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Digital modes

 

Background

In the past we had one digital mode (CW not counted) and that was RTTY. I used that mode in the signal corps, but it never attracted me. The guys using it were, for some reason, called "keyboard chimpanzees". Already then I preferred CW. K1JT, Joe, has changed our operating methods and opened a totally new world for us hams. We could also call it a new era. JT65 was the mode that made it possible for more stations to be heard on EME and JT6M, MSK144 and other modes replaced high speed CW for meteor scatter traffic. Now, Q65 with its high sensitivity, reading signals in the noise better than a human, is used for EME. For standard QSO's we use the much faster but less sensitive modes FT4 or FT8.

FT8

READ THIS!

Before you go digital, please read these few lines of advise and I promise you that you will have more fun, work more stations and work more DX! (even if you are a skilled DX-er I’m sure you will perform much better if you take the time to follow the advise below)

  1. Start with WJST-X software and change program when/if you feel that you can level up (or down). All hints below refer to this program, but the traffic techniques are of course valid independently of your software.
  2. Install the program, do all the settings and read the instruction manual before going on the air.
  3. Do the necessary settings on your rig.
  4. For EU stations: tick the “Tx even/1st box. European stations are supposed to allways call CQ 1st! By doing this: A/ DX will know when to look for us. B/ We together act as a massive beacon. C/ We don't produce local QRM! Of corse you can call a station using 2st but this causes less QRM than long a CQ. (newbees might behave differently but your results will undoubtly improve by allways CQ 1st!)
  5. Tick the “Hold Tx Freq” and the “Auto Seq” boxes. The last box will secure that you follow the proper procedures.
  6. Double right click with the mouse on the grey “Tx 1” box. By doing this you will skip Tx1 when calling a station and by that save 15 seconds. That might be the difference between getting or losing a QSO during tricky propagation.
  7. Before you transmit chose a transmitting frequency of your choice. Stay there unless you do not get any answer despite calling a while. Then seek a new frequency and try there. If you are calling a station stay on your frequency and call. Do never call on the same frequency as the stations you are calling. (Why?: Because to many do so anyway, which results in A; the station you are calling will not be able to copy anything in the mess on his own frequency B; You will drown in QRM C; You can QRM and prolong an ongoing QSO and in the long run the conds can change and you will lose your QSO chance)
  8. If propagation is good and a station is running a pile-up you will not always receive the Tx5 message. A Tx4 message received by one side is what is needed for a complete QSO!
  9. Respect a station calling CQ DX, CQ AF, CQ NA, CQ AS, CQ OC or any other preference if you are not belonging to the chosen target. You will just cause QRM and lose valuable DX time for both parties.
  10. If you call a station but you don’t get a direct answer, most likely because he answered a competitor, wait and it might be your turn next.
  11. If you have started a QSO and the station you are working is lost the next period, do not run away. Give it at least 3 more periods before you move on.

 

Working SM7FJE on FT8

  1. Never call me when I call CQ DX if you live in Europe! The same applies for CQ NA (North America), CQ SA (South America), CQ AS (Asia) and CQ AF (Africa). If you call without considering my request for a certain area your call will be held on “cool down” for at least 24 hours! 3 stations are today placed in my LID filter and will not appear on my screen for 3 years.
  2. Never call on my frequency! That will reduce both my and your chances and is, kindly said, very stupid.
  3. Always call me with Tx2. Stations doing so, will be answered before those starting with Tx1.
  4. I will always transmit 3, or more, sequencies before I quit a QSO attempt. I expect you to do the same.
  5. In a pile-up, do not expect me to send Tx5 (73). A Tx4 one way is enough for the QSO to be valid! Read no 4 above and you will understand that if you see that I call a new station instead of sending 73 to you – CONGRATULATIONS - YOU ARE IN THE LOG!
  6. You will always hear me calling CQ in the 1st period (I’m a European). This helps DX to find me and reduces the local QRM. A win-win for all of us.
  7. I will not continue a QSO with a station, if one of us has had a QSO with another station, because of lost propagation. If you move after only one missed period and return later, I will not be interested in working you for at least 24 hours.
  8. Remember that by not using TX1 and Tx5 the QSO is 40% or even 50% shorter in time and can be spent on working more stations or reducing the possibility of a broken/lost QSO, for both of us!
  9. There will be plenty of chances to work me when I’m not aiming for DX. So Europe, please respect my wish to work DX when I think/know that I can work outside the boundaries of Europe.
  10. Do not call me every opening you hear me. Give other HAM’s a chance to work a new one.
  11. Looking forward working you on 6m FT8!