I can’t find the info on how to set up WSJT-X with the WRL software. Are there any instructions?
Thanks,
Bob.
M0BOB.
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@M0BOB Hey Robert!
WRL Cat Control / WSJTX / GridTracker / QRZ Integration Steps:
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Goto the hamlib site and make sure you’ve got the latest hamlib version installed (this may or may not be necessary BUT it is a step i did) - If your on windows download the .exe - Release Hamlib 4.6.2 · Hamlib/Hamlib · GitHub)
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Start the following apps in the following order. Start WRL Cat Control first (then connect to your radio and make sure its connected then start WSJTX listening after making sure the port is set like in the screenshot labeled “WORKING-WSJTX-WRL-catControl-SETTINGS”), then start Grid Tracker, Then start WSJTX or JTDX (whichever you prefer).
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Then go into the settings for GridTracker and under ‘General’ set the ports to match the screenshot i’ve attached labeled “WORKING-GRIDTRACKER-SETTINGS-1”. Then goto the “Logging” tab and set two things that are highlighted red in the screenshot labeled “WORKING-GRIDTRACKER-SETTINGS-2”. NOTE: since there is no WRL option in GridTracker i enabled the last option that says “HRD Logbook” and tied it to the same port. Again, this may or may not be necessary but this is what I did.
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Then go to your WSJTX / JTDX settings and go to the “Radio” tab and make sure its set to hamlib as well as click the “Update Hamlib” button at the bottom of the screen (this is highlighted red in the screenshot “WORKING-WSTJX-rigSETTINGS”) NOTE: after clicking the ‘update hamlib’ button you’ll need to close and reopen WSTJX)
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Then reopen the WSTJX Settings and goto the “Reporting” tab in WSJTX and make sure everything is setup the same way it shows in the screenshot “WORKING-WSJTX-reportingSETTINGS”
Then make a contact, once the logging window pops up in WSJTX add your power and comment (if you add this information) and click the ok button to log the QSO. After about a second or so the contact will show up in your WRL logbook and it will show up in your QRZ logbook .I’ve also added a screenshot of the JTDX settings if you prefer to use that instead of WSJTX, if not you can ignore that screenshot.
Let me know if you have any issues.
Thanks & 73
Brad K4AZE
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Hi Brad,
Many thanks for this, it’s very helpful. I followed all the diagrams and configured all the software. I had three QSOs using WSJT-X, but I was unable to find the contacts in the WRL log. I will check the settings again later when I will have more time. I expect I made a mistake with the configuration.
Just one question please regarding the CAT control. I presume that I need to connect to the radio (as usual) and then select WSJT-X. I am not sure if WSJT-X does the same thing and automatically connects to radio to the system.
Many thanks.
Bob.
M0BOB
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@M0BOB Hey Robert,
Yes, make sure you connect the radio via the cat control app first, then go and ‘start listening’ in the cat control app, then start grid tracker and then wsjtx/jtdx.
I would set all the ports and radio settings in wstjx and grid tracker first, once all that is setup up per the instructions i would close everything down then start everything in the correct order via the instructions. Should be good to go. Let me know if you have any issues, happy to help.
Thanks & 73
Brad K4AZE
Hi Brad,
It is working now.
Many thanks for your help.
Do you know if there are any plans to provide CAT control for Linux? (I also use Mint Cinnamon).
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@M0BOB Hey Good Morning!!
I’m not entirely sure about the cat control app for linux but i can find out BUT i know the desktop app we are launching very VERY soon will work on linux (as well as mac and win) and will have the cat control piece added in, maybe not during phase 1 but by phase 2 for sure. I’ll find out and confirm.
Thanks & 73
Brad K4AZE
Thanks Brad.
Best wishes,
Rob Adlington.
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I am trying to setup the WRL WSJT-X Integration for my Flex 3000 using PowerSDR and the lastest WSJT-X software. I have followed your instructions step by step. Here is a screen shot of my WSJT-X settings. I’ve also included a screen shot of my Flex/PowerSDR and one of my WRL UDP settings. So far it does not seem to be listening nor recording completed contacts. What am I missing? Thank you.
@NA4DX i’m not extremely familiar with adding the flex and PowerSDR into the mix but in theory it should just send the QSO broadcast data into your WRL logbook if you have it all setup. Looking at your first screenshot of the desktop app it looks like you have the WRL logbook you want the QSO’s to go into selected but it doesn’t look like the UDP listener is started. I would enable the checkbox at the bottom that says “Start Listening Automatically when the app opens” and also make sure you’ve got the UDP listener running. When you are inside your logbook, underneath the main logging fields there is two sections; one for cat control to be enabled and its status and the other underneath that shows the WSJTX UDP listener is listening (see screenshot below), it should show a green dot on the far left and show ‘Waiting for QSOs’ until you start a QSO in WSJTX and then it will show the callsign of the person you are working.
Once that is setup and running, let me know if you are still having trouble. I’ll reach out and tag a couple of the flex users that I know have this setup and working.
Thanks & 73
Brad K4AZE
Thanks Brad. OK, so my WRL shows WSJT-X listening, “waiting for QSOs” as you can see from the attached image. And yet it still did not post the QSO in my WRL logbook. I do have the correct port “2237” entered in my UDP settings.
What now?
73,
Larry, NA4DX
Honestly i’m not sure. If you have 2237 as the primary UDP port in WSJTX and you have that same port set in the WRL UDP listener section of the desktop app it should all work unless you have some other app set to use that same port and its interfering with it.
Are you using any other apps besides WSJTX, WRL Desktop and PowerSDR?
Do you have UDP ports set in PowerSDR?
@W0MET Any thoughts here Marvin? Could use your expertise 
I’ll have to check my settings in PowerSDR since I originally had it interfaced with JTAlert so that it forwarded my FT8 QSOs to my HRD logbook. I don’t have HRD running right now, however.
Brad, so I queried Google AI for the correct configuration of my Flex–“I have a Flex 3000 SDR radio using PowerSDR software that I am trying to integrate with WSJT-X for FT8 mode operation and log contacts to World Radio League desktop application. Can you help with the proper settings to make this work?”
Here is the response after I told it that I was using vspMgr and Virtual Audio Cable software to create pairs of virtual com ports and audio cables:
Perfect, having those pairs already configured makes this easy. We will use the COM16 ¡ê COM6 pair for your main CAT control (frequency and rig tracking) and the COM18 ¡ê COM8 pair to handle PTT (Push-To-Talk) hardware keying.
Here is exactly how to assign your existing ports in both programs:
- PowerSDR Port Assignment
- Go to Setup > CAT Control tab.
- CAT Control Section:
- Port: Select COM6.
- Baud Rate: Select 9600.
- Check Enable CAT.
- PTT Control Section:
- Port: Select COM8.
- Check RTS or DTR (depending on your preference, usually RTS works best).
- Check Enable PTT.
- WSJT-X Port Assignment
- Open File > Settings > Radio tab.
- Rig: Select Kenwood TS-2000.
- CAT Control Section:
- Serial Port: Select COM16 (this links directly back to PowerSDR’s COM6).
- Baud Rate: Select 9600.
- PTT Method Section:
- Select COM.
- Port: Select COM18 (this links directly back to PowerSDR’s COM8).
- Select the matching pin (RTS or DTR) you checked in PowerSDR.
- World Radio League Link
- Go to WSJT-X Settings > Reporting tab.
- Check Accept UDP requests.
- Note the UDP Port Number (usually 2237).
- Open the WRL Desktop App.
- Navigate to Settings > Log Connections.
- Enter the matching UDP Port number.
- Click Save to automatically import your logged FT8 contacts.
So, PowerSDR and WSJT-X are working properly. WRL is still showing WSJT-X listening…but still not logging the QSOs.
Thoughts???
73,
Larry, NA4DX
PowerSDR is Flex’solder program before SmartSDR. I would reach out to flex to make sure it’s capable of sending those UDP packets. Everything I can find online it does not have that capability to send those packets to logging programs. Can you use SmartSDR with that version of flex.i don’t know what model you have. If it’s a flex 5000 or older I know it does not work and your forced to use PowerSDR. I hope this helps.
Brad,
I have been previously utilizing WSJT-X/JTAlert with PowerSDR (Flex 5000a radio) to send UDP to my HRD (Ham Radio Deluxe) logging program successfully over a local area network via WiFi. So, I would say that it’s not a PowerSDR issue.
Thanks,
Larry, NA4DX
@NA4DX I would agree, however if another app is using the same port that is set in WSJTX and WRL then it could certainly cause an issue. I’m not familiar with PowerSDR or the flex to know the setup requirements to get this working properly which is why I tagged Marvin @W0MET since he has extensive experience helping several other users get this setup and working as expected. I would make sure that PowerSDR and/or JTAlert are not utilizing the same UDP port as WSJTX setup to send the QSO broadcast data to WRL as a first step. Alternatively you could use GridTracker to forward the QSO broadcast data to WRL and PowerSDR/JTAlert if needed.
The way i have everything setup is I have the WRL desktop app handling rig control, JTDX connected to that rig control (Hamlib NET rigctl) and JTDX sends the QSO broadcast data to GridTracker and GridTracker forwards the QSO broadcast data to my WRL logbook.
JTDX is setup in the in the reporting tab (same setup for WSJTX) to send the data on port 2333 to Gridtracker which is receiving it on 2333 and then Gridtracker forwards that to my WRL logbook on port 2238.
Here is a screen recording (may have to put this on 3x+ speed once i start trying to log a contact in WSJTX as it takes a while): WJSTX | JTDX UDP Setup | Loom
OK, I would also agree if that was a prior set up with UDP packets that you were using then it should work. Let me check this evening on my Mac and with flex with regular software using SmartSDR and see if I can get that to work. I will check back with you both and let you know but what Brad offered up is a potential really great solution that I have used in the past as well.
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