FT8 Upgrade

[Jim Brown-10]

Users of FT8 should be aware that K1JT's WSJT-X development team has
been busy with version 2.0. The new version makes changes in the digital
format of FT8 and MSK144 that make it INCOMPATIBLE with older versions.

The changes have been made to allow a few more characters to be
transmitted, to allow for /R to indicate Rovers, to allow for contest
exchanges for Field Day, RTTY Roundup, and VHF contests, and to allow
for more complex and non-standard callsigns. V 2.0 also includes better
error checking, resulting in fewer false decodes, and it eliminates the
grid wierdness that occurred in V 1.9 when one station was using Contest
Mode and the other was not..

While V 2.0 is currently in Beta, it's well-advanced beta, and works
very well. Those using 1.9 cannot copy or transmit to stations using V
2.0 and those using the latest V 2.0 betas cannot copy stations using V
1.9. The non-beta release of 2.0 is scheduled for Dec 10. (Early 2.0
beta versions DID allow 1.9 and 2.0 users to communicate, but this
capability has been removed to allow the final version to work better.)

Users are encouraged to switch to the new version as soon as possible.
The only downside is that most users are still using V 1.9, so you won't
be able to work them, but this will gradually change as more users
upgrade, and the transition will happen more quickly as more users
upgrade. K1JT's Quick-Start Guide is here.

https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Quick_Start_WSJT-X_2.0.pdf

Links to installation packages are here.

https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html

73, Jim K9YC


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[Elecraft mailing list]

Not quite right. FT8 v2.0.0-rc3 is compatible with v1.9.1 as long as you
do NOT check:

"Always generate 77-bit messages" and "Decode only 77-bit messages"
under the F2 > Advanced tab.

I installed v2.0.0-rc4 which locks you into 77 bit messages and found
very little decode action on my waterfall so I reverted to v2.0.0-rc3.

It is advised that -rv3 cannot be used after 30 November. Is it software
bombed and will stop working, time will tell. I have downloaded rc5 but
as yet haven't bothered to install it and might just pass over it to the
general release v2 when I feel it's worth doing.

Regards,

Mike VP8NO

On 28/11/2018 17:20, Jim Brown wrote:

> While V 2.0 is currently in Beta, it's well-advanced beta, and works
> very well. Those using 1.9 cannot copy or transmit to stations using V
> 2.0 and those using the latest V 2.0 betas cannot copy stations using V
> 1.9. The non-beta release of 2.0 is scheduled for Dec 10. (Early 2.0
> beta versions DID allow 1.9 and 2.0 users to communicate, but this
> capability has been removed to allow the final version to work better.)
>
> Users are encouraged to switch to the new version as soon as possible.
> The only downside is that most users are still using V 1.9, so you won't
> be able to work them, but this will gradually change as more users
> upgrade, and the transition will happen more quickly as more users
> upgrade. K1JT's Quick-Start Guide is here.
>
> https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Quick_Start_WSJT-X_2.0.pdf
>
> Links to installation packages are here.
>
> https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
>
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[Jim Brown-10]

On 11/28/2018 3:28 PM, Mike Harris via Elecraft wrote:
> I installed v2.0.0-rc4 which locks you into 77 bit messages and found
> very little decode action on my waterfall so I reverted to v2.0.0-rc3.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. :)

73, Jim K9YC

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[k6dgw]

There's a third option ... maybe you just don't care about the problem
or its solution. [:-)

73,
Fred ["Skip"] K6DGW
Sparks NV DM09dn
Washoe County

On 11/28/2018 4:54 PM, Jim Brown wrote:

> On 11/28/2018 3:28 PM, Mike Harris via Elecraft wrote:
>> I installed v2.0.0-rc4 which locks you into 77 bit messages and found
>> very little decode action on my waterfall so I reverted to v2.0.0-rc3.
>
> If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. :)
>
> 73, Jim K9YC
>
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>

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[Bill Frantz]

On 11/28/18 at 4:54 PM, [hidden email] (Jim Brown) wrote:

>On 11/28/2018 3:28 PM, Mike Harris via Elecraft wrote:
>>I installed v2.0.0-rc4 which locks you into 77 bit messages
>>and found very little decode action on my waterfall so I
>>reverted to v2.0.0-rc3.
>
>If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. :)

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the
precipitate. :-)

In this case, they want everyone to upgrade quickly. It will be
interesting to see how successful they will be. Will there be a
significant rump group of people who stick to 1.x, probably
running it on Windows XP or even 95, or will most people migrate
within a month or two? (Says the guy who tries to keep his
software up to date, but has some 32 bit programs that Apple is
determined to make not run.)

73 Bill AE6JV

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[Richard Lamont]

On 29/11/2018 00:54, Jim Brown wrote:

> On 11/28/2018 3:28 PM, Mike Harris via Elecraft wrote:
>> I installed v2.0.0-rc4 which locks you into 77 bit messages and found
>> very little decode action on my waterfall so I reverted to v2.0.0-rc3.
>
> If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem. :)

The -rc* versions are release candidates, i.e. beta packages for
testing. People who use them are expected to report any anomalies they
find on the relevant mailing list.

If you don't want to test and report bugs, you should not be using (and
there is no point in you using) the -rc* packages. Stick with the
recommended releases: 1.9.1 until December 10 and then upgrade to 2.0.0.

73,
Richard G4DYA
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[Jim Brown-10]

On 11/29/2018 1:09 AM, Richard Lamont wrote:
> The -rc* versions are release candidates, i.e. beta packages for
> testing. People who use them are expected to report any anomalies they
> find on the relevant mailing list.
>
> If you don't want to test and report bugs, you should not be using (and
> there is no point in you using) the -rc* packages.

Contributing to the development of FREE software that we use is a bad
thing? WSJT-X is a voluntary effort by a group of hams who are
proficient at programming. Simply by using the new software we make QSOs
with other hams who are also using it, we are contributing.

Since my earliest days in ham radio (I was 14) other hams taught me CW,
electronics, radio, and how to operate. One gave me my first rig,
another taught me the fundamentals of contesting. Ham radio has always
had a tradition of of individual hams contributing what they can based
on their capabilities. I've watched W6OAT do a wonderful job of warmly
mentoring a prospective ham at the GOTA station on Field Day. Testing
beta software is a contribution. I contribute by doing research on
technical issues that matter to hams and publishing it, FOR FREE.

Mamy of the folks who make the greatest contributions to ham radio don't
ask for money, but they really hope that others will do their part.
Among them are AC6LA, the author of great spreadsheets that run in Excel
to do tricks with antennas and transmission lines, AE6TY, who wrote the
wonderful SimsSmith software, AA6YQ, author of the wonderful DXLabs
suite that includes DXKeeper, and the team that produces the N1MM
contest logger. And there are the thousands of hams who contribute to
EmComm, to mentoring new hams, to teaching license classes, to helping
other hams with computers, antennas, and so on. This is a chance for all
of us to help out the WSJT-X team. All of this stuff is GREAT software,
and it's FREE. The least we can do is using their beta software!

73, Jim K9YC

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[Rick WA6NHC-2]

If any are going to operate FT8 in the RTTY contest this weekend, you
should note that 2.0-RC5 is required.  So you have a couple days to
install it.  RC5 is expected to be the full release in Dec. at this point.

You CAN install both on the computer (install it to a different folder,
don't add a shortcut link at install, do that after install)

There is NOTHING 'wrong' in using beta and there is nothing improper
about informing the author/s of issues you come across. If you have no
anomalies, don't report to them (although positive reports are useful
too).  In the meantime, enjoy the new features or fixes.  And as they
don't track who downloads it, you can use it in stealth mode if you
don't wish to bother reporting but that isn't the ham spirit.

Rick nhc

On 11/29/2018 1:09 AM, Richard Lamont wrote:
> Stick with the
> recommended releases: 1.9.1 until December 10 and then upgrade to 2.0.0.
>
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[Steve Witt]

On Thu, Nov 29, 2018 at 01:45:37AM -0800, Jim Brown wrote:

> On 11/29/2018 1:09 AM, Richard Lamont wrote:
> > The -rc* versions are release candidates, i.e. beta packages for
> > testing. People who use them are expected to report any anomalies they
> > find on the relevant mailing list.
> >
> > If you don't want to test and report bugs, you should not be using (and
> > there is no point in you using) the -rc* packages.
>
> Contributing to the development of FREE software that we use is a bad thing?
> WSJT-X is a voluntary effort by a group of hams who are proficient at
> programming. Simply by using the new software we make QSOs with other hams
> who are also using it, we are contributing.

Of course helping test Open Source software is a good thing, but there
is a certain technical sophistication that is needed by users to make
trouble reports that are meaningful to the developers. It also
requires closely following the WSJT-X group to be aware of what is
going on in the development process. I would guess that most WJST-X
users are interested in using the software to make QSOs. Some of you
are probably aware that the FT8 data frame is being modified from the
current 75 bit frame to a 77 bit frame in the 2.0.0-rc release
candidates causing versions >= rc-4 to be inoperable with 1.9.1. This
is causing no end of confusion for people using the release candidate
versions but who are not really up on what is going on with the new
development. So, IMHO, those who are interested enough in the
development process are helping with testing the release candidate
versions and those who are not should just enjoy 1.9.1 until the 2.0.0
version is released. There are a lot of people testing the rc's so it
isn't really a problem.

73,
Steve  K6ZX


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[Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT-3]

Running beta software, but not reporting results (good and bad) isn't
making a major contribution.

Less-than-helpful testers is a major problem for developers, which is
why some resort to software that reports by itself, and beta versions
that quit running on a particular date.

Developers wouldn't have to do that if testers really understood testing.

73 -- Lynn

On 11/29/2018 1:45 AM, Jim Brown wrote:
> Contributing to the development of FREE software that we use is a bad
> thing? WSJT-X is a voluntary effort by a group of hams who are
> proficient at programming. Simply by using the new software we make QSOs
> with other hams who are also using it, we are contributing.
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[Jim Brown-10]

On 11/29/2018 11:27 AM, Lynn W. Taylor, WB6UUT wrote:
> Running beta software, but not reporting results (good and bad) isn't
> making a major contribution.

Not true -- those who do take the time to report results need someone to
work, and users of the new version can only work other users of the new
version.

I'm a beta tester, and my screen is full of signals I can't decode
because so many users have not upgraded. Those on the WSJT-S developers
email reflector are PLEADING for everyone to upgrade!

73, Jim K9YC

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[Eric Swartz - WA6HHQ]

Folks - Let's end this thread now as its exceeding our OT posting limit.

73,
Eric
Moderator (from to time to time..)
/elecraft.com/
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