Hi Dennis,

On 6/29/2022 12:22 PM, Dennis W1UE via groups.io wrote:

In pre-release version of RCU 2.6.0, there is a new addition- the Active Stations Window.  I could not find much information on it, so I took some time yesterday to figure out how to use it.

A good place to start would be Section 10.1.4 of the WSJT-X User Guide for version 2.6.0-rc1:

"*Active Stations* displays a window that can help you to work the most distant stations, in particular for the distance-scored ARRL International Digital Contest. Controls are provided to set the maximum length of the list and the maximum “age” of decodes in Rx sequences. You can request display of only ready-to-be-called stations. For the ARRL International Digital Contest the window displays scoring rate (points in the most recent hour), total score, and the number of band changes in the past hour."

The Active Stations Window (ASW) takes every station that is decoded in the Band Activity Window, computes a point value based on the scoring calculation used in the ARRL IDC, and ranks the stations based upon that point value.

Actually, the ASW displays information for a decoded station only if this transmission (or a previously decoded one) has included the station's locator.

Several neat things can now happen with this.
To open the ASW, go to the View Menu along the top and click on "Active Stations".  This will open up the ASW.  There are several parameters that the user can set; on the bottom left, there is a MAX N.  It comes preset to 25, but it can be any number between 0 and 50.  To its right is the MAX AGE- it can be varied from 0 to 10.  I haven't been able to find a description of MAX AGE, and it doesn't show meaningful numbers in the ASW right now, so it may be a place for future upgrades.  To the right of that is a checkbox for "READY"; if that box is checked, the only stations that show up in the ASW are those that called CQ or sent a RR73, RRR, or 73 with their transmission.  The ASW updates after every decode period.
How does one use the ASW?
1. Most directly, if you want to work a station in the ASW, click on the call and the call goes into the Auto Sequence as the next station to work.
2. Use the CQ: Max Dist option.  On the main screen, to the right of the Auto Seq checkbox, is a drop down box for CQ: one can choose either None, First, or Max Dist.  Choose Max Distance (and note that the ASW must be open for this to work).  When this is enabled the following procedures are followed:
 A. If 2 or more stations respond to your CQ, the one with the highest point total will be         selected for the Auto Sequence.
 B. If 2 or more stations respond to your CQ, and they all have the same point total, then the       station decoded first will be selected for the Auto Sequence.
 C. If 2 or more stations respond to your CQ, and one of those stations uses the Tx2                    message and one uses the Tx1 message, then the Tx1 message will be selected for the Auto Sequence regardless of what order they decoded.

The "CQ: Max Dist" option is primarily designed for ARRL IDC contest use, so we need to receive a QSO partner's locator. If someone calls with Tx2 and a signal report rather than a locator, "contest points" will be evaluated as 0. Such a responder to your CQ will receive the lowest priority.

D. If all the stations that replied to the CQ use the Tx2 message, then the first one will be selected for the Auto Sequence.
A couple of other notes on the ASW:
1. It is "sticky".  If its open, and you close WSJT, when you restart WSJT next time it will again be open.
2. I did see one instance when a station sent me a Tx2 message, another station sent a Tx1 message, and the Tx2 station was selected for the Auto Sequence; the ASW apparently has a memory of stations that have recently sent their grid.

Correct. This memory extends from program startup to the present time.

The Tx2 station had called CQ with their grid a minute before he called me with his Tx2 message, and WSJT correctly matched the Grid and call and gave the furthest station priority.
3. While the point value is only valid for the ARRL IDC, it does correspond to the furthest away station, so it should be valid for every day use as well as contests.
This should be a nice addition to WSJT for every day usage.
Dennis W1UE

You have most of this correct. Happy to hear you like the new program features!

-- 73, Joe, K1JT

In pre-release version of RCU 2.6.0, there is a new addition- the Active
Stations Window. I could not find much information on it, so I took some
time yesterday to figure out how to use it.

The Active Stations Window (ASW) takes every station that is decoded in the
Band Activity Window, computes a point value based on the scoring
calculation used in the ARRL IDC, and ranks the stations based upon that
point value. Several neat things can now happen with this.

To open the ASW, go to the View Menu along the top and click on "Active
Stations". This will open up the ASW. There are several parameters that
the user can set; on the bottom left, there is a MAX N. It comes preset to
25, but it can be any number between 0 and 50. To its right is the MAX
AGE- it can be varied from 0 to 10. I haven't been able to find a
description of MAX AGE, and it doesn't show meaningful numbers in the ASW
right now, so it may be a place for future upgrades. To the right of that
is a checkbox for "READY"; if that box is checked, the only stations that
show up in the ASW are those that called CQ or sent a RR73, RRR, or 73 with
their transmission. The ASW updates after every decode period.

How does one use the ASW?
1. Most directly, if you want to work a station in the ASW, click on the
call and the call goes into the Auto Sequence as the next station to work.
2. Use the CQ: Max Dist option. On the main screen, to the right of the
Auto Seq checkbox, is a drop down box for CQ: one can choose either None,
First, or Max Dist. Choose Max Distance (and note that the ASW must be
open for this to work). When this is enabled the following procedures are
followed:
A. If 2 or more stations respond to your CQ, the one with the highest
point total will be selected for the Auto Sequence.
B. If 2 or more stations respond to your CQ, and they all have the same
point total, then the station decoded first will be selected for the
Auto Sequence.
C. If 2 or more stations respond to your CQ, and one of those stations
uses the Tx2 message and one uses the Tx1 message, then
the Tx1 message will be selected for the Auto Sequence regardless of what
order they decoded.
D. If all the stations that replied to the CQ use the Tx2 message, then the
first one will be selected for the Auto Sequence.

A couple of other notes on the ASW:
1. It is "sticky". If its open, and you close WSJT, when you restart WSJT
next time it will again be open.
2. I did see one instance when a station sent me a Tx2 message, another
station sent a Tx1 message, and the Tx2 station was selected for the Auto
Sequence; the ASW apparently has a memory of stations that have recently
sent their grid. The Tx2 station had called CQ with their grid a minute
before he called me with his Tx2 message, and WSJT correctly matched the
Grid and call and gave the furthest station priority.
3. While the point value is only valid for the ARRL IDC, it does correspond
to the furthest away station, so it should be valid for every day use as
well as contests.

This should be a nice addition to WSJT for every day usage.

Dennis W1UE