Effective FT8 communications

 FT8 is a popular mode, especially if you are chasing DX. This video gives some tips to optimise FT8. I think sometimes people use FT8 in preference to SSB or FM. This is good in the short-term, but most are very unlikely to find the hobby by chance.

6m 3W FT8 (Thursday)

My gear has been on since 0815z.

UPDATE 1425z:  11 stations spotting me so far. Most are English with, perhaps, one by Es. It would seem there is less Es today on 6m.

6m 3W FT8 (Wednesday)

My gear was turned on at about 1133z.

UPDATE 1942z: 336 stations have spotted me today.

8m FT8 RX (Wednesday)

Today, I am trying 8m FT8 RX. I might spot a few stations! 

UPDATE 1130z: Nobody spotted. This afternoon, I may try 6m 3W again. It seems that interest in 8m is low now we are way after the sunspot maximum.

Yesterday on 6m FT8

Yesterday was brilliant on 6m. 

Stations spotted yesterday on 6m FT8 RX

On RX I copied stations in Alaska and the west coast of North America. It came as a surprise that Alaska is about 500km closer. I guess the Mercator map projection distorts the path. Conditions must have been good as the path to Alaska is over the pole. In all, 487 stations were spotted with several in North America. 

Stations spotting my 3W 6m FT8 yesterday

On TX with 3W FT8 to the V2000 vertical omni some 516 stations spotted me including the USA and Caribbean.

6m 3W FT8 (Tuesday)

 I have been on 6m FT8 since just before breakfast.

UPDATE 0845z:  So far 103 stations have spotted me with the furthest TF2CT (1927km).

These days, with Es, I seem to get better success with 3W FT8 on 6m than 200mW WSPR on 10m.

UPDATE 1420z:  283 stations have spotted my 3W 6m FT8 to the V2000 omni antenna with the best being KP4AA (6906km).

UPDATE  1645z: 354 stations have spotted me.

8m FT8 RX (Saturday)

 At about 0930z, I QSYed to 8m FT8 RX. I think I just missed EA3ERE.

UPDATE 1125z:   Just G4FKI spotted.  I may go back to 6m FT8 later.

6m 3W FT8 (Saturday)

 

Stations spotting me at 1637z

Briefly, I was on 6m 3W FT8 TX. Now QRT.  15 stations spotted me.

UPDATE 1637z: Back on 6m FT8. Spotted by 23 stations. Es I presume for many.

8m FT8 RX (Sunday)

My gear is on 8m (40.680) FT8  RX. I know activity is way down on 6m.

UPDATE 1711z: No spots. I suspect people are on 6m, 4m and 2m Es.

6m 3W FT8 (Saturday)

Stations spotting my 3W 6m FT8 today at 1312z

My gear was turned on at breakfast.

UPDATE 1725z:  Spotted by 177 stations.

6m 3W FT8 (Friday)

My gear was turned on at about 0840z.

UPDATE 1106z:  So far, spotted by 40 stations. 

8m love affair?

 At about 1350z, I turned off my 10m 200mW WSPR TX beacon and 3W 6m FT8 and went on 8m FT8 and WSPR RX on 40.680 MHz. At best, activity on 8m is very low sadly.

UPDATE 1600z: Nobody spotted.

6m 3W FT8 (Thursday)

My gear was turned on at about 0600z.

UPDATE 1340z: 148 stations spotting so far.

FT8 versus WSPR

 This is definitely NOT a very controlled test!  

On 6m, my usual power is 3W FT8.  On 10m I usually run 200mW of WSPR. WSPR takes almost 2 minutes to TX a message, whereas FT8 takes about 15 seconds. WSPR is able to use far weaker S/N ratios. WSPR can detect down to about -32dB S/N. FT8 can detect down to about -23dB S/N.

Even though I am using different powers, different bands and different antennas, the impression is FT8 is more often used and achieves better results than WSPR with Es. Maybe shorter TX times help when conditions are more up and down? I certainly get far more spots with my 3W 6m FT8 than my 10m 200mW WSPR.

I would be interested to know if anyone has done a proper, scientific comparison.

What is not in doubt is that both modes are superior to SSB and CW.   Things may be different when the path is stable, such as with scatter, tropo or F2.

6m 3W FT8 (Wednesday)

My gear was turned on at about 0815z.

UPDATE 1323z:  Spotted by 52 stations, probably Es.

8m FT8 RX

From about 1108z, I have been monitoring 40.680 FT8 RX.

UPDATE 1420z: No spots.

6m 3W FT8 (Tuesday)

My gear was turned on at about 0852z.

UPDATE 1106z:   Spotted by 23 stations. 

8m FT8 RX (Monday)

Yet again (more in hope than expectation) I am again on 40.680MHz FT8  RX.

UPDATE 0905z: Just EA7Y (1831km) spotted (on the wrong antenna at my end!). I am sure it is mainly lack of activity rather than poor conditions that prevents more stations being spotted. Despite that, I seem addicted to 8m!

UPDATE 1816z: Just EA7Y and EI2IP (605km) have been spotted.

6m FT8 RX (Monday)

My 6m gear was left on RX overnight in the hope I might spot some Far East stations on 6m FT8 around breakfast.

UPDATE 0820z:   Just lots of Europeans on Es. Now QRT.

8m FT8 RX (Sunday)

My RX started monitoring 8m FT8 on 40.680 at about 0910z.

UPDATE 0919z: No spots.