Making the case for FT8
Ham radio has seen a decline in popularity in recent years, but a new digital mode called FT8 is helping to revive interest in the hobby. FT8 is a fast, effective way to communicate, and it’s perfect for those who...
Category: FT-8
FT8, FT-8 the newest digital mode sweeping the HF bands. Using WSJT-X software.
First, what is it? FT8 is one of the many digital modes often referred to as sound card modes (SCM) because they utilize a computer’s sound card to bring in audio from your radio to be processed by software to decode the information embedded in the signal. Conversely, when you want to transmit, the software encodes your message into audio tones that are sent out via your sound card to your radio’s audio or Mic input.
WSJT-X implements communication protocols or “modes” called FST4, FST4W, FT4, FT8, JT4, JT9, JT65, Q65, MSK144, and WSPR, as well as one called Echo for detecting and measuring your own radio signals reflected from the Moon. These modes were designed for making reliable, confirmed QSOs under extreme weak-signal conditions.
WSJT-X for FT8 is licensed under the terms of Version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPL). Development of this software is a cooperative project to which many amateur radio operators have contributed. If you use our code, please have the courtesy to let us know about it. If you find bugs or make improvements to the code, please report them to us in a timely fashion.
More on FT8 here.
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