Friday, October 3, 2014

Testing the new WSJT-X v1.4 beta

As advertised the new WSJT-X 1.4 beta was brought out to download. This is a beta version and could have some bugs. I installed it on my desktop and had the idea it decodes very well. Be sure you read the installing instruction regarding the setup of your soundcard, I got the idea it is most important to create a clear signal. WSJT-X expects soundcards settings at 48000Hz 16bit. I made no QSOs yet with the program as it cannot connect to the comfortable JT-Alert yet. I'm so used to JT-Alert (call me lazy) that I'll have to wait till there is a compatible version made. So, you can hardly call this a test. There are some minor changes as far as I can see. Not shure why there is a astronomical display? It can be set off, but in the picture to show you. I think it can be used for EME or so? I would be happy to read how it is used? I think it is implemented because the plan is to merge WSJT-X and WSJT together. Another feature you cannot "click" on is a new one JT9W. Is it a new development, a wide version of JT9 that is even more sensitive? This is what I found so far about JT9W. I'm not a member and don't read the WSJT-X newsgroup on yahoo. I've been looking at it but it seems everyone has it's own problems, most of the time not really related to the software but because of not trying and reading.

However I made some JT9 QSOs on 40m yesterday with the old version of WSJT-X. 
With my QRP 5W on the alu tape vertical I was heard in Australia and made a QSO with VK4CMV who came back on my CQ. Try that with 5W SSB or even CW! One other QSO was with PE1BVQ after a sked. Hans is having a vacation about 80km south-west of me. Using 2,5W and his end-fed antenna he was pushing a mighty -11dB at my side at top. I made QRP QSOs in the past with Hans, but this was really strong. It was that strong that I decoded Hans on 2 frequencies in the waterfall. This happens to me sometimes, most of the time with QRO stations. It's like the signal has a mirror frequency, could be a soundcard problem? Anyone has the same occurence?

It is not really clear to me why people stick with the old JT65-HF program that was the standard before WSJT-X showed up. Joe W6CQZ abandond the project, he did a good job. Found little regarding to this as I don't follow any forums. M6GTG wrote about it in his blog.
WSJT-X is able to decode JT65 and JT9 simultaneously. JT9 being a very smallband mode has much more  potential as JT65 and still JT65 is more populair. Most amazing is that I recently made a QSO with a neighbourstation using JT65. It went very difficult as it seems my signal was out of his waterfall. Now he was using JT65-HF and talking to him afterwards he had never heard about WSJT-X. I guess we as bloggers should make some more publicity...

4 comments:

Paul Stam PAØK said...

Hallo Bas, Joe W6CQZ heeft de brui eraan gegeven. Daarom deed RB het niet meer van JT65-HF. Ik vind JT65-HF een fijne interface hebben en ik werk er liever mee dan die van Joe Taylor. Al die losse schermpjes vind ik niks. In gebruik maakt het voor JT65 geen zak uit. Maar ja, JT9 is natuurlijk een leuke mode. Dus gebruik ik het wel, alleen niet voor JT65. De Zwitserse versie van JT65/HF van HB9HQX ziet er goed uit en dat ik zeker even proberen. 1.4 inmiddels ook in gebruik. 73 Paul

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Hallo Paul, die losse schermpjes vind ik persoonlijk ook erg irritant en is typisch iets amerikaans. Kijk naar programma's zoals N1MM en Logger32 etc. Kun jij eens wat schrijven over die HB9HQX versie en wat je er mooi aan vind wat de voor en de nadelen zijn? Volgens mij kun je maar een beperkt stukje van het spectrum ermee zien, niet zo wijd als WSJT-X? Of is dat ook instelbaar? Ik bekijk nu het spectrum van 0-3500 Hz. 73, Bas

Hans said...

Hallo Bas, zoals je weet heb ik JT65-hf ook in gebruik en had n.a.v. berichten van Paul de nieuwe versie van HB geinstalleerd. Voordeel is inderdaad maar 1 scherm, ideaal als je moet wisselen b.v. om even op PSK reporter te kijken. Kom je terug dan moet je altijd weer 1 scherm erbij activeren. Bij deze versie is ook gelijk de keuze van frequentie mogelijk. Maar ik heb slechte ervaring met de uitvoering van HB. Hij decodeert gewoon niet alles. Ik ben bang dat dat vermoedelijk aan een instellingsfout ligt. Ik zal het eens nader bekijken maar voorlopig hou ik me bij WSJT-X 1.3. 73 Hans, PE1BVQ

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Probeer ook eens JT65-HF comfort Hans. Ook 1 scherm, maar ook een keuze om een klein scherm te gebruiken. Is handig vor bijv. op een telefoon of tablet. 73, Bas