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Author Topic: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding  (Read 148 times)

NO9E

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Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« on: March 02, 2022, 07:03:25 AM »

Did anybody look at an impact of different contesting software on scores?

Wintest is the software used by the top 5 winners in WRTC2018. 
N1MM+ is free and has lots of support.
Writelog has 6-way CW decoder but seems to be less used nowadays.

I have Flex 6600 and use N1MM+. Generally good but SSB memories stop working, which may be a Flex problem. No CW decoder.

Is anybody using na external CW decoder that is useful in pileups or with very fast stations?

Ignacy NO9E




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W8FN

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Re: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2022, 07:18:53 AM »

I suspect the presence or absence of a CW decoder has very little to do with success of a WRTC competitor. Those folks all know the code very, very well. The selection of a contest logger boils down to personal preferences and familiarity.

N1MM+ DOES have a code decoder; in the main logging window, select "Window" in the menu and then select "CW Reader". See:
 https://n1mmwp.hamdocs.com/manual-windows/cw-reader-window/?hilite=%22CW+reader%22

I have NEVER seen any kind of CW reader that can work in a crowded band and/or pileups in a contest environment. The "wetware" between a skilled operator's ears is light years ahead of anyone's software implementation.

73...
Randy, W8FN
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KX2T

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Re: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2022, 07:48:31 AM »

My guess is some want CW to turn into FT8 mode, never happen cause you got to copy it, your decoder is in Your Head!
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K6SDW

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Re: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2022, 09:11:22 AM »

I use FLDIGI software to decode ORQ sending, the faster the sending speed the less accurate FLDIGI gets...like someone else posted, the best CW decoder is between our ears. I own two HF rigs that make an attempt to decode CW, but if the band is crowded or the speed over 20wpm neither decoder keeps up.

GL/73
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NO9E

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Re: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2022, 10:11:27 AM »

I find CW decoding sometimes useful with weird calls and also with numerics and to reduce request for repeats. To lower the error rate from 4% to 2. Especially when the head is tired.

Thank you for the link to CW decoding in N1MM. It seems that FLDIGI is not that good for CW decoding. I tried CW GET but preferred CW decoder. It was useful but a resource hog with propensity to quit.   

Looks like CW decoding has no purpose for the professionals. Also use the log that you mastered.

Ignacy NO9E
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K3TN

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Re: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« Reply #5 on: March 03, 2022, 04:37:12 AM »

Actually, CW decoding is widely in use in contesting - it just isn't running at the competitor's PCs.

The skimmer software in use by the Reverse Beacon Network do an awesome job of detecting and decoding CW stations calling CQ. As the network as grown, the skimmer software has been able to increase accuracy by adding quality filtering based on multiple skimmers spotting the same or similar calls, etc.

So, most stations entering the Assisted or Unlimited categories (like me) in contests are taking advantage of CW decoding that integrates right into their contest software -  but for search and pounce, not for calling CQ and decoding the pileup.

That's a much tougher problem and so far, software on a PC can't do it well enough to be better than an average (at best) CW operator and cloud-based approaches have too much latency to be beneficial.

Doesn't mean technology will never solve the problem, but despite years of solving the easier decoding problems, we still don't have voice skimmers or CW pileup decoders that work under real signal and band conditions.

73 John K3TN

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John K3TN

NO9E

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Re: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« Reply #6 on: March 03, 2022, 08:56:44 AM »

I am using the CW Skimmer. Was unreliable with earlier firmware of Flex but now is useful with strict callsign checking and the CQ button on.  Produces higher quality spots than those for the cluster but with the Flex radio it freezes from time time and needs to be restarted.

I am wondering whether another instance of CW Skimmer is useful that is just working on the AF output.

Ignacy NO9E
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K0UA

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Re: Wintest, Writelog, N1MM+ and CW decoding
« Reply #7 on: March 04, 2022, 12:47:25 PM »

I suspect the presence or absence of a CW decoder has very little to do with success of a WRTC competitor. Those folks all know the code very, very well. The selection of a contest logger boils down to personal preferences and familiarity.

N1MM+ DOES have a code decoder; in the main logging window, select "Window" in the menu and then select "CW Reader". See:
 https://n1mmwp.hamdocs.com/manual-windows/cw-reader-window/?hilite=%22CW+reader%22

I have NEVER seen any kind of CW reader that can work in a crowded band and/or pileups in a contest environment. The "wetware" between a skilled operator's ears is light years ahead of anyone's software implementation.

73...
Randy, W8FN

This has been my experience as well. I use the CW and digital "engine"  out of FLdigi inserted into N1MM+ as an auxiliary CW and digital modes decoder, and it will decode machine sent code like W1AW broadcast's with near 100% reliability, BUT that does not mean it will work at all in any kind of contest or DX pileup. For one thing it takes a couple of seconds to even try to "lock on" of a signal, and by that time the message has already been sent. Nothing works but your own head for this type of operation. There may be better decoders than FLdigi, but I doubt any of them could work in this type of operation.
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73  James K0UA
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