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76 lines
4.2 KiB
Plaintext
76 lines
4.2 KiB
Plaintext
// Status=review
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_WSJT-X_ is a computer program designed to facilitate basic amateur
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radio communication using very weak signals. The first four letters in
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the program name stand for "`**W**eak **S**ignal communication by
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K1**JT**,`" while the suffix "`-X`" indicates that _WSJT-X_ started as
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an extended and experimental branch of the program
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_WSJT_.
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_WSJT-X_ Version {VERSION_MAJOR}.{VERSION_MINOR} offers nine different
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protocols or modes: *FT8*, *JT4*, *JT9*, *JT65*, *QRA64*, *ISCAT*,
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*MSK144*, *WSPR*, and *Echo*. The first five are designed for making
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reliable QSOs under extreme weak-signal conditions. They use nearly
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identical message structure and source encoding. JT65 and QRA64 were
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designed for EME ("`moonbounce`") on the VHF/UHF bands and have also
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proven very effective for worldwide QRP communication on the HF bands.
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QRA64 has a number of advantages over JT65, including better
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performance on the very weakest signals. We imagine that over time it
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may replace JT65 for EME use. JT9 was originally designed for the LF,
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MF, and lower HF bands. Its submode JT9A is 2 dB more sensitive than
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JT65 while using less than 10% of the bandwidth. JT4 offers a wide
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variety of tone spacings and has proven highly effective for EME on
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microwave bands up to 24 GHz. These four "`slow`" modes use
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one-minute timed sequences of alternating transmission and reception,
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so a minimal QSO takes four to six minutes — two or three
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transmissions by each station, one sending in odd UTC minutes and the
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other even. FT8 is operationally similar but four times faster
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(15-second T/R sequences) and less sensitive by a few dB. On the HF
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bands, world-wide QSOs are possible with any of these modes using
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power levels of a few watts (or even milliwatts) and compromise
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antennas. On VHF bands and higher, QSOs are possible (by EME and
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other propagation types) at signal levels 10 to 15 dB below those
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required for CW.
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*ISCAT*, *MSK144*, and optionally submodes *JT9E-H* are "`fast`"
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protocols designed to take advantage of brief signal enhancements from
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ionized meteor trails, aircraft scatter, and other types of scatter
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propagation. These modes use timed sequences of 5, 10, 15, or 30 s
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duration. User messages are transmitted repeatedly at high rate (up
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to 250 characters per second, for MSK144) to make good use of the
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shortest meteor-trail reflections or "`pings`". ISCAT uses free-form
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messages up to 28 characters long, while MSK144 uses the same
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structured messages as the slow modes and optionally an abbreviated
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format with hashed callsigns.
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*WSPR* (pronounced "`whisper`") stands for **W**eak **S**ignal
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**P**ropagation **R**eporter. The WSPR protocol was designed for probing
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potential propagation paths using low-power transmissions. WSPR
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messages normally carry the transmitting station’s callsign, grid
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locator, and transmitter power in dBm, and they can be decoded at
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signal-to-noise ratios as low as -31 dB in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. WSPR
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users with internet access can automatically upload reception
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reports to a central database called {wsprnet} that provides a mapping
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facility, archival storage, and many other features.
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*Echo* mode allows you to detect and measure your own station's echoes
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from the moon, even if they are far below the audible threshold.
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_WSJT-X_ provides spectral displays for receiver passbands as wide as
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5 kHz, flexible rig control for nearly all modern radios used by
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amateurs, and a wide variety of special aids such as automatic Doppler
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tracking for EME QSOs and Echo testing. The program runs equally well
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on Windows, Macintosh, and Linux systems, and installation packages
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are available for all three platforms.
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*Version Numbers:* _WSJT-X_ release numbers have major, minor, and
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patch numbers separated by periods: for example, _WSJT-X_ Version
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1.9.0. Temporary "`beta`" release candidates are sometimes made in
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advance of a new general-availability release, in order to obtain user
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feedback. For example, version 1.9.0-rc1, 1.9.0-rc2, etc., would
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be beta releases leading up to the final release of v1.9.0.
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Release candidates should be used _only_ during a short testing
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period. They carry an implied obligation to provide feedback to the
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program development group. Candidate releases should not be used on
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the air after a full release with the same number has been made.
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