At one point, there were 3 extra bits available in the FT8 message payload. If
one is still available, perhaps it could be used like this:
Add a "CONTEST" menu itemWhen clicked, an input screen something akin to this
comes up:
RUN Message S&P Exchange
__________________ ____
ACCEPT CANCEL
A RUN message for the NC QSO party might be NC QP W4ABC WAK
For the S&P Exhange, enter your county, state or DX as appropriate. Someone in
New York would enter NY for instance.
Click on ACCEPT and 1) a CONTEST button on the main GUI turns GREEN alerting
user they're in CONTEST mode and 2) the program sets one of the FT8 message
bits.
Sequence of events when RUNning:
RUN S&P
NC QP W4ABC WAK W4ABC W2XYZ -10 NYW4ABC -12
73
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------W2XYZ
knows the callsign (W4ABC) and exchange (WAK) from the RUN message. W4ABC
then knows the station (W2XYZ), signal level (-10) and exchange (NY) from
W2XYZ's transmissionW2XYZ then receives an acknowlegement and signal level (12)
from W4ABC
Enough info to meet most QSO party rules for a successful QSO.
Screen layout for user input and user instructions need to be fleshed out of
course. No DXpedition mode!
Maybe a checkbox in S&P mode to only display RUN stations also in CONTEST mode?
Make it easier on contest participants.
Just some ideas, maybe the designers will find something useful :)
73Jim
W4TMOUSAF Retired
On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, 8:01:33 PM EDT, Rich - K1HTV
<[email protected]> wrote:
FT8 for 2018 Field Day
Regarding the use of FT8 on Field Day, you can do what I did during the recent
VA QSO Party, that is, use the Tx5 (73) message to send contest data. The VQP
exchange sent was number, county & State, "nnn CUL VA 73", where 'nnn' was my
QSO number and 'CUL' was the abbreviation for Culpeper county. The 'VA' for
Virginia was not a contest exchange requirement. The Tx5 message met the 13
character maximum and ended with '73', which trigger the '73' message of the
station being worked. I created a Tx5 macro message "000 CUL VA 73". When a QSO
started, I simply pulled down that macro message and manually changed the 000
to the next number in the sequence.
Unfortunately almost no FT8 stations worked in the VA QSO Party knew how to
send the required data. As a result I focused mainly on working DX on FT8,
where the only a number (dB report) was required. 285 of the 287 VA QSO Party
QSOs were with DX stations.
If a future WSJT-X release could have a check box for ""Lock Tx5 message", that
would allow the easier use of FT8 in various contests, such as Field Day and
State QSO parties. Once the 'Lock' box was checked, the user would type in the
fixed contest exchange text into the Tx5 message box. It would remain there
until the contest was over and not be overwritten when a new station was being
worked.
Sponsors would have to explain, in their rules, how to use FT8 in their
contest. The Field day exchange wouldn't present any problem. However, those
State QSO parties that presently requiring sequential QSO number exchanges
could switch to using the dB report as the numbers exchanged.
73,
Rich - K1HTV
= = =
Jordan Sherer, KN4CRD wrote:
At that very least you can use a free text message for the exchange, Don:
"KN4CRD 1B GA"
You just won't be able to use auto sequencing when operating FT8 during field
day.
Best,
Jordan
KN4CRD
On Mar 27, 2018, 7:40 AM -0400, Don Goldston <[email protected]>, wrote:
Any chance that an FT8 mode that performs the required exchange of information
for the 2018 Field Day could be
created?
I know y'all are wrapped up in DXP mode, but thought it was worth asking.
Thanks,
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