diff --git a/README.TXT b/README.TXT deleted file mode 100644 index e84222669..000000000 --- a/README.TXT +++ /dev/null @@ -1,150 +0,0 @@ -Changes in WSJT 5.9.0 -- November 15, 2005 ------------------------------------------- - -1. JT65 decoding has been made faster and significantly improved in - other ways. Three new options appear on the Decode->JT65 menu: - "Fast", "Normal", and "Exhaustive". The program is most sensitive - if you choose "Exhaustive". Choosing "Normal" will make decoding - slightly less sensitive, but the loss is not great, and decoding - can be twice as fast. The "Fast" setting is faster still, but can - be less sensitive by 2 dB or more in some cases. If you have a 1.5 - GHz or faster computer, use "Exhaustive". With a slower computer - you may want to experiment with the other settings. - -2. In JT65 mode, double-clicking on the waterfall (SpecJT window) or - on the red curve (main window) will set "Freeze DF" at the selected - frequency, turn Freeze ON, and invoke the decoder. Using this - feature, you can quickly decode a transmission at several different - values of DF. I find this feature to be *extremely* useful. - -3. The range of DT values searched to establish synchronization has - been doubled, now extending from -2 to +10 seconds. The reported - values of DT are more accurate, as well. You should normally - expect EME signals to have DT in the range 2 to 3 seconds, but the - program will now synchronize properly even if DT is well outside - this range. - -4. WSJT now offers the ability to correct for errors in soundcard - input and output sampling rates. Numbers displayed in the first - panel of the status bar (at lower left of the main screen) give the - ratio of actual sample rates for input and output to the correct - value, 11025 Hz. The numbers should stabilize about one minute - after program startup. If they fall in a "safe" range between - about 0.9990 and 1.0010, you have a good sound card (at least in - respect to sampling frequency). You can then leave the entry - fields "Rate In" and "Rate Out" on the "Setup -> Options" page at - their default values, 1.0. - - If your soundcard gives one or both numbers well outside the safe - range, you should enter the displayed errant numbers as "Rate In" - and/or "Rate Out" on the Setup->Options page. This needs to be - done only once; subsequent changes in the last decimal place of the - displayed values are not very significant, and can be safely - ignored. - - The result of this procedure is that your Tx signal will be - "trimmed" so that your tone spacings in time and frequency are - correct. In addition, your digitized Rx signals will be adjusted - so that the software can properly interpret them. - - This is an important procedure. Some recent sound cards produce - sampling error factors as low as 0.9932 or as high as 1.0068. If - uncorrected, such results can degrade your S/N in WSJT modes by 2 - dB or more. - - If one of the measured sample rates differs from the corresponding - value specified for "Rate In" or "Rate Out" by more than 0.1%, a - red warning label will appear just below the graphical area on the - main screen. - -5. Graphical display of information obtained during JT65 decoding has - been enhanced. As before, a red line illustrates the maximum - correlation between the pseudo-random sync tone pattern and the - received signal at each value of frequency offset, DF. A blue line - shows the correlation at the best DF, plotted as a function of time - offset, DT. If a shorthand message is detected, two new lines - colored magenta and orange replace the red and blue lines. The new - lines illustrate phase-resolved spectra measured in each of the two - phases of the shorthand square-wave pattern. A properly detected - shorthand message will show a peak in the magenta curve, followed - at a specified distance by a peak in the orange curve. The correct - locations of the two peaks are marked by small yellow ticks. - Unlike the alternating shorthand message tones, birdies will appear - approximately equally in the magenta and orange curves. - -6. For the convenience of temporary DXpeditions, a new JT65 feature - permits use of add-on DXCC prefixes that are not in the published - list of supported prefixes. Both stations in a QSO must enter the - required prefix (for example, PJ8 or FS) in a box on the - Setup->Options page. The effect will be to temporarily add the - entry to the table of supported prefixes. - -7. The Setup->Options page has new entry fields labeled "Source RA" - and "Source DEC". You can enter the current right ascension and - declination of a radio source to be used for system calibration, or - perhaps a pulsar or a deep space probe that you wish to detect. - The program will display (on the Astronomical Data screen) the - current Azimuth and Elevation of the specified object at your - station. The source Azimuth and Elevation are also written every - second to the file azel.dat, in case you have automated tracking - capabilities that depend on this information. - -8. To facilitate the coming release of the full source code of WSJT - under the General Public License, the proprietary soft-decision - Reed Solomon decoder has been removed from WSJT proper and made - into a separate executable module. This change is invisible to the - user, and the full benefit of the soft-decision decoder is still - available. An open source hard-decision decoder is also provided; - it's what you get when you select the "Fast" JT65 decoding option. - -9. In WSJT 5.8.6, if the value of "Freeze DF" (as displayed in the - Status Bar) differs from the sync tone frequency by more than - "Tol", shorthand decoding was suppressed even if Freeze was not - checked. This is a bug, and it has been fixed. - -10. Earlier versions of WSJT also had a bug that could cause the "Zap" - function to notch out a valid sync tone. Fixed. - -11. The Help screens called up by F1 and Shift-F1 have been updated. - Be sure to read these screens: they contain many operational - conveniences that you may not have discovered! - -12. At scrolling speed 5, the time labels and "minute separator" lines - were displayed erratically and the CPU load was excessive. Fixed. - -13. Signal strength measurements above -20 dB were formerly compressed - and significantly underestimated. This has been fixed. - -14. Decodings of the average of many properly synchronized transmissions - would sometimes go from "good" to "bad" after approximately 8-12 - transmissions. This was a bug, and it has been fixed. - -15. Several bugs in the FSK441 decoder have been fixed. Both automatic - decoding and mouse-picked decoding have been improved. - -16. Changing WSJT modes now sets Auto to OFF, Tol to 400, and the Tx - message number to 1. - -17. The generated audio tones for CW ID in FSK441 and JT6M modes have - been moved down to 440 Hz, to avoid possible confusion with the - other tones used in these modes. - -18. Readout of "Rx noise" on the main screen is now highlighted in red - if the level is outside the range -10 to +10 dB. - -19. The Monitor button is no longer highlighted in green while you are - transmitting. - -20. No attempt is made to decode if the Rx level is very low -- for - example, if your receiver is turned off. - -21. If the Grid box does not contain a valid locator, readouts of - azimuth and distance are suppressed. - -22. Keying of the audio tone to produce Morse code has been "softened" - to suppress key clicks. - -23. Your transmitted messages recorded in the file ALL.TXT are now - identified as to mode, and shorthand transmissions are noted. - -23. A number of other very minor bugs have been fixed. diff --git a/README_592.TXT b/README_592.TXT deleted file mode 100755 index 00b1532cc..000000000 --- a/README_592.TXT +++ /dev/null @@ -1,103 +0,0 @@ -Changes in WSJT 5.9.2: January 16, 2006 ---------------------------------------- - -Enhancements ------------- - -1. Thread priorities have been adjusted for smoother operation. - -2. The JT65 decoder has been giver improved immunity to garbage data - (birdies, QRM, etc). It exhibits better performance on strong - signals and provides more accurate estimates of their S/N. - -3. The FSK441 decoder produces less on-screen gibberish when - processing mouse-picked decodes. - -4. The JT6M decoder now makes better use of Freeze and Tol. You can - set the value of "Freeze DF" by using the Right/Left arrow keys. - (This feature is also useful in JT65 mode.) - -5. On-screen font sizes can be set by using Windows Notepad to edit - the file wsjtrc.win. If your screen has resolution greater than - 1024 x 768, or if you have old eyes like mine, you may want to - increase the font sizes from 8 and 9 points (first three lines of - the file) to, say, 9 and 10 points. - -6. A simulator mode is now built into WSJT for testing purposes. It - is presently most useful in JT65 mode. By entering, say, "#-22" - in the text box for Tx6, you signify that the program should - generate its Tx audio files with the signal embedded in white - gaussian noise, 22 dB below the noise power in a 2.5 kHz - bandwidth. You can direct this signal into a second computer - running WSJT, for example to test the decoder or to practice - operating in JT65 mode. You can even have the two computers "work - each other" in a simulated QSO, although changing messages of - course requires operator action. - -7. Dividing lines are now provided on the waterfall display between - spectra corresponding to wave files read from disk. - -8. The PTT line is explicitly set low on program startup. - -9. The F10 key brings up the SpecJT screen (if it was hidden) and - toggles foreground and focus status between the WSJT and SpecJT - screens. - -10. You can use the Alt-F and Alt-Z keyboard shortcut to toggle - "Freeze" and "Zap" on and off. - -11. "Accelerated decoding" has been removed from the Setup menu. In - effect, this option is now always ON. - -12. Text windows are now cleared when switching between modes. - -13. Linux and FreeBSD versions (see below) offer PTT control via - parallel port, as well as serial port. They offer sound support - via ALSA and OSS. - -Bug Fixes: ----------- -1. The use of non-threadsafe code for FFTs could cause occasional and - unpredictable program crashes. Fixed. - -2. A bug in the JT65 decoder could (rarely) cause large errors in the - reported level of strong signals. Fixed. - -3. The program could be made to crash by trying to read a very short - wave file. Fixed. - - -For Curious Users, and Especially for Programmers -------------------------------------------------- - -WSJT is no longer a one-person effort, and the program no longer runs -only under Microsoft Windows. WSJT is now a full-fledged Open Source -project, with an active working group making contributions to future -development. Source code is now stored in a public repository under -control of a version control system called "Subversion", or SVN. You -can learn more at http://developer.berlios.de/projects/wsjt/. - -The first significant result of the group effort has been to create -versions of WSJT that run under the Linux and FreeBSD operating -systems. Porting WSJT to the Macintosh platform should be -straightforward, as well, but has not yet been attempted. - -If you are interested in testing and using WSJT on your own Linux or -FreeBSD system, we'd like to hear from you. - -If you feel that you can usefully contribute to the future development -of WSJT on any platform, we would also like to hear from you! We -could use help with documentation and website maintenance, as well as -actual programming. - -The present WSJT working group consists of: - - Diane Bruce, VA3DB - James Courtier-Dutton - Bob McGwier, N4HY - Jonathan Naylor, ON/G4KLX - Stewart Nelson, KK7KA - Joe Taylor, K1JT - Kaj Wiik, OH6EH - - diff --git a/UpdateHistory.txt b/UpdateHistory.txt new file mode 100644 index 000000000..1e128fda8 --- /dev/null +++ b/UpdateHistory.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2460 @@ +Changes in WSJT 5.9.3: January 26, 2006 +--------------------------------------- +This is a minor maintenance release. + +1. New Help screen provides a list of available suffixes and add-on + DXCC prefixes. + +2. The occasional error message about "images do not match" has been + trapped and should no longer occur. + +3. Code that required one's own grid locator to be entered with first + two letters in upper case, last two in lower case, has been made + case insensitive (as it should have been). + +4. Initialization of the PTT line to the "OFF" state has been fixed. + + +Changes in WSJT 5.9.2: January 16, 2006 +--------------------------------------- + +Enhancements +------------ + +1. Thread priorities have been adjusted for smoother operation. + +2. The JT65 decoder has been given improved immunity to garbage data + (birdies, QRM, etc). It exhibits better performance on strong + signals and provides more accurate estimates of their S/N. + +3. The FSK441 decoder produces less on-screen gibberish when + processing mouse-picked decodes. + +4. The JT6M decoder now makes better use of Freeze and Tol. You can + set the value of "Freeze DF" by using the Right/Left arrow keys. + (This feature is also useful in JT65 mode.) + +5. On-screen font sizes can be set by using Windows Notepad to edit + the file wsjtrc.win. If your screen has resolution greater than + 1024 x 768, or if you have old eyes like mine, you may want to + increase the font sizes from 8 and 9 points (first three lines of + the file) to, say, 9 and 10 points. + +6. A simulator mode is now built into WSJT for testing purposes. It + is presently most useful in JT65 mode. By entering, say, "#-22" + in the text box for Tx6, you signify that the program should + generate its Tx audio files with the signal embedded in white + gaussian noise, 22 dB below the noise power in a 2.5 kHz + bandwidth. You can direct this signal into a second computer + running WSJT, for example to test the decoder or to practice + operating in JT65 mode. You can even have the two computers "work + each other" in a simulated QSO, although changing messages of + course requires operator action. + +7. Dividing lines are now provided on the waterfall display between + spectra corresponding to wave files read from disk. + +8. The PTT line is explicitly set low on program startup. + +9. The F10 key brings up the SpecJT screen (if it was hidden) and + toggles foreground and focus status between the WSJT and SpecJT + screens. + +10. You can use the Alt-F and Alt-Z keyboard shortcuts to toggle + "Freeze" and "Zap" on and off. + +11. "Accelerated decoding" has been removed from the Setup menu. In + effect, this option is now always ON. + +12. Text windows are now cleared when switching between modes. + +13. Linux and FreeBSD versions (see below) offer PTT control via + parallel port, as well as serial port. They offer sound support + via ALSA and OSS. + + +Bug Fixes: +---------- +1. The use of non-threadsafe code for FFTs could cause occasional and + unpredictable program crashes. Fixed. + +2. A bug in the JT65 decoder could (rarely) cause large errors in the + reported level of strong signals. Fixed. + +3. The program could be made to crash by trying to read a very short + wave file. Fixed. + +4. "Save None" now works as it should. + + +Please note: +------------ +When entering your grid locator on the Setup->Options page, use upper +case for the first two letters and lower case for the last two. For +example, for K1JT the locator is FN20qi. + + +For Curious Users, and Especially for Programmers +------------------------------------------------- + +WSJT is no longer a one-person effort, and the program no longer runs +only under Microsoft Windows. WSJT is now a full-fledged Open Source +project, with an active working group making contributions to future +development. Source code is now stored in a public repository under +control of a version control system called "Subversion," or SVN. You +can learn more at http://developer.berlios.de/projects/wsjt/. + +The first significant result of the group effort has been to create +versions of WSJT that run under the Linux and FreeBSD operating +systems. Porting WSJT to the Macintosh platform should be +straightforward, but has not yet been done. + +If you are interested in testing and using WSJT on your own Linux or +FreeBSD system, we'd like to hear from you. Please note that the +present Linux and FreeBSD versions are intended mainly for +programmers. You need to know your way around these operating +systems to be able to install them. + +If you feel that you can usefully contribute to the future development +of WSJT on any platform, we would also like to hear from you! We +could use help with documentation and website maintenance, as well as +actual programming. + +The present WSJT working group consists of: + + Diane Bruce, VA3DB + James Courtier-Dutton + Bob McGwier, N4HY + Jonathan Naylor, ON/G4KLX + Stewart Nelson, KK7KA + Joe Taylor, K1JT + Kaj Wiik, OH6EH + + +Changes in WSJT 5.9.0: November 16, 2005 +------------------------------------------ + +1. JT65 decoding has been made faster and significantly improved in + other ways. Three new options appear on the Decode->JT65 menu: + "Fast", "Normal", and "Exhaustive". The program is most sensitive + if you choose "Exhaustive". Choosing "Normal" will make decoding + slightly less sensitive, but the loss is not great, and decoding + can be twice as fast. The "Fast" setting is faster still, but can + be less sensitive by 2 dB or more in some cases. If you have a 1.5 + GHz or faster computer, use "Exhaustive". With a slower computer + you may want to experiment with the other settings. + +2. In JT65 mode, double-clicking on the waterfall (SpecJT window) or + on the red curve (main window) sets "Freeze DF" to the selected + frequency, turns Freeze ON, sets Tol to 50 Hz, and invokes the + decoder. Using this feature, you can quickly decode a transmission + at several different values of DF. I find this feature to be + *extremely* useful. + +3. The range of DT values searched to establish synchronization has + been doubled, now extending from -2 to +10 seconds. The reported + values of DT are more accurate, as well. You should normally + expect EME signals to have DT in the range 2 to 3 seconds, but the + program will now synchronize properly even if DT is well outside + this range. + +4. WSJT now offers the ability to correct for errors in soundcard + input and output sampling rates. Numbers displayed in the first + panel of the status bar (at lower left of the main screen) give the + ratio of actual sample rates for input and output to the correct + value, 11025 Hz. The numbers should stabilize within about one + minute after program startup. If they fall in a "safe" range + between about 0.9990 and 1.0010, you have a good sound card (at + least in respect to sampling frequency). You can then leave the + entry fields "Rate In" and "Rate Out" on the "Setup -> Options" + page at their default values, 1.0. + + If your soundcard gives one or both numbers well outside the safe + range, you should enter the displayed errant numbers as "Rate In" + and/or "Rate Out" on the Setup->Options page. This needs to be + done only once; subsequent changes in the last decimal place of the + displayed values are not very significant, and can be safely + ignored. + + The result of this procedure is that your Tx signal will be + "trimmed" so that your tone spacings in time and frequency are more + nearly correct. In addition, your digitized Rx signals will be + adjusted so that the software can properly interpret them. + + This trimming is an important procedure. Some recent sound cards + produce sampling error factors as low as 0.9932 or as high as + 1.0068. If uncorrected, such results can degrade your S/N in WSJT + modes by 2 dB or more. + + If one of the measured sample rates differs from the corresponding + value specified for "Rate In" or "Rate Out" by more than 0.1%, a + red warning label will appear just below the graphical area on the + main screen. + +5. The graphical display of information obtained during JT65 decoding + has been enhanced. As before, a red line illustrates the maximum + correlation between the pseudo-random sync tone pattern and the + received signal at each value of frequency offset, DF. A blue line + shows the correlation at the best DF, plotted as a function of time + offset, DT. If a shorthand message is detected, two new lines + colored magenta and orange replace the red and blue lines. The new + lines illustrate phase-resolved spectra measured in each of the two + phases of the shorthand square-wave pattern. A properly detected + shorthand message will show a peak in the magenta curve, followed + at a specified distance by a peak in the orange curve. The correct + locations of the two peaks are marked by small yellow ticks. + Unlike the alternating shorthand message tones, birdies will appear + with approximately equal amplitudes in the magenta and orange + curves. + +6. For the convenience of temporary DXpeditions, a new JT65 feature + permits use of add-on DXCC prefixes that are not in the published + list of supported prefixes. Both stations in a QSO must enter the + required prefix (for example, PJ8 or FS) in a box on the + Setup->Options page. The effect will be to temporarily add the + entry to the table of supported prefixes. + +7. The Setup->Options page has new entry fields labeled "Source RA" + and "Source DEC". You can enter the current right ascension and + declination of a radio source to be used for system calibration, or + perhaps a pulsar or a deep space probe that you wish to detect. + The program will display (on the Astronomical Data screen) the + current Azimuth and Elevation of the specified object at your + station. The source Azimuth and Elevation are also written every + second to the file azel.dat, in case you have automated tracking + capabilities that depend on this information. + +8. For contest-style operations, the Setup->Options menu has an item + labeled "F4 sets Tx6". If this item is checked, when you hit F4 to + clear the To Radio box the program will turn Freeze OFF and set + the Tx message number to 6. + +9. To facilitate the coming release of the full source code of WSJT + under the GNU General Public License, the proprietary soft-decision + Reed Solomon decoder has been removed from WSJT proper and made + into a separate executable module, KVASD.EXE. This change is + transparent to the user, and the full benefit of the soft-decision + decoder is still available. An open source hard-decision decoder + is also provided; it's what you get when you select the "Fast" JT65 + decoding option. + +10. In WSJT 5.8.6, if the value of "Freeze DF" (as displayed in the + Status Bar) differs from the sync tone frequency by more than + "Tol", shorthand decoding was suppressed even if Freeze was not + checked. This is a bug, and it has been fixed. + +11. Earlier versions of WSJT had a bug that could cause the "Zap" + function to notch out a valid sync tone. Fixed. + +12. The Help screens called up by F1 and Shift-F1 have been updated. + Be sure to read these screens: they contain many operational + conveniences that you may not have discovered! + +13. At scrolling speed 5, the time labels and "minute separator" lines + were displayed erratically and the CPU load was excessive. Fixed. + +14. Signal strength measurements above -20 dB were formerly compressed + and significantly underestimated. This has been fixed. + +15. Decodings of the average of many properly synchronized transmissions + would sometimes go from "good" to "bad" after approximately 8-12 + transmissions. This was a bug, and it has been fixed. + +16. Several bugs in the FSK441 decoder have been fixed. Both + automatic decoding and mouse-picked decoding have been improved. + +17. Changing WSJT modes now sets Auto to OFF, Tol to 400, and the Tx + message number to 1. + +18. The generated audio for CW ID in FSK441 and JT6M modes has been + moved to 440 Hz, to avoid possible confusion with the other tones + used in these modes. + +19. Readout of "Rx noise" on the main screen is now highlighted in red + if the level is outside the range -10 to +10 dB. + +20. The Monitor button is no longer highlighted in green while you are + transmitting. + +21. No attempt is made to decode if the Rx level is very low -- for + example, if your receiver is turned off. + +22. If the Grid box does not contain a valid locator, readouts of + azimuth and distance are suppressed. + +23. Keying of the audio tone to produce Morse code has been softened + to suppress key clicks. + +24. Transmitted messages recorded in the file ALL.TXT are now + identified as to mode, and shorthand transmissions are noted as + such. + +25. A number of other very minor bugs have been fixed. + + +Changes in WSJT 5.8.6 +--------------------- + +1. Audio input and output has been modified in a way that accommodates + certain soundcards (e.g., SB Live!) that did not work correctly + with WSJT 5.8.3. + +2. New item on Setup->Options menu to select whether GenStdMsgs forces + Tx message number to 1. + +3. Status of all selectable items on Setup->Options menu is preserved + on program restart. + +4. If a CQ is transmitted in JT65 mode, the Sked box is automatically + unckecked. + +5. In v5.8.3, entering the same callsign and locator information in + MyCall and ToRadio/Grid could cause the program to freeze. Fixed. + +6. If MyCall includes an extra prefix, as in 4X/ZL1RS, the standard JT65 + messages should not include a grid locator. Fixed. + +7. The "ms" parameter has been removed from the Soundcard status + readout at bottom left. Separate sample-rate factors are now + displayed for audio input and output, but only if "Enable + diagnostics" is checked on the Setup menu. + +8. The SpecJT screen may now be made invisible by clicking on "X" in + the upper right corner. To restore it to visible status, click on + View->SpecJT on the main screen. + +9. Decoded text lines in JT6M mode were sometimes too long, causing + end-of-line wrap-around. Fixed. + +10. Some diagnostic messages printed to console window have been + removed. + +11. The values of S, Sync, Clip, Zap and NB are now preserved when the + program is terminated and restarted. + +12. Version 5.8.3 was unable to read back its own recorded wave files. + Fixed. + +13. A programming error in the JT65 shorthand message decoder has been + fixed. Under certain conditions, this error could cause false + decodes of shorthand messages. + +14. The logic of file saving commands Save Last, Save decoded, etc., + has been corrected. + +15. Wave files read from disk will now produce spectral plots on the + waterfall display if Monitor is OFF. + +16. The CW ID feature has been implemented. + +17. The mapping of signal levels to pixel colors and its dependence + on settings of Brightness and Contrast controls has been changed + so as to improve sensitivity to very weak signals. + +18. In v5.8.3, changing Dsec would create erroneous results for the + displayed soundcard sample rate factor. Fixed. + +19. Running in JT65 mode with Dsec>0 caused transmission errors + (including a gap in transmitted tones at t = 38-41 s), and the + resulting transmission was unreadable. Fixed. + +20. Undesired resizing of main screen could occur when a long FSK441 + message was transmitted. Fixed. + +21. The "yellow line" displayed in the graphical area in JT6M mode + was computed incorrectly in version 5.8.3. Fixed. + +22. When running at speeds 1-5, the waterfall spectrum may optionally + be "flattened" to remove rolloff at edges. To enable this + feature, check "Flatten spectra" on the SpecJT Options menu. + +COMMENTS ON SOUND CARDS +----------------------- + +In general, "high end" sound cards offer no advantages when used with +WSJT. Motherboard AC-97 compliant sound systems are cheap and work +well. If you do need to buy a sound card for use with WSJT, my advice +is to get a simple one. You do NOT need 8-channel surround-sound, +wavetable synthesis, special effects, etc. Those features are for +games and listening to music, and they will be wasted on WSJT. + +Likewise, you do not need 24-bit A/D and D/A conversions. +Specifications having to do with signal/noise ratio are quite +irrelevant to use with WSJT, as you should never be operating in a +regime where A/D quantizing noise (or any other noise generated in the +sound card) contributes significantly to the system S/N. + +If you have a choice, get a card that offers a *native* sampling rate +of 44100 or 11025 Hz, or both. (Unfortunately, it is often very +difficult to tell from the manufacturer's literature whether this +capability is present or not.) If native sampling at 11025 Hz is +available -- or if the manufacturer has at least provided a +well-designed resampling capability -- the soundcard sample-rate +factors (displayed by WSJT in the bottom left corner, if +"Setup->Enable diagnostics" is checked) should both be very close to +1.0000. + + +Changes in WSJT 5.8.3 +--------------------- + +1. The Dsec parameter was not working properly in v5.8.1. Fixed. + +2. CPU load at high waterfall speeds has been substantially reduced. + +3. Saving cumulative file of decoded text is no longer optional. The + file name has been changed to ALL.TXT, to reflect use of this file + for transmitted as well as decoded text. + +4. Logic for green bar illustrating region searched for sync tones has + been corrected. + +5. Bug producing index error in "plot_yellow" is fixed. + +6. Bug causing crash in CW mode if TRPeriod > 60 s is fixed. + +7. Tabular listing of Audio devices has been clarified. + +8. Name at top of waterfall screen has been changed to "SpecJT" so + that its icon can be distinguished from that of main screen. + +9. VOX control of T/R sequencing is now permitted by setting the COM + port to 0. + +10. Exit from program with the "To Radio" box empty caused error + message and substitution of default parameters on restart. Fixed. + +11. Default FSK441 message #5 for EU has been changed to "73 MyCall" + (which I am told conforms with standard EU practice). + +12. Lower case letters are now acceptable in entries on Setup->Options + screen, and will be translated appropriately to upper case in + transmitted messages. + +13. The file AZEL.DAT has been moved to the WSJT6 installation + directory. + +14. The "Sh Msg" box was always checked when entering FSK441 mode. It + now remembers its state if you had unchecked it. + +15. Keyboard shortcuts have been implemented for most on-screen + controls. Use F1 to see a full listing. + +16. "Gen Std Msgs" now sets the Tx message to #1 in all WSJT modes. + +17. Self-echo doppler value has been replaced by "Dgrd" in the + astronomical data displayed on the main screen. + +18. The audio stream has been trimmed by 0.5 s at the start of FSK441 + and JT6M Rx sequences, to prevent possibly copying one's own Tx + signal. (Is this enough?) + +19. Two header parameters in wave files recorded by WSJT have been + corrected so that the files can be read correctly by Windows Sound + Recorder. + +20. Four-digit grid locators no longer produce incorrect azimuth + headings. + +21. Logic error in the waterfall's horizontal scrolling mode fixed. + +23. The active Tx message box is now highlighted during a + transmission, as in WSJT 4.x. + +24. Green ticks marking range of JT65 tone frequencies and red ticks + marking shorthand tones may optionally be displayed only if Freeze + is checked. (Select on waterfall screen's Options menu.) + +25. "Tool-tip" readout of full entry in CALL3.TXT is now provided + after Lookup, if mouse pointer hovers over the ToRadio box. + +26. Parameter RDsec was removed from the screen, as it is not + implemented. + +27. Some additional diagnostic information is now displayed. A + parameter "ms" following the "Soundcard x.xxxx" readout is a + measure of the maximum time between successive servicing of the + audio callback routine. The nominal value is about 186 ms, but + somewhat larger values are normal owing to granularity of the + Windows system clock. Values larger than 330 ms cause a warning + message to appear in the console window. Large values of this + parameter may be related to audio input problems (see below). + +28. The latest version of DL8EBW's CALL3.TXT database is included with + the distribution. It will be installed only if there is no file + named CALL3.TXT already in your WSJT6 installation directory. + + +KNOWN PROBLEMS +-------------- + +1. Some fraction of WSJT 5.8.1 users -- perhaps 5-10%, it is hard for + me to judge -- have had problems with erratic audio input. I am + having difficulty tracing the problem because I have not been able + to reproduce it on any computer to which I have access. Typical + symptoms are that after startup WSJT 5.8.1 runs normally in Monitor + mode for a minute or so, but then the reported audio level jumps to + a much higher value and perhaps fluctuates wildly. + + Two users have switched todifferent sound cards and made the + problem go away. Several others have discovered that if they first + start WSJT4 and leave it running (in Monitor mode, I believe), and + then start WSJT 5.8.1, the new program behaves properly. One user + corrected the problem by turning off an "AGC" feature on his sound + card. Apparently most of the newer SoundBlaster cards have this + AGC feature, and it is turned ON by default. I am told that it can + be turned OFF by using the supplied utility CTMIX32.EXE. + + I do not yet understand the cause of the erratic audio problem. It + is possible that it has been fixed in v5.8.3, as several minor + changes have been made to the audio input routines; but I think + this is unlikely. + + If you had this problem at your station and have now solved it, + please let me know what you did! If you still have problems when + running version 5.8.3, let me know about that as well. + +2. I do not yet have a good definition of the "minimum computer" + required to run WSJT6. Several people have told me that they are + using the program successfully on 300-500 MHz machines. Those with + computers slower than about 600 MHz will do best to avoid the + higher waterfall speeds and not run many other programs while using + WSJT. + + +Beta Release 5.8.1 +------------------ + +Beta release 5.8.1 is an entirely new program, dsesigned to preserve +the features and the "look and feel" of version 4.9.8, but also to add +many new features and do so in a way that will make for easier for +program maintenance and future development. After a period of beta +testing, the program will become known as WSJT 6.0. I will refer to +it here as WSJT6. + +Many features of WSJT6 will be familiar to present users of WSJT4.x. +However, the user interface and other real-time portions of the +program have been entirely re-written, so you may find a few things +that look different or work differently than before. + +WSJT6 is a multi-threaded program. This architecture permits much +better timing control and much better sharing of the CPU among the +program's many tasks. A real-time waterfall is provided, optimized +for each of the WSJT modes. You can measure and set the Rx gain in +real time. You can decode FSK441 pings immediately after hearing +them. + +The decoders for JT65 and JT6M are essentially the same as those in +recent versions of the program. (I have many plans for enhancements +to the decoders, but these must wait for future updates.) The FSK441 +decoder has intentionally reverted back to approximately version +3.8.1, because it has been shown that recent versions did not perform +quite as well. + +WSJT 5.8 is a stable release. Extensive tests by a small group of +early beta testers have already shown that it works well. However, it +contains many thousands of lines of new code, and most likely that +code has some bugs. Nevertheless, I think you will find many +operational advantages to using it. Over the past 2.5 months, all of +my own MS and EME QSOs have been made with the new version. + +If you decide to participate in the beta testing period, please accept +the responsibility of reporting any bugs that you find, as well as +telling me of features you would still like to see. I would +appreciate hearing about new features that you like, as well. + + +PRELIMINARY INSTRUCTIONS AND COMMENTS +------------------------------------- + +1. I suggest installing WSJT6 to a new directory such as C:\Program + Files\WSJT6. After installation you will probably want to copy + your version of the callsign database, CALL3.TXT, into the new + WSJT6 directory, replacing the one that is supplied. + +2. When you start the program you should get three windows on your + screen. One has a black background and I will call it the "console + window"; it is mainly used for debugging messages. You can + minimize it and generally ignore it. You should, however, look + there for messages if the program crashes (see also items 9 and + 11, below). The other two windows are a Spectran-like waterfall + and the more-or-less familiar WSJT window. It is no longer + necessary or desirable to run Spectran simultaneously with WSJT. + +3. FSK441, JT65, and JT6M are all present and functional. I have made + many QSOs with FSK441 and JT65, so I know they are working well. + JT6M has been tested somewhat less, but I have seen no problems as + yet. EME Echo mode and the CWID feature are not yet implemented. + +4. To start the real-time spectral display, click Monitor. Normally + you can leave Monitor on all the time. + +5. There are two ways to set the Rx Audio gain. You can call up the + Windows mixer as before, using the "Rx Volume Control" item on the + Options menu. There is also a digital gain control near the + bottom right of the waterfall screen. You should aim for around 0 + dB, as before -- but with 16-bit audio sampling it is no longer + very critical. Use the "S-meter" at the lower right of the + waterfall display, or the familiar box labeled "Rx noise" at + bottom center of the main screen. + +6. You should be able to make FSK441, JT65, and JT6M QSOs more or + less as usual. In FSK441 and JT6M you will want to run the + spectral display at speed "H1" or "H2" (speed is selected at the + top of the waterfall screen). (The "H" means horizontal + scrolling.) Scrolling speeds "5" and "H2" use a lot of CPU time, + so you may want to avoid them unless your computer is pretty fast. + I generally use speed "1" or "2" for JT65 and "H1" for FSK441 and + JT6M. + +7. When running FSK441 in the horizontal scrolling mode, the spectral + display shows current data in the top half and the previous Rx + sequence in the bottom half. The most recently decoded sequence + is shown also on the main screen, as in version 4.x. + +8. You can decode FSK441 pings right away by clicking on any of the + 2-dimensional spectral displays, or the accompanying green lines. + You can click on the top half, the bottom half, or in the main + screen's graphical area. + +9. If you have more than one sound card, you can select the desired + one. Look at the startup messages in the console window. You + should see a list of the available Audio devices and information + about which one has been selected. If you wish to change the + selection, enter the desired device numbers on the Setup->Options + screen, then terminate and restart the program. + +10. If your display has resolution 1024 x 768 or less, you may prefer + to resize the waterfall window so that only its top portion + remains visible. The two main WSJT windows may then be kept + visible without overlapping. + +11. Some program crashes can kill the console window so that you can't + read the error messages. If this happens, and if the crash is + repeatable, open a Windows Command-Prompt window; CD to your WSJT6 + installation directory, and start the program from there by typing + "WSJT6". With this startup procedure, any subsequent post-mortems + will remain visible. Please report any such messages to me! + +12. You may find decoding to be slightly slower than with v4.9.x. I + have not yet spent any time optimizing the new code for speed; it + will get faster when I turn attention to that task. If you have + an older computer you may wish to check the menu item + "Setup->Accelerated decoding", which will suspend updating the + waterfall during the decoding process. + +13. Be sure to look at the screens called up by function keys F1 and + Shift-F1. These screens are also available from the Help menu. + They list some useful keyboard and mouse commands that you might + otherwise overlook. + +14. Be sure to explore all the menus and on-screen controls, and try + out the commands listed on the help screens. Until I can find + time to write a new manual, this is the best way to learn about + some of the new features. + +15. In JT65 mode, a horizontal green line on the frequency scale shows + the range of frequencies that will be searched for a sync tone. + You can set the "Freeze DF" value by clicking on the main screen's + red curve (as in WSJT 4.x) or by clicking on the waterfall with + the shift key held down. If "Freeze" is checked, vertical green + ticks will mark the selected sync-tone frequency and the + corresponding frequency of the highest data tone. Red tick marks + denote the frequencies of the RO, RRR, and 73 shorthand messages. + +16. WSJT6 can read and process WAV files produced by earlier versions. + The converse is not true, however, because earlier versions of + WSJT are not equipped to read the 16-bit data files produced by + WSJT6. + +17. When you click "Log QSO," a line with date, time, HisCall, + HisGrid, frequency, and mode is added to the file WSJT.LOG in the + installation directory. + +18. Every second, a short file named "c:\azel.dat" is updated with + time, moon and sun coordinates, frequency, doppler, and doppler + rate information. This file could be used by other software to + make your antenna track or your radio follow doppler changes. + +19. In the lower left corner of the main screen you will see a message + of the form "Soundcard: x.xxxx", where x.xxxx is a number close to + 1.0000. This number is the ratio of the soundcard's measured + sampling frequency to the nominal value, 11025 Hz. The displayed + value should stabilize after the program has been running for a + minute or so. If you see values less than about 0.9990 or greater + than 1.0010, please let me know about it and tell me what kind of + computer and sound card you are using. + +20. Callsigns for Swaziland (prefix 3DA0) can now be used in standard + JT65 messages, and they will provide the full "deep search" + sensitivity. + +21. The box labeled "NB" enables a software noise blanker. If your + receiver already has a good noise blanker, this may be of little + use; if it does not, you may find this one better than nothing. + It can be helpful when short, impulsive noise spikes are present. + +22. The "QRN" parameter of older WSJT versions has been combined with + the "Clip" parameter. In FSK441 mode, Clip=0 corresponds to the + old QRN=5. If you want more FSK441 immunity to summertime QRN, + increase Clip above 0 just as you would have increased QRN above + 5. + +23. The "B" and "C" submodes of FSK441 have not been implemented. As + far as I could tell, they were little used. + + +Let me call your attention to the online WSJT Forums hosted by DK5YA +at www.vhfdx.de/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl. If you provide information and +post questions about WSJT 5.8 there, it will help others as well as +yourself -- and may help to reduce the load on my email inbox. + +I do, of course, want to hear from you directly if you have found a +problem with the new program version or suggestions for its +improvement. + + +Changes in Version 4.9.8 +------------------------ + +Version 4.9.8 is a minor maintenance release. The changes are: + +1. Bug in JT65 decoder could (rarely) cause a correct decoding by the + Reed-Solomon decoder to be "overruled" by an incorrect decoding + from the Deep Search decoder. Fixed. + +2. Bug in JT65 Reed-Solomon decoder could cause program to crash under + certain rare conditions. Fixed. + +3. The standard "CQ" message generated for a callsign having an extra + prefix or suffix should not include a grid locator. Fixed. + +4. Automatically generated CW messages for stations with callsigns longer + than 4 characters were improperly truncated. Fixed. + +5. Bug in JT65 decoder could occasionally cause one or two extra + letters to be appended to a correctly decoded callsign. Fixed. + +6. Grid locator entered in "Report" box in FSK441 mode (as used by + some in North American meteor scatter contest) would cause a crash + on program restart. Fixed. + + +Changes in Version 4.9.7 +------------------------ + +1. The only change in version 4.9.7 is to add KC4 to the list of supported + DXCC prefixes. + + +Changes in Version 4.9.6 +------------------------ + +1. WSJT 4.9.5 fails to decode some files that have relatively high S/N + and good Sync level. This is a bug, and has been fixed. For this + reason alone, you should definitely upgrade to Version 4.9.6. + +2. New optional message formats are provided for conveying and + responding to signal reports. + + It has been permissible for some time to send, for example, + + VK7MO K1JT -24 + K1JT VK7MO R-27 + + (The number after the minus sign must have two digits and must be in + the range -01 to -30.) + + I plan to implement a quick way of copying the measured strength + of a decoded transmission into TX message #2, when desired. This + is not yet done in v4.9.6, however. You must edit the TX messages + by hand if you use these formats. + + Enhancements in version 4.9.6 now allow you to send messages like + the ones listed below. Both stations will need to be running + v4.9.6 in order for these to work: + + VK7MO K1JT RO + VK7MO K1JT RRR + VK7MO K1JT 73 + +3. Decoding by the deep search algorithm has been extended so as to + include messages of the types discussed in item 2. + + +Changes in Version 4.9.5 +------------------------ + +1. Full support for long callsigns like ZA/PA2CHR and G4ABC/P is now + provided. When using such a callsign prefix or suffix, do not + include a grid locator in your transmitted message. Note that + 4.9.5 and 4.9.2 do not handle prefixes in the same way; they are + not compatible. To get the benefit of the expanded capability, + both stations (TX and RX) must use 4.9.5. The correct message + format is "K1JT V5/ZS5Y" or "V5/ZS5Y K1JT". The extended callsign + must be present in CALL3.TXT or in "To Radio" for the deep-search + decoder to be effective. + +2. If you double-click on a callsign in the decoded text window, and if + the word preceding the callsign is "CQ", then TX message #1 will be + selected after the messages are updated. Otherwise, TX message #2 + will be selected. + +3. So that you will be aware of what is happening, the background + color in the TX message box turns red whenever a message you have + entered is "non-standard" and will be sent as 13 characters of + plain text. + +4. Items related to decoding have been removed from the Setup | + Options screen and replaced by a new menu labeled Decoding. Here + you may now select "No shorthands" for FSK441 and several options + for JT65 decoding. + +5. In case you are upgrading directly from v4.9.0 or earlier to v4.9.5, + a callsign database file has been included as CALL3A.TXT. If you do + not already have a file CALL3.TXT, you should rename the supplied + file to CALL3.TXT. Otherwise, you will probably want to ignore + the supplied file, since you will have made additions to your own + copy. + +6. The frequency of program crashes (for example, after a long period + of monitoring) is much reduced, possibly to zero. + +Please, if you encounter a received wave file that reproducibly causes +WSJT to crash, send it to me. + + +Changes in Version 4.9.2 +------------------------ + +1. In CW mode you can now set the desired T/R period by using the text + box provided. This feature did not work properly in v4.9.1. + +2. Under some conditions using the "Add" button to edit information in + the file CALL3.TXT would cause a program crash with the message + "Run-time Error #53". Fixed. + +3. Using the double-mouse-click on a callsign in the decoded text + window will now set the active Tx Message to Tx2. I believe this + will be most commonly what is desired, and will be an added + convenience for random JT65 operation. + +4. The "Sked" box remained visible on the EME Echo screen, covering + part of the RIT box. Fixed. + +5. The program generates two numbers to characterize its level of + confidence in decoded messages. In version 4.9.1, these numbers + appeared at the end of each decoded text line. They are not + displayed in version 4.9.2, but in the next version I will + probably display them if you have checked the "Aggressive decoding" + box. The first number is 0 or 1 according to whether the + soft-decision Reed Solomon decoder has failed or succeeded. The + second number represents a confidence level on a 0-10 scale for + messages decoded using the "deep search" algorithm. Anything under + 3 is questionable; messages rated 6 and above are unlikely to be + wrong, unless you are processing "garbage" data containing strong + birdies, QRN, etc. In that case, you are on your own. + + +6. A bug was introduced when implementing the "Aggressive decoding" + check box. This bug caused a stray "OOO" flag to be sometimes + displayed even when no signal was present and synchronization had + not been achieved. Fixed. + + +Changes in Version 4.9.1 +------------------------ + +1. A programming error in version 4.9.0 prevented the "deep search" +portion of the JT65 decoder from detecting some messages that include +the "OOO" signal report. The bug has been fixed, and consequently the +extra 4 dB of sensitivity will become available for those messages. + +2. The callsign database, a file named CALL2.TXT in version 4.9.0, has +been converted to a comma-delimited format and is now named CALL3.TXT. +As has been true in the past, you should maintain your own copy of +this file according to your own needs. New calls may be added to the +file using the "Add" button of WSJT, and you can edit the file +directly with the Windows NotePad program. I apologize for the fact +that if you have already edited CALL2.TXT extensively, you will need +to do so again. The good news is that the programs WSJT, MoonSked (by +GM4JJJ) and Tracker (by W7GJ) will now use the same database file, +CALL3.TXT. + +3. Two new JT65 check boxes have been made available to the user: one +labeled "Sked", located on the main screen, and one labeled "Aggressive +decoding" on the Setup | Options screen. Check "Sked" to signify that +you are trying to work a known station; the deep search decoder will +then look only for your own call and the one displayed in the "To +Radio" box. Check "Aggressive search" if you want to see all messages +found by the deep-search decoder, even if the confidence level is +moderately low. Leave this box unchecked if you prefer to see only +decoded messages that have been assigned a relatively high confidence. + +4. The duration of T/R sequences in CW mode defaults to 60 s if the +Band is 50 MHz, 150 s if 432 MHz, and 120 s otherwise. However, an +on-screen box now allows you to override the defaults and set any +desired T/R period (in seconds). + + +Changes in Version 4.9.0 +------------------------ + +On the outside WSJT version 4.9.0 looks nearly the same as its recent +predecessors. A "CW" entry now appears on the Mode menu. This is +presently a "transmit only" mode: it sends standard EME-style messages +at 15 WPM, by keying an 800 Hz audio tone, and it takes care of the +timing and T/R switching for you. Receiving is left up to you, the +operator. For me, this combination makes CW EME QSOs relaxing and +enjoyable. Presently the program uses 2.5 minute sequences if you are +on 432 MHz, 2 minutes on 144 MHz, and 1 minute on 50 MHz. (If you +want to run with 1-minute sequences on 144, set the band indicator to +50 MHz.) + +Double-clicking on a callsign in either one of the decoded text +windows will cause that callsign to be copied into the "To Radio" box. +The call will then be looked up in the database and will be inserted +appropriately into the transmit message boxes Tx1 and Tx2. This +feature is designed to facilitate random JT65 operation by making it +easy to call a station you have just copied calling CQ, or responding +to your CQ. + +The most significant program enhancements are those made to the JT65 +decoder. It has been transformed into a multi-layered procedure that +takes better advantage of the structured nature of JT65 messages and +the substantial computing capability that most WSJT users have in +their hamshacks. + +In version 4.9.0, if the initial JT65 decoding effort fails then +deeper searches are attempted using an entirely different approach. +The result is a net gain of about 4 dB over a wide range of +circumstances. My JT65 digital simulator, which has accurately +predicted the performance of previous versions of the software, +correctly decodes about 50% of simulated Rx files with the v4.7.0 +decoder at a signal level of -24 dB. With the v4.9.0 decoder, it +correctly decodes more than half of the simulated data files at -28 +dB. This very substantial improvement means that JT65's +message-averaging facility will be needed much less frequently than +with earlier versions of WSJT. Most of the time, if the transmission +synchronizes properly, it will also decode properly. + + +You will get better performance from the new JT65 decoder if you +understand a few things about how it works. The following is a very +brief description; more complete technical details will be forthcoming +when I find time to write it all down. + +JT65 is capable of transmitting and receiving 2^72 (about 5 x 10^21) +distinct user messages. Instead of sending the minimum number of 72 +information bits needed to to convey any one of those distinct +messages, the program actually sends 63 six-bit "symbols" for a total +of 378 bits in each transmission. The 302 extra bits comprise the +powerful forward error correction (FEC) capability of the JT65 mode, +allowing the system to function reliably with signals far below the +audible threshold. + +One of the first tasks of the JT65 decoder is to measure the signal +level at each of the 64 data-tone frequencies during each of the 63 +data intervals in a transmission. The program must then decide which +one of the possible 2^72 messages was most likely the one sent. This +procedure is necessarily probabilistic in nature. The best decoder +will go as far down into the noise as possible, but it must also know +when to give up so that it produces few false decodes. + +The total of 2^72 distinct messages is far too many to permit each one +to be tested individually against the received signal. However, an +important characteristic of the Reed-Solomon FEC code used in JT65 is +that well-defined mathematical algorithms can be used to direct the +decoder toward the most likely candidate messages, based on the +available signal information. A mathematical inversion of the code is +made possible by the organization of the redundant information +contained in the 306 extra bits. + +The new JT65 decoder goes far beyond the capabilities of normal +Reed-Solomon decoders. If the standard decoding procedure fails to +produce a high-confidence solution, the program proceeds to search +explicitly for each one of a number of messages that it considers +likely or plausible on other grounds. + +Nearly 2^28 (over 250 million) different callsigns can be accommodated +in each of the two callsign fields of a JT65 message. Once again, +this is far too many to permit an exhaustive search for them all. +Consequently, the "deep search decoder" takes the callsigns listed in +the file CALL2.TXT (located in the user's WSJT directory) as being the +most likely alternatives in the message's second field. A correlation +algorithm is then applied to find out if one of these calls and its +associated grid locator are present, combined with either "CQ" or the +receiving station's callsign in the first field. High-confidence +matching of this kind can be accomplished down to about -28 dB on the +WSJT scale, in a single transmission, with a very low error rate. + +The bottom line is that for any arbitrary callsign the new JT65 +decoder performs at least as well as the one in WSJT version 4.7.0. +Message averaging works just as it did before, and if you are +listening in to a "third party" QSO between two other stations, the +sensitivity will be the same as in version 4.7.0. However, if a +station that is listed in the file CALL2.TXT is calling CQ or is +calling you, your sensitivity will be about 4 dB better on average. + +Please note that the decoder is given no information whatsoever about +what station you may be trying to work. Its heart is "as pure as the +driven snow," even if you are working a sked. However, the decoder +does presume that the callsign of the transmitting station is more +likely to be one listed in CALL2.TXT than some other callsign +constructed at random. + +The program always attempts to decode a purely arbitrary message +first. Failing that, it will look more deeply in the noise for the +presence of a message that includes the callsign of a station listed +in the database file. + +It is no accident that the algorithm just described bears close +resemblance to the thought processes (conscious and otherwise) that we +use to copy very weak CW by ear. Familiar combinations like CQ and +one's own callsign are always easier to dig out of the noise than +random combinations of characters. Callsigns that we have seen or +heard before are more easily recognized than arbitrary calls generated +at random. The new JT65 decoder behaves similarly, except that it +is kept fully in the dark about who you are trying to work. + +All decoders make mistakes, and this one is no exception. Just like a +human copying CW, the JT65 decoder has a "grey area" in which it finds +a solution but may have only moderate confidence in it. In such cases +the decoder appends a "?" to the decoded text, and the operator must +make the final decision as to whether the decoding is correct. Be +aware that because of the mathematical message structure, incorrect +decodings will not just differ from the correct one in a few +characters; more likely, they will exhibit a whole incorrect callsign. +As you gain experience in recognizing the graphical and numerical +indications of proper message synchronization and the effects of +"birdies" and other interference, you will become adept at making +these decisions when necessary. With added on-the-air experience I will +probably be able top reduce the decoder's error rate, as well. + +A final note: the file CALL2.TXT replaces the file CALLSIGN.TXT used +by earlier versions of WSJT. The format has been changed to permit +extended callsigns such as those sometimes used by DXpeditions, for +example ZA/PA2CHR. The name of the database file has been changed so +as not to "break" an earlier version of WSJT that you may wish to keep +available. Full support for extended callsigns (i.e., calls with an +extra prefix or suffix) is planned for a future version of WSJT. + + +Changes in Version 4.7.0 +------------------------ + +1. New feature: WSJT can now be used simultaneously with Spectran on +the same computer. You can start Spectran by selecting "Use Spectran +for input" on the Setup menu. This feature also allows the user to +select the sound card to be used for input. + +2. Bug fix: in some circumstances, switching from a JT65 long-format +message to a shorthand message did not work properly. Fixed. + +3. Bug fix: for operators in the southern hemisphere and longitudes +more than 90 degrees east or west, the wrong "Hot spot" was sometimes +identified as the best direction for sporadic meteors. Fixed. + + +Changes in Version 4.6.1 +------------------------ + +1. Bug fix: I mistakenly shifted the RX data by 2 seconds, rather +than the intended 1 s, when changing the DT range. Therefore in +v4.6.0 the actual DT range is not -1 to +5 s as stated, but rather 0 +to +6 s; moreover, the displayed values of DT are too small by 1.0 s. +This has been fixed. + +2. New feature: thanks to Akira, JM1SZY, I learned that occasionally a +file (or an average of several files) will decode better with the AFC +feature turned off. Consequently I have added a checkbox that must be +ticked to activate AFC in the JT65 modes. If you can trust the +frequency stability of the signal you are receiving, and especially if +you are trying to receive a signal at -27 dB or weaker, leaving this +box unchecked may yield a slight improvement in decoding. In most +cases, especially at 144 MHz and above, I recommend leaving the AFC +turned ON. + +3. Thanks to Chris, GW4DGU, for pointing out that the Gx series of +prefixes is no longer legal for reciprocal license operating in the +countries of the UK. The valid prefix series for such operation is +now the M-series, i.e., M MD MI MJ MM MU MW. I have changed the +prefix table accordingly. + +Version 4.6 +----------- + +This is the first full release of WSJT since version 3.0. New users +can install Version 4.6 directly, without upgrading from a previous +installation. Of course, you can also upgrade from an earlier version +in the usual way. All download files can be found on the WSJT home +page, http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT. + +The new release includes an entirely new "WSJT 4.6 User's Guide." +This document is about one third the length of the former "User's +Guide and Reference Manual," but contains nearly everything you need +to know to use the program. A copy of the new Guide is included in +the version 4.6 distribution files. You can also download it directly +from http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT/WSJT_User_460.pdf. Even if +you are an experienced WSJT user, you should definitely print and read +this document. + +New features in WSJT Version 4.6 include the following: + +1. Improved automatic frequency control in JT65 modes. If you have +lost JT65 QSOs because of unstable oscillators, this is for you. + +2. The acceptable range for DT in JT65 mode is now -1 to +5 s. This +range is a better fit for EME communication than the former -2 to +4 +s. It will allow for somewhat greater clock errors before +inter-station synchronization fails on an EME path. + +Note to experienced users: this means that the plotting scale for the +"blue curve" now runs from -1 to +5 s. EME signals should normally +produce a blue peak near the center of the plot area. + +3. When the blue window displaying moon coordinates has been toggled +to display coordinates for the DX station as well as the home station, +it now displays MaxNR in place of SD. MaxNR is the maximum path +non-reciprocity in dB. This effect arises from the combination of +spatial polarization shift plus Faraday rotation; it is what causes +"one way propagation" between stations that use fixed linear +polarization. + +4. A facility for generating the file ID.WAV for station identification +is now built into WSJT. + +5. The "Save Decoded" menu item now saves files with decoded shorthand +messages as well as normal messages. + +6. JT65 has a new shorthand message "ATT" (for "Attention!"). It is +intended as an aid to help two stations find each other by determining +the correct DF. + +7. Visual aids for evaluating JT65 shorthand messages "by eye" are +provided if you click on the sync-tone frequency in the Big Spectrum +display. + +8. For DXpeditions: a country prefix preceded by "/" may be +substituted for the grid locator in a type 1 JT65 message. + +9. Alternatively, a signal report of the form "-NN" or "R-NN" may be +substituted for the grid locator in a type 1 JT65 message. For +example, -24 might indicate that signals were being received at -24 +dB. The minus sign is required, and NN must lie between 01 and 30. + +10. The receiver noise level reported by Measure mode (the level of the +"green line") has been increased by 2 dB to be consistent with levels +reported by the other operating modes. + + +Changes in Version 4.5.1 +------------------------ + +Bug fixes: + +1. JT6M did not transmit properly in version 4.5.0 because the program +failed to switch its wavefile generator into JT6M mode. Fixed. + +2. WSJT consumed a large fraction of CPU time in JT65 mode, even when +the program was supposedly doing nothing. Fixed. + +3. Monitoring for long periods in JT65 mode would occasionally produce +a Fortran "output conversion error". Fixed. + +4. Clicking the "Add" button with nothing in the Grid box would cause +a program crash. Fixed. + + +Enhancements: + +1. In the FSK441 modes, messages longer than 3 nonblank characters and +starting with R26, R27, RRR, or 73 are no longer transmitted as +shorthand messages. + +2. Onscreen labels now indicate active status of the "Save Decoded", +"Save All", and "Save text in File DECODED.CUM" features. + +3. Small improvements have been made in the decoding of shorthand +messages in modes FSK441B and C. + +4. Alphabetic characters in message templates (on the Setup | Options +screen) are now case-insensitive. + + +Principal New Features in WSJT Version 4.5 +------------------------------------------ + +1. The JT65 modes employ an entirely new decoding algorithm that uses +"soft decisions" to recover the transmitted message. The message +format and Reed-Solomon encoding are unchanged, so the JT65A, B, and C +modes are fully compatible with earlier versions. However, the new +decoder is more sensitive by slightly more than 1 dB. It is based on +software licensed from CodeVector Technologies, LLC, and protected +under United States Patent 6,634,007. As usual, however, I am making +WSJT freely available for amateur radio use. + +Changes to the JT65 modes are "under the hood," and except for the +improved performance you will find them mostly invisible. The new +decoder can be somewhat slower than the one in v4.3.4, depending on +details of the received data. + + +2. Like JT65, FSK441 now provides three submodes. FSK441A is +identical to the "classical" FSK441. The two new modes, FSK441B and +FSK441C, use the same 4-tone frequency shift keying at 441 baud. +However, they use forward error correction (FEC) on a +character-by-character basis, to improve message reliability. They +also provide shorthand messages which are more robust than the +single-tone messages of traditional FSK441. Cross-mode communication +will not work: a transmission in FSK441B must be received in FSK441B, +etc. + +FEC information in FSK441B and FSK441C is conveyed by sending +additional channel symbols (tones) for each character, using special +codes designed to optimize the error rate and sensitivity with very +short pings. The additional symbols are redundant when the S/N is +high, but they allow recovery from transmission errors when the S/N is +low. + +FSK441A, which provides no redundancy, transmits 3 symbols per +character. Modes B and C use 4 and 7 symbols per character, +respectively. The raw throughput of user information is summarized +in the following table: + + FSK441A FSK441B FSK441C +---------------------------------------------------------------- +Sequential tones per character 3 4 7 +User data rate, characters/second 147 110 63 +Time for a 12-character message, ms 82 109 190 + + +The shorthand messages in FSK441B and FSK441C use alternating tones at +two specific frequencies, as follows: + +Shorthand Low tone High tone + message (Hz) (Hz) +------------------------------ + R26 861 1206 + R27 861 1550 + RRR 861 1895 + 73 861 2239 + +Tests with my digital simulator show that shorthand messages in +FSK441B and FSK441C are several dB more sensitive than the ST messages +of FSK441A. At the same time they give a far lower rate of false +positives. + +With multi-tone messages the sensitivities of the three submodes are +nearly the same, but they have different trade-offs. Mode A is 25 +percent faster than mode B, but mode B is more accurate and will +produce much less on-screen "gibberish". Mode C is about half the +speed of mode A but has still stronger FEC code. Parameters of the B +and C modes were selected in the expectation that FSK441B might become +the mode of choice for meteor scatter work on 144 MHz (and possibly +also 222 MHz), while FSK441C will likely prove best at 50 MHz where +the pings are longer. These suppositions need to be tested, of +course. + +Experienced WSJT users should have no difficulty making the new modes +work. Just select the desired mode from the Mode menu (or use the +appropriate hot-key combination), and away you go. + + +Other Changes in Version 4.5.0 +------------------------------ + +1. Bug fix: In JT65 mode, if you sent 73s and then started a QSO with +a new station, the program would sometimes continue sending the 73 +message even though TX message #1 had been checked. This has been +fixed. + +2. Performance enhancement: Shorthand messages in JT65 were sometimes +suppressed because of an apparent low-value Sync detection that +produced no decoded message. This has been fixed; there is no longer +any need to set your Sync threshold to a higher value when you are +expecting to receive a shorthand message. + +3. The JT65 "Filter" function has been removed. It was confusing to +some, and anyway was generally deemed of little value. The new +decoder provides a much better solution. + +4. The "suggested report" has been deleted from FSK441 decoded text +lines. It is replaced by S/N, the measured signal-to-noise ratio in +dB. Note that the familiar "dB" measurement of (S+N)/N is still +available, as well. + +5. Finer adjustment intervals are provided for "S", the FSK441 ping +detection limit. As in earlier version, these numbers refer to +(S+N)/N. In contrast, the "Single Tone" or "Shorthand" detection +limits refer to S/N, a more useful parameter at very low signal +levels. (See below for more details on signal to noise ratios, if +interested.) + +6. A button labeled "Add" just below the grid locator box will cause +the displayed callsign and grid to be entered into the CALLSIGN.TXT +database. + +7. A date and time stamp is now added to the DECODED.CUM file at +program startup or when you first enable writing to this file. + + +Request to Users +---------------- + +As usual, I will appreciate hearing from users about the new features +in WSJT. Let me know, of course, if you find bugs or other problems +in the program. In particular, let me know of your experiences with +FSK441B and FSK441C. Remember, my guess is that FSK441B should work very +well on 2 meters, while FSK441C may work best on 6 meters. After +you have gained some experience with FSK441C on 6 meters, I would be +interested to know whether you think JT6M should be retired. In North +America, at least, I do not think it is being used very much. + + +Why use both S/N and (S+N)/N ? +------------------------------ + +WSJT has traditionally measured the level of FSK441 signals as the +ratio (signal plus noise)/(noise) = (S+N/N), in dB. This quantity is +approximately what S-meters try to measure; it has the advantage that +it goes to zero when there is no signal, while at high signal levels +it increases as you would expect, in proportion to signal strength. + +At low signal levels, however, the numbers for (S+N)/N in dB behave in +a way that may be counter-intuitive. When WSJT reports that a meteor +ping had strength 3 dB, it means that signal plus noise was 3 dB +higher than noise alone. That means that signal and noise were equal +in power, so the corresponding value of S/N must be 0 dB. If the same +signal had been transmitted with half the power, it would have had S/N += -3 dB, and (S+N)/N would have been 10*log(0.5+1.0) = 1.76 dB. Yes, +cutting the TX power in half would only reduce the ping level from +3.0 dB to 1.76 dB! That's why, for many purposes, S/N is a more +useful number -- and why I am now listing both numbers in FSK441 +decoded text lines. + +The table below will allow you to convert easily between S/N and +(S+N)/N, both as numerical ratios and as dB. + + S/N S/N (S+N)/N (S+N)/N + (dB) (dB) +---------------------------------------- + 10.0 10.000 11.000 10.41 + 9.0 7.943 8.943 9.51 + 8.0 6.310 7.310 8.64 + 7.0 5.012 6.012 7.79 + 6.0 3.981 4.981 6.97 + 5.0 3.162 4.162 6.19 + 4.0 2.512 3.512 5.46 + 3.0 1.995 2.995 4.76 + 2.0 1.585 2.585 4.12 + 1.0 1.259 2.259 3.54 + 0.0 1.000 2.000 3.01 + -1.0 0.794 1.794 2.54 + -2.0 0.631 1.631 2.12 + -3.0 0.501 1.501 1.76 + -4.0 0.398 1.398 1.46 + -5.0 0.316 1.316 1.19 + -6.0 0.251 1.251 0.97 + -7.0 0.200 1.200 0.79 + -8.0 0.158 1.158 0.64 + -9.0 0.126 1.126 0.51 + -10.0 0.100 1.100 0.41 + + +Beta Release 4.3.4 +------------------ + +Beta Release 4.3.4 of WSJT is now available for free download at the +WSJT home page, http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT. The principal +change from version 4.2.1 is to offer three JT65 submodes. The +submodes differ in tone spacing and total bandwidth as follows: + + Mode Spacing Total BW + ------------------------- + JT65A 2.7 Hz 177.6 Hz + JT65B 5.4 355.3 + JT65C 10.8 710.6 + +Note that JT65A is identical to the original JT65. If you want to +work people who have not yet upgraded to v4.3.4, be sure to select +mode JT65A. Otherwise, be sure to use the same mode that your QSO +partner is using. Cross-mode contacts will not work. + +JT65B should be nearly as sensitive as JT65A, and it will be twice as +forgiving of frequency instabilities. On balance, with existing +"stock" radios, JT65B will probably be better than JT65A. JT65C is +less sensitive by a small amount, perhaps 1 dB, but will be even more +lenient on stability issues. By all means experiment with the +different submodes, and be sure to let me know your conclusions about +them! + +I am presently inclined to recommend that JT65B should become the +"standard" JT65 mode. If this tentative conclusion holds up, future +versions of the program may no longer support the A and C modes. + +Other changes from version 4.2.1 include the following: + +1. Further improvements have been made to the JT65 decoding + algorithm. These improvements apply to all three submodes. Some + wave files that would not decode with v4.2.1 now decode properly, + especially in averages over several minutes. + +2. The frequency width W of the sync tone (the "red spike") is now + measured and displayed in Hz after DF in the main text box. In any + of the three JT65 modes, W should be no more than 2-4 Hz under good + conditions. Uncorrected frequency drifts, excessive oscillator + phase noise, and certain propagation effects can make the width + larger. Anything over about about 4 Hz will impair copy in JT65A. + Similarly, widths greater than about 7 and 15 Hz will begin to + impair copy in JT65B and C, respectively. + +3. The utility program CWID.EXE now accepts lower case letters on the + command line. It also permits you to specify the audio frequency + of the tone in the wave file. You may wish to place the tone at + 600 Hz or lower so that it lies well below the tones generated by + any of the WSJT operating modes. + +4. The "Clip" function has been improved in several ways. The yellow + and magenta curves in the Big Spectrum display no longer disappear + when Clip > 0. Setting Clip = 3 does hard clipping, as before, but + it also blanks out any data regions with average power well above + the "baseline" of the green curve. Experimenting with different + values of Clip may help you to recover good copy from noisy data. + +5. I believe that the text window displays in Monitor mode, and when + you are using the Include/Exclude buttons, now function correctly. + +6. Minor bug fixes: the program no longer crashes in EME Echo mode if + you select "EME Calc | Load | Cancel". The correct "S" value is + listed on the status bar in JT6M mode. + +7. The program's "Fit and finish" is improved in several not very + important ways. + + +WSJT Version 4.2.1 +------------------ + +Version 4.2.1 contains a number of enhancements and bug fixes, mostly +related to the new JT65 mode. Changes from version 4.1.1 include the +following: + + 1.1 Message averaging now works correctly + 1.2 Many small improvements to the decoding algorithm + 1.3 Decoding speed improved by 50% + 1.4 JT65 monitor mode is properly implemented + 1.5 TX message can be changed up to t=59 s of preceding RX period + 1.6 Switch to a shorthand TX message at any time + 1.7 Freeze works properly for shorthand messages + 1.8 Decodes with failed FEC (forward error correction) are + optionally displayable + 1.9 "Garbage filter" provided so that questionable decodes appear + only if they contain some recognizable text + 1.10 Automatic station ID, as in FSK441 and JT6M modes + 1.11 Companion program to generate a CW ID.WAV file is included + 1.12 The birdie zapper now works in JT65 mode + 1.13 "Clip" function has been reactivated + 1.14 F5 help screen updated to reflect JT65 practices + 1.15 "OOO" message handled more transparently + 1.16 Optional display of Moon Az/El at DX station, replacing Sun + Az/El + 1.17 Right/Left audio out now works properly + 1.18 DT displayed as blank rather than 0.0 for shorthand + messages + 1.19 No program crash if ToRadio or Grid left empty + 1.20 No program crash if attempting to decode 60 s file in JT6M + 1.21 All other reported problems causing crash have been fixed + + ++-------------------------------------------------------------+ +| Quick Start Guide to Using WSJT version 4 and the JT65 Mode | ++-------------------------------------------------------------+ + +Version 4 of WSJT marks a significant departure in the program's +evolution. The list of features is no longer a full superset of +those available in all previous versions. In particular, the +JT44 mode is gone; it is replaced by a new mode called JT65 that +I hope will be a significant improvement for making QSOs via EME +and extremely weak tropospheric paths. + +The procedure for upgrading to version 4 is identical to previous +upgrades, with one exception: the setup procedure will install a +new program in your existing WSJT directory, but will keep the +old version alive as well. The two versions of the program can +coexist peacefully. During a testing period you will probably +want the older version and JT44 to be available as well. + + +What is different about JT65, compared to JT44? Here's a short +list: + +1. T/R period 60 s; actual TX audio duration 46.8 s. (Yes, this +will put somewhat more stress on your PA. If its cooling is +marginal, take appropriate action.) + +2. Modulation uses 64 data tones plus a sync tone. + +3. Tones are spaced by 2.7 Hz in frequency and 0.372 s in time. +The total occupied bandwidth of a JT65 signal is about 180 Hz. + +4. Transmissions consist of 63 data tones or "symbols," each +carrying 6 bits of information. In addition there are 63 sync +symbols for establishing time and frequency synchronization. + +5. Software AFC (automatic frequency control) can follow drift +rates up to about +/-10 Hz/minute. + +6. User messages are tightly "source coded" into 72 bits. + +7. Strong FEC (forward error correction) coding is used to +mitigate transmission errors. + +8. User-level message formats are designed to permit maximum +possible efficiency in EME or similar QSOs. A valid message must +be be one of three possible types: + + 1. "Call1 Call2 Grid" or "Call1 Call2 Grid OOO" + 2. "RO", "RRR", or "73" (so-called shorthand messages) + 3. "any text you want" (up to 13 characters selected + from a 42-character alphabet) + +Instead of a callsign, the first field of a message type 1 may +contain "CQ" or "QRZ". Other such "special tokens" may be added +later. The available alphabet of characters for message type 3 +is: + 0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ +-./? + +9. Instead of JT44's very effective intra-message averaging of +the even, odd, and "last N" characters of a message, JT65 offers +even more powerful special shorthand messages for RO, RRR, and +73. These have much higher sensitivity than the other message +types. They work reliably down to about -30 dB. If you +succeed in exchanging callsigns and "OOO" by means of type 1 +messages, you should certainly be able to complete the QSO. + +10. Message averaging over subsequent transmissions works as it +did in JT44, with one exception. The "OOO" signal report +typically used for EME can be appended to message #1 and the +message will continue averaging without any need to start over. +The presence or absence of "OOO" will be detected if sync is +achieved, whether or not full decoding has been successful. + +11. Receiving FEC-decoded transmissions takes some getting used +to. You will find *much* less gibberish on your screen in JT65 +than in JT44. The FEC algorithm has a good idea whether it has +succeeded or not, and the program will suppress output unless it +is "pretty sure" that it has got the message right. You will +discover that when the FEC procedure fails and the program has +not realized it, text is occasionally produced looks like +plausible (but quite wrong) callsigns or grid locators. You must +mentally reject such garbage messages, when they occur. In the +small amount of on-the-air testing that JT65 has enjoyed so far, +my experience is that that only a few percent of decoded messages +are displayed incorrectly. Most of the time, received text is +either "letter perfect" or is left blank. + +12. You may optionally have the program display text for instances +when the decoder in uncertain of its results. Doing so makes use of +an "expected message", and you can specify a minimum number of +characters thst must match before uncertain text is displayed. By +default the expected message is "MyCall HisCall HisGrid" where MyCall +is your own callsign, HisCall is the one entered in the onscreen "To +Radio" box, and HisGrid is the first four characters of the grid +locator in the "Grid" box. + +13. At least one design choice used to define the JT65 algorithm is +still subject to change. If the 2.7 Hz tone spacing turns out to be +problematic because of propagation anomalies or inadequate oscillator +stabilities, the spacing could be increased. There are significant +advantages to the smaller spacing, however, so I am sticking with it +for now. + +Beta Release 4.1.1 +------------------ + ++-------------------------------------------------------------+ +| Quick Start Guide to Using WSJT version 4 and the JT65 Mode | ++-------------------------------------------------------------+ + +Version 4 of WSJT marks a significant departure in the program's +evolution. The list of features is no longer a full superset of +those available in all previous versions. In particular, the +JT44 mode is gone; it is replaced by a new mode called JT65 that +I hope will be a significant improvement for making QSOs via EME +and extremely weak tropospheric paths. + +The procedure for upgrading to version 4 is identical to previous +upgrades, with one exception: the setup procedure will install a +new program in your existing WSJT directory, but will keep the +old version alive as well. The two versions of the program can +coexist peacefully. During a testing period you will probably +want the older version and JT44 to be available as well. + + +What is different about JT65, compared to JT44? Here's a short +list: + +1. T/R period 60 s; actual TX audio duration 46.8 s. (Yes, this +will put somewhat more stress on your PA. If its cooling is +marginal, take appropriate action.) + +2. Modulation uses 64 data tones plus a sync tone. + +3. Tones are spaced by 2.7 Hz in frequency and 0.372 s in time. +The total occupied bandwidth of a JT65 signal is about 180 Hz. + +4. Transmissions consist of 63 data tones or "symbols," each +carrying 6 bits of information. In addition there are 63 sync +symbols for establishing time and frequency synchronization. + +5. Software AFC (automatic frequency control) can follow drift +rates up to about +/-10 Hz/minute. + +6. User messages are tightly "source coded" into 72 bits. + +7. Strong FEC (forward error correction) coding is used to +mitigate transmission errors. + +8. User-level mesage formats are designed to permit maximum +possible efficiency in EME or similar QSOs. A valid message must +be be one of three possible types: + + 1. "Call1 Call2 Grid" or "Call1 Call2 Grid OOO" + + 2. "RO", "RRR", or "73" (so-called shorthand messages) + + 3. "any text you want" (up to 13 characters selected + from a 42-character alphabet) + +Instead of a callsign, the first field of a message type 1 may +contain "CQ" or "QRZ". Other such "special tokens" may be added +later. The available alphabet of characters for message type 3 +is: + 0123456789ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ +-./? + +9. Instead of JT44's very effective intra-message averaging of +the even, odd, and "last N" characters of a message, JT65 offers +even more powerful special shorthand messages for RO, RRR, and +73. These have much higher sensitivity than the other message +types. They work reliably down to -30 dB and below. If you +succeed in exchanging callsigns and "OOO" by means of type 1 +messages, you should certainly be able to complete the QSO. + +10. Message averaging over subsequent transmissions is intended +to work as it did in JT44, with one exception. The "OOO" signal +report typically used for EME can be appended to message #1 and +the message will continue averaging without any need to start +over. The presence or absence of "OOO" will be detected if sync +is achieved, whether or not full decoding has been successful. +[Note: message averaging is only partially functional in the +first beta release of the JT65 mode. I will need some experience +with the mode in order to optimize the code here.] + +11. Receiving FEC-decoded transmissions takes some getting used +to. You will find *much* less gibberish on your screen in JT65 +than in JT44. The FEC algorithm has a good idea whether it has +succeeded or not, and the program will suppress output unless it +is "pretty sure" that it has got the message right. You will +discover that when the FEC procedure fails and the program has +not realized it, text is occasionally produced looks like +plausible (but quite wrong) callsigns or grid locators. You must +mentally reject such garbage messages, when they occur. In the +small amount of on-the-air testing that JT65 has enjoyed so far, +my experience is that that only a few percent of decoded messages +are displayed incorrectly. Most of the time, received text is +either "letter perfect" or is left blank. + +12. The program makes use of what it calls the "expected +message". By default this message is "MyCall HisCall HisGrid" +where MyCall is your own callsign, HisCall is the one entered in +the onscreen "To Radio" box, and HisGrid is the first four +characters of the grid locator in the "Grid" box. The AFC +algorithm, in particular, can work more effectively when the +actual message received matches the expected message. + +13. Several design choices used in defining the JT65 algorithm +are still subject to change. If the 2.7 Hz tone spacing turns +out to be problematic because of propagation anomalies or +inadequate oscillator stabilities, the spacing could be +increased. About 1 dB of additional S/N could be obtained by +omitting the "Grid" field of the standard message format. This +would also reduce the maximum "plain text" message length from 13 +characters to 10. + +14. Please note that the "Clip" and "ST" are not functional in +WSJT v4.1.1. Their settings do not affect program operation. + + +Beta Release 3.8.1 +------------------ +This release contains the following new features: + +1. An optional large spectral display. Its axes are reversed with +respect to those of the FSK441 and JT6M waterfall displays; in the new +plot, frequency runs from left to right and time from top to bottom. + +2. A new birdie zapper that is especially effective in the FSK441 and +JT6M modes. You can watch what it is doing by observing the waterfall +displays before and after the "Zap" box is checked. Click "Decode" to +refresh the displays after checking or uncheking "Zap". + +3. Message decoding in FSK441 mode has been improved in several ways. +DF is more accurately determined. Better synchronization is achieved +with the precise timing of 25-sample tone bursts comprising each +message symbol. Folding of messages is no longer attempted. (It +seems that whenever a ping is long enough to make folding effective, +it's also strong enough to make folding unnecessary.) As in previous +versions, the left mouse button allows decoding of single-tone +messages while the right button suppresses them. + +4. It is now permissible to click "Gen Std Msgs" while transmitting in +FSK441 or JT6M mode. When this button is clicked, the Tx message +number will reset to #1 if and only if the callsign in "To Radio" has +changed. + +5. Message formatting templates for FSK441 and JT6M may now include +the special codes %G and %L to insert your 4-digit grid or full +6-digit locator, respectively, in the message. + +6. "Reset Defaults" now resets the QRN level to 5, as it should. + +7. The decoding parameters in use are no longer listed in the Status +Bar at lower right. This listing had become redundant. + +8. In Monitor mode, the name assigned to the Rx wave file begins with +"Mon_" instead of the "To Radio" callsign. + +9. In FSK441 mode, all messages with more than 3 non-blank characters +are transmitted in multi-tone mode. + +Beta Version 3.6.4 +------------------ + +The previous version had the threshold set very low for all mouse-picked +decoding attempts in JT6M mode. This was useful to me for testing, but +produced excessive gibberish. Version 3.6.4 has a reasonable threshold and +produces much cleaner output. In addition, the message averaging algorithm +has been improved. I find that I seldom need to use either "Freeze" or +"FixAve" now. These buttons are still present in version 3.6.4, but unless +I hear that people are finding them useful I may remove them soon. + +An option has been added to the Setup menu so that you can determine +whether you want the "Tx Stop" button to kick you out of Auto Mode, or +not. The default is not to do so. + +***IMPORTANT*** + +If you can make WSJT v3.6.4 crash in normal operation, please let me know +(and tell me how). Also let me know if you find anything that does not +work as intended. I believe the present code behaves well and is nearly +ready to be upgraded from "Beta" status to a full release. + +WSJT Beta Version 3.6.3 +----------------------- +Version 3.6.3 has a number of small improvements, many of them not +immediately visible. Several bugs have been exterminated. The JT6M +decoder works better and is more sensitive. JT6M now has a "FixAve" +checkbox; when this is checked, average messages will be sought only +at the lengths of the automatically generated messages. + + +WSJT Beta Version 3.6.2 +----------------------- +Version 3.6.2 corrects a problem that on a few machines caused a +fatal error that could only be corrected by deleting the initialization +file, WSJT361.INI. + + +WSJT Beta Version 3.6.1 +----------------------- +Version 3.6.1 corrects a problem that caused an immediate termination +on program startup on some users' machines (typically older ones). If +you need this upgrade, you need it bad! + +It also fixes a minor bug that could cause a divide-by-zero error if +you clicked on the plot area when no data was available to analyze. + + +WSJT Beta Version 3.6.0 +----------------------- + +The JT6M mode is only a week old, but many hundreds of QSOs have been +made with it all over the world. This mode is expressly designed for +meteor scatter on 6 meters, but it may be useful with some other +propagation modes as well. It has characteristics that place it about +midway between FSK441 and JT44 in both speed and sensitivity. A +second beta release of WSJT with JT6M, Version 3.6.0, is now available +for downloading at + + http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT/UPD360.EXE + +The download file is about 0.75 MB in length. + + +Comparison of Versions 3.6.0 and 3.5.1 +-------------------------------------- + +1. Version 3.6.0 has a better and faster decoder for JT6M. Further +improvements in this area are still to come. + +2. Several bugs that could cause crashes in V3.5.1 have been fixed. +Version 3.6.0 appears to be quite stable (at least on my own +computers). + +3. Some buttons have been moved from their familiar positions. + +4. Gadgets that Microsoft calls "Up-Down Controls" have replaced the ++/- buttons used for various decoding parameters. + +5. You can now drag the mouse pointer across any portion of the large +plot area to cause decoding of that portion of a recorded file. This +works in both FSK441 and JT6M mode. The area you selected is marked +when the plot is refreshed. + +6. A yellow curve now appears above the green curve in JT6M mode. The +yellow line represents measured power received at the sync-tone +frequency and in the sync-tone intervals. + + +I haven't yet written up any detailed instructions for the JT6M mode. +However, if you are an experienced WSJT user you probably won't need +any. Here are a few things it will be helpful to know about JT6M. + +1. Like JT44, JT6M uses 44-tone FSK with a "sync tone" and 43 possible +data tones -- one for each character in the supported alphanumeric +set. The sync tone is at 1076.66 Hz, and the 43 other possible tones +are spaced at 21.53 HZ intervals up to 2002.59 Hz. The tones are +keyed at a rate of 21.53 baud, so each one lasts for 1/21.53 = 0.04644 +seconds. The sync tone is ON during every 3rd transmission interval; +tones representing two data characters follow each sync tone. The +transmission rate of user data is therefore (2/3)*21.53 = 14.4 +characters per second. The transmitted signal sounds a bit like +piccolo music. + +2. Basic operation is very similar to FSK441. Just select JT6M from +the WSJT "Mode" menu (or use "Shift-F7") and then proceed as usual. + +3. The green line and waterfall display have their usual meanings. + +4. The program attempts to decode both single pings and an "average +message". The average is the last line displayed during each decoding +attempt, and is flagged with an asterisk as in FSK441. The number to +the right of the asterisk is the inferred message length (for example, +the number should be 10 for the message "W8WN K1JT "). If the program +finds the wrong length, the average will be garbled or meaningless. +All message lengths should be even numbers, because odd-length +messages are padded with an extra space at transmission time in order +to make them even. + +5. Clicking with the left mouse button decodes a 4-second block of +data near the mouse pointer. The right button uses a longer segment +of 10 seconds. Drag the mouse with the button down to select any +desired region. Experiment for best decoding as necessary. + +6. As soon as you see some properly decoded text, set the DF box to +the measured DF and check the "Freeze" box. Alternatively, you can +set the Tolerance to a low value (say 25 Hz) after the desired signal +has been identified. Use RIT, if necessary, to bring subsequently +measured DF's down to a small value. + +7. Default settings for the decoder are S > -12 dB, Tol=400 Hz, DF=0 +Hz. + +8. JT6M can work with signals that are up to 13 dB weaker than those +required for FSK441. In the brief on-the-air tests I've made with +W8WN, we have both found that mouse-clicking on the smooth green line, +even where nothing was heard and nothing can be seen, sometimes causes +both callsigns to pop up out of the noise! + + +Version 3.0 +----------- + +A new major release of WSJT, Version 3.0, is now available for free +download. Instructions for upgrading and for complete installations +can be found at http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT. + +What's new in Version 3.0? +-------------------------- + +1. The "User's Guide and Reference Manual" has grown to 51 well + illustrated pages. The new manual includes four major new + sections which together cover: + + a) the EME Echo mode, including the "Measure" sub-mode and the + "EME Calc" utility for estimating the strength of your echoes + from the moon; + b) the nature of the various astronomical calculations done within + WSJT, and a summary of their accuracies; + c) several pages describing availability of Fortran source code for + the DSP algorithms in WSJT, as well as a suite of test programs + for generating simulated data and testing the FSK441 and JT44 + encoding and decoding algorithms; + d) a short essay on possible future developments for WSJT. + +2. The astronomical calculations in WSJT have been overhauled and thoroughly + checked. In practice the differences from V2.9 will seem minor, but as + described in the new manual's Appendix B, the accuracies of + computed positions for the sun and moon, and for the EME Doppler + shift, are now well documented. Computed positions are accurate to + within about 0.04 degrees, and Doppler is better than 1 Hz at 144 + MHz. Exactly what is meant by the displayed data is now described + in the manual, as well. + +3. A new feature has been added on the Help menu. It pops up a screen + summarizing the standard message exchanges used for minimal QSOs + using FSK441 and JT44. No more excuses for not being sure about which + message you should send next! + +4. The Measure mode can now be left running indefinitely, with its output + written to a file. A few individuals have been wanting to use the + program for radio astronomy purposes, and the new version provides a + minimal facility for doing this. + +5. The display screen for the EME Calc utility has been cleaned and + tightened up. + +6. A few other small niceties, all minor in scope. + + +Version 2.9.0 +------------- + +I am pleased to announce the availability of an upgrade to WSJT +Version 2.9. The upgrade provides most of the features of the +soon-to-be-released Version 3.0; I am releasing it now as Version 2.9 +because many users have asked for early access to its new +capabilities. A full release of Version 3.0 must await some updating +of the Users Guide and Reference Manual. Probably a few additional +features will be added by then, as well. Please be patient! + +Version 2.9 is available only as an upgrade. As usual, it can be +downloaded from the WSJT web site, +http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT, or from the European mirror +site http://www.dk5ya.de. New features of the program include the +following: + +1. EME Echo mode now works on certain computers (generally older, +slower ones) that previously refused to run Echo mode properly. The +new version runs fine under Windows 95 on my ancient 100 MHz Pentium +with 32 MB of RAM. + +2. A new feature known as "Measure" can be selected from the main +screen in EME Echo mode. Click the Measure button and your system +will record the received audio for one second, compute the level of +the noise and display the result in units of dB relative to the +nominal WSJT "0 dB" level. The program will repeat this measurement +cycle every 2 seconds and plot the results as a green line in the +graphical screen area. You can use this mode to measure Sun noise, +antenna temperature, ground noise, preamp gain, and a host of other +useful quantities, relative to a chosen reference level. + +3. A pop-up utility labeled "EME Calc" can be selected from the EME +Echo screen. It provides an easy way to predict whether you should be +able to detect your own echoes from the moon, as well as your ability +to work another station by EME. Boxes are provided to enter your TX +power, TX feedline loss, RX noise figure, RX feedline loss, antenna +gain, ground gain, ground noise, and sky temperature. Similar +quantities can be entered for a second station, and you must also +specify the operating frequency. When you click "Compute," the +program will calculate the maximum expected echo strengths for the +"Home Station" and the "DX Station" individually, as well as the +maximum expected signal strength of each station at the other +location. The program also estimates the averaging time that would be +required to detect echoes at the predicted signal level. + +Signal strengths are quoted relative to the WSJT standard, the noise +power in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. If the computed result for your echo +exceeds about -38 dB, you have a chance of being able to detect your +echoes using WSJT. In comparison, echoes are detectable by the human +ear only if they exceed about -14 dB on the same scale, or +equivalently +3 dB in a 50 Hz bandwidth. Note that the estimated +signal strengths are supposed to be the maximum values expected for +the specified conditions. There are many reasons (Faraday rotation, +ionospheric scintillation, libration fading, ...) why the actual +signal strength may be different, and deviations are much more likely +to be downward than upward. The predicted echo strength for my +present 144 MHz station at a reasonably good time of the month is +around -25 dB. My experience has been that the predictions are fairly +good if enough time is spent to be sure of catching a Faraday rotation +peak. + + +A number of smaller enhancements have been made in the EME Echo mode +of WSJT. These include the following: + +4. The program is much better behaved when operating at higher +frequencies, in particular 1296 MHz and above. If you fail to enter +an RIT setting or specify one that would make the return echo fall +outside the audio frequency range 900 - 2100 Hz, the program will +suggest a better RIT value for you to use. + +5. The amount of programmed frequency spread of your transmitted +signal (the "Dither" magnitude) can be set to any value in the range 0 +to 500 Hz. It defaults to 50 Hz. + +6. Instead of accumulating average echo parameters indefinitely, you +can set a parameter "Tavg" that specifies a time constant for +averaging. The default value is 5 minutes; at this setting the +average echo spectrum will build up as before for the first 5 minutes, +but thereafter it will track the signal characteristics over the most +recent 5 minutes. In other words, the average gradually "forgets" the +signals received more than Tavg minutes ago. Setting Tavg to a large +number, say 999 minutes, will closely approximate the program's +previous behavior. If you can detect your EME echoes easily and want +to see how they vary with time, you might set Tavg to 1 minute, start +a "Measure" sequence, and take down the signal level readings at one +minute intervals. + +7. Information sent to the main text window every 6 seconds now +accumulates, with the text window scrolling as necessary. The output +is also (optionally) written to file DECODED.CUM so that you can study +the data later. + + +Other miscellaneous improvements and bug fixes include the following: + +8. In JT44 mode, if the "Grid" box is left empty then no EME Doppler +shift will be displayed. + +9. The minimum "Dsec" increment has been reduced from 1 second to 0.5 +second. This will permit more precise on-the-fly correction of the +Windows clock for use by WSJT, should that be necessary. + +10. JT44 messages are always exactly 22 characters in length, and any +additional characters are ignored. To make this behavior more +obvious, any excess characters are now visibly removed from the screen +when transmission of a message begins. + +11. In Version 2.3.0, hitting the F4 key while in echo mode would +cause the program to crash. Fixed. + +12. Switching between modes could cause the Auto Period button to be +stuck in the disabled or "grayed out" state. Fixed. + +13. The last character in a manually edited FSK441 message was not +sent if the default trailing blank and "<" character were erased. +Fixed. + + +Version 2.3.0 +------------- + +This release of WSJT is the first to include the EME Echo mode. This +mode allows you to detect and measure your own lunar echoes, even if +they are far too weak to hear. The mode can be highly useful for +evaluating your station performance, even if you prefer to use CW +rather than JT44 for your EME QSOs. + +If you are a present user of WSJT with no interest in detecting and +measuring your EME echoes, you will find no significant advantages to +upgrading to WSJT Version 2.3.0. With the exception of a minor bug +fix, the FSK441 and JT44 modes are essentially unchanged. + +You can download the upgrade from the WSJT home page, +http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT, and soon also from the European +mirror site http://www.vhfdx.de/wsjt. To upgrade an existing WSJT +installation of Version 1.9.4 or later you should download and execute +the file UPD230.EXE, which will replace your existing files WSJT.EXE +and WSJT1.DLL with new files of the same name. + +I have not yet produced a new full distribution of the latest version. +Doing this will require extensions to the User's Guide and Reference +Manual, and will probably be accompanied by further improvements to +the program. If you wish to do a full installation of Version 2.3.0 +from scratch you should download the installation file WSJT222.EXE, +run it to install Version 2.2.2, and then upgrade to Version 2.3.0 as +described above. + +Minor Bug Fix: In WSJT Version 2.2.2 and earlier, if you dismissed the +"Setup | Options" page by clicking on the "X" in the upper right +corner of the form, instead of by clicking the "Done" button, the home +station callsign ("My Call") would revert to its default value "K1JT". +(Contrary to popular opinion, this was not an subtle ploy designed to +increase my own VUCC totals; it was simply a coding mistake.) The bug +has now been fixed. + +EME Echo mode is presently a plain, no-frills implementation. You can +activate it from the Mode menu or by striking function key F9. Most +of the familiar WSJT buttons will then disappear from the screen, +leaving just a few that are essential for controlling the Echo mode. +If your station is already operational in the FSK441 and JT44 modes +and you have provided the proper signal levels, all you need to do for +an echo test is to start WSJT Version 2.3.0, hit F9 to switch to EME +Echo mode, aim your antenna at the moon, pick a clear frequency, and +toggle Auto Period On. The program will then start cycling through +the following loop: + +1. Transmit a fixed tone for 2.0 s +2. Wait about 0.5 s for the start of your echo +3. Record the received signal for 2.0 s +4. Analyze and plot the results +5. Repeat from step 1 + +The loop cycle time is 6 seconds, so the transmitter duty cycle is +only 2/6 or 33%. Your transmitter will think it is loafing. At the +start of each transmission the frequency of the transmitted tone is +randomly dithered by an offset up to +/- 100 Hz around a nominal value +of 1500 Hz. The programmed offset is removed from the computed +spectrum of each recording before it is added into the accumulating +average. This procedure helps to minimize the effect of birdies in +the receiver passband: in the average spectrum a fixed-frequency +birdie will be smeared out over a 200 Hz range, while the desired +signal remains sharply defined. + +Two curves are plotted in WSJT's main plot area during each pass +through the Tx/Rx loop. Each represents the spectrum of received +power over a 400 Hz range centered on the expected echo. The curve in +gray is a reference spectrum that you can use to be sure you have +chosen a reasonably birdie-free passband. It is aligned so as to +remove the EME doppler shift computed at the start of your run. The +alignment will not be subsequently adjusted for changes in doppler +shift or for the random dithering of the transmitted frequency. +Stable birdies will therefore stay fixed in the blue spectrum, making +them easy to recognize and evade if necessary. The red curve displays +the desired EME echo signal. Spectra computed for each 2-second +receive period are shifted to correct for changing doppler shift and +for the programmed frequency dithering, and are then averaged. The +EME echo should appear as a narrow spike near the middle of the red +curve, close to DF = 0. + +In addition to the graphical display, a line is presented in the WSJT +text window in the following form: + + N: 16 Sig: -26.3 dB DF: -1.3 Hz Width: 0.7 Hz Q: 9 + +This information gives the number N of Tx/Rx cycles that have been +averaged, the mean signal strength in dB, the measured frequency +offset of the detected echo from the expected frequency, the spectral +width of the echo, and a relative quality indicator for the detection +on a 0 - 10 scale. Signal strength is measured in the same units as +used in the FSK441 and JT44 modes, i.e., in dB relative to the +received noise power in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. Low values of Q +represent dubious detections, in which case the values of signal +strength, DF, and width may be meaningless. + +A note about doppler calculations will be helpful here. Most computer +programs in amateur EME stations use approximate formulae to compute +the position and distance of the moon and the expected doppler shifts +of echos. WSJT is no exception, and I cannot presently quote a firm +figure on the accuracy of its doppler calculations or describe how +their errors depend on lunar coordinates or the accuracy of your +station location. EME Echo mode uses a calculated doppler shift to +align received spectra so that the echo should appear at DF = 0. I +have found that on 2 meters the return signals generally fall within +10 Hz of DF = 0. Further improvements in accuracy of the doppler +routine will be forthcoming. + +If you can hear your own EME echoes you should see a spike in the red +curve within a few seconds after toggling Auto Period On. If your +echoes are 10-15 dB below the audible threshold you should see a +significant spike on the red curve within a few minutes. To give you +a better example of what to expect, consider the parameters of my +station. On 2 meters I run up to 400 Watts to a 17.6 dBd antenna (4 x +9 el yagis) aimed at the horizon. I have never heard my own CW echoes +with this system. However, when the moon is in my elevation window at +0 - 10 degrees I can easily detect my echoes at any time of the month +using WSJT in its EME Echo mode. Indeed, I can turn off the PA and +use my FT-847 barefoot, delivering 35 W to the antenna, and still +detect my echoes rather easily, even with the moon in a "bad" part of +the sky and the path degradation as large as -8 dB. I seem to be able +to detect my echoes reliably down to relative signal levels around -36 +dB. + +The spectral analysis done in EME Echo mode provides a frequency +resolution of 0.67 Hz. If your transmitter or receiver has short-term +frequency stability much worse than this value, so that something +drifts or wobbles by more than about 1 Hz in 2 seconds, your echo +sensitivity will be degraded. Most modern radios have no difficulty +in meeting this standard on the 6 and 2 meter bands, but the higher +UHF and microwave bands will be more problematic. I don't have enough +experience to know what the spectral width of an echo on the 432 MHz +or 1296 MHz band should be after averaging for a few minutes. I have +been measuring widths of 2 Hz or less on 2 meters. + +By default WSJT will assume that your receiver and transmitter are +tuned to the same frequency. An on-screen box labeled "RIT (Hz)" is +provided so that you can inform the program of any offset receiver +tuning, for example to accommodate a large doppler shift. Suppose you +are running a test on 70 cm and the predicted doppler shift at the +start of the run is -1087 Hz. That would cause echoes from the 1400 - +1600 Hz transmitted audio tone to come back as low as 313 Hz, probably +well below the low-frequency cutoff in your receiver's passband. Use +your transceiver's RIT control to offset the receiver tuning by some +round number within a few hundred Hz of the predicted value -- say +-1000 Hz in this example -- and enter this offset in the RIT box +before starting the echo measurement. The program will accommodate +subsequent changes in the doppler shift up to 800 Hz or so, if +necessary, without any further adjustments. Your echo should appear +at the center of the red curve, as usual. You won't need to use +the RIT feature on 6 or 2 meters, where doppler shifts are much +smaller and echoes always fall well within the receiver's SSB +passband. + +Please note that I have so far tested the EME Echo mode only on 2 +meters. You will discover that the software implementation is not yet +highly polished; a number of improvements are already in the works, +but I want to gain the advantage of feedback from other users before I +go too much further. If you use the EME Echo mode -- especially on +bands other than 2 meters -- please send me your comments, +experiences, and suggestions! I am anxious to know how well it works +for you. + + +Version 2.2.2 +------------- + +This is a minor maintenance release. As usual, you can download it +from the WSJT web page, http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT. In +addition to a short update file, UPD222.EXE, a full distribution of +WSJT Version 2.2.2 is available as WSJT222.EXE. + +I had thought that Version 2.2.1 had already fixed a sometimes +baffling bug appearing in earlier versions: if WSJT was terminated +when in its "minimized" state, it could get "stuck" on your Windows +taskbar and refuse to return to a full size display. + +It's not always easy for me to test program revisions on all available +versions of Windows, and it seems that the V2.2.1 fix did not solve +the problem on at least some versions of Windows 98. This time, with +V2.2.2, I believe it's *really* fixed! + +If WSJT is stuck in the minimized state you should fix it as follows, +and then upgrade to Version 2.2.2: + + A) Start WSJT. It should appear in minimized form on the taskbar at + the bottom of your screen. + + B) Right-click on the WSJT taskbar label and select "Move". + + C) Press the "left arrow" and/or "up arrow" keys a few times and + then move the mouse. You should start to see a "dotted frame" + indicating the location of the WSJT screen. + + D) Click the left mouse button, and you should be back in business. + +Then you should download and install UPD222.EXE and upgrade your +system to Version 2.2.2. + + +Version 2.2.1 +------------- + +This is a minor maintenance release. You can download it from the +WSJT web page, http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT. In addition to +the short update file, a new full distribution of WSJT Version 2.2.1 +is available, as well as a new version of the manual addressing the +new program features. + +As always, I will be pleased to receive comments and suggestions at +email address k1jt@arrl.net. Please note, however, that I will be on +vacation and not reading email from July 7 through 21. + +Version 2.2.1 fixes the following minor bugs in Version 2.2.0: + +1. When first started without a valid INI file, the v2.2.0 would fail +to "Generate Std Messages" when asked to do so. Once you have +switched modes, say from FSK441 to JT44, the program worked correctly. + +2. Local hour angles greater than 180 degrees are now displayed as +negative angles. + +3. If you did not check the menu item "File | Save text in File +DECODED.CUM", the v2.2.0 would create an unwanted file named "fort.21" +and write all decoded JT44 text there. + +4. If WSJT was terminated when in the "minimized" state, it could get +"stuck" on your Windows taskbar. If you are stuck in this mode you +should fix it as follows, and then upgrade to Version 2.2.1: + + A) Start WSJT. It should appear in minimized form on the taskbar at + the bottom of your screen. + + B) Right-click on the WSJT taskbar label and select "Move". + + C) Press the "left arrow" and/or "up arrow" keys a few times and + then move the mouse. You should start to see a "dotted frame" + indicating the location of the WSJT screen. + + D) Click the left mouse button, and you should be back in business. + + +Version 2.2.0 +------------- + +WSJT Version 2.2.0 provides several significant enhancements, a number +of smaller improvements, and four minor bug fixes. + +To upgrade to v2.2.0 you should download the self-extracting zip file +UPD220.EXE and execute it to extract its contents, directing the +resulting files to your WSJT installation folder. + +The new version includes the following changes: + +1. The JT44 mode now has an adjustable parameter called "Clip." It +can be controlled with +/- buttons just below analogous ones for the +"Sync" parameter. The value of Clip defaults to 0, where it has no +effect. By increasing Clip to 1, 2, or 3 you can introduce "soft," +"moderate," or "hard" clipping of any sudden increases in signal +strength that might ruin the decoding of an otherwise usable signal. +I have found that setting Clip to 2 or 3 permits me to use JT44 in the +presence of summertime QRN that renders v2.0.1 useless. Clipping also +helps to accommodate occasional meteor pings in a JT44 QSO, recovering +the program's ability to synchronize on a weak residual signal. You +can leave the clipping turned on; note, however, that using hard +clipping on a signal that does not require it can cost you about 1 dB +in message S/N. I recommend generally leaving Clip set to 0 and +increasing it only when necessary. + +2. JT44 mode has a new checkbox labeled "Zap Birdies." It does just +what you would hope such a command would do -- and it can turn a +totally spoiled signal into good copy! (In the upgrade file I've +included an example wave file recorded via EME from W7FG, in the +presence of a strong birdie at my station. To become a believer, try +decoding this file both with and without "Zap Birdies" checked. He +was sending me the message "K1JT W7FG EM26 ".) + +The Zap algorithm works best with birdies that are steady in both +amplitude and frequency. A sure indicator that you have a birdie +problem is a persistent extra spike (or spikes) in the red-line plot, +in addition to the one corresponding to the JT44 sync tone. If the +birdie is higher in frequency than the sync tone by 20 to 465 Hz, you +will probably see a number of identical garbage characters in the line +of decoded text. If this happens, check the "Zap Birdies" box and hit +"Decode Again", and your copy should improve. It will work best if +you have already identified the correct value of DF and checked the +"Freeze" box to lock onto the Sync tone. + +Do not expect miracles! Keeping birdies out of your receiver or +QSYing to avoid them will always work better than trying to deal with +them in software. Nevertheless, this birdie-killer can make the +difference between a successful QSO and one that fails miserably. + +3. The JT44 mode has a second new checkbox labeled "Fold Msg." For +messages having identical content in the first and second half, this +feature can yield a signal-to-noise improvement of 1.5 dB. The JT44 +default message formats have been modified slightly to maximize the +opportunities for useful message folding. For example, if K1AA is +working G2ZZ, the first EME-style message will now be generated as +"G2ZZ K1AA G2ZZ K1AA ". (Notice the two spaces in the middle of the +message and at the end.) If the "Fold Msg" box is checked, the +message will be decoded simply as "G2ZZ K1AA ". Try decoding a +marginal signal both with and without the "Fold Msg" box checked. QSB +conditions might make one or the other preferable at a particular time. + +4. In WSJT versions 2.0.0 and 2.0.1 the JT44 decode algorithm produces +a single-character average of the last four character positions in a +message. In Version 2.2.0 the averaging limit has been changed to +equal the number of "O" characters (for EME messages) or "R" +characters (for non-EME messages) at the trailing end of default TX +message #2. For example, if clicking "Generate Std Texts" produces +"G2ZZ K1AA OOOOOOOOOOOO" for message #2, the program will produce a +single-character average based on the last 12 received character +positions. This choice gives you the best possible chance of properly +decoding an "O" or "R" report in message #2, and it also gives you a +good chance at snagging the "RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR" message under +very marginal conditions. For steady signals the procedure can yield +a 5.4 dB S/N advantage over single characters and a 2.4 dB advantage +over the four-character average. + +5. WSJT now remembers whether you were using FSK441 or JT44 mode when +you last exited the program. On startup it restores the most recently +used mode, including values of W, S, and Sync, as appropriate. + +6. All decoded text in JT44 mode is now written to the cumulative file +DECODED.CUM. In previous versions of WSJT, text was saved only in +FSK441 mode. + +7. The default Sync setting in JT44 mode is now 1 rather than 2. +I believe nearly everybody runs with Sync = 1. + +8. WSJT v2.2.0 is more complete and more consistent about saving +information about the starting directory and the form size of the +"File | Open" dialog box. + +9. The displayed azimuths for "Hot A" and "Hot B" (direction headings +to use for optimal sporadic meteor reflections) now wrap correctly at +0 and 360 degrees. You will no longer see, for example, values like +368 or -8 degrees if you are working someone to your north. + +10. In JT44 mode the program now displays the local hour angle of the +Moon, in degrees. You will appreciate this if you have a polar +mounted EME array. + +11. The UTC Offset may now be specified as a floating-point number -- +that is, with significant digits after a decimal point. + +12. The count of available records displayed in the average message +window behaved illogically when "Decode Again" and "Include" were used. +This has been fixed. + +13. There was a bug in the JT44 display routine that caused error +messages to appear when the moon's right ascension was very close to +00:00. The error could appear at most once a month, and it would +persist for an hour or so. The bug has been fixed. + +14. There was an apparent logical inconsistency in program behavior if +"Exclude" was clicked after "Clear Avg" had been executed. This has +been fixed. + +15. In V2.0.1 if you hit F8 more than once and then hit F7, the +"Width" parameter in FSK441 mode would be set to 200 ms. This has +been fixed. + + +Version 2.0.1 +------------- +This is a minor maintenance release. Principal changes from Version +2.0 include the following: + +1. The installation scripts for both the full installation and the + upgrade to v2.0.1 are more robust and much easier to use. + +2. The decoding parameters for FSK441 mode are saved correctly after + you have used JT44 mode. + +3. The controls for "Decode Again", "Include", and "Exclude" are now + fully available during the Tx period. + +4. Certain colors (e.g., the backgrounds of a few labels) now display + better on older machines. + +5. The background colors behind certain Tx messages in JT44 mode + have been corrected. + +6. The manual has been updated to conform with the new installation + scripts, and a number of other small changes (mostly correcting + typos) have been made. + +7. The Tab key now moves the focus between various on-screen controls + and text boxes in a rational way. + +Version 2.0 +----------- + +A major new release of WSJT, Version 2.0 is now available for free +download. Instructions for upgrading and for new installations can be +found at http://pulsar.princeton.edu/~joe/K1JT. + +What's new in Version 2.0 ? +-------------------------- + +The JT44 mode for extreme weak signal work was first introduced in +beta release 1.8.0. This mode has now matured, the program is stable, +and tons of EME QSOs (among others) are being made with it. New +features and fixes in Version 2.0 include the following: + +1. Full monitor mode with separate averaging of 1st and 2nd sequences. + +2. Mouse-selected value of DF for decoding when "Freeze" is checked. + +3. Program is much faster at certain critical points, and now runs + reliably on a 75 MHz Pentium with 24 MB of RAM. + +4. The dreaded "always starts minimized" bug has been fixed. + +5. Certain dates (such as "2002 VIII 21" now display properly in + machines configured for European format. + +7. A number of other small niceties. diff --git a/pfxdump.f b/pfxdump.f index dc7dbf00f..17ae83c67 100644 --- a/pfxdump.f +++ b/pfxdump.f @@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ include 'pfx.f' open(11,file=fname,status='unknown') - write(11,1001) pfx - 1001 format('Supported Add-on Prefixes:'/90('_')/(15(a5,1x))) - write(11,1002) sfx - 1002 format(/'Supported Suffixes:'/44('_')/(11('/',a1,2x))) + write(11,1001) sfx + 1001 format('Supported Suffixes:'/(11('/',a1,2x))) + write(11,1002) pfx + 1002 format(/'Supported Add-On DXCC Prefixes:'/(15(a5,1x))) close(11) return diff --git a/wsjt.py b/wsjt.py index defeeea33..655425805 100644 --- a/wsjt.py +++ b/wsjt.py @@ -773,10 +773,27 @@ def prefixes(event=NONE): if g.Win32: pfx.iconbitmap("wsjt.ico") f=open(appdir+'/prefixes.txt','r') s=f.readlines() + t2="" + for i in range(4): + t2=t2+s[i] t="" - for i in range(len(s)): - t=t+s[i] - Label(pfx,text=t,justify=LEFT).pack(padx=20) + for i in range(len(s)-4): + t=t+s[i+4] + t=t.split() + t.sort() + t1="" + n=0 + for i in range(len(t)): + t1=t1+t[i]+" " + n=n+len(t[i])+2 + if n>60: + t1=t1+"\n" + n=0 + t1=t1+"\n" + if options.addpfx.get().lstrip(): + t1=t1+"\nOptional prefix: "+(options.addpfx.get().lstrip()+' ')[:4] + t2=t2+"\n"+t1 + Label(pfx,text=t2,justify=LEFT).pack(padx=20) pfx.focus_set() #------------------------------------------------------ azdist @@ -1620,7 +1637,8 @@ helpbutton['menu'] = helpmenu helpmenu.add('command', label = 'Keyboard shortcuts', command = shortcuts) helpmenu.add('command', label = 'Special mouse commands', command = mouse_commands) helpmenu.add('command', label = 'What message to send?', command = what2send) -helpmenu.add('command', label = 'Add-on prefix list', command = prefixes) +helpmenu.add('command', label = 'Available suffixes and add-on prefixes', \ + command = prefixes) helpmenu.add('command', label = 'About WSJT', command = about) #------------------------------------------------------ Graphics areas