JS8Call version 1.1.0 has been released

Jordan, KN4CRD has released version 1.1.0 of JS8Call. 

About JS8Call

JS8Call is an experiment to test the feasibility of a digital mode with the robustness of FT8, combined with a messaging and network protocol layer for weak signal communication on HF, using keyboard-to-keyboard style interface. JS8Call is heavily inspired by WSJT-X, Fldigi, and FSQCall and would not exist without the hard work and dedication of the many developers in the amateur radio community.

JS8Call is a derivative of the WSJT-X application, restructured and redesigned for keyboard-to-keyboard message passing. It is not supported by nor endorsed by the WSJT-X development group. While the WSJT-X group maintains copyright over the original work and code, JS8Call is a derivative work licensed under and in accordance with the terms of the GPLv3 license. Source code can be found in this public repository: https://bitbucket.org/widefido/wsjtx/ 

 

What’s new in version 1.1:

  • All messages will now be prefixed with your callsign, including standard free-text messages. This can be disabled in the configuration, but I would recommend leaving it on to avoid having to worry about identification.
  • In preparation for ARRL Field Day (and other contests), I’ve added a bit to the logging functionality:
    1. There is now N3FJP integration built-in. Check it out in the Reporting tab of the configuration.
    2. The log window layout has been updated and now “remembers” previous data you put in during your QSO until you either switch to a new QSO partner or submit a log for your current QSO.
    3. The log window now has custom ADIF fields, so you can log your ARRL_SECTION and CLASS for Field Day (or any other fields, including custom defined ones)
    4. The call activity now pulls the grid from previously logged contacts so you know which direction to point your beam 😛
    5. If you select a text field in the log window and then double click a word in the RX message window, it will be copied over. Handy!
  • In addition to that, 1.1 includes some overall improvements to the app, such as:
    1. The message inbox now displays the full message in a separate box to alleviate long messages getting truncated.
    2. The send button now displays the total time a message will take to send instead of the number of frames
    3. CQ FD is now a valid CQ message. “CQCQCQ” has been replaced by “CQ CQ CQ”. Any custom CQ messages will send as standard free-text messages if they cannot be encoded efficiently into a single CQ frame.
    4. Call Activity and the RX message window contents are cached between application restarts to help you pick up where you left off. There is an option to disable this behavior in the Configuration.
    5. There is now an advanced Rig PTT option to hold the PTT between message frames (still no audio being transmitted between frames, but your rig will not cycle between RX and TX). This is not the default behavior, so head over to the Rig -> PTT section of the configuration to enable it.

Some other things in the works are an offline static map and typeahead functionality, but you’ll have to stay tuned to 1.2 for those 😀

You can read the JS8Call documentation here and you can download JS8Call from http://files.js8call.com/latest.html.