Tag: ft8
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FT8 vs SSB vs CW: Which Mode Should You Actually Use?
I get asked this constantly, usually by someone new to HF who just worked their first FT8 contact and wants to know if they even need to learn the other modes. The honest answer is that FT8, SSB, and CW aren’t competing for the same job. Each one solves a different problem, and once you…
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Getting the Yaesu FT-857D on FT8 with WSJT-X
Part of our The Yaesu FT-857D: The Complete Guide. What You Actually Need The FT-857D predates USB audio interfaces, so getting it onto FT8 means bridging two separate connections: a CAT cable for rig control and a sound card interface for audio in and out. A USB sound card interface like a Digirig handles both…
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Nexus: One Free Program Trying to Replace Your Whole Digital Shack
Nexus is a free, open-source program from KD9TAW that tries to fold your decoder, logger, mapper, alerter, and panadapter into one app. Here is what I found after digging into it.
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2017: FT8 Released and Changed Weak-Signal HF Forever
Part of our The Evolution of Amateur Radio timeline series. Nothing else on this timeline changed how I personally operate HF as much as FT8 did. Released in 2017, it went from a brand new mode to the dominant form of digital HF activity in under two years, and it’s the reason my IC-7300 Mark…
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Troubleshooting Common FTX-1 Digital Mode Audio Issues
The digital mode audio problems that come up most with the FTX-1, and the order I actually check things in to fix them fast.
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GridTracker and the FTX-1: Logging FT8 Contacts Automatically
How I connect GridTracker to the FTX-1 through WSJT-X so FT8 contacts get logged, mapped, and routed to QSL services without manual entry.
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Troubleshooting IC-7300 Mark II Digital Mode Audio Issues
The digital mode audio problems that come up most with the IC-7300 Mark II, and the order I actually check things in to fix them fast.
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What Is GridTracker?
GridTracker is a free companion app for WSJT-X that puts your FT8 activity on a beautiful live map and helps you chase grids, states, and countries.
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Setting Up the Yaesu FT-891 for Digital Modes: Digirig DR-891, WSJT-X, and Your First FT8 Contact
The FT-891 has no built-in sound card and a quirky single-USB CAT connection. Here’s how the Digirig DR-891 solves that, and how to get from unboxed to your first FT8 QSO.