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<DIV>FT-8 Contest.</DIV>
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<DIV class=itemTitle style="MARGIN-TOP: 15px"><FONT face=Times><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 19.2pt" color=#c00000>New <I>WSJT-X</I> 2.0-rc5 Beta Version
Now Available, First "Serious" FT8 Contest this Weekend,</FONT></FONT></DIV>
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px">A fifth "candidate
release" -- or beta version -- of <I>WSJT-X</I> 2.0 now is available for
download and use by beta testers. <I>WSJT-X</I> Developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, says
<I>WSJT-X</I> 2.0-rc5 is stable, works well, and fixes known problems in RC4,
the most-recent beta version released in mid-November. A new FT8-only practice
session and contest are set for this weekend.
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px"><IMG hspace=3
alt="" vspace=3 src="http://www3.arrl.org/nl/al/image/WSJT-X-Logo-2-(2018).JPG"
width=203 align=right height=182>"It is likely that the General Availability
(GA) release of <I>WSJT-X</I> 2.0, scheduled for 2 weeks from today, will be
nearly identical to RC5," Taylor said this week. He also announced that a final
FT8 "practice contest" would take place on Saturday, December 1, 0200 - 0300 UTC
(Friday evening, November 30 in North American time zones).
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px">The first
"serious" FT8 contest -- the <A
style='href: "https://www.rttycontesting.com/ft8-roundup/"' target=_blank><FONT
color=#0000ff>FT8 Roundup</FONT></A> -- is set for the December 1 - 2 weekend.
In the brand-new operating event, radio amateurs worldwide will contact and
exchange information with other amateurs using FT8 on 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10
meters. Any station may work any other station. The exchange is signal report
and state/province for US and Canadian participants. Non-US/VE stations will
transmit a signal report and consecutive serial number starting with 001.
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px">Taylor also noted
that the <A style='href: "http://www.arrl.org/rtty-roundup"' target=_blank><FONT
color=#0000ff>ARRL RTTY Roundup</FONT></A> on January 5 - 6 will, for the first
time, permit the use of FT8 as well as traditional RTTY.
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px">Changes in RC5
relative to RC4 include correcting the "worked before" logic for color
highlighting, removing the 5-minute mouse timer, displaying and logging in UTC
for contests, improving the layout of Working Frequencies and Station
Information tables, and allowing deletes and edits in Fox and Contest log
windows.
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<TR>
<TD><IMG alt=""
src="http://www3.arrl.org/nl/al/image/Joe%20Taylor%20K1JT-3.jpg" width=185
height=191><FONT style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt"> </FONT>
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px"><B><FONT
style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt">Joe Taylor, K1JT. [Larry Bilansky,
photo]</FONT></B></P></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px">"You may need to
invoke Settings | General | Colors | Reset Highlighting on your first program
start with this version," Taylor said. The <A
style='href: "http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/Quick_Start_WSJT-X_2.0.pdf"'
target=_blank><I><FONT color=#0000ff>Quick-Start Guide to WSJT-X
2.0</FONT></I></A> has again been updated to reflect the changes.
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px">The Development
Group recommends using RC5 in the conventional FT8 subbands at audio transmit
frequencies of 2,000 Hz and higher. The latest beta versions are not backward
compatible. Users of version 1.9.1 and earlier will be unable to decode RC4 and
later transmissions, and vice-versa, Taylor pointed out.
<P class=default style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 10px; MARGIN-TOP: 8px">"As more users
upgrade their software to <I>WSJT-X</I> 2.0 -- and particularly after the
General Availability release on December 10 -- the new protocol should start to
dominate the conventional FT8 subbands," Taylor said. "As soon as possible after
December 10, everyone should upgrade to <I>WSJT-X</I> 2.0." Read <A
style='href: "http://www.arrl.org/news/new-wsjt-x-2-0-rc5-beta-version-now-available-first-serious-ft8-contest-this-weekend"'
target=_blank><FONT color=#0000ff>more</FONT></A>.</P></DIV></DIV></BODY></HTML>