WSJT-X Tip #2: Call 1st

QSO's using FT8 are often fast and furious.  When conditions are favorable it is easy to end up in a pileup situation with many stations calling you at once.  WSJT-X includes a helpful feature that enables the software to automatically respond to the first decoded responder to your CQ.  Just check the box labelled, "Call 1st".

This is very helpful to keep up with the pace of QSO's.  It is not intended to be a substitute for an operator actively controlling their station.

Good DX and 73, NJ2X

Related articles:

• WSJT-X Tip #1: JTAlert

© Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM, 2022. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

WSJT-X Tip #1: JTAlert

An outstanding companion to WSJT-X is JTAlert.  JTAlert monitors the stations you receive and provides feedback to help you choose which stations to select for a contact.  

Helpful alerts include:

• Identifies stations you worked before
• Color codes stations that are calling CQ in green
• Color codes stations in grey that are in the middle of a QSO
• Flags wanted callsigns
• Flags wanted US States
• Flags DXCCs
• Ignores callsigns

 JTAlert is a must-have companion for anyone using WSJT-X.

Good DX and 73, NJ2X

Related posts

• WSJT-X Tip #2: Call 1st

© Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM, 2021. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Michael W. Maher and NJ2X.COM with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Amateur Radio Computer Clock Synchronization

Weak signal work with modes such as FT8, FT4, and JT65 all require software running on a computer with its time synchronized.  The consequence of running a computer with its internal clock substantially out of sync is to neither be able to decode signals nor have your signals decoded by others.

You may have noticed hearing strong stations that were not decoding.  It is likely that their computer’s clock was substantially out of sync with yours.

With the WSJT-X application, synchronization is measured by the DT value (time-differential).  Small DT values are necessary for effective communication.  If you happen to see an abundance of FT8 signals on the waterfall yet few decodes, or a distinct bias of negative DT values on decode, these are indicators that your computer’s clock is in need of synchronization. 

Curious about your computer's clock synchronization?  Use time.is to get a measurement of your computer's clock against a standard.

On Windows 10, it is fairly easy to manually sync the computer's clock.  Though it is also easy to forget to do this periodically which can lead to the computer's clock becoming unacceptably out-of-sync resulting in lost QSO's.  Computers are supposed to do this type of work for us humans anyway!

Fortunately, there is a handy little utility called NetTime that takes the work out of keeping your computer's clock synchronized within a millisecond.  NetTime is a Simple Network Time Protocol (SNTP) client and it is easy to install and configure.  The only real change I made to the default settings is setting the update interval to 15 minutes.  15 minutes happens to be the most frequent update value possible in the application.

Hope this helps you make more digital contacts.  See you on the air.

Good DX and 73, NJ2X

Configuring WSJT-X with a Kenwood TS-480SAT and SignaLink USB

Communicating on HF using various digital modes is a ton of fun.  There has been a significant shift in the popularity of digital modes toward FT8 over the last couple of years.  PSK31, JT65, and other digital modes have nearly disappeared from the bands.  This means hams need to join in the FT8 craze if they want to operate digital modes and actually make contacts.  WSJT-X is my preferred software for JT65, FT8, and FT4.  In this post, I will share how I have configured my station for WSJT-X digital HF communication.

Station Control

I use a Kenwood TS-480SAT that is capable of 100W on HF and 6M.  The TS-480SAT is interfaced to the computer for radio control through the radio's serial port through a Keyspan USA-19HS USB adapter.  The radio's audio is interfaced to the computer from the TS-480SAT's data port through a SignaLink Integrated USB Sound Card.  I have used this configuration for years with excellent results.

Kenwood TS-480SAT

SignaLink Integrated USB Sound Card

WSJT-X Settings Configuration

Radio

• Cat Control - Serial Port: COM3
• Serial Port Parameters: Baud Rate = 57600
• Data Bits: Default
• Stop Bits: Default
• Handshake: Hardware
• Force Control Lines: DTR and RTS are both blank
• PTT Method: CAT
• Transmit Audio Source: Rear/Data
• Mode: USB
• Split Operation: None

Audio

• Input: USB Audio CODEC - Mono
• Output: USB Audio CODEC - Mono

TS-480 SAT Configuration

Menu 56 Com Port Parameters = 57600

Menu 60 VOX Operation With Data Input = Off

Be sure to check out my article on setting up WSJT-X for automatic logging with Ham Radio Deluxe.

Good DX and 73, NJ2X

Other related articles:

WSJT-X Automatic Logging Into Ham Radio Deluxe

WSJT-X Automatic Logging Into Ham Radio Deluxe

Ham Radio Deluxe DM780 supports an excellent selection of digital modes.  There are several popular digital modes that HRD DM780 does not support including FT8, JT65, and WSPR.  To run these digital modes, additional non-HRD software is required.

I have found WSJT-X easy to work with especially when combined with JTAlert.  WSJT-X implements communication protocols or "modes" called FT4, FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, QRA64, ISCAT, MSK144, and WSPR, as well as one called Echo for detecting and measuring your own radio signals reflected from the Moon.  These modes were all designed for making reliable, confirmed QSOs under extreme weak-signal conditions.

However, by default WSJT-X writes only to its own log when only basic configuration is setup.  This is inconvenient to Ham Radio Deluxe users as there doesn't seem to be an easy way to export/import the WSJT-X log into Ham Radio Deluxe.  Even if there were a manual export/import, who would want a two-step logging process anyway?  Spend less time logging means we have more time for making contacts. 

Fortunately, WSJT-X and Ham Radio Deluxe can be easily configured to work together to enable WSJT-X logged contacts to automatically update the Ham Radio Deluxe log.  The integration involves enabling and configuring "QSO Forwarding" in both applications.

Step 1: Configure HRD QSO Forwarding

• Navigate to HRD-->HRD Logbook-->Tools-->Configuration-->QSO Forwarding
• UDP Send - uncheck "Forward logbook changes using UDP to other logging programs"
• UDP Receive
• Add a check to "Fill in missing fields on Receive"
• Add a check to "Lookup missing fields on Receive"
• Uncheck "Receive logbook changes using UDP from other logging programs (TR4W, N1MM)
• Receive QSO notifications using UDP from other applications (WSJT-X)
• Receive Port: 2333
• Target Database: My Logbook
• MyStation fields should be: Merged

Step 2: Configure WSJT-X QSO Forwarding"

• Navigate to WSJT-X --> File --> Settings --> Reporting
• Check "Prompt me to log QSO"
• Network Services
• Check "Enable PSK Reporter Spotting"
• UDP Server
• Check "Accept UDP requests"
• Check "Notify on accepted UDP requests"
• Check "Accepted UDP restores window
• UDP Server: 127.0.0.1
• UDP Server port number: 2237
• Secondary UDP Server (deprecated)
• Check "Enable logged contact ADIF broadcast
• Server name or IP address: 127.0.0.1
• Server port number: 2333

Step 3: Test QSO Forwarding from WSJT-X to HRD

Note on rig control: I have configured rig control in both WSJT-X and HRD.  This means that I can only use one or the other at the same time to control my station.  With this approach, I simply disconnect HRD rig control when I am going to run WSJT-X.  When I am done with WSJT-X, I close the application and then click the "Connect" button in HRD to re-enable HRD rig-control.  If I attempt to run rig control in both applications at the same time, they conflict and generate an error.

• Complete a contact in WSJT-X
• Log the contact in WSJT-X
• Confirm that the contact was logged in HRD

Voilà!  You have successfully configured WSJT-X and HRD to automatically log WSJT-X contacts in the HRD logbook.  This will save you tons of time from having to manually type your WSJT-X QSOs into the Ham Radio Logbook.

Good DX and 73, NJ2X

Related posts:

• Migrating Ham Radio Deluxe to a New Computer
• Configuring WSJT-X with a Kenwood TS-480SAT and SignaLink USB