SporadicE

WSJTGROUP

WSJTGROUP Recommendations for working DX
(Focus on Sporadic E Skip)
using WSJT Modes

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WWW Links
Recommended Reading
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www,JT6M.org

Guide to HF JT65A

50 MHZ WSJT
COMPOSITE STANDINGS

JT65 Terrestrial Link.

NOTE ISCAT replaces
JT6M for good reason. See note from Joe (K1JT) bottom of this page.

Purpose: These procedures are published to aid those operators wishing to use WSJT Modes for working ( TEP or Sporadic E Skip) during the Es season (summer especially)

WHY : ISCAT can make contacts often times not possible with SSB or before SSB is possible during an opening. These signals can often times be heard although weak and constant or often times not heard at all. Using ISCAT contacts can be completed in a short time meeting all the requirements for a legitimate completion.

Who: These standards were arrived at by sharing emails with a few experienced EU / NA operators who have experience making dx contacts. ( G4PCI ; G4IGO : K1SIX ; W5UWB ; N5SIX & WA5UFH )

Frequency:
50.230 MHz & 50.260 MHz are the recommended calling frequencies for (Es) ISCAT. All stations should use the "Off-Set" method of calling CQ. These two frequencies are the Eu and NA calling frequencies. Check both during suspected openings. Do not make contacts on the call frequency.

NOTE: NA Stations when using 50.230 MHz should use "UP" offset only to avoid crowding the SSB operators that might be working above 50.200 MHz. Operators should avoid using offsets that end up on Frequency 50.260 (Meteor Scatter / Es Calling Frequency) & 50.290 MHz (PSK31)
calling frequency.

50.255 MHz is the recommended calling frequency for JT65A. Stations will also find it best / beneficial to make schedules for this mode on the Terrestrial JT65 page via Ping Jockey Pages.
( You may need to find a person on PJ Central and then QSY to Terrestrial JT65 page ) HF JT65A stations with six meter capabilities are encouraged to try the "magic band".

Transmit Period:
The western most station transmits first. (Same as meteor scatter procedures) EU always 2nd when attempting contacts in NA or Caribbean.

Reporting System:
European stations expect to see EU defaults thus we recommend that NA stations swap user options
to EU Defaults using 26 or 27 reports. Random Hour messages used on shared frequencies in NA should be avoided as EU not familiar with these messages. The important thing is to receive both calls and exchange either standard reports (26 - 27) or your grid square for a valid contact.

Internet Loggers:
Default Logger is Ping Jockey

1. CQ 250 W1AW (Up 20 KHz from calling frequency) W1AW will listen on 50.250 and swap
their Tx Frequency from 50.230 MHz to 50.250 MHz upon receiving a call)

Note From Joe (K1JT) ... fyi

This is a request for some specific feedback from WSJT users.

As I understand things the JT6M mode is still widely used in EU, despite
having been replaced (in WSJT 9.0) by ISCAT -- a mode with significantly
better performance.

1. Is my understanding correct?

If so, I hope some users will offer their explanations of why this might
be so. For example:

2. Are some users skeptical of my statement that ISCAT has
"significantly better performance"?

3. Has it been hard to get people to change, because they like a
familiar way of doing things?

4. Something else?

I ask these questions, in part, because ISCAT should be a superb mode
for making inter-continental QSOs on 6 and 4 meters under marginal
propagation conditions likely to be more common in coming months.

One good example: recently SV8CS worked ZS6WAB on 70 MHz using ISCAT,
via TEP.

Another example of an unexpected and very fruitful use of ISCAT: VK7MO
and VK3KH have been making 500+ km QSOs at 10 GHz, using aircraft scatter.

ISCAT is a powerful mode. In a number of ways its capabilities are
complementary to FSK441, JT65 and JT4. Under all relevant propagation
circumstances I've been able to document, ISCAT performs better than JT6M.

Soooo..., once again, can someone please clarify the ISCAT-vs-JT6M
situation in Europe for me?

Am I misinformed? Is a transition to ISCAT simply taking longer than I
might have expected? Or are there other considerations that I should
know about, but don't?

-- 73, Joe, K1JT

EU Defaults Messages

1. Click on <Setup> on toolbar WSJT6
2. From dropdown menu click on <Options>
3. Under message templets select <Rpt> and <Eu>
4. Click Button <Reset Defaults>
5. Exit Options Window

Example of Eu Default Messages:
Tx 1 G4IGO WA5UFH
Tx2 G4IGO WA5UFH 27 27
Tx3 G4IGO WA5UFH R27 R27
Tx4 RRRR RRRR WA5UFH
Tx5 73 WA5UFH