Tag: wsjtx

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • Getting on FT8 with the Icom IC-7300 Mark II

    One USB-C cable, no external interface needed. Here’s how to get the IC-7300 Mark II talking to WSJT-X and make your first FT8 contact.

  • JTDX vs WSJT-X: Is the Fork Worth Switching To

    WSJT-X is the software running FT8 on my IC-7300 Mark II, and it’s the default recommendation for anyone getting started with weak-signal digital modes. JTDX is a fork of that same codebase, and it’s been around long enough that people regularly ask whether it’s actually worth switching to. Where JTDX came from JTDX started as…

  • FT4: FT8’s Faster, Less Popular Cousin

    FT8’s faster, less forgiving cousin, and where the extra speed actually pays off.

  • What Is JTAlert?

    JTAlert is a popular companion for WSJT-X that adds alerts, award tracking, and automatic logging to your FT8 operating. Here is what it does.

  • What Is WSJT-X?

    WSJT-X is the free software behind FT8 and other weak-signal digital modes. Here is what it does and why it changed ham radio.

  • Setting Up WSJT-X, GridTracker, HRD, and TQSL: A Digital Station That Logs Itself

    How to install WSJT-X, Ham Radio Deluxe, GridTracker, and TQSL, and get them syncing so every FT8 contact logs itself and uploads to LoTW, QRZ, and PSK Reporter automatically.

  • Getting on FT8 with the Yaesu FTX-1 Optima (and the Field Head Alone)

    Whether it’s docked to the SPA-1 amp or running solo on battery power, here’s how to get the FTX-1 talking to WSJT-X and onto FT8.

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