[TVARC] RESEND: Part 1 of 2 of Joe Taylor/K1JT’s Tips for Using His WSJTx Software in the New “ARRL International Digital Contest”

[Anthony Hackenberg]

Hi Members of TVARC’s MailList (especially those interested in Contesting & Digital Modes FT8/FT4),

I sent this same e-mail out in late May 2022 to TVARC’s MailList (reflector).  Since the applicable contest (the first ever “ARRL International Digital Contest”) is this weekend (June 4-5, 2022), I am resending it again.  Hopefully, it will help you prepare the WSJT-X software for this contest.  Many of you probably already have this software ready to go for this contest, but for the laggards like me, below is Part 1 of Joe Taylor’s (K1JT) tips.  CAVEAT:  I will soon send “Part 2” of K1JT’s tips via a separate e-mail to the club’s MailList.  This Part 2 contains a “correction” by K1JT.

Joe Taylor/K1JT, inventor & developer of “WSJT-x” software (FT8/FT4 digital modes), recently posted some useful tips for using this software during this weekend’s new, ARRL-sponsored, digital contest (“ARRL International Digital Contest”).  See K1JT’s e-mail, dated 5/27/2022, which I have embedded below, for his tips.

73,
Tony/K4QR

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Joe Taylor via wsjt-devel <wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net <mailto:wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net>>
> Date: May 27, 2022 at 12:22:10 EDT
> To: WSJT software development <wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net <mailto:wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net>>
> Cc: Joe Taylor <joe at princeton.edu <mailto:joe at princeton.edu>>
> Subject: [wsjt-devel] ARRL International Digital Contest
> Reply-To: WSJT software development <wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net <mailto:wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net>>
> 
> Hi all,
> 
> In response to questions I've received, here are some details and suggestions for operating in the new ARRL-sponsored digital contest.
> 
> Contest Period: 1800 UTC June 4 through 2359 UTC June 5.
> 
> Bands: 160, 80, 40, 20, 15, 10, and 6m
> 
> Modes: any digital mode, except no traditional RTTY.  In practice most contest participants will likely use FT4 and FT8.
> 
> Exchange: Four-character grid locator
> 
> Scoring: one point per QSO, plus an additional point for every 500 km of distance or portion thereof, with distances measured between grid centers.
> 
> Power categories: Low Power (100 W or less) and QRP (5 W or less).  No High Power category.
> 
> Full details and contest rules are available here:
> https://contests.arrl.org/ContestRules/Digital-Rules.pdf <https://contests.arrl.org/ContestRules/Digital-Rules.pdf>
> 
> In particular, take note of the recommended sub-bands and advice about operating frequencies.  Here are the essentials taken from the Contest Rules document:
> 
> ##############################################################################
> FT4 Recommended Sub-bands:
> 1.836-1.840
> 3.580-3.590
> 7.080-7.090
> 14.080-14.090
> 21.080-21.090
> 28.080-28.090
> 50.330 to 50.340
> 
> FT8 Recommended Sub-bands:
> 1.840-1.844
> 3.590-3.600 (No Digital above 3600)
> 7.090-7.100
> 14.090-14.100
> 21.090-21.100
> 28.090-28.100
> 50.340 to 50.350
> 
> When choosing your operating frequency, set the radio dial at the bottom of the sub-band and QSO with stations on audio frequencies within the radio passband typically 2.5-4 kHz wide. If a sub-band becomes crowded, move the radio dial frequency up in 2 kHz increments, as needed. (For example: 7,090, 7.092, 7.094, 7.096 and 7.098).
> ##############################################################################
> 
> Finally, a few suggestions for configuring WSJT-X 2.5.4 for the contest:
> 
> 1. Go to "File | Settings | Advanced", check "Special operating activity" and "NA VHF Contest".  (Of course this is not a VHF contest, but the exchange and recommended message sequence is the same.)
> 
> 2. Go to "File | Settings | Colors", check "My Call in message" and "New Call on Band", and uncheck everything else.  Check the box "Highlight also messages with 73 or RR73."  Click OK to dismiss the Settings dialog.
> 
> 3. Select "File | Reset Cabrillo log".
> 
> 4. Before the contest starts, select "File | Open log directory", and rename the file wsjtx_log.adi to something else, say wsjtx_log.adi.bak. This ensures that you will start the contest with an empty log.  (After the contest, you will probably want to append your contest QSOs to your backup log and then rename it back to the original "wsjtx_log.adi".)
> 
>    -- 73, Joe, K1JT
> 
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> wsjt-devel mailing list
> wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net <mailto:wsjt-devel at lists.sourceforge.net>
> https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wsjt-devel <https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/wsjt-devel>
  


73

Tony/K4QR


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