in the ARRL RTTY Roundup The popular digital mode makes its HF contest debut January 5 – 6. Follow these instructions and give it a try!

Joe Taylor, K1JT sions are determined by the opera- same) frequency. FT8 is optimized The annual ARRL RTTY Roundup tors. Decoding with low error rates for the exchange of call signs, signal (www.arrl.org/rtty-roundup) has requires signal-to-noise ratios greater reports, and a few additional bits of always been a multimode contest; its than about –5 dB, measured in a information, so it is potentially very rules permit digital modes, such as reference bandwidth of 2,500 Hz. well suited to . In WSJT-X ASCII, AMTOR, PSK31, and packet, 2.0 the FT8 protocol has been In sharp contrast, FT8 transmissions in addition to Baudot RTTY. However, enhanced to support exchanges for have fixed 12.6-second lengths, only RTTY has been widely used the RTTY Roundup and several always start at 0, 15, 30, or 45 until now. In the Roundup, to be held other popular contests. seconds into a UTC minute, occupy on January 5 – 6, 2019, users of the 50 Hz bandwidths, and are reliably free software package WSJT-X 2.0 Setup and Operation decodable with signal-to-noise ratios have been encouraged to try The following instructions assume as low as –20 dB. The FT8 protocol contesting with FT8. This article is a familiarity with everyday FT8 oper- includes strong forward error correc- brief tutorial on how to do that, using ating procedures; you should tion, so decoding is an all-or-nothing new features built into WSJT-X 2.0. consider such experience a prerequi- process. At the receiving end, you site for using FT8 in the RTTY Initial caveat: The ARRL RTTY see exactly the message transmitted, Roundup. A full WSJT-X 2.0 User Roundup is 30 years old and has a or nothing at all. After a message is Guide may not be available at the wide and enthusiastic following. FT8 decoded, the software reconstructs time you are reading this, but most users might therefore consider them- its audio waveform, scales it to the program features are thoroughly selves guests of a sort, in this event. received signal strength, and covered in the guide for version Inevitably, there will be some cross- subtracts it from the received audio 1.9.1, which you will find at mode interference as the available data. In this way, signals can be www.physics.princeton.edu/ subbands are not very wide. All “peeled away,” so that several may be pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx-doc/wsjtx-main- participants, using whatever mode, decoded at the same (or nearly the 1.9.1.html. Details about the should try to accommodate one another. The RTTY Roundup may help to determine whether an HF Table 1 contest with significant participation Common RTTY Contest Frequencies in more than one digital mode is a and Suggested FT8 Contest Frequencies good idea. Set the WSJT-X dial frequency to a multiple of 2 kHz, for example 7.082 MHz. Differences Between The RTTY contest frequencies shown for 80 and 40 meters also reflect band FT8 and RTTY Signals plans for operations outside the Western Hemisphere. Standard amateur Band signals with Baudot encoding, keying (Meters) RTTY Contest Frequencies (MHz) Suggested FT8 Frequencies (MHz) rates of 45.45 , and 170 Hz 80 3.570 – 3.600 3.590 – 3.600 shifts occupy bandwidths of about 40 7.025 – 7.100 7.080 – 7.100 250 Hz. Information is transmitted on a character-by-character basis at 20 14.080 – 14.150 14.130 – 14.150 about 5.7 characters per second and 15 21.0805 – 21.150 21.130 – 21.150 start times and durations of transmis- 10 28.0805 – 28.200 28.160 – 28.200

2 January 2019 www.arrl.org program’s contesting features are described in the Quick Start Guide to WSJT-X 2.0 at https://physics. princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Quick_ Start_WSJT-X_2.0.pdf. Be sure to read the latter document thoroughly. Figure 1 — Be sure to select the RTTY Roundup and enter your exchange information. FT8 and other WSJT-X modes require a reliable means of keeping your computer’s clock synchronized 1) CQ RU KF1ABC FN42 WSJT-X user interface has tools to with UTC. Follow instructions for 2) KF1ABC WA9XYZ 579 WI make these settings easy. Tap your your operating system found in 3) WA9XYZ KF1ABC R 589 MA F3 or F5 keyboard keys to see the WSJT-X User Guide. Computer 4) KF1ABC WA9XYZ RR73 concise lists of relevant keyboard aided transceiver (CAT) control KF1ABC GM1AAA 559 0013 and mouse shortcuts. of your is highly recommended, 5) WA9XYZ KF1ABC 73 Experienced contesters may and this is fully supported by 6) KF1ABC GM1AAA 559 0013 choose to configure WSJT-X so WSJT-X. 7) GM1AAA KA1ABC R 569 MA 8) KF1ABC GM1AAA RR73 that it forwards information Starting with a normal FT8 setup, 9) GM1AAA KA1ABC 73 to the N1MM+ contest logging configure the program for the RTTY program. Setup instructions for Roundup by navigating to FILE > Note that GM1AAA has called as a the N1MM+ side can be found at SETTINGS > ADVANCED. Check the tailender in intervals 4 and 6. n1mm.hamdocs.com/tiki-index. box labeled SPECIAL OPERATING KF1ABC works WA9XYZ and php?page=UDP+Broadcasts, and ACTIVITY, select ARRL RTTY ROUNDUP, GM1AAA in quick succession, using for the WSJT-X side, it can be found and enter the two- or three-letter just two transmissions to each caller. in Section 4.5 of the WSJT-X User abbreviation for your state or prov- In this fashion, and with a continuous Guide. For log submission, you can ince, or DX if you are located outside string of callers, a practiced operator use the Cabrillo log produced by the United States and Canada. You can make QSOs at maximum rate N1MM+, which will include proper may want to select the COLORS tab 60 per hour. computation of your claimed score. and check only the color-highlighting Alternatively, you can invoke the boxes for CQ IN MESSAGE, MY CALL-IN Frequencies to Use WSJT-X command FILE > EXPORT MESSAGE, TRANSMITTED MESSAGE, Many FT8 exchanges can fit in a CABRILLO LOG to create a valid log NEW CALL, and NEW CALL ON BAND. single 2 to 3 kHz window, but during for submission. Note, however, that at Click OK to return to the main a popular contest, it will be neces- present, WSJT-X has no concept of window, and be sure the box AUTO sary to spread out. The first two contest multipliers, does not account SEQ is checked. columns of Table 1 list conventional for dupes, and does not compute a frequency ranges used on each HF claimed score. We plan to add these To keep track of stations already band for RTTY contesting, taken features in a later program release. worked in the contest, it’s best to from the website www.aa5au.com/ start the contest with an empty rtty/rtty-sub-bands/. The third wsjtx_log.adi file. Select FILE > OPEN column suggests ranges near the LOG DIRECTORY, then right-click on upper ends of these subbands where Dr. Joe Taylor, K1JT, is an American the file wsjtx_log.adi and rename it to FT8 contest activity might best be astrophysicist and Nobel Prize in Physics something else, for example wsjtx_ concentrated. laureate. He is the developer of the WSJT-X software suite, as well as many other weak- log.bak. After the contest, be sure to signal applications. You can contact Joe at reverse this procedure to restore Operating procedures for FT8 in [email protected]. your normal ADIF log. Before the contests will surely evolve over time, For updates to this article, contest starts, execute the command as users gain experience. Initially, the see the QST Feedback page at FILE > ERASE CABRILLO.LOG. WSJT-X development team www.arrl.org/feedback. proposes that run stations should FT8 contacts in the RTTY Roundup select integral multiples of 200 Hz as will typically proceed as in the their audio transmit frequencies and following example, where KF1ABC is check the TX EVEN/1ST box. Search- the “Run” station calling CQ. The and-pounce (S+P) stations should numbered items represent succes- call at frequencies 0, 60, or 120 Hz sive transmission intervals. above the run frequency. The

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