Hello Joe,
As for FT8 for contest, you got it right. What you describe will do for Reg
1 VHF-UHF-SHF contests. Contests using special exchanges like membership
number will have to use the free format for them. It would be nice if the
program could figure out when the QSO partner is using contest mode.
Compound callsigns are important even though there might be only a few
percent of them in the log. Also callsigns sometimes needs to have a /P
suffix indicating portable operation.
But as others have mentioned the same formats should be used in MSK144 as
MSK144 is also likely to be used in contests. In Europe the scoring is one
points for each km so working MS at 1.200-1.800 km will add many points to
the score. We even get a bonus of 500 points for each new square. A square
is the first 4 digits of the locator and the locator is and has always been
6 digits.
In my contest team I have long been advocating for using WSJT for meteor
scatter but until now no one have been listening to me, the belief is that
the
1 minute sequence makes a MS QSO too slow. I have managed only one contest
QSO using ISCAT on 144 MHz (airplane scatter), but I am sure it will change
with MSK144 and FT8 in contest mode and 15 sec sequence.
At the moment it is quite a mess with all the modes in WSJT. The users
really need a MAP65 like program that can decode any WSJT mode in the 96 or
192 kHz bandwidth of a sound card, so they do not have to use chat rooms or
bill boards like www.on4kst.com to arrange skeds. Such a program will
require lots of CPU power so I guess it will need to use the CPU power of a
GPU (the graphics processor in a video card).
73, Palle, OZ1RH (OZ9EDR OZ5W contest team)
www.oz1rh.com
www.oz9edr.dk
BTW, we talked at the EME convention in Prag, I had a paper on ionoscatter
in the proceedings.
Hide quoted text
On Jul 28, 2017 21:17, "Joe Taylor" <j...@princeton.edu> wrote:
One additional question I should have asked.
If you think FT8 might get appreciable use in Region 1 VHF+ contests, would
there be significant need for handling compound callsigns such as
ZA/PA9XYZ, etc.?
-- Joe, K1JT
On 7/28/2017 2:49 PM, Joe Taylor wrote:
> Hi Palle (and other VHF+ contest enthusiasts in IARU Regioin 1),
>
> Thanks for the suggestions you posted to wsjt-devel concerning VHF+
> contest exchanges in EU.
>
> I have been sketching out some possible enhanced 75-bit message structures
> for FT8 mode aimed (among other things) at supporting your Region 1
> contests.
>
> I would appreciate your comments on the following model contest QSO
> structure based roughly on common HF contest practices:
>
> 1. CQ G4ABC IO91
> 2. G4ABC PA9XYZ JO22
> 3. PA9XYZ 590003 IO91NP
> 4. G4ABC R 570007 JO22DB
> 5. PA9XYZ G4ABC RR73
>
> The 4-character locators in messages 1 and 2 are redundant (and anyway
> optional). But they cost nothing to include, and they do provide some
> useful initial information.
>
> The first two digits of the exchanges in messages 3 and 4 are an "RS"
> signal report. Because of the strong forward error correction in FT8, the
> first digit will always be "5". The second digit would be the FT8 S/N
> reading mapped onto a S1 to S9 scale, using 6 dB per S unit. Something like
> S1=-24, S2=-18, ... S9=+24 dB.
>
> Is this an acceptable format for your Region 1 contest exchanges? Do you
> think FT8 might be a popular mode for some use in EU VHF+ contests?
>
> -- 73, Joe, K1JT
>
> On 6/30/2017 7:37 PM, Palle Preben-Hansen, OZ1RH wrote:
>
>> FT8 sounds promising. Joe wrote:
>> /Three extra bits are available in the message payload, with uses yet to
>> be //defined. We have in mind special message formats that might be used
>> in //contests, and the like. Your considered suggestions for use of these
>> bits //are very welcome!/
>> /
>> /
>>
>> 1. VHF contests in Europe needs the full 6 digit WWL locator like
>> JO55*ul*. A QTH locator has always had 6 digits (or more for
>> microwave), using only 4 digits comes from eme and has spread to HF
>> 2. Many contests needs a report and a serial number like 59*001* and
>> even sometimes a 4 digit serial number 59*1001* when more than 1.000
>> QSO's has been worked in the contest
>> 3. Sometimes a state/area/membership/IOTA number or similar free text
>> needs to be transmitted. Most contest exchanges can be found in the
>> N1MM contest program https://n1mm.hamdocs.com
>>
>>
>> 73, Palle, OZ1RH.
>> www.oz1rh.com <http://www.oz1rh.com>
>>
>>
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