[SCCC] FT8 Roundup

[Wayne Overbeck]

Hi, Dennis.  The trick to get into the FT8 Roundup contest mode 
was to do these things:

1)  download the latest version of WSJT-X (currently "RC5", 
although the general release of WSJT-X 2.0 is due out Dec. 
10).

2) go to "settings" and click the right-most box (advanced), 
then chose RTTY Roundup mode.

If you have FT8 up and running even in an older version, I 
think that's all you have to do to make it give the proper 
exchange in RTTY contests (RST + state/province for 
W/VE stations or RST + serial number for DX).

Oh, you also have to tell it your state.  It's not yet smart 
enough to know that everyone in DM13 or DM04 should 
send "CA".

73, Wayne, N6NB


--------------------------------------------
On Mon, 12/3/18, Dennis Younker NE6I <NE6I at cox.net> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [SCCC] FT8 Roundup
 To: sccc at contesting.com
 Date: Monday, December 3, 2018, 6:22 PM
 
 Hi Wayne,
 
 Sounds great. I did not have a lot of time this
 weekend but did try my hand
 briefly in the
 contest. I am a big fan of FT8 and have been having a lot
 of
 fun with it. With its predecessors, JT65
 and JT9, I layed around with powers
 as low
 as 50 mW to a low dipole and was still working the east
 coast. Lots
 of fun!  As well, FT8 has
 increased participation on 6 meters as you well
 know. 
 
 Anyway,
 I could not get my WSJT-X to send the contest exchange this
 past
 weekend and had to give up on it for
 the time being. I didn't have time to
 troubleshoot. It kept sending the normal
 exchange instead. I know there is a
 checkbox
 for contest mode and I did have that checked. I'll
 experiment more
 as time permits. WSJT-X sure
 is a fantastic piece of software!
 
 --Dennis NE6I
 
 -----Original Message-----
 From: SCCC <sccc-bounces at contesting.com>
 On Behalf Of Wayne Overbeck via
 SCCC
 Sent: Sunday, December 2, 2018 9:53 PM
 To: sccc at contesting.com
 Subject: [SCCC] FT8 Roundup
 
 I think the first (annual?) FT8 Roundup and the
 new 77-bit version of 
 FT8 were both a real
 success.
 
 I got on with 100
 watts and a 14-foot-long loaded dipole (MFJ-1775) up 
 15 feet.  In less than three hours I made 48
 contacts in 20 states/
 provinces and 8 other
 countries.  I was able to work deep into Asia 
 on 40 last night with that ridiculously
 marginal setup, thanks to FT8's 
 weak
 signal capabilities.  I was working signals that were below
 the audible
 
 noise floor in
 my receiver.
 
 FT8 now
 handles full contest exchanges and compound call signs
 nicely.  
 The problem that arose when some
 operators checked the "North American 
 VHF contest" box and others didn't is
 also gone.
 
 In short, I
 think the advent of FT8 Version 2.0 is the second-best
 thing
 that's 
 happened
 in amateur radio this fall.  
 
 73, Wayne, N6NB
 
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