[Fourlanders] FW: [VHF] WSJT Primer for casual contesters

Tue Jun 22 17:37:31 PDT 2010

FYI.  A good primer on WSJT ops from K5QE.

73
Jim, W4KXY

It doesn't matter how beautiful your theory is, it doesn't matter how smart
you are.  If it doesn't agree with experiment, it's wrong.
Richard P. Feynman

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-vhf at w6yx.stanford.edu [mailto:owner-vhf at w6yx.stanford.edu] On
Behalf Of Marshall Williams
Sent: Friday, June 11, 2010 5:31 PM
To: vhf at w6yx.stanford.edu
Subject: Re: [VHF] WSJT Primer for casual contesters

Hi Rod....Well, I don't know if anyone else will weigh in on this, but I 
will try:

1.  Remember that for contests, the "signal report" is your *GRID*, not 
26 or 27.  You can set this in Setup / Options.  Just click the round 
button next to Grid and click Reset Defaults.  Then on the main screen 
click GenStdMsgs.

2.  For meteor scatter operations, "Westernmost station goes first".  
This rule has been around for over 40 years.

3.  While it is common to CALL on the calling frequency, it is 
considered "Poor Form" to make QSOs there.  If everyone was trying to 
work everyone else on the calling frequency, it would be bedlam.  You 
might receive R EM13, but you would not know if that came from the guy 
you were trying to work or some other station in EM13.  SO, what people 
do is to call CQ on the calling frequency(50.260MHz or 144.140MHz), but 
to WORK stations, you move off.  Let us suppose that you wish to work 
stations on 50.240MHz.  Then you split your VFOs and you TX on 50.260MHz 
and call CQ WN8R DN20 but you listen on 50.240.  Some people send CQ 
WN8R D20.  When you hear ANYTHING that sounds like a meteor on 
50.240MHz, you know someone is calling you, so you stop the split 
operation and then you TX and RX on .240 to finish the contact.

This may seem pretty complicated, but it is not.  Just TX on .260 when 
calling CQ DN20 and RX on .240.  When you hear anyone calling you on 
.240, switch to TX and RX on .240.

4.  The rules for what you send have been around for years as well.  
Lets suppose that we have a sched on .240
    a.  When you are just starting out you send calls only(NO Grid).  So 
you send K5QE WN8R....Note this is Tx1 on the WSJT screen.
    b.  When you decode a complete set of calls, you send a complete set 
of calls + your grid.  So I would send WN8R K5QE EM31....note that this 
is Tx2 on the WSJT screen.
    c.  When you receive a complete set of calls + grid, you send R + 
your grid...so you would send R EN91...Note this is Tx3 on the WSJT 
screen.  Some people send RR + grid so there can be no mistake.  Some 
send REN91, but I hate this because it is often confused with just 
random junk.  RR EN91 is a lot clearer.  You can fix this in your 
Options screen.
    d.  When you receive a R + grid or RR + grid, you send RRR...Note 
this is Tx4 on the WSJT screen.
    e.  When you receive RRR, you send 73.....Note this is Tx5 on the 
WSJT screen.
    f.  If I want to be a "belt and suspenders" kind of guy, I can send 
73 as well.  This would be Tx5 from me.

ASIDE:  Please note that you did NOT send Tx1, then Tx2, then Tx3, then 
Tx4, then Tx5.  You sent Tx1, Tx3, and Tx5, while I sent Tx2, Tx4, and 
Tx5.  What you are doing is "leap-frogging" down the message list.  This 
would be a perfect contact.  Sometimes those don't happen. 

Here is a short example.....

Sent by WN8R     Tx1     K5QE WN8R.  When you first start, you send only 
calls.
Sent by K5QE      Tx2     WN8R K5QE EM31......this assumes that I got 
both your call and my call
Sent by WN8R     Tx3      R EN91 or RR EN91.........this assumes that 
you got a complete set of calls + my grid
Sent by K5QE      Tx4      RRR.....assuming that I got your R EN91 or RR 
EN91
Sent by WN8R     Tx5      73.....assuming that you got the RRR
Sent by K5QE      Tx5      73....assuming that I got your 73.  This step 
is not REQUIRED and in a contest it may be omitted in the interest of 
time, but it lets you know that I have everything and we are done.

4a.  Suppose you are calling CQ, then things might go like this:
    a.  Sent by WN8R   Tx6   CQ WN8R DN20....this would be sent on .260
    b.  Sent by K5QE    Tx1   WN8R K5QE....this would be sent on .240.  
NOTE that I do NOT send WN8R K5QE EM31.  I can only send a grid when I 
have a complete set of calls....and right now I have your call, but not 
mine back from you.
    c.  Sent by WN8R   Tx2    K5QE WN8R EN91
    d.  Sent by K5QE    Tx3    RR EM31
    e.  Sent by WN8R   Tx4    RRR
    f.   Sent by K5QE    Tx5    73

Hopefully, these examples are straightforward enough for everyone to 
follow.  I have been doing meteor scatter for over 40 years, so it is 
second nature for me to know what to send and when.  The above are 
examples of "perfect" contacts.  Sometimes because of the intermittent 
nature of meteors, both stations may have received a full set of calls + 
grid.  At that time, both stations may be sending RR + grid.  Soon, 
however, one of the stations will get the RR + grid and switch to 
sending RRR.  At that time, you will get back on track and the QSO will 
be completed.

I hope this has been helpful and not confusing.  If you have anything 
further, please write me off the reflector.  I am up to my arse in 
alligators trying to get ready for the contest, so you may not get a 
timely reply, but I will try.

As a reminder, K5QE will be running meteor scatter all night long on 6M 
and 2M.  We will call CQ UP5 on 50.260MHz and we will call CQ UP2 on 
144.140MHz.  You can look for us in the contest and maybe we can make a 
contact.

GL to everyone in the contest es 73 Marshall K5QE

Rod wrote:
> Fellow 50 MHz + Contesters,
>
> Would anyone offer a short blurb here about
> FSK441 ot JT65?? operations in a contest?
>
> It seems that different ops expect
> different sequences for the contest. Could someone reply with a settings
and
> exchange step-by-step that would benefit me and perhaps several other
> inexperienced WSJT ops? The directions on a certain website for normal MS
> operations are great, but a quick refresher including any sequence
differences
> for contests and tropo opportunities would be nice.
>
> And another thing! Are
> you logging the WSJT MS or tropo contact as PH or CW?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rod - WN8R
> 50,
> 144, 222, 432
> SSB, CW, WSJT   
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