[wsjt-devel] The FT4 Protocol for Digital Contesting

[Joe T. <jo...@pr...>]

To:   WSJT-X users interested in testing FT4
From: K1JT, K9AN, and G4WJS

Soon after the "FT8 Roundup" held on December 1-2, 2018, we started 
serious work on a faster, more contest-friendly digital mode that can 
compete with RTTY-contesting QSO rates while preserving many of the 
benefits of FT8.  The result is FT4 -- a new digital mode specifically 
designed for radio contesting.

Over the past month a small group of volunteers have been conducting 
on-the-air tests of FT4.  The early tests were very successful and 
helped us to make a number of important design decisions.  We believe 
FT4 has considerable promise for its intended purpose.

We'll soon be ready for testing by a larger group.  If you might be 
interested in participating and offering your considered feedback, 
please read the descriptive document "The FT4 Protocol for Digital 
Contesting", posted here:
http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/FT4_Protocol.pdf

We plan to post downloadable installation packages for WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc5 
on April 29, one week from today.  The document linked above includes

  - Instructions for installing WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc5 and FT4 configuration

  - Operating instructions for FT4

  - Basic description of the FT4 protocol, modulation, and waveform

  - Detailed sensitivity measurements for FT4 under a wide variety of
    simulated propagation conditions

  - Schedule for upcoming test sessions

Please consider helping us to make FT4 a successful mode for digital 
contesting

With best wishes and 73,

	-- Joe (K1JT), Steve (K9AN), and Bill (G4WJS)