JT65, JT9-1 and WSPR

After brief outings on 10m and 20m JT65 and JT9-1 (nothing worked but W and LU seen on 20m JT65) I returned to 10m WSPR. I changed power to 500mW on 10m WSPR and was spotted by local G0LRD and 4X1RF. For now I have settled on 1W WSPR and 4X1RF,  G0LRD,  DK6UG and DK8FT are all copying this level just fine so far.  I think the DKs were by Es, although I think the 4X is F2 propagation. So  far today, 4X1RF has spotted me 8 times at output powers between 2W and 500mW.

Neglecting 630m

With good conditions on 10m, I have been neglecting 472kHz (630m) of late. On MF I run, as you know, 5mW ERP only whereas on 10m this is 2W.

I may go back onto MF this evening as 10m is becoming almost predictable of late. I am told (by G3WKW) that there are far more 10m stations on JT65 than on WSPR. It is certainly true that one does see the same stations again and again on WSPR. At least with WSPR I can set it running and monitor results on the PC in the lounge. This cannot be done so easily with JT65 or JT9-1 where you really have to be "on-hand" to answer calls. With my stroke, I find WSPR suits me well right now.

20m activity

I called CQ on 20m in JT9-1 and then JT65 just before tea without success. Since switching to 20m WSPR I was met with immediate success.  VK5MR was copied and now there are plenty of Canadian and USA stations being spotted or spotting me.  WSPR really is a good mode.

UPDATE 1856z:  OX3XR (3206km) was a new country on 20m WSPR just now. 12 reports received in a single WSPR 2 minute transmission!

JT65 and JT9-1

Tomorrow, I may give these modes a better go. In recent days I have reverted to WSPR (which I can monitor in the lounge) but feel the urge for more 2-way QSOs, which is very hard on SSB and CW currently as a result of my stroke.  Hopefully my normal voice will gradually return.  At the moment speaking is very tiring as I get breathless. and forming words is hard going.   CW is also not so easy.  JT65 and JT9-1 are perhaps the best 2-way modes for me right now. They require limited keyboard skills which I can manage.

JT65 and JT9-1

These 2-way digital modes which require me to be in the shack, are on hold until I get my shack back properly which will not be before Wednesday PM. With grandchildren around, they take priority. At least I can set WSPR going in the shack in the daytime and check progress on WSPRnet.org in the lounge from time to time.

Current set-up for WSPR, JT65 and JT9-1

This is a photo of the kit currently used. The top FT817ND is used mainly for 2m and 70cms (local FM net, SSB and CW, beacon hunting) and the lower FT817 for WSPR, JT65 and JT9-1 mainly on 6m and 10m. The lower rig is set at 2.5W, but the cable run to the V2000 vertical is lossy on 6m. I use a SignaLink USB audio interface to the PC.  This works well. For all digital modes I use the FT817 on DIG setting via the rear connector.   Sometimes I use the Z817 ATU, which I find very good. With this, I can get onto 5MHz and some other bands.

Best DX (on WSPR) is Australia at 1W out on 40, 20 and 10m and Israel on 6m WSPR (1W ERP).

Not shown (on shelf above) is the 472kHz homebrew transverter, the 15m MFJ Cub and the Mizuho 200mW 2m SSB rig. Also out of sight are a 136kHz beacon, the 2m Fredbox, the 6m Sixbox, the VLF 8-9kHz beacon, and optical rigs. I am waiting for better health to be able to use these again. Currently my operating is all from home and mainly modes not requiring me to talk, although I have ventured onto our Monday night FM net and the odd 2m and 70cm contest.

Same callsigns?

One of the drawbacks of WSPR (currently) is you tend to get spotted, or spot, the same stations over and over again. I am even seeing the same stations being spotted on 10m and on 6m.

It would be very nice if there were a lot more active stations, so spots came from a variety of stations. I am even seeing this on JT65 and JT9-1.

Perhaps people think these "new fangled" digital modes are hard and so only a limited number of people (currently) use them. Let me say, if even I can use these modes then anyone can! All these modes are great with low power and have really opened my eyes as to how far very low powered signal can be detected.

10m unique WSPR spots this afternoon (duplicates not shown)

More JT65 and JT9-1 operation

Over the lunch period I operated JT9-1 and JT65 on 20m. Although I got plenty of reports of my CQ calls on JT9-1 (via PSKreporter) not a single QSO. When I went to JT65 on 20m I had a decent 2-way QSO with EA3KU (1307km) in JN00 square. Seems JT65 operators outnumber JT9-1 operators by about 10:1.

10m - JT65 QSOs first thing

Well, I've had success on 10m digital with a couple of JT65 QSOs on 10m. Managed to work CT1AYO and LY3OO on 10m JT65 early this morning.

No success this time in JT9-1 on 10m. I listened for a while - heard nothing - so put out some CQ calls in JT9-1, but sadly without success. It was a case of lack of activity. Currently I am monitoring (i.e. not TXing) on 50.276MHz JT65.

Tried 7.076MHz JT65, but the 40m band was very noisy.

Although PSK reporter maps show I've been copied outside Europe, I have still to work anyone outside Europe this summer since I started on digital 2-way modes a few days ago. It will certainly happen as JT9-1 is only about 2dB worse than WSPR.  JT65 is about 4dB worse.  So, on many stations, I should be in range, even with my compromise antenna system on 20m and 10m.

Second JT9-1 QSO today

This evening I worked my second station on JT9-1, again on 20m as 10m was dead when I listened. The station was DL1KCQ (475km) in JO22 square. He was running 10W to a vertical.  I was using 5W to my Par 10/20/40m end-fed.

I have still to try JT65 and JT9-1 on 10m as the band has not been open when I listened. 20m seems to be an ideal band as it is open pretty often. Although I heard some stateside stations on JT9-1,  none were worked or indeed called. So far 4 JT65 QSOs and 2 JT09-1 QSOs in the log since yesterday.

Anyone know the recommended JT65 and JT9-1 preferred operating frequencies on 40m?  7.076 and 7.078MHz?

A real advantage of JT9-1 is it only occupies just over 16Hz of bandwidth whereas JT65 is about 10 times this bandwidth.  JT9-1 is really only suited to lower HF, MF and LF bands as the tone separation is very small and HF Doppler and rig drift can play havoc.

First JT9-1 QSO this summer

Like David G0LRD, I think WSJT-X (latest version certainly) seems as easy to use as JT65-HF. What's more it supports JT9-1 as well as JT65.

I tried 10m, but soon QSYed down to 20m where there was activity. Managed to work an OE (Austria) on JT9-1 (easily), for my first JT9-1 QSO is some while, running 5W from the FT817.   Just tuned to 14.078MHz and clicked away with WSJT-X.  Must try again on 10m and 6m.  JT65 is at 14.076 and 28.076MHz. USB dial.  JT9-1 is 2kHz higher. On the FT817mI use the DIG setting.

On 6m, I suspect my rig will not be stable enough for JT9-1. It should be fine for JT65.

Continuing JT65/JT9 today

When we get back from shopping I shall return to JT65-HF and JT9-1 modes hoping to work more stations. Yesterday, staying on 20m, I worked 4 Europeans running 2.5 or 5W. JT65-HF is very intuitive and works well. Althought I have had JT9-1 QSOs on 10m in the past, I suspect the rig stability is "challenging" and JT65-HF gives me a better chance. JT65-HF is some 4dB worse than WSPR but the TX period is only 48 secs (1 minute TX period but actual TX is less) so may be better with QSB?  JT9-1 is a narrower bandwidth mode than JT65-HF and is about 2dB worse than WSPR. Of course, JT65 and JT9 are proper QSO modes.

Sunspot count today is 76 (decent) and 20-30MHz conditions are supposed to be "normal" so there could well be some F2 (as well as Es) on 10m today. JT65-HF and JT9-1 on 10m are calling I think.

The great advantage of WSPR is you can set the rig running and monitor things in another room. JT65 and JT9 seem to require "hands on" operation, which is fine.

JT65HF and JT9-1

Well, I made a start today.   Nothing much doing on 10m, so I QSYed down to 20m where answering CQ calls got me replies from UR4UHE (KO50 square) and SP6ECQ on JT65HF. Although I heard an Italian calling CQ on JT9-1 I failed to get a reply.

No great DX but the first couple of countries in the log.

HF JT65 and JT9-1

A few people have suggested I try these modes more seriously. I have used both these modes in the past but never too seriously. As I cannot do much building or "in the field" experimenting until my health really improves, these modes will provide me with a "no talking" challenge for the autumn - my voice is still poor making modes like SSB challenging. I can manage VHF and UHF contests for short periods, but it really strains my voice and voice modes are best avoided. Unlike WSPR which is an excellent beaconing mode, the JT modes are 2-way so allow proper QSOs, if rather rubber stamp. WSPR is a few dB more sensitive but JT65 and JT9-1 use 1 minute transmission slots.

Intriguing inter-G propagation on 10m

This morning I am copying G4SPE at 195km on 10m WSPR. This sort of inter-G distance is not uncommon on the 10m band. I assume this and similar spots are by normal tropo. Years ago the RSGB ran evening 10m contests and decent inter-G QSOs were possible with 10W SSB/CW to dipoles.  Every contest evening I would work down south or up to Yorkshire. I assume most inter-G WSPR spots are tropo but some may be back-scatter. I am sure consistent JT9-1 QSOs (and WSPR spots) would be possible inter-G if there was more activity. Something to try in the quiet years on 10m?

JT9-1 success

Whatever I did I could NOT get version V1.3 of K1JT's latest software to work on my PC. No decodes, zilch.

Reverting to V1.1 and success was sweet and immediate with a nice 20m JT9-1 QSO with RA9KT at 4309km.  I still don't understand the problem with V1.3, but V1.1 is nearly the same and allows me to have JT9-1 QSOs on any HF/MF band I want.

UPDATE 1840z: In my ignorance I forgot to close the JT9-1 software and as a result my signals were spotted until a few minutes ago on both sides of the Atlantic on PSK Reporter. I have now closed the program and my apologies.

WSJTX help!

I am still struggling with the latest JT9-1 and JT65 combined software (V1.3 from the Princeton University site) and getting absolutely NO decodes, despite good signals in the waterfall. Requests for help have been answered by a few, without success so far.

Again any help will be appreciated. I am using an FT817ND set on USER-U option in menu 26 (works fine with JT65HF and WSPR) , normal SSB filter, have internet  time set every few minutes, a SignaLink USB audio interface and a windows XP laptop.

What am I doing that is so wrong? I can see my JT65 CQs are getting out all over the place on PSK Reporter, but until I can decode stations, I cannot have QSOs.

Help!

Help please! JT9-1 and JT65HF

Today I downloaded the latest  V1.3 JT9-1 ( and JT65) software from the Princeton University site. Although I can see my digital CQ calls are being received all over the place (looking at PSK reporter) I get ZERO decodes on the JT-9 screen although I can see plenty of JT9-1 signals at good strength on the waterfall. I cannot work out why no callsigns are decoded at all.

Settings for external audio and PTT VOX are as for WSPR, so interfaces to the SignaLink USB are fine. The FT817 is set to DIG with same settings as for WSPR (USB -U on  PSK settings as for WSPR)  and PSK31 works OK as I am getting QSOs.

Anyone care to suggest what (simple) things I may be doing wrong with JT9-1? It MUST be something VERY basic.

WSPRnet database was down

This morning, the WSPRnet on-line database has been out of action, so it is not possible to see who is receiving transmissions. This is a handicap of WSPR: when the database works it is a great asset and help, but when down for any reason, the whole fun of WSPR disappears. At best, WSPR is really a QRP BEACONING system, not really a 2-way communications system. JT65-HF and JT9-1 are ideal for QRP 2-way communications on HF.

 As of 1500z, the database was still struggling - but there occasionally.

JT65-HF QSOs on 10m

Today (in between doing the RSPB annual bird count) I had some digital QSOs on 10m with Europe and N. America. The mode works with weak signals but it takes several minutes to complete a QSO. I also tried JT9-1 but there was no activity when I was on. WSPR is easier but does not really support 2-way QSOs whereas JT65-HF and JT9-1 both do.

JT65-HF QSO today