Is it because I'm only running around 1/2 power? (Serial number sequencing for DX op's could be a challenge for those op's) The typical JT / FT8 signal report data would interchange nicely instead of RS (T) without any modifications. Pending some tweaking and other optimizations I've a version running using the library right out of the air, receiver SDR is a rtl-sdr dongle. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Here's the actual math behind the signal report if you want to deep dive into the concept: The noise floor is relative to the receiving station, however. It is popular among amateur radio operators for its ability to send signals despite challenging propagation conditions, high noise environments, low power operations (QRPIn amateur radio, QRP operation refers to transmitting at reduced power while attempting to maximize one's effective range. FT8 transmissions can be decoded at S/N down to -21dB (very weak signal). The actual minimum signal to noise ratio of FT8 is around 1 dB in 50 Hz (-156 dBm in a gaussian channel with a perfect 0 dB noise figure receiver), which is consistent with a 1/2 rate LDPC code like the one FT8 uses. On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, 07:13:50 AM CST, John wrote: On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 09:15 PM, Michael Black wrote: Suggest running at 50% duty cycle on the IC7610 for data. FT8 is four times faster (15-second T/R sequences) and less sensitive by a few dB. These modes, while great for modest stations (read . That is no effort to learn a code but able to work stuff you can't hear. Typically I run between 35w-65w for FT-8. Other amateur radio operators herald the mode as a boon to the hobby of amateur radio during times when the solar cycle is at a minimum and when radio propagation conditions are poor. The decibel (dB) is a logarithmic unit used to express the ratio of two values of a physical quantity, here the strength of a received signal. ), QSO-only communication protocol used by amateur radio ("ham radio") operators. This anonymous data helps us to better understand users' needs and customize the website accordingly. Typically S7 to S9+ on HF. From: FT8-Digital-Mode@groups.io [mailto:FT8-Digital-Mode@groups.io] On Behalf Of Chuck Hemstreet. A computers onboard clock can be notorious for drifting off, and FT8 needs to transmit at very specific times to work. When I run FT-8 I set the filter wide open which bumps up to the 15Khz roofing filter instead of the ~3Khz SSB filter. I think this message isn't appropriate for our group. Between the radio and SteppIR DB18, I have these devices inline: Welcome to the world of Antennas, Propagation and Black Box Technology!! NP4Z Team will be active from Puerto Rico, IOTA NA - 099 in ARRL DX SSB Contest, 4 - 5 March 2023. Be sure to configure your software properly as described below. If you are wondering what Amateur Radio is about, it's basically a two way radio service where licensed operators throughout the world experiment and communicate with each other on frequencies reserved for license holders. YSC cookie is set by Youtube and is used to track the views of embedded videos on Youtube pages. FT8 isn't a QRP mode. Different colors are different bands and minutes indicate the last time they heard and reported back automatically. I even run the attenuator on 40M. It is an ICOM feature, not a bug. Rich Text Editor. Many Thanks for the link James, explains it well, a useful chart that gives the scale. The one on the right, being about 100Hz wide, is a second harmonic, and the one on the left, being about 150Hz wide, may be a third harmonic. It was specifically created to work well in really bad situations like meteor scatter or moonbounce. Antenna for 70cms is a 7 ele ZLspecial, fixed towards SE up at about 15 feet. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously. I noticed for a while that I can hear better than I am being heard. Because only this information can be sent, FT8 is not a "conversation" mode. We are trying to coordinate the suggested frequencies in WSJT-X with updated band plans being considered by IARU, ARRL, and other amateur radio societies. I know that others may run more than that, even for FT8, but probably not many. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. FT8 and Ghost Decodes. Free Training. ft8 signal reports explained If nothing else sticks from these Hinson tips, at least remember to shift-click. FT8 signal report Sent/Rcv consistent difference. Watch the following two sites for your call as well. FT8: Frequencies, Decibels, and Message Meanings. It's in fact often practically unattended. Remember this is a S/N report,not a power level report. The test_cookie is set by doubleclick.net and is used to determine if the user's browser supports cookies. But this is my personal opinion. On a trial basis, and in response to numerous suggestions from around the world, we have added a second set of suggested dial frequencies for FT8 on three HF bands and also on 6 meters. By clicking Accept All, you consent to our use of cookies, however you can select "Cookie Settings" to control your consent. FT8 uses the clock to know when to decode and transmit, so for best results, time has to be EXACT. On Tue, Jan 4, 2022 at 7:15 AM John wrote: Are you sure you wish to delete this message from the message archives of main@WSJTX.groups.io? Very helpful. For details of this cookie, go to. The spectrum of the generated signal of our message looks like this: This signal is transmitted almost as is into the air, and the backward process of decoding is activated on the receiver side. This cookie is set by DoubleClick to note the user's specific user identity. Therefore, the complete exchange (QSO) above would take about 105 seconds. Noticed that now when a QSO is logged, the upload to eQSL.cc no longer includes the signal reports added to the comment field of the eQSL record (like FT8 Sent: -19 Rcvd: -07). These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. First off, you need to connect your PC to your HF rig. I consistently get low signal reports for FT8 contacts, typically 15db less than what I send as a received signal. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. An inline formatting menu will show up when you select text. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. To maximize the chances of success, each FT8 packet holds 13. IMO, focus on doing everything you can to improve your receive capabilities first with a focus on lowering your noise floor, then improve antenna transmit gain before adding power. They are using a directional antenna, and you are using an omnidirectional antenna. how to simplify expressions with exponents fractions. Cleantalk set this cookie to detect spam and improve the website's security. Donation will show as going to SFBA Tech, this is normal, under the same paypal account. signal reports when using FT8 and JT65. There doesn't necessarily need to be a new operating class for Data modes, but that would be OK too. . You can also setup your WSJT-X and other digital software to send reports back so you can analyze your own receives over a period of time or assist others in analyzing propagation. Rules don't say anything about Grid Squares or FT8 signal reports. FT8 is designed to maximize communication even when signals are very weak (as low as -24dB). In 2017, FT8 started to become the most popular of the various data modes. The tone is only used for CW (Continuous Wave aka Morse Code) transmissions. Records the default button state of the corresponding category & the status of CCPA. This cookie is placed by CleanTalk Spam Protect to prevent spam and to store the addresses (urls) visited on the website. AE6Y will be active again as P49Y from Aruba Island, IOTA SA - 036, in ARRL DX CW Contest, 18 - 19 February 2023. Hit tab to get into that menu. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. For example what is the equivalent in comparison to RST. Easy doesn't equate with bad. Signal reports in FT8 are signal to noise ratio, NOT strength. Now, with FT8, I have real comparisons and can surely see a 5 - 10 db difference for most contacts. Does anyone know what this connector is please? At first, just a fun fact. Many ops can compensate with more power, but the problem with that is you quickly exceed your receive capabilities - people can hear you but you cant hear them. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. For a successful QSO, which takes about 90 seconds, decodes occur 4 times a minute, 2 second break between cycles. Replied by G0CBOon topic FT8 Signal Reports Many Thanks for the link James, explains it well, a useful chart that gives the scale. The majority of DX stations have voted in favor of it. All this is necessary because the maximum message length is 77 bits (not only predefined symbols but of course, arbitrary text and even telemetry can also be transmitted with similar limitations). During contest and for DX Expeditions everyone is 59 for Phone (USB/LSB) ad 5NN for CW in order to expedite exchange. 23 dB Difference In Signal Reports WA9ONY 200 X Weaker Signal. Functional cookie placed by CleanTalk Spam Protect to store referring IDs and prevent unauthorized spam from being sent from the website. Probably everyone who is at least a bit interested in amateur radio and telecommunications heard about the FT8 digital communication protocol. With the new sun cycle, it is busier than ever20 meters is packed around the clock, so its even difficult to find an open spot to transmit. Minutes for Sparkly markers. How's the ALC meter looking, antenna gain or attenuation, RX bandwidth, etc. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. FT8 is Weak Signal Mode FT8 80m Log. These frequencies will appear in your drop-down band-selector list after you go to the Settings/Frequencies tab, right-click on the frequency table, and select Reset. Too off and it will not work at all. Thank you! Hello, after years of saying I would never work FT8 I have finally taken the plunge and having a play. Benjamin Kowalewicz Instagram; Amos And Andy Billiard Board For Sale; What Cat Should I Get Quiz Buzzfeed; Holographic Film Plates; Sports Flick Champions League Heck, I even see a difference in dB when running two slices off the same antenna. If a received CW signal is S9 and the meter reads S7 without a signal, the SNR is 12dB (normally each S-unit is 6dB). Just to report that quarantine in between I was able to pump some hours into the long delayed FT8 transceiver based on a raspberry pi using the RPiTX package and now ft8_lib. We must say that technically these digital modes are simple, and the characters, entered by the user, were broadcasted almost without any complicated processing. Finally, after the conversion, we get a sequence of the form 31406520 00000001 04531130 52105775 34623140 65267442 47514714 36372416 64750133 3140652 where each digit represents a tone number from 0 to 7. From DXNews.com, 59 plus 20 for a really strong USB signal, 47 for a somewhat weak but still readable USB signal. A cookie set by YouTube to measure bandwidth that determines whether the user gets the new or old player interface. Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2020 10:20 AM. There are 4 slots per minute, and you transmit for one 15 second block, then listen for replies for 15 seconds, and transmit again for 15 seconds. What's worse in the minds of some . Yep I've been lucky enough to get Fiji x2 and Kenya in the past week or 2 so it's definitely working! As a result, our CQ DL1ABC JO62 message will be converted to data block 00 00 00 23 44 4A 11 91 3F 88. Here is what FT8 signals looks like, displayed in the WSJT-X waterfall view: Youll see from the above waterfall screenshot that there are over a dozen QSOs visible these are all taking place on a single frequency of 14.074MHz. I received services from the Prefet of the TAAF the new convention me allowing me to start my HF activities under the conditions set by the IPEV. From there you will be able to pick one style. I can see on an external SWR meter that I am sending 100w. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. I got a + signal report back from one and a -18 or so back from the other. ie every 100 or 120Hz. With FT8, youre restricted to very small messages, with a limit of 13 characters per message. Having the sequence shown above, we can easily generate a WAV file or directly control the frequency synthesizer in the case of an autonomous beacon. FT8 handles very weak signals very well, meaning that a Foundation licence holder with just 10 watts should be able to make some impressive contacts with a modest antenna - something not possible with voice or some other data modes. I never run more than 5 watts and usually 1 watt or less. I've contacted 2 people in the same city before one after another. But the computer processing power grew up, and finally, the hero of our article appeared the digital mode FT8. Is there a solution? If the average recipient has a lot more noise than you, you will get a worse report on average. Questions? You know I hadn't even thought of that. 2,652 Stations <0 1,232 Stations >0. The new suggested dial frequencies are 7.071, 10.133, 14.071, and 50.310 MHz. Lets try to figure it out. Try lowering the AGC, if any, and/or the output audio level. But since you are new at it, I'd start with the radio settings. It's a really smart combination of bit optimization, mathematics and usability. All this, combined together, made FT8 so popular. Some use the S-Meter on their radios to give the reading, which is fine if it is accurate (it is notusually as there are many factors) or by ear which frankly is a better way to go about it. 15' on the transformer side and around 35' at the far end up in a tree. For details of this cookie, go to. People decoding you multiple times. But yet, you can clearly hear the musical Frequency Shift Key (FSK) tones and watch the FSK tones rise . According to WSJT-X instructions you should tune up for maximun output then back off till the power output drops on you monitor. This cookie is installed by Google Universal Analytics to restrain request rate and thus limit the collection of data on high traffic sites. Scorecard Research sets this cookie for browser behaviour research. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors. This runs in the background and keeps your clock in-sync by resetting the time to one of the online atomic clock servers every 20 minutes. Press J to jump to the feed. Despite this, according to the statistics, people definitely enjoy FT8 usage. For details of this cookie, go to. Forgot your password? It is very easy to beat an EFHW at 35'. Its a really smart combination of bit optimization, mathematics and usability. Sometimes propagation is like a laser. However this is what makes Ham Radio so DAM interesting and fun!! By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Welcome to Reddit's own amateur (ham) radio club. The new topic will begin with this message. The _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. So, the signal reports dont make any sense. what is the federal supplemental tax rate for 2022. motorcraft battery cross reference chart; pda soccer team location; Menu With the bonus of DAX not requiring A/D conversion and the attendant degradation of received signals, your great installation, radio, and location really do put you ahead of the average Joe. Antenna for 70cms is a 7 ele ZLspecial, fixed towards SE up at about 15 feet. FT8 is designed as an HFHigh Frequency (3-30 MHz) mode, but (as with any amateur radio mode) can also be used on VHFVery High Frequency (30-300 MHz)/UHFUltra High Frequency (300-3000 MHz) if desired. At this step, the message is converted to 00 00 00 23 44 4A 11 91 3F 8B 57 7E CF 78 77 39 55 DE 36 EF 01 48 data block. Best advice I can offer, is check pskreporter. The data being gathered also includes more than just PSK spots, it include JT65 and FT8 -- with FT8 the overwhelming majority at the moment. ft8 signal reports explained just mercy sinopsis maryland vacation payout at termination. MOD input should only listen to you PC of course. Its significantly faster than the similar JT-65, It works very well even with a lot of noise, Its popular, so theres lots of activity, Its semi-automated, making for easy contacts, Its a great way of racking up the countries youve worked, without too much hassle, Getting the audio connected. IZ1M confirms signal report & replies with his own report, KI7PO tells IZ1M, "Reception Report Received". FT8 transmits and receives only the bare essentials needed to make an amateur radio contact (QSO): Exhange of callsigns, readability report, signal strength report, and "best regards" ("73"). delphinium hybrid blue. This page was last modified on 14 April 2021, at 21:03. Darkness for night shadow (0-1) Show all Show LoTW/eQSL Show LoTW Show eSQL. Welcome to the new FlexRadio Community! FT8 is a digital mode, too. Press J to jump to the feed. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Signal reports for FT-8 can vary by 10dB or more between cycles due to fading and changing polarization. timeout for worked markers. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Your antennas ability to direct that transmit power at the receiving station and. The following equations explain why FT8 signals start decoding at -26dB and everything else is below the noise floor: SNRFSKFT8 = SNRreportedFT8 + (10 x LOG (2500 Hz/6.250 Hz)), SNRFSKFT8= SNRreportedFT8 + (10 x LOG (400)). I am using Windows 10 with WSJT-X v2.5.3 with a USB connection to an iCom 7610 . Freq: Frequency (Hz) of the received signal, Message Meaning, CQ KE8FMJ EM89 CQ call from KE8FMJ, KE8FMJ N8DXE EN91 N8DXE replies with location, N8DXE KE8FMJ-10 KE8FMJ responds with a signal report, KE8FMJ N8DXE R-09 N8DXE replies with own report, N8DXE KE8FMJ RR73 KE8FMJ says Report Received and Best Regards***, KE8FMJ N8DXE 73 N8DXE says Best Regards. FT4 and FT8 are digital protocols designed for rapid and accurate communication between amateur radio stations, particularly in weak-signal conditions. CleanTalk sets this cookie to store dynamic variables from the browser. You may be working them off their side, or even long path. PayPal or Coffee donations are always appreciated. It works only in coordination with the primary cookie. FT8 is intended to be quick (relatively) and easy and very sensitive. Typically means connecting leads to the soundcard, or using a soundcard built in to the interface then setting up software to use the right speaker and mic settings for sending and receiving on the WSJT-X app, Radio interface settings Most common models of radio already have their comms settings built-in to WSJT-X, so its a case of selecting from a list of radios, Connecting to the radios CAT/DATA port for controlling the radio. Lets see in more detail how this works. Some modes, such as JT65, JT9, FT4 and FT8, for example, use a dB system but more about these later. The other thing to keep in mind is that signal level is relative to the noise level around the signal. Right now my antenna is set up as a sloper. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. I am running a full 100W into my radio. As a result, the signal report I end up giving is like 30dB higher than it would be if I left the entire passband open. I've been licensed long enough to know this, but I've only recently in the past couple of months started on FT-8. Looking at your location and excellent installation, Id venture to say you have much better receive capabilities than most other stations. The interface will need to connect into the PCs soundcard (for audio) and typically USB for controlling the radio. Do not assume that many folks are running 100 watts or less. Different colors are different bands and minutes indicate the last time they heard and reported back automatically. Transmissions occur in 12.6s intervals (within the 15s transmit cycle window) until an entire message has completed transmitting. The above is an example of what you will find at the PSKreporter.info website where you can monitor your own transmissions and see where you are heard. I consistently get low signal reports for FT8 contacts, typically 15db less than what I send as a received signal. This ham radio digital mode appeared in 2017, and since then its popularity has only been growing. Each FT8 transmission can support up to 13 text characters, coded using forward error correction to ensure proper transmission and decoding despite common radio effects such as fading, interference or poor signal propagation conditions, or low power operation with compromised antennas in restricted urban spaces. Pretty fast I got a response that they already have enough articles about FT8 and a screenshot of their archive with articles like Using FT8 in DXpedition in Borneo. When the conventional FT8 sub-band on 6, 20, 30, or 40m seems too full, please try moving your dial frequency down 3 kHz! Also, JTDX, which many of us use because it often decodes weak signals that WSJT-X misses, uses a different algorithm for computing that report (usually many dB lower). shift/alt/control keys and clicks are handily explained on the screen by pressing F5 to ^Display special mouse commands _ (commands for special mice): 3. As we know, we have a maximum of 8 tones (modulation type is FSK-8). Most times the 599, is abbreviated as 5NN for CW only as it is much shorter to send then the actual two nines when using code. Similarly, the JO62 grid-locator is written as a 2-byte number 44 FE 50% save of the data size, compared to the standard ASCII string. This cookie, set by Cloudflare, is used to support Cloudflare Bot Management. At the time of writing (Feb 2018), it appears to be the most popular for a number of reasons: As with modes such as JT65 and PSK31, you interface your HF rig to a computer, and send out text encoded by your computer over the amateur bands. The full coax length of LMR400 is about 160 feet long (to the tower and up). On Tuesday, January 4, 2022, 08:25:36 AM CST, Chris VE3NRT wrote: "The cycle of operation of a machine or other device which operates intermittently rather than continuously. Antenna for 70cms is a 7 ele ZLspecial, fixed towards SE up at about 15 feet. Forgot your username? YouTube sets this cookie to store the video preferences of the user using embedded YouTube video. There is just a PC screen, and the rest is done by algorithms and mathematics. It does not store any personal data. 1995-2021 Lucas Ford / W6AER / SFBA Tech (Formerly Dream Flix Productions) - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - Hosted by QTH.com. FT8 is a weak signal - not a low power mode (power works the really weak ones) FT8 lets you work DX on 6m when there would be none FT8 is suddenly dominating VHF/UHF contesting FT8 lets you work weak signal DX without proficient CW skills FT8 is like having constant DX beacons on every band Since FT8 automatically transmits and receives only the bare minimum of information necessary to complete what officially counts as an amateur radio contact (QSO), FT8 has been criticized by some amateur radio enthusiasts as a means for radio amateurs to 'cheat' their way to victory in certain contests and award categories. The two options require different actions. If I ran the preamp on it would make the situation even worse. Therefore, FT8 is not a "keyboard-to-keyboard" (real-time chat) mode. team_fondue 5 yr. ago Only thing I dont really understand is how the signal reporting works. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. A +12 signal does not say how much power a person is using. Special message It's a popular mode, so popular in fact that one report citing Club Log data recently showed that 80% of HF contacts in their tracking nowadays are FT8. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Some elements, such as rich link embeds, images, loading indicators, and error messages may get inserted into the editor. ft8 signal reports explained. As we can see, FT8 is quite an interesting protocol. This signal is transmitted almost "as is" into the air, and the backward process of decoding is activated on the receiver side. This letter is often printed on QSL cards between quotation marks (like "O" ) in order to clearly indicate that it's a letter O and not a zero. reading instead of in a more conventional, though more subjective, rstS reading), (This can also be shortened to "RR73" indicating, "Report Received 73," which would be a completed QSO), (not used if KI7PO's third transmission was "RR73"), Operators will transmit one message within a 15 second time-frame, then wait for another 15 seconds to receive any incoming replies (then transmit again, then wait again, in a cycle that exchanges messages until the conversation is completed). Create an account. Hacking my Newair Humidor For Cigar Smokers, GOES Geosynchronous Weather Satellite Receiver, Building the SteppIR BigIR Mark IV Vertical Antenna, Configuring WSJT-X for W6TI (or other) Special Event Station Use, Automatic Transverter Selector for FlexRadio, Setting up GOES Weather Satellite Receiver on the Raspberry Pi, Setting up NOAA Weather Satellite Receiver on the Raspberry Pi, Getting Started with Ham Radio Award Hunting, 3B7M Saint Brandon Islands. Online Investing Guide To buy more radios! I do and I encourage you to do so as well. Professor Steven Franke and astrophysicist and Nobel laureate Joseph Taylor, have created a fascinating and efficient protocol for data transfer. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. A FT8 contact would be quite an undertaking. Want to say thanks? FT8 handles very weak signals very well, meaning that a Foundation licence holder with just 10 watts should be able to make some impressive contacts with a modest antenna - something not possible with voice or some other data modes. the QSO record in ACL log does contain the signal report . I will be starting a donor thank you page soon so please indicate if you wish to be not listed. When you get back a signal report from someone, it just tells you how loud you were on their setup at that particular time. I wonder if raising the far end up any more would help? No, I have just as much noise here as most others living in suburbia. Automatic miles km. Be sure your audio chain does not introduce any distortion. Lots of variables here. Examples: Does anyone else have this trend as well? This is measurable to some extent by the signal reports on FT8. Image source: https://www.amateurradio.com/over-2000-miles-on-80m-with-the-warbler/ (2010). SNR is expressed in dB (decibles). If band is open pulls in FT8 quite well The following user(s) said Thank You: M0ZAH Frequencies for JS8Call and FT8 are adjustable by the user. First number is for Readability (R), the second is for Strength (S), and the last one is for Tone (T) when representing CW signals. With all features enabled, JTDX seems to decode more signals on a crowded band than WSJT-X. The reason of using this letter as a signal report comes from the early CW times and it's meaning is simply "I . Welcome to JS8Call JS8Call is software using the JS8 Digital Mode providing weak signal keyboard to keyboard messaging to Amateur Radio Operators. Basically anything can be proven and figured out,, but the variables are enormous.. Why are the signal reports negative numbers? These features can be selectively enabled to match band and signal conditions as well as the user's available CPU horsepower. On average I run about 30 watts only on this mode and have had some success on 70cms along with the other bands. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Information exchanged in a minimal two-station contact typically consists of call signs, four-character Maidenhead locators, signal reports, and acknowledgments. Consider a practical example the transmission of the phrase CQ DL1ABC JO62. Forgot your username? 2023 That would help. SNR(dB) = 10*LOG[ Signal Power in watts / Noise Power in Watts] For loud signals you can roughly calculate SNR off the S-meter.