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264 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
264 lines
12 KiB
Plaintext
New Features in WSJT-X 2.0
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September 17, 2018
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--------------------------
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This document is an update to the white paper "Plans for WSJT-X
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Version 2.0" that was publicly distributed on July 26, 2018. It
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describes the most important enhancements in WSJT-X 2.0 relative to
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version 1.9.1.
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A majority of new program features involve the FT8 and MSK144
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protocols. Both modes have been upgraded to use use 77-bit
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information payloads rather than the 75 bits of the older FT8 protocol
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or 72 bits of JT4, JT9, JT65, MSK144, and QRA64. Cyclic redundancy
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checks (CRCs) that protect against false decodes have been increased
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from 12 to 14 bits (FT8) and from 8 to 13 bits (MSK144). These
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changes bring many benefits, including support of structured messages
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optimized for the following special types of QSOs and exchanged
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information:
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1. NA VHF Contest operation with full and transparent support of grid
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locators and "/R" (Rover) callsigns
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2. EU VHF Contest operation with the exchange of 6-digit locators, QSO
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serial numbers, and "/P" (portable) callsigns
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3. ARRL Field Day operation with standard Field Day exchanges such as
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"6A SNJ"
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4. ARRL RTTY Roundup operation with standard contest exchanges such as
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"579 NJ" or "559 0071"
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5. Compound and nonstandard callsigns (up tp 11 characters); no need
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for distinctions about "Type 1" or "Type 2" prefixes/suffixes
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6. A special "telemetry" message format for exchange of arbitrary
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information up to 71 bits
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7. All features of FT8 DXpedition mode, as in WSJT-X v1.9.1
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Conveying more information in the same bandwidth, using the same
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modulation scheme, necessarily means a higher code rate and less
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energy per information bit. Nevertheless, the decoding threshold S/N
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for the new FT8 is slightly lower than for the old version, because of
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improvements in the decoding algorithm. Decoding threshold for MSK144
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is a fraction of a dB higher than before. Symbol rates and occupied
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bandwidths for both modes are the same as before, and false-decode
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rates are significantly lower.
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OTHER PROGRAM ENHANCEMENTS: WSJT-X 2.0 has several other new features
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and capabilities. The WSPR decoder has significantly better
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sensitivity, by about 1 dB. Color highlighting of decoded messages
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provides worked-before status for callsigns, grid locators, and DXCC
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entities on a "by band" basis. Color highlighting can also identify
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stations that have (or have not) uploaded their logs to "Logbook of
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the World" (LoTW) within the past year. (Recent information from LoTW
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for this purpose can be downloaded from the ARRL web site.)
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WSJT-X 2.0 introduces no significant changes to any of the modes JT4,
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JT9, JT65, QRA64, ISCAT, Echo, or FreqCal.
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IMPORTANT: For the convenience of beta-testers, the first and second
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release candidates -- releases with "-rc1" or "-rc2" in their names --
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will have Rx and Tx capability for both the new FT8 protocol and the
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older one. Starting with the third release candidate ("-rc3"), and in
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the general-availability full release of WSJT-X 2.0, only the new
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protocol will be supported. In contrast, the new MSK144 protocol
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replaces the old one from the outset, without backward compatibility.
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To minimize on-the-air confusion, it's important that users be aware
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of these distinctions and the schedule for release of WSJT-X 2.0, as
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detailed below.
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MESSAGE FORMATS: The following table shows examples of message formats
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supported by the new FT8 and MSK144 protocols. Parameters i3 and n3
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(shown in the first column) are used in the software to define major
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and minor 77-bit message types.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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i3.n3 Example Messages Comments
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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0.0 TNX BOB 73 GL Free text
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0.1 K1ABC RR73; W9XYZ <KH1/KH7Z> -08 DXpedition Mode
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0.2 PA9XYZ 590003 IO91NP EU VHF Contest
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0.2 G4ABC/P R 570007 JO22DB EU VHF Contest
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0.3 K1ABC W9XYZ 6A WI ARRL Field Day
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0.3 W9XYZ K1ABC R 2B EMA ARRL Field Day
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0.5 123456789ABCDEF012 Telemetry (71 bits, 18 hex digits)
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1. CQ FD K1ABC FN42 ARRL Field Day
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1. CQ RU K1ABC FN42 ARRL RTTY Roundup
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1. CQ K1ABC FN42
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1. CQ TEST K1ABC FN42 NA VHF Contest
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1. CQ TEST K1ABC/R FN42 NA VHF Contest
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1. K1ABC W9XYZ EN37
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1. K1ABC W9XYZ -09
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1. K1ABC W9XYZ R-17
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1. K1ABC W9XYZ RRR
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1. K1ABC W9XYZ 73
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1. K1ABC W9XYZ RR73
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1. K1ABC/R W9XYZ EN37 NA VHF Contest
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1. K1ABC W9XYZ/R RR73 NA VHF Contest
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1. K1ABC/R W9XYZ/R RR73 NA VHF Contest
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1. <PJ4/K1ABC> W9XYZ Compound call
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1. W9XYZ <PJ4/K1ABC> 73 Compound call
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1. W9XYZ <YW18FIFA> -13 Nonstandard call
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1. <YW18FIFA> W9XYZ R+02 Nonstandard call
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1. W9XYZ <YW18FIFA> RRR Nonstandard call
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1. <YW18FIFA> W9XYZ RR73 Nonstandard call
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2. CQ G4ABC/P IO91 EU VHF contest
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2. G4ABC/P PA9XYZ JO22 EU VHF contest
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2. PA9XYZ G4ABC/P RR73 EU VHF contest
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3. K1ABC KA0DEF 559 MO ARRL RTTY Roundup
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3. K1ABC W9XYZ 579 WI ARRL RTTY Roundup
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3. KA1ABC G3AAA 529 0013 ARRL RTTY Roundup
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3. TU; KA0DEF K1ABC R 569 MA ARRL RTTY Roundup
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3. TU; K1ABC G3AAA R 559 0194 ARRL RTTY Roundup
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3. W9XYZ K1ABC R 589 MA ARRL RTTY Roundup
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4. CQ PJ4/K1ABC
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4. CQ YW18FIFA Nonstandard call
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4. <KA1ABC> YW18FIFA RR73 Nonstandard call
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4. <W9XYZ> PJ4/K1ABC RRR Nonstandard call
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4. <W9XYZ> YW18FIFA Nonstandard call
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4. <W9XYZ> YW18FIFA 73 Nonstandard call
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4. PJ4/K1ABC <W9XYZ> Nonstandard call
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4. PJ4/K1ABC <W9XYZ> 73 Nonstandard call
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4. YW18FIFA <W9XYZ> RRR Nonstandard call
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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In the above list, callsigns enclosed in angle brackets (e.g.,
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<PJ4/K1ABC>, <YW18FIFA>) are transmitted as hash codes. They will be
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displayed correctly by receiving stations that have copied the full
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callsign without brackets in a previous transmissiion. Otherwise the
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receiving software will display <...>. Hash collisions are possible
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but should be rare, and extremely rare within a particular QSO.
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Some minimal message sequences that take advantage of the new 77-bit
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formats are illustrated below. Model QSOs 1 and 2 are the same as
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those used by the old FT8 and MSK144 protocols, and QSO number 3 is
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the same as the existing FT8 DXpedition Mode. Model QSOs 4 through 9
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were not possible with the old protocols.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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1. Standard QSO
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ K1ABC FN42
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K1ABC W9XYZ EN37
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W9XYZ K1ABC -11
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K1ABC W9XYZ R-09
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W9XYZ K1ABC RRR
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K1ABC W9XYZ 73
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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2. Short-cycle QSO
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ K1ABC FN42
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K1ABC W9XYZ -09
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W9XYZ K1ABC R-11
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K1ABC W9XYZ RR73
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W9XYZ K1ABC 73
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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3. FT8 DXpedition Mode
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ KH1/KH7Z
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KH7Z K1ABC FN42
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K1ABC KH7Z -12
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KH7Z K1ABC R-14
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KH7Z W9XYZ EN37
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... possibly other callers ...
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K1ABC RR73; W9XYZ <KH1/KH7Z> -08
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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4. ARRL Field Day
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ FD K1ABC FN42
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K1ABC W9XYZ 6A WI
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W9XYZ K1ABC R 2B EMA
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K1ABC W9XYZ RR73
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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5. ARRL VHF Contests
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ TEST K1ABC/R FN42 "/R" is optional
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K1ABC/R W9XYZ EN37 on either callsign
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W9XYZ K1ABC/R R FN42
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K1ABC/R W9XYZ RR73
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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6. ARRL RTTY Roundup
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ TEST K1ABC FN42
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K1ABC W9XYZ 579 WI
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W9XYZ K1ABC R 589 MA
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K1ABC KA0DEF 559 MO
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TU; KA0DEF K1ABC R 569 MA
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KA1ABC G3AAA 529 0013
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TU; G3AAA K1ABC R 559 MA
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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7. EU VHF Contest
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ TEST G4ABC/P IO91 "/P" is optional
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G4ABC/P PA9XYZ JO22 on either callsign
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PA9XYZ 590003 IO91NP
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G4ABC/P R 570007 JO22DB
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PA9XYZ G4ABC/P RR73
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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8. Compound or nonstandard callsign calling CQ
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ PJ4/K1ABC
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PJ4/K1ABC <W9XYZ>
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W9XYZ <PJ4/K1ABC> -11
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<PJ4/K1ABC> W9XYZ R-09
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<W9XYZ> PJ4/K1ABC RRR
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PJ4/K1ABC <W9XYZ> 73
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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9. Compound or nonstandard callsign answering CQ
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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CQ W9XYZ EN37
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<W9XYZ> YW18FIFA
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<YW18FIFA> W9XYZ -11
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W9XYZ <YW18FIFA> R-09
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YW18FIFA <W9XYZ> RRR
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<W9XYZ> YW18FIFA 73
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----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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RELEASE SCHEDULE: Candidate releases of WSJT-X 2.0 will have built-in
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expiration dates after which they cannot be used. Target dates for
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planned releases are as follows:
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September 17: -rc1 (expires Oct 31)
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October 15: -rc2 (expires Nov 30)
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November 12: -rc3 (expires Dec 31)
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December 10: GA Full release of WSJT-X 2.0
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WSJT-X 2.0-rc1 provides the first chance for beta testers to use the
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new 77-bit messages. It supports the old (v1.9.1) FT8 protocol as
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well as the new message types illustrated above. To avoid QRMing
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legacy FT8 users with incompatible messages they can't decode, and to
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help concentrate testing activity into a few sub-bands, we recommend
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using the new FT8 capabilities on the 40- or 20-meter bands at dial
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frequencies 7.078 or 14.078 MHz. These frequencies are offered as FT8
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alternatives on the drop-down frequency-selection control on the main
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window.
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The new MSK144 is fully functional for QSOs between any two stations
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using a WSJT-X v2.0 release. MSK144 is not backward compatible with
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earlier program versions. Therefore during the testing period,
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approximately Sept 17 through December 10, we recommend using the new
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MSK144 capabilities on 50.380 MHz (IARU Region 1) or 50.280 (Regions 2
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and 3). By specific arrangement, or as soon as most regular users
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have upgraded to a v2.0 release, MSK144 activity can be moved back to
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50.360 (Region 1) or 50.260 (Regions 2 and 3).
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By design, our proposed release schedule will make WSJT-X 2.0 usable
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for all relevant ARRL operating events and Eurpoean VHF contests after
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January 1, 2019.
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Dates of relevant upcoming ARRL contests
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----------------------------------------
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RTTY Roundup: January 5-6, 2019
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VHF Sweepstakes: January 19-21, 2019
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