Hej Palle, I identified two main issues in your mail, (1) naming of contest modes and how contests are supported and (2) a new way how protocol should support user needs.
Contests naming and supporting protocols (1) Perhaps it is better to start what is supported in the current autosequence machine and needed messages/information elements. The first set of contests are NA VHF Contest, ARRL International Digital Contest, Q65 Pileup and WW Digi Contest. The contest exchange is Locator. The message is Type 1. Std Msg. At VHF the use of 73 is listed, but is defined as optional. The second is ARRL Field Day that requires two part field day exchange (actually three different elements) and there are two messages Type 0.3 and 0.4. The third is EU VHF Contest requires rpt, QSO number and six digit locator and there are two messages needed Type 2. and 5. to support it. The fourth is FT Roundup (ex. RTTY RU) contest exchange is rpt and ARRL section/DX and another message Type 3. How to identify a contest? That’s really difficult with the four first ones as the only possibility is the call direction field e.g. TEST, well WW Digi already uses WW. The ARRL Field Day used FD and thee contest exchange messages do separate it from other types. In the EU VHF CQ and the first directed message are the same as in the first group, it is proposed that the contest identifier should be NAC. After that the proper messages require use of the special activity selection. The FT Roundup identified in CQ by the RU must be answered with the special activity message. Of course any contest may select to use one of those four contest/field day exchanges. Now the difficult part is that many non-contesters don’t know meaning of TEST, WW, FD, NAC, RU or any other contest specific call direction. (2) Request for specific information. You list as such may not be working as the first two do refer to EU VHF Contest, the FT Roundup is missing as well as those using four digit locator, hi! On the other hand contest rules could just name the suitable protocol from the current options independently of the band. Your actual proposal is that operator could request specific information (one of the message types) and the program would generate that message. That would require a new message as there is not enough room in current messages to include that information. It would need five additional bits to cover existing contest types. I assume that in addition the ‘Interrogation’ message should contain at least two callsigns. Of course CQ message should also have that interrogation feature. NonStandard callsigns is another issue and may be totally outside of this discussion. The actual behavior of the state machines is a bit more complicated and should be discussed as the ‘interrogation’ information does not fit into all messages. That’s my two Öre’s. 73, Reino OH3mA From: Palle Preben-Hansen, OZ1RH via wsjt-devel [mailto:wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net] Sent: sunnuntai 18. kesäkuuta 2023 13.15 Cc: Palle Preben-Hansen, OZ1RH <pa...@oz1rh.com> Subject: Re: [wsjt-devel] New subscriber :) The way the different contest exchanges are implemented in WSJT is confusing and has been discussed many times. Users has to select "EU VHF" if they are in a HF contest requiring either a serial number and/or the full 6-digit locator. Trying to use a particular contest exchange may resulting in a window at the other station "Do you want to change to xxx mode". As WSJT in this situation can display a window, WSJT might just as well just change to that mode and send the needed exchange. I suggest the labeling on the Settings page regarding contest "modes" is split into several saying: "I need an exchange with serial number" "I need an exchange with your 6-digit locator" "I need an exchange for NA fieldday" When a station calls CQ with some of these options set, WSJT in FT4/8, MSK144 or Q65 of the answering station should automatically transmit the requested exchange without flashing a confusing window about a particular contest mode. The logic should be that you request the exchange you need and you get it without intervention from the other station. This should keep all happy and one only transmits the exchanges needed by the other station.
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