Why I run FT8

 

Yeah, OK, I know…. You’d rather be having an extended chat with your DX contacts. Well, sorry, but that’s not always going to happen. Particularly when you’re a tech, who is still learning code.



(And I swear, If I hear “That’s not ham radio” one more time….. )



On recognizing that my minimal setup (An FT-991 my home built desktop computer(s), and a handful of antennas, no amplifiers, etc) and a tech level license wasn’t going to get me much in the way of DX contacts on 10m…. which is the only place I can run any DX at all, really…. As I say, I’m still learning code yet. And so my digital and voice activities are limited to 10m.

So, what’s left? When 10m is open, I’m glad of it, and can occasionally get phone contacts. But for so much of the time, there’s a total dearth of any contacts at all…. At least on voice. There’s RTTY, of course, but in the last year I’ve only made one…. Count your nose, ONE contact via RTTY and that was by per-arrangement on one of the local 2m machines. PSK31? Apparently the bloom is off the rose for that one. I’ve yet to hear anyone running any PSK, Olivia, or for that matter any of the other modes offered by FLDIGI… and Lord knows I’ve tried.

So, that leaves Joe Taylor’s monster, FT-8. Particularly with the sunspots being questionable if they existed at all. We’re on the leading edge of the sunspot cycle as this is written, and so good DX isn’t east to get with the band closed.


And so it was… Closed, that is. I noted hardly any voice contacts over that period at all, despite wasting several hours calling CQ at or around 28.400, every time I sat down. And the more established DIGI stuff was pretty much the same. … But running Joe Taylor’s version of NBFSK, I’ve managed to rack up some rather impressive totals: At this writing, some 540 Qso's (247 confirmed) in 33 states and 23 countries. And I should also say in fairness to me, that I run a 10m net on 28.405 every Saturday night... (1930 eastern) and that's downright fun.

So, when you ask me why I like to run FT-8, that’s my answer. Do I like to rag chew? Certainly… when the opportunity presents itself. But I also like to experiment with Antennas (My IMAX2000 seems to work pretty well, my EFHW, somewhat less so) and I’m learning quite a bit about maximizing my 100w signal.

OK,Having a chance to chat with my DX contacts would be a decided plus. But in a choice between making DX contacts or not making them at all, which way do you figure I’ll go?

So til 10 opens and/or I manage to up my ticket...(in the works, now) you’ll hear me playing bagpipes pretty frequently.