Why the Hate for FT8?
You have to grow with the times or the times will outgrow you.
That is how my Music Director would sign off from his afternoon radio show back in the early 70’s when I was Program Director at an AM radio station.
Content tagged with FT8
Bicycle Mobile on the HF Bands (QST)
In his Bicycle Mobile on the HF Bands article (a free preview from the August 2020 issue of QST Magazine), Christian Bravo, W4ALF, discusses “an easy way to implement a mobile radio system, for the operator on two wheels.” 1
After experimenting with pedestrian mobile and being active with Summits on the Air (SOTA), I was looking for a new amateur radio challenge. My experiences with portable ham gear led me to the idea of adapting my mobile setup to fit on my bicycle. The two-wheel setup would allow me to be even more mobile, and still be able to communicate on the HF bands. 1
Build The Wouff Hang
An important part of hanging an antenna from a tree is a bearing, or pulley, to eliminate guy line friction and facilitate antenna repairs and adjustments.
The Wouff Hang—whimsically named after the infamous Wouff Hong from Amateur Radio history—is an easy to build bearing made from common PVC water pipe or electrical conduit found at any hardware or home supply store.
Author Roy Lewallen, W7EL, describes construction and use of The Wouff Hang in a well illustrated article which is (a free preview from the October 2019 issue of QST Magazine).
Enjoy FT8 From Almost Anywhere
Having the ability to experiment with operating your equipment in new ways is an aspect of Amateur Radio which sets our hobby apart from radio services such as CBRS, GMRS, FRS, and MURS.
In his Enjoy FT8 From Almost Anywhere article (a free preview from the August 2019 issue of QST Magazine), J. Robert Witmer, W3RW, writes:
Imagine hunting 6-meter DX at a restaurant while eating breakfast, or making an all-time new DX contact while waiting for a flight. I’ve found myself operating remotely in these types of situations, and many others, using nothing more than my smart phone. If you think this type of operating is complicated and expensive, prepare to be surprised!1
WSJT-X 2.0 Will Be a Mandatory Update
ARRL, The national association for Amateur Radio, reports that Significant Changes [are] in Store for FT8 and MSK144 with WSJT-X Version 2.0:
WSJT-X co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT, has announced that major changes are coming to the FT8 and MSK144 digital protocols when WSJT-X version 2.0 arrives in a few months. Taylor said version 2.0 should be ready for prime time by January.
