FT8 with the IC-705

Tomorrow, I plan to try FT8 with my IC-705. Up to now I have used other rigs. I did do this with the first IC-705 I owned. As I recall there was a noise problem with the USB cable connected, but I overcome that with a better, choked cable.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My gear was turned on at 0908z. 

At 0944z I was spotted by 12 stations in England.

UPDATE 2135z: 25 stations have spotted me. See map.Now QRT.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 26 stations have spotted me at 1114z.

UPDATE  2055z:  64 stations have spotted me today.

Exceptional E-W F2 MUF

In the last few weeks the F2 MUF has exceeded 50MHz "across the pond" on a few occasions. I would expect this at times at the height of a good(ish) solar cycle. It would reach 8m far more often. Indeed my 8m 2.5W FT8 to a dipole was regularly spotted in Canada, the USA and Caribbean in autumn 2023 as well as this autumn. 

In my view this is where 8m FT8 could score. Just occasionally for a short period, the MUF will be high enough. These openings are far less likely to be spotted on CW or SSB, whereas with 8m FT8 and PSKreporter it is far more likely these brief openings will be noticed.

As the sunspots decline the N-S MUF may support 8m FT8 to South Africa more often than we might think.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

 My QMX+ has been on since about 1035z. So far, 5 English  stations have spotted me. The QMX+ initialised after a few minutes!

UPDATE 1145z:  10 stations have spotted me (all English).

UPDATE 1644z:  17 stations spotting me (see photo). I wonder if the more distant stations are F2 backscatter?

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

Once my QMX+ initiates, I intend to try 6m QRP FT8 again. Yet again, it has not yet initiated. I hope there is a fix for this in later software or hardware as I am suffering this bug most times I switch the transceiver on. It otherwise is a very good rig that I enjoy using. On early production, I suppose this is to be expected.

UPDATE 1006z: The QMX+ has initiated, but I do not know how long it took. So far just 4 English stations have spotted me.

UPDATE 1347z:  Spotted by 21 stations including 1 in Germany.

UPDATE 1645z: Spotted by 25 stations (in Europe) and on RX VO1AW (3801km) spotted.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

 If my QMX+ initiates (it hasn't yet!) I intend to try 6m QRP FT8.

UPDATE 0945z: Well, the QMX+ eventually did initiate. Probably this occurred in the first 20 minutes. The secret seems to be just to leave it. I would have expected this to happen within seconds. This is not fatal, but definitely needs fixing or explaining. Otherwise the QMX+ works really well. So far, spotted by 7 English stations on 6m QRP FT8 this morning.

UPDATE 1238z: 19 English stations spotted.

UPDATE 1545z:  30 stations have spotted me. Some are European. F2 backscatter?

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

 After leaving the QMX+ for 30 minutes it initialised. I  have no idea how long after initial switch on this happened. 

Anyway at about 0735z I went on 6m FT8 QRP with the QMX+.

UPDATE 0925z:   27 stations have spotted me so far today.

UPDATE 1222z:  Spotted by 95 stations. See map.

UPDATE 1613z: VO1SIX (3933km) in Canada has spotted me on QRP 6m FT8 today. In total, 102 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8  today.

QMX+ still failing to initialise

After trying for about 10 times, my QMX+ (which is great once initialised!) has failed to initialise. Probably Wednesday, I shall go on 6m FT8 with the IC-705 instead.

UPDATE  1440z:  Although both the QDX and QMX+ rigs are very good, I am very disappointed that I am having so much trouble with Windows 10. It takes several goes to get the PC to "see" the audio on the QDX and the initialisation of the QMX+ is "flaky" at best: when it works great, but it should not be this hard to get started. I hope this initialisation is better with more recent software. It lets down an otherwise great radio.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

My QRP FT8 has been on 50.313MHz with my QMX+ since just before breakfast. 14 stations have spotted me.  See map.

UPDATE 2004z:   QRT.  55 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8  today.  See map.

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My QRP 6m FT8 has been on since just after breakfast. So far, spotted by 20 stations. See map.

UPDATE  1417z:   24 stations (all in Europe) have spotted me.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

For some unknown reason my QMX+ initialised this morning, so I am on 6m QRP FT8 again. So far, I have been spotted by 5 English stations, although I see some better equipped stations are working India on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1408z: Spotted by 30 stations today with the furthermost 4X1UF (3513km).

UPDATE 1745z:  32 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 today.

6m QRP FT8 again (Thursday)

 Once again, I am trying 6m as the F2 propagation sometimes goes this high. So far (at 0920z) spotted by 14 English stations.

UPDATE 1333z:  43 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today. Nobody outside Europe has spotted me today.

UPDATE 1712z:  53 spots of me today on 6m QRP FT8.

6m QRP FT8 (Wednesday)

My QRP FT8  has been on for a while after breakfast. 6 English stations have spotted me. One VU was spotted at the end of a QSO.

UPDATE 1438z:  36 spots of my QRP 6m FT8 (mostly English) with the furthermost spotted by VU2MSA (8178km). Obviously F2 to India is reaching 6m.

UPDATE 1940z: 41 stations have spotted me today.

6m QRP FT8 (Tuesday)

My FT8 gear was turned on at about 0950z. So far spotted by 4 English stations at 0953z.

UPDATE 1425z:  22 stations have spotted my QRP 6m FT8 today. 

UPDATE 1741z:   24 stations have spotted me today. See map.

6m QRP FT8 (Monday)

 

57 stations have spotted me today, including several "across the pond". 

6m QRP FT8 (Sunday)

My QMX+ on 6m was turned on about 0945z. At 1033z, I have been spotted by 12 English stations. 

Looking at https://www.tvcomm.co.uk/g7izu/radio-propagation-maps/europe-sporadic-e/ it looks like I could be spotted in mainland Europe. 

I am less hopeful of being spotted "across the pond" today on 6m FT8.

UPDATE  1035z: Spotted by 14 English stations. Remember this is QRP and a vertical omni, proving that with 6m FT8 contacts inter-G would probably be possible regularly with just a modest station.

UPDATE 1220z:  Spotted by VK9CV (11514km) on 6m QRP FT8. I think he is genuine. 40 stations spotting me on 6m FT8.

UPDATE 1624z:   55 stations have spotted me today on 6m QRP FT8 TX. No North American spots. I suspect the E-W F2 MUF has to be exceptionally high for this to be possible, especially with QRP.

UPDATE 1651z:  QRT on 6m.

6m QRP FT8 (Saturday)

My QMX+ to the vertical omni V2000 was turned on at about 0730z. So far (at 1325z), 32 stations have spotted me. See map.

6m QRP FT8 (Friday)

My QMX+ is initialising. 

Someone kindly suggested it might be due to slow charging of capacitors in my PSU. I tried simply plugging in the power lead to the QMX+ with my PSU well and truly at the correct voltage, but this made no difference. After a time it just initialised. I suspect it is something to do with the way the microprocessor initialises, but I am no expert.

Anyway, the QMX+ in now on 6m FT8 and, so far, just 17 English stations are spotting me at 1540z.

UPDATE 2231z:  The map shows where I have been spotted on 6m QRP FT8 today.

10m QRP FT8 (Friday)

Change of plan!

I think my SignaLink USB (or lead) has developed a fault after over 20 years. After a brief period on 10m WSPR with my beacon, I am on 10m QRP FT8 with the QDX.  At 1031z, I have been spotted by 91 stations. 

The QDX is about the size of a pack of cards i.e. tiny.

Also, I am having issues booting up my QMX+ rig today.  It  keeps coming up with a dim display and not initialising. 

Without the SignaLink interface or QMX+ I am unable to use FT8 at 8m or 6m, which is a pity. I suppose I could use the IC705 at 6m for FT8. At present I was using the QMX+ for 6m and the FT817ND (dealer modified) for 8m.

UPDATE 1415z: Spotted by 303 stations on 10m FT8 TX. See map.