Automation, the future is already here

When in Denmark I missed a lot of blog posts from others. Highlights last week were the blogposts about the ARRL prohibiting automated contacts being valid for awards and DXCC and automated contacts in general. Actually when I read about it I was planning a blogpost about it but unfortunately I had no time to write and others already did. So what's left? You would think nothing....but development goes fast, there is a lot to write about.

I've been writing about automation last year:

https://pe4bas.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-dividing-lineautomation-in-future.html

One of the things I wrote about is automation of FT8 contacts by DXpeditions. I think it is good idea, others however are not happy with it. I can imagine that...however for many earning DXCC is a way of life, they do nothing else on HAMradio. But the hobby has so much more challenges. Things are constant changing in life and so is our radio hobby. But back to automation....

Other articles about this topic can be read here:

http://ae5x.blogspot.com/2019/08/automated-ft8-foxbot-in-upcoming.html

https://ei7gl.blogspot.com/2019/08/arrl-prohibit-automated-contacts-for.html

https://mw1cfnradio.blogspot.com/2019/08/on-question-of-automation.html

I also wrote in 2018 that anyone with programming skills can make a automated WSJT version.
So far only Stathis SV5DKL was writing and documenting his FT8 robot, others could take the idea (and did) it was based on a program called Quick Macro. DG5LP actually made some macro program you can use with Quick Macro and WSJT-X and you can download it on his FT8-Helper site. Still Quick Macro is commercial sofware and the evaluation version stops after 30 days, that made me personally not experimenting with it. Other (freeware) macro program are able to do this as well but it takes time to experiment with it. So recently someone with programming skills made a modified WSJT-X version. Called WSJT-Z by SP9FVE. You can download it here:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/wsjt-z/

I installed it this evening and did let it running under my supervision of course. Except the contact with OY1R (who I met personally in the past and is always special to me) all contacts on 20m FT4 and 60m FT8 are made by "robot" today. I didn't touch a thing and let it go, at the same time writing this blogpost 20 QSOs were made...

A screenshot:

It is just a test just out of the box, and I just made CQs. But it seems you can also auto reply on CQs and can even make filters so you work only the new DXCC for instance. Is it fun to experiment with? Yes it is! This software is what I already predicted last year. This is the future and you can't stop it.

But before you are going to write me "hate" comments now. Consider this: It is your choice to use it. You don't have to download and participate. If you think you have to ban me now, others read this and will make robot contacts with this software. I certainly will not be the only one and I think there are already hundreds of FT8/FT4 robots on air.

-- Be careful as making automated contacts without your supervision (being in the shack or connected remote) is not allowed in most countries by law! --

Now, I can't help it but I can almost predict that more digital mode software will provide automation. K1JT might even have the option in the next version? Or takes a note and will block the possebility to modify the software for automation? But would that help? I don't think so...

Oh my, exciting times....