[VHFcontesting] FT8 contest mode incompatibly

[Ron Klimas WZ1V]

Many stations observed on 6M were not in contest mode. 
Sometimes (but not always) had to switch to standard mode to complete. 
However, I edited my Macro to just send CQ WZ1V in contest mode, 
instead of CQ Test - hope that didn't confuse things more. 

----- Original Message -----
From: Jay RM <w9rm at calmesapartners.com>
To: nmvhf at groups.io,        "vhfcontesting at contesting.com" <VHFcontesting at contesting.com>
Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2019 09:35:45 -0600
Subject: [VHFcontesting] FT8 contest mode incompatibly

> Anyone seriously operating this weekends contest and using FT8 probably had
> this happen.
> 
> You're cruising .313 looking for those new mults or whatever, you see
> someone CQing WITHOUT the word TEST in the CQ message and you instinctively
> know they're not in contest mode.  No worries, you think.  The WSJTX
> boffins have tuned the program to compensate for the difference in exchange
> and you know autosequence will seamlessly pull you through.  You call and,
> sure enough, back comes the 'funny little number' exchange.  You reply with
> a NA contest mode exchange (because you're contesting, right ?) and....
> back comes a repeat - no autosequence.  What ??  OK, maybe I got QRMed.
> Try again, and same thing.  You can't progress to the finish.
> 
> What you do now is left to the individual.  What I did was terminate the Q
> and moved on.  You might have fiddled with the setup to switch out of
> contest mode.  Whatever... the Q was either made or not.
> 
> What this did, other then temporarily piss me off and cause name calling
> that nobody heard but me and the shack spiders, was confused me.  HOW could
> this happen....the boffins....they fixed this.  Was the other guy manually
> interfering with autosequence ?  Was the other guy that insistent on his
> funny number ?  I started ignoring those obviously not in contest mode.
> 
> This morning, after reading a soapbox comment on 3830, it finally hit
> me.... (I'm pretty focused on operating during the 'test).  It's.....The
> Clones !!  Those knock-offs of WSJT - JTDX, MHSV !  THEY don't have contest
> mode !   They can't autosequence past TX2.  So, what to do about this
> incompatibly ?  It's pretty obvious the clones aren't going to add CM if
> they haven't already and there are those contest haters that wouldn't use
> it anyway, but still insist on trying to WORK contesters.
> 
> I'm thinking maybe the solution is to add some kind of 'quick button'
> behavior to WSJTX that drops the program out of contest mode for just one Q
> and resets back into CM after the 73 (or something).  Does anyone have
> another idea ?  If a number of high level contesters presented such a
> request maybe the WSJT powers would respond.  Or, maybe you think it's a
> non-issue....or maybe a quick work around all ready exists that doesn't
> require a guy to drop in and change his setup and I'm just clueless ?
> 
> -W9RM
> 
> 
> 
> Keith Morehouse
> via MotoG
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