JT65 on Mac?

[W6MAZ]

Several of my club members have been speaking very highly of their experience with JT65 recently. I would love to check it out, but I am the only all-Mac member and I cannot seem to find a solution. So far my searches have not yielded any Mac-Specific software. I was wondering if anyone had found anything (even in Beta) that I could try out. Thanks in advance and 73.

[K3DCW]

There are a few ways to do JT65 on a Mac.

The first is to compile WSJT for OS X, which isn't too simple, but if you are comfortable at the command line, it is not too difficult either.  You need to be comfortable compiling programs and running from the command line, and you'll need to buy the latest xcode pack from the App Store. Directions are included when you download the WSJT source code.

The second is to give JT65-HF a try.  It is a Windows program (there is also an Ubuntu-linux version...no OS X version (yet!)) but it runs just fine in WINE/Crossover. I use it in Crossover for Mac with great results.  It does require a bit of configuration, but works great once it is setup. JT65-HF is a GREAT program in that (unlike WSJT) it is JT65 only, it supports multiple simultaneous decodes, and is extensible with the use of JT-Alert (also runs in Crossover). 

You could try running it in a virtual machine (Parallels/Fusion) but I've found some issues with that from time to time.

Lastly, as a last resort, you could use bootcamp to boot into Windows when you want to run it. 

I strongly recommend trying it with Crossover.  Crossover is the paid version of WINE and the latest version (v11) has some great audio support that makes JT65-HF even easier to run. Feel free to email me at my call @ arrl.net if you want some help getting JT65-HF setup in Crossover.

73

Dave
K3DCW
www.k3dcw.net

[NH7L]

I'm a Mac user too. I'm not eager to run Windows on my Macs for various reasons, so I bought a cheap Windows laptop which I use exclusively for digital modes such as JT65A and WSPR. (For PSK31 and RTTY I use the Macs running the excellent CocoaModem program.) You can buy, new, a Windows laptop for USD 300 or so, used ones for less. They're not high-end Windows machines, but they don't need to be.

[AK4KZ]

I use FLDigi on the Mac for just about anything digital except packet (which I use a real packet modem for) and JT65. I've also used CocoaModem. Great program but I like FLDigi a little better.. more modes, etc.

I use JT65-HF on an XP machine inside VM Fusion. (I haven't had any problems that I recall). Occasionally, I'll even run HRD if I'm in Windows... but I try not to be. I'd MUCH rather be working in the real OS without having to deal with a virtual machine.

There are some great programmers out there in both the Windows and Mac environments. It would be good news, indeed, to have a native Mac client for JT65.

73,
Chris
AK4KZ

[W6MAZ]

Thanks for the replies. I've been working so much this week that today was the first time I got to check back on my question.

K3DCW: I've read a little bit about WINE, I'm going to do some research and I might take you up on your offer for a little assistance in setting it up.

[KB2HSH]

Here guys...head over to this link:

http://my.opera.com/zs6tw/blog/

I found it at Christmas when I was also looking for JT65 software for my Mac.  Although it doesn't work on MY machine, YMMV.  Good Luck!

[AK4KZ]

Here guys...head over to this link:

http://my.opera.com/zs6tw/blog/

I found it at Christmas when I was also looking for JT65 software for my Mac.  Although it doesn't work on MY machine, YMMV.  Good Luck!

At first, the program wouldn't run. I tried again the next day (after a reboot) and it opened up. I couldn't find out how to set my audio in and out for my Signalink USB... or how to open up the fabled console window to tell me what audio ports I had available.  Other than that, that's one sexy looking program! Thanks for the heads up.

(I'll figure out the audio thing eventually)

73,
Chris
AK4KZ

[K9DWR]

I couldn't find out how to set my audio in and out for my Signalink USB... or how to open up the fabled console window to tell me what audio ports I had available. 

There's a comment on the blog entry that explains it pretty well..

W4TI writes: John G4KLA sent me the following instructions: Having used System Preferences -> Sound to select USB Audio Codec for both input and output sounds, then: Go to Applications->Utilities and launch Console. Keith writes all diagnostic output to this window. Now launch WSJT and you will see useful information on the Console window - select "Console messages" in the top left panel. You should see which channels will be used for Input and Output. Next step: on the WSJT main window, select Options and then fill in some details eg. call sign, locator, change PTT to /dev/null if you are using the SignaLink interface; change Audio In and Audio out from 0 and 0 to the appropriate channels you found from the Console window. Now exit WSJT ("Exit" under File, not "Quit" under WSTJ). This will cause the Options to be saved to a file. Visit your home directory and you will find a new directory wsjt2473. Look inside this and you will see, amongst other things WSJT.INI which is a text file containing all the options the code will use. Now launch WSJT again and select Options from the main WSJT window and you should see your call sign, locator, Audio In/Out as chosen earlier. Click Monitor and you should see the Specjt window start cascading. Then bottom right panel on the SpecJT window should give a noise figure in dB. Adjust the RX knob on the SignalLink to make this figure around 0 db. (The fact that the number changes with variation of the RX knob proves that sound is getting to the program.) This should get you on the right track.

[WB0FDJ]

FWIW

Theres an Italian ham who has posted a Mac binary which runs JT-65 HF, sorry I don't have the link. He also posted a binary for WSPR. Runs great.

Oh yeah, here ya go

  http://subdimensions.com/

I googled it and asked for a translation so that the instructions were in English.

73 Doc WB0FDJ