From bbae64f923822312b896d8274e03e2e30b4d45ca Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Jordan Sherer Date: Thu, 4 Oct 2018 08:43:10 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] Updated README --- README | 93 +++++++++++++++------------------------------------------- 1 file changed, 24 insertions(+), 69 deletions(-) diff --git a/README b/README index 05aff94..7d1ae29 100644 --- a/README +++ b/README @@ -1,80 +1,35 @@ +# FT8Call - __ __ ______ _____ ________ __ __ -| \ _ | \ / \ | \| \ | \ | \ -| $$ / \ | $$| $$$$$$\ \$$$$$ \$$$$$$$$ | $$ | $$ -| $$/ $\| $$| $$___\$$ | $$ | $$ ______ \$$\/ $$ -| $$ $$$\ $$ \$$ \ __ | $$ | $$| \ >$$ $$ -| $$ $$\$$\$$ _\$$$$$$\| \ | $$ | $$ \$$$$$$/ $$$$\ -| $$$$ \$$$$| \__| $$| $$__| $$ | $$ | $$ \$$\ -| $$$ \$$$ \$$ $$ \$$ $$ | $$ | $$ | $$ - \$$ \$$ \$$$$$$ \$$$$$$ \$$ \$$ \$$ - - - -Copyright (C) 2001 - 2017 by Joe Taylor, K1JT. +FT8 has taken over the airwaves as the digital communication mode for making QSOs over HF/VHF/UHF. The mode has been widely popular as the latest offering in K1JT’s WSJT-X application. FT8 is based on the same foundation as JT65, JT9, and WSPR modes for weak signal communication, but transmits faster with only slightly reduced sensitivity. -WSJT-X is a computer program designed to facilitate basic amateur -radio communication using very weak signals. The first four letters in -the program name stand for “Weak Signal communication by K1JT,” while -the suffix “-X” indicates that WSJT-X started as an extended (and -experimental) branch of the program WSJT. +While FT8 is an incredibly robust weak signal mode, it is designed heavily to take advantage of short band openings on HF/VHF/UHF and only offers a minimal QSO framework. However, many operators are using these weak signal qualities to make successful QSOs on the HF bands where other modes fail. -WSJT-X Version 1.6 offers five protocols or “modes”: JT4, JT9, JT65 -WSPR, and Echo. The first three are designed for making reliable QSOs -under extreme weak-signal conditions. They use nearly identical -message structure and source encoding. JT65 was designed for EME -(“moonbounce”) on the VHF/UHF bands and has also proven very effective -for worldwide QRP communication on the HF bands. JT9 is optimized for -the LF, MF, and lower HF bands. It is 2 dB more sensitive than JT65 -while using less than 10% of the bandwidth. JT4 offers a wide variety -of tone spacings and has proved very effective for EME on microwave -bands up to 24 GHz. All three of these modes use one-minute timed -sequences of alternating transmission and reception, so a minimal QSO -takes four to six minutes — two or three transmissions by each -station, one sending in odd UTC minutes and the other even. On the HF -bands, world-wide QSOs are possible using power levels of a few watts -and compromise antennas. On VHF bands and higher, QSOs are possible -(by EME and other propagation types) at signal levels 10 to 15 dB -below those required for CW. +FT8Call is an experiment to test the feasibility of a digital mode with the robustness of FT8, combined with a messaging and network protocol layer for weak signal communication on HF, using keyboard-to-keyboard style interface. FT8Call is heavily inspired by WSJT-X, Fldigi, and FSQCall and would not exist without the hard work and dedication of the many developers in the amateur radio community. -WSPR (pronounced “whisper”) stands for Weak Signal Propagation -Reporter. The WSPR protocol was designed for probing potential -propagation paths using low-power transmissions. WSPR messages -normally carry the transmitting station’s callsign, grid locator, and -transmitter power in dBm, and they can be decoded at signal-to-noise -ratios as low as -28 dB in a 2500 Hz bandwidth. WSPR users with -internet access can automatically upload their reception reports to a -central database called {wsprnet} that provides a mapping facility, -archival storage, and many other features. +* Read more on the original design inspiration here: https://github.com/jsherer/ft8call -Echo mode allows you to detect and measure your own lunar echoes, even -if they are far below the audible threshold. - -WSJT-X provides spectral displays for passbands up to 5 kHz, flexible -rig control for nearly all modern radios used by amateurs, and a wide -variety of special aids such as automatic Doppler tracking for EME -QSOs and Echo testing. The program runs equally well on Windows, -Macintosh, and Linux systems, and installation packages are available -for all three platforms. - -WSJT-X is an open-source project released under the GPL license (See -COPYING). If you have programming or documentation skills or would -like to contribute to the project in other ways, please make your -interests known to the development team. The project’s source-code -repository can be found at https://sourceforge.net/projects/wsjt, and -most communication among the developers takes place on the email -reflector https://sourceforge.net/p/wsjt/mailman. User-level -questions and answers, and general communication among users is found -on the https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wsjtgroup/info email -reflector. +* For release announcements and discussion, join the FT8Call mailing list here: https://groups.io/g/ft8call -Project web site: +# Notice -http://www.physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/K1JT/wsjtx.html +FT8Call is a derivative of the WSJT-X application, restructured and redesigned for message passing using FT8 modulation. It is not supported by nor endorsed by the WSJT-X development group. While the WSJT-X group maintains copyright over the original work and code, FT8Call is a derivative work licensed under and in accordance with the terms of the GPLv3 license. The source code modifications are public and can be found in this repository: https://bitbucket.org/widefido/wsjtx/ -Project mailing list (shared with other applications from the same -team): -https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/wsjtgroup +# History +* July 6, 2017 - The initial idea of using a modification to the FT8 protocol to support long-form QSOs was developed by Jordan, KN4CRD, and submitted to the WSJT-X mailing list: https://sourceforge.net/p/wsjt/mailman/message/35931540/ +* August 31, 2017 - Jordan, KN4CRD, did a little development and modified WSJT-X to support long-form QSOs using the existing FT8 protocol: https://sourceforge.net/p/wsjt/mailman/message/36020051/ He sent a video example to the WSJT-X group: https://widefido.wistia.com/medias/7bb1uq62ga +* January 8, 2018 - Jordan, KN4CRD, started working on the design of a long-form QSO application built on top of FT8 with a redesigned interface. +* February 9, 2018 - Jordan, KN4CRD, submitted question to the WSJT-X group to see if there was any interest in pursuing the idea: https://sourceforge.net/p/wsjt/mailman/message/36221549/ +* February 10, 2018 - Jordan KN4CRD, Julian OH8STN, John N0JDS, and the Portable Digital QRP group did an experiment using FSQ. The idea of FT8Call, combining FT8, long-form QSOs, and FSQCall like features was born. +* February 11, 2018 - Jordan, KN4CRD, inquired about the idea of integrating long-form messages into WSJT-X: https://sourceforge.net/p/wsjt/mailman/message/36223372/ +* February 12, 2018 - Joe Taylor, K1JT, wrote back: https://sourceforge.net/p/wsjt/mailman/message/36224507/ saying that “Please don't let my comment discourage you from proceeding as you wish, toward something new.” +* March 4, 2018 - Jordan, KN4CRD, published a design document for FT8Call: https://github.com/jsherer/ft8call +* July 6, 2018 - Version 0.0.1 of FT8Call released to the development group +* July 15, 2018 - Version 0.1 released - a dozen testers +* July 21, 2018 - Version 0.2 released - 75 testers +* July 27, 2018 - Version 0.3 released - 150 testers +* August 12, 2018 - Version 0.4 released - (“leaked” on QRZ) - 500 testers +* September 2, 2018 - Version 0.5 released - 3000 testers +* September 14, 2018 - Version 0.6 released - 5000 testers