786 ------------------------------ 1. In r2783, the companion program jt9.exe (started automatically when you start WSJT-X) was a CPU hog for no good reason. This was an oversight on my part, and the bug has been corrected. 2. The program should now run correctly if installed in a directory whose name contains embedded spaces. (Under Vista and Win7, however, it's still not a good idea to install WSJT-X into C:\Program Files, because of restricted write permissions there.) 3. In r2783 and earlier, stopping a transmission by toggling to "Auto OFF" would terminate Tx audio and release PTT almost simultaneously, possibly hot-switching your T/R relay(s). This has been corrected so that proper sequencing takes place. November 28, 2012: v0.5, r2783 ------------------------------ This revision has an unusually large number of changes relative to the previous release, v0.4 r2746. These changes include: 1. PTT control via COM ports COM10 and higher is enabled. 2. Improved decoder performance: higher speed as well as better chances of success. Moderate amounts of frequency drift are detected and compensated. Computed S/N values are more reliable. Time offsets from -2.5 to +5 s are now supported, which makes JT9 usable for EME. (EME tests on 144 MHz have been successful, and performance on that propagation mode appears to be good.) 3. Tx Frequency now tracks the selected QSO Frequency (unless you hold down the CTRL key when setting QSO Frequency via mouse-clicks or the F11/F12 keys). 4. Decoded text containing "CQ " is highlighted with green background; text including "MyCall" is highlighted in red. 5. In previous versions, signal reports were required to be in the range -30 to -01 dB. In v0.5 r2782 the range has been extended to -50 to +49 dB. There is backward compatibility for the range -30 to -01, but reports in the range -50 to -31 and 0 to +49 will NOT be decoded correctly by previous program versions. It is important to upgrade! 6. Items "Save Synced" and "Save Decoded" are now implemented. 7. UTC Date, JT9 submode, and a parameter related to the decoding procedure are now included in file wsjtx_rx.log. 8. Editing of Tx messages (in any of the six Tx message boxes) is complete when you hit "Tab" or "Return". The message is then parsed and converted to the form in which it will be displayed if decoding is successful. Free-text messages are trimmed to 13 characters and highlighted with a pink background. 9. The most recent transmitted message is displayed in the right-most label on the status bar. This can be useful if you have lost track of where you were in a QSO. 10. By default, the program now starts with Monitor ON. An option on the Setup menu allows you to select "Monitor OFF at startup". 11. Better scaling is provided for the red "JT9 Sync" curve. Note that JT9 signals in the active sub-mode should appear in this plot as a bump of width equal to the total signal bandwidth, with a narrow and slightly higher bump at the left edge. The narrow bump is the frequency of the Sync tone, which is defined as the nominal frequency of the JT9 signal. 12. Basic QSO information is now written to file wsjt.log when you click the "Log QSO" button. 13. The WSJT-X User's Guide has been updated. 14. Other known bugs have been fixed. There will probably be new ones! When you find one, or if you know of any old ones that have NOT been fixed, please send me email. Summary of Present Status ---------------------------------------------------------------------- I believe that WSJT-X is now a stable and very usable program. Many thousands of QSOs have been made with JT9-1, mostly at HF -- I have made nearly 100, myself. Also a number of QSOs have also been completed at MF, and successful tests have been made on 2m EME, etc. A number of QSOs have also been made with JT9-2. As far as I know the slower modes (JT9-5, JT9-10, and JT9-30) also work correctly. (Certainly they do in my laboratory test setup.) Most people will find these modes too slow for "everyday" use, and they require high frequency stability. It remains to be seen whether they will be widely used. An alternative approach to obtaining improved sensitivity would be to give the decoder an ability to average over several successive transmissions. For example, the average of five JT9-1 transmissions could reach a decoding threshold around -32 dB, only 2 dB worse than a single JT9-5 transmission. Because of QSB, the shorter transmissions may actually succeed in less total time. Stability requirements would be those of JT9-1, much less stringent than those of JT9-5. Program development is not finished, by any means. I will be grateful for your feedback on performance issues, as well as your "wish-list" of features to be added. As always, example recordings of files that you think should have decoded, but did not, will be much appreciated. November 16, 2012: v0.4, r2746 ------------------------------ Changes from v0.4 r2731 include the following: 1. Valid signal reports are now generated by double-clicking on a callsign in the decoded text window. 2. Consecutive spaces in a Tx message are now collapsed into a single space. 3. Decoding speed is much improved, especially when strong (possibly non-JT9) signals are present and "Tol" is set to a relatively large value. 4. Scaling of the "JT9 Sync" plot (red curve) is more reasonable. 5. Layout of widgets on the main window has been improved. 6. Several minor bug fixes. November 14, 2012: v0.4, r2731 ------------------------------ A number of known bugs have been fixed, and the JT9 decoder is significantly improved. Among other improvements, the program is now much less fussy about timing issues. November 6, 2012: v0.3, r2717 ------------------------------ Changes from r2713 include the following: 1. A bug in the decoder that led to erratic behavior (failed decodes) under certain conditions has been corrected. Decoding is now much more reliable. 2. A valid algorithm is now used to calculate S/N values for received JT9 signals. 3. The header format of recorded *.wav files has been corrected. These files will now play correctly in Windows programs that expect the standard header. November 6, 2012: v0.2, r2713 ------------------------------ Changes from r2711 include the following: 1. Updates to the Quick-Start User's Guide, http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSJT-X_Users_Guide.pdf 2. Double-click on waterfall now sets Tol to a reduced (mode-dependent) value. 3. Tol is saved and restored on program restart. 4. A "digital gain" slider was added next to the green-bar audio level indicator. With the slider at mid-range, the scale reads correctly in dB above the least significant bit of 16-bit audio data. 5. There is now a test that rejects at least one type of data that is sufficiently corrupt to cause Eddie's best friend, the message "15P6715P67WCV". 6. Several minor tweaks to improve decoder performance. 7. The program now starts with Monitor OFF. You must click Monitor to start accepting audio. For some types of testing, this may be an advantage. This startup condition may be changed again, in the future. October 31, 2012: v0.2, r2711 ----------------------------- Three significant changes since r2706: 1. Three options are now provided on the "Decode" menu, controlling the "depth" of the decoding process. For most purposes I suggest you should use "Normal", but feel free to experiment with the others. 2. Decoding of multiple signals in one Rx interval has been improved. 3. Handling of strong signals has been improved. October 309, 2012: v0.2, r2706 ------------------------------ Changes since r2702 include the following: 1. The problem with "ghost" signals is fixed. 2. A problem causing very long decode times under certain circumstances has been fixed. Please note: decode times on any recent PC should no more than a few seconds! 3. I have re-directed the program's fatal error messages so they will be sent to the command-prompt window from which you started the program. Please send me full reports on any such messages you observe, preferably with details on how to reproduce the problem. ######################################################################### Some additional information ... 1. Yes, the JT9 modes require good stability in all system oscillators. The present JT9 bdecoder does not attempt to track frequency drifts. Such capability will be added, however. We have been using digital modes for EME for nearly ten years now, at 144 MHz and higher. There are more than 1000 WSJT users on EME, using all kinds of rige. We have learned how to deal with reasonable rates of drift. Surely if we can do these things at VHF, we can do them much more easily at MF and LF. 2. If you're sure that you have seen degraded JT9 performance because of frequency stability issues, don't just complain on the LF reflector. Document your case and send me an example file with a drifting JT9 signal. Making WSJT-X and JT9 better is partly YOUR responsibility! 3. In other ways as well, test files are needed. I can make many tests myself, but I can't foresee all the problems others will have. That's what the "Save All" function is for! In these early tests, always run with "Save All" checked, just in case you will want to refer back to something that happened. You may want to send me the file in question. You can always clean out your "Save" directory by using "File | Delete all *.wav files in SaveDir". I need good examples of signals that fail to decode for any unknown reason. Also some good examples of atmospheric or other impulsive noise, for testing the noise blanker. 4. I have added a page of "Hints for New Users" to the online WSJT-X User's Guide, http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/WSJT-X_Users_Guide.pdf . Please read it! ... and let me know if you find other operational details of WSJT-X that need explanation. This will likely be especially true for those not already familiar with older versions of WSJT. 5. An operational suggestion: In many ways the different JT9 submodes are treated as distinct modes. If you receive a JT9-x signal in a different submode than the one you have selected, you won't decode it. For this reason, if JT9 is to become popular we'll probably need to choose one or two of the submodes for general use, and perhaps assign a narrow slice of the band to each one. Note that "message averaging" in the Rx software can make two or three JT9-2 transmissions as good as one JT9-5 transmission, with the advantage that you will copy sooner if signals are better than required for JT9-5. Message averaging is not yet present in the JT9 decoder... but in future it can be. Again, we have dealt with such issues very effectively on EME -- and can do so at MF/LF, for sure. 6. On the topic of CW, Beacons, WSPR, JT9, etc. I really don't understand what all the fuss is about. Surely there is room for everybody? Maybe I'm just too new here to understand? (Mal, is this mostly just a matter of "Mal being Mal"???) On the HF bands, the WSPR sub-band is just 200 Hz wide. If we did the same on 630 m, the WSPR sub-band would take up less than 3% of the 7 kHz band. If that's too much, we could cut it in half, or even less, and still have enough WSPR space. Moreover, a "slow WSPR", if warranted, would require even less bandwidth. Similar comments apply to JT9. The bandwidth of JT9 signals is significantly less than that of CW, for comparable information rates. There should be enough spectrum for both, even in our narrow MF and LF bands. 7. As for performance comparisons between JT9 and WSPR: WSPR is a mature program, and its decoder has been optimized and tweaked over a period approaching five years. You are playing with JT9 in infancy. With help (as opposed to simple complaints) from users, it will improve rapidly. October 29, 2012: v0.2, r2702 ----------------------------- Changes since version 0.1, r2696 include the following: 1. Sample rate for audio output has been changed from 12000 to 48000 Hz. Tx audio may now be generated at any frequency from 500 to 20000 Hz. 2. The Decoder now tries to decode all synchronizable signals in the "green zone", that is, within "Tol" Hz of the selected QSO frequency. (Before, by default it decoded only the signal producing the highest "sync" value. Other signals could be decoded by manually setting the QSO frequency and reducing Tol as needed.) 3. The user's selected QSO Frequency is now saved and restored on program restart. 4. The problem with re-initialization after changing sub-modes has been fixed. 5. The problem (for some users) of not releasing PTT after end of a transmission has been fixed. 6. The program now writes a log of all decodes to a file wsjtx_rx.log in the wsjtx directory. October 25, 2012: v0.1, r2695 ----------------------------- Initial version of WSJT-X (experimental WSJT) released for testing.