Lmst

When the #HolyCluster indicates that 6m is super hot right now, so I switch my station to 6m & start calling CQ… And then #pskReporter coldly says “Not like that.” It’s like #HighSchool all over again.

Holy Cluster showing 6m spots all over the place. Indicative of a major #SporadicE opening.

My last hour on 6m according to pskreporter.info showing that my station can be heard a few counties away at best.

I make myself realtime pskreporter-map and it's actually pretty eye-opening. For example now it seems 10m is open between Europe and Brazil/Argentina. And 15m nicely open between US-EU.

#hamradio #radioamateur #psk #pskreporter #ft8 #ham #propagation #hfpropagation #hampropagation

Why Every Future Ham Radio Operator Should Know About WSJT-X (Even Before Getting a License)

678 words, 4 minutes read time

Patriotic USA Flag Ham Radio Amateur Radio Operator Stainless Steel Insulated Tumbler
Affiliate Link

If you’re a guy intrigued by the world of amateur radio but haven’t yet taken the plunge to get licensed, there’s a powerful tool that can ignite your passion and deepen your understanding: WSJT-X. This software suite, developed by Nobel Laureate Dr. Joe Taylor (K1JT), is revolutionizing the way amateur radio enthusiasts communicate, especially under weak-signal conditions.

What Is WSJT-X?

WSJT-X stands for “Weak Signal Joe Taylor – eXtended.” It’s a free, open-source software designed for weak-signal digital communication by amateur radio. The suite includes various modes like FT8, FT4, JT65, and WSPR, each optimized for different types of radio-wave propagation.

Why Should You Care About WSJT-X?

Even without a license, WSJT-X offers a window into the amateur radio world. You can monitor signals, understand propagation patterns, and get a feel for the community. It’s like being a fly on the wall in a global conversation, offering insights that can be invaluable when you decide to pursue your license.

Getting Started with WSJT-X

Download and Install: Visit the official WSJT-X website to download the software compatible with your operating system.WSJT+2WSJT+2WSJT+2
Set Up Your Hardware: While transmitting requires a license, receiving doesn’t. You can start by connecting a Software Defined Radio (SDR) like the RTL-SDR to your computer. This setup allows you to receive signals and observe the digital modes in action.
Configure the Software: Input your location details and set up the audio input from your SDR. Ensure your computer’s clock is synchronized accurately, as digital modes like FT8 are time-sensitive.
Start Listening: Once set up, you can start monitoring various bands. You’ll see call signs, signal reports, and other data scrolling across your screen, providing a real-time look at global communications.

Understanding Digital Modes

WSJT-X supports several digital modes, each with unique characteristics:

FT8: The most popular mode, designed for quick and efficient communication under weak signal conditions.
FT4: Faster than FT8, suitable for contesting and rapid exchanges.
JT65 and JT9: Older modes, still used for specific applications like moonbounce communications.
WSPR: Stands for “Weak Signal Propagation Reporter,” used for testing propagation paths with low-power transmissions.

Learning from the Community

Engaging with the amateur radio community can enhance your learning experience. Platforms like Reddit’s r/amateurradio offer discussions, advice, and shared experiences from both seasoned operators and newcomers. Additionally, websites like HamStudy.org provide study tools and resources to help you prepare for your license exam.

Monitoring Propagation with PSK Reporter

PSK Reporter is a valuable tool that collects and displays reception reports from around the world. By monitoring this data, you can observe real-time propagation conditions and understand how signals travel over various frequencies and distances.

Exploring Further with YouTube Tutorials

Visual learners can benefit from comprehensive tutorials available on YouTube. For instance, the WSJT-X FT8 Tutorial Master Class offers an in-depth look at setting up and operating WSJT-X, providing step-by-step guidance for beginners.

Conclusion

WSJT-X serves as a gateway into the fascinating world of amateur radio. By observing and understanding digital communications, you can build a solid foundation that will serve you well when you decide to pursue your license. The software offers a hands-on experience that complements theoretical study, making your learning journey both practical and engaging.

Ready to dive deeper into the world of amateur radio? Subscribe to our newsletter for more insights, tips, and updates. Have questions or experiences to share? Join the conversation by leaving a comment below.

D. Bryan King

Sources

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed in this post are solely those of the author. The information provided is based on personal research, experience, and understanding of the subject matter at the time of writing. Readers should consult relevant experts or authorities for specific guidance related to their unique situations.

Tuning Into the World — A digital operator’s desk ready to decode the world through WSJT-X and FT8.

#pskreporter not showing any map or contacts. Anyone to cfm?

#hamradio #amateurradio

Puzzling.

#PSKReporter shows 78 countries last week based on #FT8 spots, but when I feed the provided ADIF file through `adifmt` and `csvkit` I come up with a list of 90 countries heard.

Dunno if this was added in the most recent upgrade, or if I’d set it & it only kicked in upon upgrade, but #HamClock including lines on the map showing my RX’d stations is SUPER helpful. Don’t need to keep a separate browser window open to #pskReporter now. #HamRadio

I found "ADIF Multitool" from WT0RJ https://github.com/flwyd/adif-multitool which takes #ADIF log files and converts them to other formats or filters and modifies them to your specifications. I was able to dump ADIF to CSV for ease of search.

#adifmt and #pskreporter combined were enough to answer this question: which #FT8 stations in the Upper Peninsula am I hearing from here in Ann Arbor? I found a few so far based on the spotting reports I am sending up to pskreporter with OpenWebRX+ .

@g7vkq thanks! I did not know about this service, and it looks like it has parsed out the fields in such a way that subscribing to just what I'm after will be easy.

It looks like OpenWebRX+ has an easy way to also feed pskreporter, so I ticked that box as well.

At some point I'd like to differentiate between "operators that have been spotted by someone" and "calls that I have heard at my QTH". But the #mqtt feed for #pskreporter will save a bunch of time.

Switched both Pavel SDR receivers to run from SparkSDR and report both FT8, FT4, and WSPR, and the results are pretty much identical to the pair of Hermes 2 Lite skimmers connected to the same antennas. The onboard decoders work very well, but only report one mode at a time currently.

I still have a couple of these extra to my needs if someone in North America wants to set up a world class skimmer for around $200. Ping me via email on QRZ if you're interested.

#hamradio #ft8 #pskreporter

The image is a bar chart titled "PSKReporter Top 50 Spotters Worldwide." It ranks the top 50 radio stations based on the number of spots (signals received and reported) within the last 24 hours. The vertical axis represents the number of 24-hour spots, ranging from 0 to 140,000, while the horizontal axis represents the top 50 stations. Each bar has a different color, with the tallest bar on the left showing the highest number of spots, just over 120,000. As the chart moves to the right, the bars gradually decrease in height. Two labels on the right side of the chart highlight stations K5EM and K5EM-3 with counts of 46,410 and 43,658 spots, respectively, for two different setups, taking 37th and 38th place.

pskreporter.info is telling me the last time I fired up js8call was 138 days ago! time flies! #hamradio #pskreporter #js8call

I've never seen the ham bands this dead before lol, I mean it makes sense with the sun doing what it is doing

I got my setup listening on #6m / #FT8 (50.313 MHz) right now, in hopes that it gets sporadic again, as I see a ton of people listening on it on #pskreporter 👀

this is eerie and exciting 😃

I made a tool that gathers information from pskreporter.info and plots it. Fun to see how different bands activate in different hours.

(the distance graph was missing data as I started it in the morning)

#psk #pskreporter #ham #hamradio #hf

I recently discovered #HamAlert for #Android while searching the Google Playstore for a #pskreporter app

I've been able to set pretty granular search/triggers to see if/when #Alaska is on #80m / #FT8 and can be heard in here in #Ohio 😃

I know a desktop app exists, but I didn't know an Android app exists to do this

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.hamalert.app

#AmateurRadio #HamRadio

Thought I was losing my ever-lovin' #HamRadio mind last evening, and again just now.

Was seeing faint signals on the #JS8 waterfall, but not decoding anything, nor did #pskreporter indicate that anyone was hearing me. This thing's been running beautifully 24x7 for at least a week.

Oh, but wait, I did OS updates which required a reboot yesterday.

Sure enough, rebooting reset the software clock back to the hardware clock, which had drifted by 23.5 seconds! Further than ntp would fix.

according to #pskreporter #6m is super active today!

#hamradio #AmateurRadio

@ky4qx
I got one for ya.
You know how #PskReporter can show you who you hear and who hears you?

OR, it can show you who hears that-guy-in-Texas and who he hears?

Because of ability of #JS8Call to work someone with an intermediary, we need something that can parse the PSK Reporter data, and show me what stations can work 2-way with me AND can also work 2-way with dude-in-TX.

Show me the 1-degree-of-separation thing in ONE search, my call, and his call. Gimme.

GIMMEEEEE!!

OK, I think I can sum up... I have to sum up my experiment. #10m is not dead yet but signals did weaken considerably, and it's just past sunset here.

Over 7 hours of listening on 28074 kHz #FT8 @ 0900-1600z Feb 20 2023, I submitted 2314 spots from 1463 stations in 101 countries, with distances ranging from 43km (#SP4JEY) to 13878km (#LU1XBJ).

101 countries on 10m in one day! 😮

https://pskreporter.info/pskmap.html?preset&callsign=SWLKO12JR&band=27999999-31000000&distunit=km&hideunrec=1&blankifnone=1&hidepink=1&showsnr=1&hidelines=1&showsnrinlogbook=1&mapCenter=31.03914787231963,18.337228736025022,2.6911212607800934 #hamr #hamradio #amateurradio #PSKreporter