[VHFcontesting] Changing from WSJT to SSB...

Wed Sep 18 09:59:01 EDT 2019

 I think the mode switching problem (and people getting "stuck on FT8") has been made worse by the recent change in ARRL VHF contest rules that allows single ops to transmit simultaneously on multiple bands. It was easy for example for me to set up a single computer with two sound cards and two radios running FT8. I think many ops now want to have a radio running 6M FT8 all the time to catch weak openings on that band.
Only allowing a single signal at once on ANY band (like HF contests) would discourage single ops from trying to cover multiple bands on FT8.

Technically It is not easy to have a computer+two radios on FT8 and easily switch back and forth from SSB (keeping a soundcard for voice messages of course). Yes, you can go to multiple computers instead.

Also, allowing internet chat rooms I think has made FT8 use take priority over SSB/CW, just because it is much easier to do FT8 + internet compared to SSB/CW + internet.
Tor N4OGW

    On Wednesday, September 18, 2019, 7:41:47 AM CDT, N1BUG <paul at n1bug.com> wrote:  

 This is a situation I am going to have to investigate and try to
deal with as soon as I have some quality free time for radio...
hopefully in about 5 to 6 weeks.

Call it over thinking things if you want, but of necessity band
switching tasks are complicated here. I am active from LF to UHF and
can only afford to have one good transceiver. VHF band switching
involves switching 28 MHz IF to the appropriate transverter,
reducing power output from the transceiver, enabling the correct
amplifier while making sure all others are disabled, and additional
important tasks. Experience has proven that if done manually, the
operator can and eventually will forget something and the result is
sometimes not pretty. I've been around a while and have tried
multiple approaches to the problem. Until recently all came up
lacking. I've now solved this very nicely by custom designing
interface hardware and having DXLab Commander handle all band change
operations. I click a single band button and all of the appropriate
tasks are performed instantly and automatically. But this means I
must have Commander running when operating any band above HF.

Running WSJT-X and DXLab Commander at the same time is easy since
WSJT-X has an option to control the transceiver by way of Commander.

The difficulty is that right now I am using my regular logging
software, DXLab DXKeeper, during VHF contests. That is not good, as
the application is not friendly enough even when put in contest
mode. It was one of the things that was slowing me down during some
of the frantic band runs on Saturday. I want to be able to use N1MM+
for VHF contesting but I will have to sort out whether it is
possible (and if so, how) to have N1MM+, DXLab Commander and WSJT-X
all running at once and all able to control the transceiver. I hope
there is a way to do that. If not I will just have to continue using
DXKeeper for logging. Of course, if anyone has done this (or tried
and failed) I would love to hear from you!

73,
Paul N1BUG

On 9/18/19 8:07 AM, Stu wrote:
> Our setup was similar to Ed's, except we used a K3S and used the K3S 
> sound card. That eliminates the need for the LINE IN and LINE OUT 
> cables. It took me a while to figure out LPBridge was the best way to 
> share the radio's COM port. I tried com2com, VSPE, DDUTIL and perhaps 
> another one before finding that LPBridge did the job. We selected the 
> WSJT frequency using the frequency select pull down menu in WSJT.
> 
> However, I was under the impression we had to close WSJT when we 
> switched back to USB/CW because of the WSJT warning window. N1MM was 
> configured to start WSJT when you type FT8 in the N1MM call sign entry 
> window. If you type FT8 in the call sign entry window with WSJT open, 
> N1MM will launch another instance. So I was unsure about the best way to 
> configure N1MM. There is a check box in N1MM that turns this feature on 
> or off. Sounds like this wasn't necessary. I could have left WSJT and 
> N1MM open the entire contest.
> 
> I don't think we were over thinking things. For us, it's important to 
> set up the station to minimize steps and eliminated the need to touch 
> the knobs on the radio. Not all of our operators are savy and several 
> haven't ever used WSTJ or a K3. There is a lot of complexity to sort 
> through and hide. We're not always successful with this goal!
> 
> On 9/18/19 3:24 AM, Ed Parish wrote:
>> I used a K3 with complete computer control and logged with N1MM+. I shared
>> the COM port with LPBRIDGE. I had no issues with either program. Each
>> program had control of the radio when needed. Microphone went in to the
>> computer, computer speaker out in to K3 LINE IN and K3 LINE OUT went to
>> computer LINE IN.  Two 3.5mm and a serial USB cable converter was all that
>> was necessary. When I went to FT8, I selected MODE from WSJT and it
>> switched to DATA SPLIT on 50.313. Going to CW or SSB I typed the frequency
>> I wanted in N1MM+ and typed CW or SSB. Pretty quick to switch back and
>> forth.
>>
>> On Tue, Sep 17, 2019, 23:43 Mark Spencer <mark at alignedsolutions.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Some radios may also require an additional step to mute and un mute the
>>> microphone when switching between data modes and ssb.
>>>
>>> Not a huge issue but one more thing to worry about and it can be easy to
>>> forget to mute the microphone when switching back to data (some older
>>> radios I use seem a bit better in this regards.)
>>>
>>> 73
>>>
>>> Mark S
>>> VE7AFZ
>>>
>>> mark at alignedsolutions.com
>>> 604 762 4099
>>>
>>>> On Sep 17, 2019, at 7:58 PM, <barry at k7bwh.com> <barry at k7bwh.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I suspect the radio is not their source of difficulty. If others have a
>>> setup like mine (radio with built-in USB port) then the trouble comes from
>>> sharing the CAT control. My logger that I use during SSB wants exclusive
>>> use of the port, until I switch to WSJT which then itself wants exclusive
>>> use of the USB port. The changeover can take a little care and attention to
>>> keep the computer happy. It sounds like you've avoided that by going to
>>> manual frequency control (actually manual radio presets), but as for me I
>>> like to let WSJT and my logger always stay in sync with (and control) the
>>> radio's frequency.
>>>> 73 Barry K7BWH
>>>> Seattle, WA  CN87us
>>>>
>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>> From: VHFcontesting <vhfcontesting-bounces at contesting.com> On Behalf Of
>>> Marshall-K5QE
>>>> Sent: Tuesday, September 17, 2019 7:32 PM
>>>> To: VHF Contesting <vhfcontesting at contesting.com>
>>>> Subject: [VHFcontesting] Changing from WSJT to SSB...
>>>>
>>>> Hello all...I have seen several folks post that it was difficult to
>>> switch from WSJT to SSB.  I don't understand this at all.  On my radios, I
>>> have "presets" for all the common channels that we use.  So we have
>>>> Channel1 to be 50.125MHz, 2 would be 50.133, 3 would be 50.260, 4 would
>>> be 50.265, 5 would be 50.313.  To change from WSJT to SSB, just push the
>>> down arrow until the VFO says 50.125, step on the footswitch, and talk into
>>> the mike.  To go back to FT8, just push the up arrow until the VFO says
>>> 50.313 and click Enable TX.  Seems pretty simple to me.
>>>> There is no need to over think these things.....
>>>>
>>>> 73 Marshall K5QE
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