[CQ-Contest] WSJT-X For contests - Dry Run

[Paul O'Kane]

As we move ever closer to fully-automated data modes, the divide between 
data and
non-data modes gets bigger.  When and if the operator becomes 
incidental, what will
be the point of such contest QSOs - other than bragging that my software 
is smarter
than yours?

WSJT-X may be the "flavour of the month" now - but, next month, or 
certainly next
year, something "better" will turn up - as the potential for "new and 
improved" data
modes is limitless.  Some see this as progress in amateur radio and 
contesting - I see
it as progress in automated two-way data processing over RF.

It seems to me that any mode that is not and can not be decoded by 
individual
contesters (people) in real-time does not truly represent amateur 
radio.  But what
would  I know, being just an old-fashioned (outdated?) contester who 
keeps to
phone and CW :-)

Some will argue that we have to keep up, we can't stop progress, and 
that amateur
radio and contesting are evolving.  I say that data modes are evolving 
into something
else entirely.

73,
Paul EI5DI



On 23/10/2018 19:40, Brian Moran via CQ-Contest wrote:
> Joe, K1JT posted announcement of a dry-run to test WSJT-X in a contest setting. The post was to the WSJT-X mailing list, but it's about contesting, so it's likely relevant to readers of this list, as well.  Upcoming versions of the WSJT-X software will have the ability to make some contest exchanges, and I'm sure the WSJT-X development team could benefit from the collective expertise of long-time contesters. Here's an excerpt from the announcement:
> A one-hour "practice contest" will be held tomorrow (Wednesday evening,  NA time) using the FT8 mode and the ARRL RTTY Roundup rules.
>
> Date and time: Thursday, 25 October 0200-0300 UTC
>
> Dial frequency 7.078 (and higher, in 2 kHz increments, if too much QRM). Everyone works everyone.
>
> To participate you must use WSJT-X 2.0.0-rc3
>
>
> See the link above for the entire announcement-Brian N9ADG
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