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News............Buxton Bash cancelled....... Yorkshire Bash details coming soon. ........26CT000 Club Station will be active again
Call Sign : 26-CT-4319 Posts : 28 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-11-02 QTH or Location : Aylesbury Equipment Used : Ic7300
Subject: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Wed Nov 03, 2021 11:27 pm
Hi all Well I've just started getting into the FT8 side of things on the radio some say it's boring and some say they can take it or leave it What's everyones else opinion on it ?
Call Sign : 26-CT-3971 / M7TDV Posts : 530 Times Thanked : 25 Join date : 2021-01-30 QTH or Location : Cirencester, Gloucestershire Equipment Used : SS6900N, Xiegu G90, DX-300 for SWL, all HF antennas home-made
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Thu Nov 04, 2021 8:29 am
Hi Howard. It's not for me (at the moment). It's not that I am disinterested in data modes, I have experimented in the past, first in early '80s by CB using ZX Speccys over FM to close friends which was a about 30 secs for a line of BASIC.
Bit of fun, but for me I prefer picking up a mic and using normal speech. I use computers enough as it is, the radio is a bit of break from them. I am not a phone texter either, I think I sent 3 last month. I have whatsapp, but only there if someone needs to send me something from work. Not saying I will never use FT8 or other data modes, I am sure it will be very useful later on if my hearing worsens, as will CW as there are many decoders out there.. my G90 even does.
I know I am in the minority though as have glanced at many people's QRZ pages and most are full of FT8 contacts. Many are having great fun with it, hope you do too.
Call Sign : 26-CT-3228 Ham M7VIC Posts : 3095 Times Thanked : 209 Join date : 2019-11-10 QTH or Location : Bedford Equipment Used : Various
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Thu Nov 04, 2021 11:02 am
Hi Howard,
Figuring FT8 out and building my own interface to run on my ancient Yaesu FT757gx with Linux was fun.
I quickly got bored after then...but that was just me.
I admit it's impressive and I managed an early contact with my power turned down to a little over 1 Watt all the way to Iceland....with a wire dipole mounted in the loft for 40m(!) After that it all felt a little bit of a 'collecting' call signs exercise and 'pin-points' in a map affair.
As with everything Amateur Radio there's a little of something for everyone and you find what you personally enjoy. (I also can't stand "CQ Competition" & "5/9 QRZ" )
But then I do enjoy building and repairing stuff......and I often employ FT8 reception reports with PSK Reporter to check results of antennas I've built and receivers I've repaired.....
So definitely something for everyone.
Anyway, isn't FT4 the 'new kid on the block'? Weirdly I've seen more RTTY transmissions recently and I thought that had died a long time ago.
I'm all for everyone doing what makes them happy. I don't like Marmite but my wife does so there's always some in the cupboard regardless...we just don't argue about it.
Great posting, looking forward to hearing from the digi-mode fans and see what's in it for them.
Just like how I still smile at the Missus when she's got black tar teeth from her morning toast & Marmite. (I just don't kiss her for a while! )
Call Sign : 26CT4113/G1HWY Posts : 126 Times Thanked : 1 Join date : 2021-05-16 QTH or Location : West Sussex Equipment Used : CRT SS9900, President Bill....ICOM, 705, 7100, 7300, 9700, Kuhne QO-100 up and down converters, Elecraft K2. Antennas EA Cobweb, Hustler 6BTV Age : 67
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Sun Nov 07, 2021 6:42 am
I'm an FT8/FT4 fan, in fact it's my only mode apart from SSB on QO-100.
If you have a bad location, poor antennas or run QRP, it really helps to get DX. You can work stuff when there is no normal propagation and you don't have to sit there shouting your head off, good if you don't want to disturb everyone.
It actually got me back into radio after a 10year break.
Call Sign : 163-CT-220...MW7TTA Posts : 1508 Times Thanked : 42 Join date : 2019-11-19 QTH or Location : Anglesey North Wales Equipment Used : Yaesu FT-991A,,Yaesu FTDX-10,,Icom ic-7300,,Anytone AT-D878UV PLUS",,LINCOLN II+.
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Sun Nov 07, 2021 7:31 am
Like Victor i tried it well it was Victor's adventure into it that made me have a go. Lucky for me i had the 991a so it took no time to get it running but after a few hours i gave up with. Then an old m8 got his licence and we got talking about ft-8 and gave it another go. My m8 took some time to get it running on hid ft-450 buying the cheapest kit he could find to connect the radio to his pc and then a day or 2 getting it running. Well that was it we both have run ft-8 daily for months now but the strange thing is it is only on the odd time we can see each other on it but that's radio for you we live about 20 miles as the crow flies but 2m band is the only contact we can use. With my 10w i have made contacts round the world and many using 5w can't turn my radio any lower Marmite it is 100%.
Call Sign : 26-CT-4319 Posts : 28 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-11-02 QTH or Location : Aylesbury Equipment Used : Ic7300
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Sun Nov 07, 2021 8:53 am
Good to see that there are a mixture of people who like and dislike it I get a better overall picture on what this ft8 is all about.ive got it up and running now on the icom 7300 and if I'm honest I don't mind it but then again in in to tech stuff and I think that it gives everybody the chance to DX even when the conditions are poor and also people who suffer from bad qrm or they can't have massive antennas up at there qth. Anyway it's early days at the minute but I do like watching also on the gridtracker software where I'm being seen in the world. 73 chaps
Call Sign : 26CT4113/G1HWY Posts : 126 Times Thanked : 1 Join date : 2021-05-16 QTH or Location : West Sussex Equipment Used : CRT SS9900, President Bill....ICOM, 705, 7100, 7300, 9700, Kuhne QO-100 up and down converters, Elecraft K2. Antennas EA Cobweb, Hustler 6BTV Age : 67
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Sun Nov 07, 2021 2:38 pm
Don't forget FT4 as well, New Caledonia popped up this morning on 20metres, 14.080.
Half a dozen calls and a new country in the bag. Confirmed in QRZ and LOTW.
Call Sign : 43-CT-015 Posts : 11 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-12-21 QTH or Location : Brisbane, Qld, Australia Equipment Used : Uniden Washington, Yaesu 450D, Yaesu 857D. My home QTH antenna you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, my mobile antenna is a Terlin Outbacker Multitap to cover from 10-80 mtrs Age : 59
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Tue Dec 21, 2021 3:58 am
I haven’t tried FT8 it looks like a hoot but still prefer the good old mic and QSO, I would possibly get involved if I could try before I purchased the hardware to run off the 450D but just don’t want to outlay the cash for something that the jury is still out re enjoyment for me, I can see the excitement though with the multitudes of contacts and areas of the world with the barest of equipment.
Call Sign : 26ct333 Posts : 11 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-04-13 QTH or Location : plymouth uk Equipment Used : legal cb
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Wed Jan 19, 2022 3:53 pm
like packet radio and all the "wonder modes " before it - ft8 will die a death - its not proper radio imo its computers talking to computers USING radio - flipping stuff is ruining amateur radio - i've come back to cb because of it - i want to talk to someone and NOT just "ur 59 goodbye " - or "ur 59 - oxxx - good luck in the contest - qrz " - so FT8 ?? nah KEEP IT OFF CB imo !!
Call Sign : 43-CT-015 Posts : 11 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2021-12-21 QTH or Location : Brisbane, Qld, Australia Equipment Used : Uniden Washington, Yaesu 450D, Yaesu 857D. My home QTH antenna you wouldn’t believe me if I told you, my mobile antenna is a Terlin Outbacker Multitap to cover from 10-80 mtrs Age : 59
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Wed Jan 19, 2022 9:17 pm
Hi All
Hope you are all well and having fun on radio, I have used FT8 and it is what it is I don’t enjoy it although you can tell everybody who will listen that you have all these contacts from all over the world on a couple of watts. It’s excellent if you just want to fill up your log which can be done extremely quickly but as a few have said here radio to me whether amateur or CB is all about the spoken word not some machine or node ticking away in the background while I mow the lawn or sleep.
Call Sign : 26-CT-4345 / M5WJF Posts : 286 Times Thanked : 12 Join date : 2021-11-19 QTH or Location : Shrewsbury IO82OQ Equipment Used : PC-ALE/JS8Call: Yaesu FT-847 + HF > SGC SG-235 + 1.81MHz Horizontal Dipole, 6m/2m/70cm > 6m via 4m/6m Diplexer + via 6m/2m/70cm Triplexer > Diamond V-2000 with EAV2000 Radial Kit, 4m > via 4m/6m Diplexer + DPW-X4 Vertical Dipole, 2m/70cm > via 6m/2m/70cm Triplexer > Diamond V-2000 + EAV2000. 40m Pactor: Yaesu FT-77 + 2x Watson HF40 Mobile Whips Horizontal Dipole, 2m Packet: Icom IC-F110 2m + unknown 2m/70cm Co-linear. 2m SSB Voice Nets Yaesu FT-480R + DPW-X2 Vertical Dipole, CB: Albrecht AE5890 EU + Sigma 5/8 Silver Rod, Planned Equipment: 70 cm Repeaters: Icom IC-F210 + DPW-X70 Vertical Dipole. 2m/70cms FM Simplex: Yaesu FT-90R + Diamond X30 Co-Linear. HF + 6m DX: Yaesu FT-991A + Butternut HF-9V Age : 57
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Wed Jan 19, 2022 11:26 pm
I'll be using either PC-ALE or JS8Call, but only to provide a 24/7 link in a Network, although I will occasionally switch all that off and get on the Mic for a local contact on HF (he lives in a bit of a valley surrounded on almost all sides), and is completely shielded from me in my direction by the South Shropshire Hills.
However, it looks like my friend can get into a 6m Repeater at Tenbury Wells, and using SCADACore is appears I'm line of sight with that one, so there's a possibility we might get communications that way.
I'm also not really one for Competitions, although I have operated on Canal Boats Portable in the past at various Canal Basins whilst on holiday, using Inverted V's, and found the FT-847 a little deaf in that respect, apparently I created pile ups for the 3 hours the Gel Pack lasted every evening (charged up during the day off the engine).
Call Sign : 2-CT-210 Posts : 12 Times Thanked : 0 Join date : 2022-01-01 QTH or Location : Lexington, Kentucky Equipment Used : Alinco DX-SR8
Subject: Re: Whats all this FT 8 stuff then ? Fri Jan 28, 2022 2:52 pm
I use JS8Call on 27.245. Around 1300 UTC I start hearing EU stations here in Kentucky. Very good mode for low power or wonky antennas. You can make reliable contacts with a modest station. Give it a try: JS8Call.com The software is free.