Part of our Getting On The Air guide.
JS8Call takes the weak-signal decoding strength that made FT8 popular and points it at a completely different goal: real keyboard-to-keyboard conversation over HF, not just a quick exchange of signal reports.
How It Differs From FT8
FT8 is built around a rigid, automated exchange format, callsigns, grid squares, and a signal report, with almost no room for free-form conversation. JS8Call uses similar underlying weak-signal technology but structures it around free-text messaging instead, letting you type actual sentences to another station, plus store-and-forward relay messaging that can hop through intermediate stations to reach someone outside direct range.
Setting It Up
JS8Call uses the same basic soundcard interface setup as FT8, a Digirig or similar interface connecting your radio’s audio and CAT control to your computer. If you already have WSJT-X working for FT8, you already have the hardware and CAT control configuration you need. JS8Call is separate software with its own configuration, but the audio and rig control setup carries over directly.
Making Your First Contact
Start by watching the waterfall and decode window to get a feel for activity levels on your chosen JS8Call frequency, since activity is generally lighter than FT8’s crowded sub-bands. A basic call is similar in spirit to calling CQ on any mode: send a CQ message, wait for a response, and once you have a contact, you can actually type a real conversation rather than exchanging a fixed set of pre-formatted fields.
The Relay Feature Is the Real Draw
JS8Call’s store-and-forward relay capability lets a message hop through other JS8Call stations to reach someone beyond your direct range, which has genuine emergency communications value alongside its everyday conversational use. This is one of the mode’s most distinctive features and a big part of why it has built a dedicated following among hams who want more than FT8’s structured brevity.