Introduction

Wait and Pounce is a desktop assistant that automates the act of pouncing on DX stations in the FT8 and FT4 digital modes. It does not decode audio or key your transmitter directly — instead it works together with WSJT-X or JTDX, which stay in charge of the radio and the mode.

You declare your targets — specific callsigns, CQ zones, new grid squares, or DX-Marathon entities — and Wait and Pounce watches every decode. When a target is heard, it tells WSJT-X to reply, picking the most valuable contact when several appear at the same time.

Why use it?

During a contest, a DXpedition, or a band opening, decodes scroll faster than any operator can react to. Wait and Pounce:

• Never misses a wanted station — it reacts almost instantly to a decode.
• Prioritises — when five wanted stations decode at once, it picks the best one according to your priority order (wanted call → CQ zone → marathon → new grid → politeness).
• Knows your logbook — it reads your log so it won't waste time on stations you've already worked (with flexible per-year rules — see Worked-Before).
• Tracks awards — DX Marathon (one entity per year) and grid-chasing are built in.
• Confirms automatically — optional upload to LoTW and Club Log, and download of confirmations back into your log.

Key facts

Modes	FT8, FT4 (Regular, Fox/Hound, SuperFox)
Works with	WSJT-X, JTDX
Platforms	Windows, macOS
Languages	English, Français, 中文, 日本語, Українська
Where to get it	SourceForge

The big picture

┌────────────┐   audio    ┌─────────────┐   network   ┌──────────────────┐
│   Radio    │ ─────────► │  WSJT-X /   │ ◄─────────► │ Wait and Pounce  │
│            │ ◄───────── │   JTDX      │  decodes /   │  (this program)  │
└────────────┘            └─────────────┘   replies     └──────────────────┘
                                                              │
                                       reads your logbook, identifies country /
                                       zone / grid, uploads to LoTW & Club Log,
                                       shows a live grid map

Wait and Pounce sits beside WSJT-X. It sees the same decodes, makes a decision, and tells WSJT-X to call the chosen station — exactly as if you had double-clicked the decode yourself.

Continue to How It Decides Who to Call, or jump straight to Installation & Setup.