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Facilitates reliable two-way communication under challenging propagation conditions, WSJT-X provides a suite of digital modes optimized for weak-signal operation across the amateur bands. These modes, including FT8, FT4, and Q65, are designed to decode signals significantly below the noise floor, enabling DX contacts, EME (Earth-Moon-Earth), and meteor scatter QSOs with modest station setups. The software supports various T/R sequence lengths and tone spacings, tailored for specific propagation phenomena and band characteristics, such as JT9 for MF/HF with **2 dB** greater sensitivity than JT65, and MSK144 for VHF meteor scatter. WSJT-X also integrates specialized tools like _MAP65_ for wideband EME reception with polarization matching to counter _Faraday rotation_, and QMAP for wideband Q65 reception with Earth-Moon-Earth Doppler correction. These companion programs extend the software's capabilities for advanced weak-signal work, particularly on VHF, UHF, and microwave frequencies. The project, maintained by Joe Taylor, K1JT, and the WSJT Development Team, is the official home and reference implementation for these weak-signal digital communication protocols. Recent releases, such as _WSJT-X 3.0.2_, introduce enhancements like the QMAP program, Q65 Pileup, and SuperFox mode, which offers approximately **+10 dB** system gain for Fox-and-Hound operations.

WSJT-X and MAP65, open-source amateur radio programs, facilitate weak-signal digital communication. WSJT-X covers VHF/UHF to HF, decoding subthreshold signals. MAP65 optimizes for VHF/UHF EME with JT65. Free and GNU GPL licensed, WSJT-X is on Windows, Linux, and OS X, while MAP65 is Windows-only, supporting SDR hardware.

JT65 is a digital protocol intended for Amateur Radio communication with extremely weak signals. It was designed to optimize Earth-Moon-Earth (EME) contacts on the VHF bands, and conforms efficiently to the established standards and procedures for such QSOs.

Fifty-three digital modes, including PSK31, RTTY, and JT65, are explored in this resource, providing detailed descriptions of their underlying technologies and typical use cases. It covers error correction methods like ARQ in PACTOR and FEC in JT65, alongside modulation schemes such as FSK and PSK. The content highlights the evolution of digital communication from traditional TNC-based systems to modern sound card implementations, emphasizing the role of personal computers in advancing these modes. Specific modes like AMTOR, PACTOR, and G-TOR are discussed, noting their baud rates and error correction capabilities. For instance, AMTOR operates at 100 baud, while PACTOR offers 200 baud with Huffman compression. The article also delves into newer modes like MFSK16, which uses 16 tones and continuous Forward Error Correction, and Olivia, capable of decoding signals 10-14 dB below the noise floor. Each mode's bandwidth, speed, and resilience to propagation challenges are examined, such as MT63's 1 KHz bandwidth and 100 WPM rate, or Hellschreiber's 75 Hz bandwidth and 35 WPM text rate. The resource also lists predominant USA HF digital frequencies for bands like 160, 80, and 40 meters, specifying segments for PSK31, RTTY, SSTV, and Packet. It includes links to freeware and shareware sound card software such as Digipan, FLDigi, and MixW, enabling amateurs to experiment with these modes.

The home page of WSJT-X Improved, an enhanced version of WSJT-X, the popular tool for hams interested in digital modes such as FT8 and JT65. The software provides enhancements and improvements to the original WSJT-X program, making it easier and more efficient for ham operators to communicate digitally. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced operator, this download can help enhance your digital communications capabilities. Free downlaod and full description of improved features.

The Boone Area Radio Klub (BARK) serves Boone County, Iowa, as its local amateur radio club, actively welcoming visitors to its meetings and weekly ARES nets. The club maintains a 2-meter repeater on 146.850/250 MHz with a 114.8 Hz tone and a 440 MHz repeater on 443.9+ MHz, both situated at the Boone County Hospital, with a simplex fallback on 146.550 MHz for the 2-meter net. Additionally, BARK supports the Iowa 160-meter ARES net at 1.972.5 MHz, which operates at 9:30 PM on Sundays, featuring a rotating schedule of net controls including KNØR, KBØMPL, NØISU, KEØQEU, and KBØLPI. BARK conducts bimonthly license testing sessions on the second Saturday of even-numbered months, with specific dates like October 19, 2024, at the Hamboree, requiring a $15 fee and prior FCC Registration Number (FRN) acquisition. The club's activities are well-documented through numerous photo galleries from past Field Days (1998, 1999, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2019), JOTA events (2013), and special event stations (2010 B&SVRR&M). Members like KBØMPL (Margot Conard) have contributed educational PowerPoint presentations on topics such as "Fun with Handie Talkies," "HF Propagation," and "Digital Mode - FLDIGI - OLIVIA 8/500 - JT65 HF - BAND PLANS." The club's officers, as of May 2018, include WØFS (Clay Conard) as President, NØISU (Mitch Carroll) as Vice-President, and KBØLPI (Eric Sloan) as Treasurer/Secretary, guiding the club's operations and community engagement.

The "Beginner’s Guide to Small-station EME" by Paul Bock, K4MSG, offers an insightful look into Earth-Moon-Earth communication, a fascinating aspect of VHF and above amateur radio. This presentation demystifies moonbounce, explaining how two-way radio contacts are made by reflecting signals off the Moon. K4MSG highlights the historical context of EME, noting the substantial investment and technical challenges that once characterized these operations, often requiring setups like the W5UN "Mighty Big Array" (MBA). Historically, path loss exceeding 250 dB, spatial polarization offset, Faraday rotation, and galactic noise made EME a formidable pursuit, with CW being the mode of choice for signals that had to be audibly detectable. Equipment limitations in noise figure and coax performance further compounded the difficulty for early moonbouncers. However, the landscape of amateur EME dramatically shifted around 2003 with the introduction of the JT65 software. This innovation, specifically designed for EME, allowed for signal decoding well below the noise floor, making small-station EME a practical reality for more hams using common transceivers and less complex antenna systems.