I thought Bas was mistaken, as I had read somewhere that, other than FT8 and MSK, all other modes were unchanged.
But, it seems that I was the one who was mistaken. There are a couple of references in some of the new release documentation that clearly say that WSPR sensitivity has been improved. My error, such as it was, was to believe the following within the 'Quick Start Guide':
"Operating modes other than FT8 and MSK144 are unchanged from v1.9.1"
Well, if we choose to believe it has improved, that is very welcome. I have been using JTDX for serious WSPR work for a couple of years now. It seems to me to have been better than the old versions of WSJT-X. If you could even remotely see a straight, non-aurora affected signal, then it would be decoded.
Unfortunately, I can't run side-by-side comparisons of the two softwares, so I can only go on long experience and give a subjective view. It does seem to me that the new WSJT-X might be equal to, and perhaps slightly better than JTDX, though it is far too early to draw any definite conclusions.
What is curious, though, is the claim made as follows by the WSJT-X team in the WSJT-X User Guide:
"The protocol is effective at signal-to-noise ratios as low as –31 dB in a 2500 Hz bandwidth."
Well, I've seen decodes at -31dB for years with earlier software. I'm pretty certain I've even seen a few down to -33dB, though they are not common. But -31dB is a daily occurrence. If -31dB SNR/2500Hz really is the limit of sensitivity, I was doing well in reaching it several times yesterday - and the claim of improved sensitivity might be misplaced. Either that, or the documentation has fallen out of synchronisation with the software!
One indication that WSJT-X might be better now than before is that I didn't listen for practically the whole daytime yesterday on 14MHz WSPR, yet I still ended up being number 18 in the daily listening challenge! I can usually end up in the top 4 stations if I listen for the full 24 hours and the geomagnetic field is quieter (wilder conditions then strongly favour lower latitude stations).
I hope that the arrival of my SDRPlay unit - still stuck in the chaotic Christmas post - might help, through the DX challenge, to show if the new WSJT-X reallyis a bit better, and that I can climb a little higher in the rankings!
In the meantime, this table from this lunchtime, looking back over the past few hours, suggests that, whatever the software capability, my station's doing very well - one of only three stations hearing VK4TMZ, and the one hearing him (if only just) the strongest:
Seems to be repeatable, in that I'm the only European station hearing ZS1LCD over the past hour or so:
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