WSJT-X
WSJT

Home
WSJT-X
MAP65
Program Development
References
Support

Description


WSJT-X implements communication protocols or "modes" called FST4, FST4W, FT4, FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, Q65, MSK144, and WSPR, as well as one called Echo for detecting and measuring your own radio signals reflected from the Moon.  These modes were designed for making reliable, confirmed QSOs under extreme weak-signal conditions. 

JT4, JT9, and JT65 use nearly identical message structure and source encoding (the efficient compression of standard messages used for minimal QSOs). They use timed 60-second T/R sequences synchronized with UTC.  JT4 and JT65 were designed for EME ("moonbounce") on the VHF/UHF/microwave bands.  JT9 is optimized for the MF and HF bands.  It  is about 2 dB more sensitive than JT65 while using less than 10% of the bandwidth.  Q65 offers submodes with a wide range of T/R sequence lengths and tone spacings; it is highly recommended for EME, ionospheric scatter, and other weak signal work on VHF, UHF, and microwave bands.

FT4 and FT8 are operationally similar but use T/R cycles only 7.5 and  15 s long, respectively.  MSK144 is designed for Meteor Scatter on the VHF bands.  These modes offer enhanced message formats with support for nonstandard callsigns and some popular contests.

FST4 and FST4W are designed particularly for the LF and MF bands. On these bands their fundamental sensitivities are better than other WSJT-X modes with the same sequence lengths, approaching the theoretical limits for their rates of information throughput. FST4 is optimized for two-way QSOs, while FST4W is for quasi-beacon transmissions of WSPR-style messages. FST4 and FST4W do not require the strict, independent time synchronization and phase locking of modes like EbNaut.

WSPR mode implements a protocol designed for probing potential propagation paths with low-power transmissions.  WSPR is fully implemented within WSJT-X, including programmable "band-hopping".

Latest General Availability (GA) releases:  WSJT-X 2.7

WSJT-X 2.7 introduces a new program called QMAP, new Special Operating Activities Q65 Pileup and SuperFox mode, an option to Update Hamlib at the click of a button, a new program feature Message System, and a number of other enhancements and bug fixes.

Changes from earlier versions, and in particular from version 2.6.1, are described in the Release Notes.

If you will use the Q65 mode, please read the Quick-Start Guide to Q65.  On Windows platforms, WSJT-X 2.7 also includes MAP65 3.0, a wideband polarization-matching tool intended for EME.  If you will use MAP65, be sure to read the Quick-Start Guide to WSJT-X 2.5.0 and MAP65 3.0

SuperFox mode behaves operationally like the old-style Fox and Hounds mode but uses a new constant envelope waveform for Fox’s transmissions. Messages can be transmitted simultaneously to as many as 9 Hounds with no signal-strength penalty, resulting in a system gain of about +10 dB compared to the older Fox-and-Hound operation with 5 slots. Further details on SuperFox mode can be found in the SuperFox User Guide.
Upgrading from a previous version will be straightforward.  There is no need to uninstall or move any files.  If you want to make sure to  have the latest list of default working frequencies, go to File | Settings | Frequencies, right-click in the Working Frequencies list, and select Reset.

Documentation: The WSJT-X 2.7.0 User Guide is available online.  This document should always be your first source for help.  Use your browser's search facility to find a keyword or topic.
German translations of two associated documents by Enrico Schürrer, OE1EQW:
If you plan to use FT8 DXpedition Mode, be sure to read the FT8 DXpedition Mode User Guide.

Versions of WSJT-X labeled with a "-rcx" suffix, for example WSJT-X v2.2.0-rc6, are Release Candidates sometimes offered temporarily for beta testing purposes. You should upgrade to the GA release when it becomes available.  The -rc# program versions are not suitable for long-term general use. 

Installation packages for WSJT-X 2.7

Windows:

Linux:

Installation instructions for Linux can be found here in the User Guide.  Download the package file appropriate for your system, from the list below.  (Versions installable with "apt-get" and "yum" will be made available as soon as our package maintainers create the packages.)
Note: these packages are unlikely to install properly on Linux distributions with required dependencies at lower versions than those on the named distributions.  In such cases building from source is the correct way to install WSJT-X.

Macintosh macOS: 

Installation instructions for version 2.7.0 can be found here in the User Guide.  
Source Code:

WSJT-X is licensed under the terms of Version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPL).  Development of this software is a cooperative project to which many amateur radio operators have contributed.  If you use our code, please have the courtesy to let us know about it.  If you find bugs or make improvements to the code, please report them to us in a timely fashion.

Build and installation instructions are in the INSTALL file inside the tarball.
Candidate release:  WSJT-X 3.0.0-rc1

Candidate releases are intended for beta testers: individuals interested in testing the program's new features and providing feedback to the WSJT Development Team.  The candidate release for WSJT-X 3.0 is a major revision offering many new features and capabilities.  Some of the new features have already been tested in WSJT-X Improved 2.8.0 and will be familiar to users of that edition, while others are entirely new. For a full summary and overview of changes, see the Release Notes and Section 1.1 of the WSJT-X User Guide. 

Please send feedback and bug reports on this release candidate to wsjt-devel@lists.sourceforge.net.  You will need to subscribe to the list in order to post there.

Installation packages for WSJT-X 3.0.0-rc1

Windows:

Installation instructions for Windows can be found here in the User Guide.  If you intend to use MAP65, be sure to install to a directory in which you will have write permission at execution time.

Linux:

Installation instructions for Linux can be found here in the User Guide.  Download the package file appropriate for your system, from the list below. 
Note: these packages are unlikely to install properly on Linux distributions with required dependencies at lower versions than those on the named distributions.  In such cases building from source is the correct way to install WSJT-X 3.0.0-rc1.

Macintosh macOS: 

Installation instructions for version 3.0.0-rc1 can be found here in the User Guide.  
Source Code:

WSJT-X is licensed under the terms of Version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPL).  Development of this software is a cooperative project to which many amateur radio operators have contributed.  If you use our code, please have the courtesy to let us know about it.  If you find bugs or make improvements to the code, please report them to us in a timely fashion.

Build and installation instructions are in the INSTALL file inside the tarball.
Installation packages for WSJT-X Improved

WSJT-X Improved was developed by Uwe Risse, DG2YCB, starting in 2020, and since 2021 it has evolved cooperatively with WSJT-X. The Improved versions build on the WSJT-X code base and are often used for trying out and optimizing new features.  Compatibility between WSJT-X Improved and standard WSJT-X has been carefully maintained, so that user transitions between the two programs are straightforward. Optional settings, station logs, and the like are consistently preserved and used by both program versions.  Innovations from WSJT-X Improved have been ported back into WSJT-X at various times.

WSJT-X Improved offers installation packages for three different arrangements of main-window controls (like WSJT-X, AL, and widescreen), additional packages for macOS M1/M2 and Qt6, as well as more frequent updates and new releases.  If you are interested in trying and using the very latest features you should watch for releases of WSJT-X Improved.

Please send feedback and bug reports regarding WSJT-X Improved to wsjt-x-improved-community@lists.sourceforge.net.  You will need to subscribe to the list in order to post there.
  • The installation packages for WSJT-X Improved v3.0.0 can be found here.

©2001-2025  by Joe Taylor, K1JT, and the WSJT Development Team