The Elecraft cables are standard, and both cables are wired straight through in the same way, tip to tip, ring to ring, and shield to shield. There is no difference between the two cables except for the color coding, which as far as I can tell is just a means to distinguish between them to help prevent operator error in making wrong connections. The cables from Elecraft are high quality, with shielding and nicely molded connectors, but I'm sure that other shielded cables could work.
Margie Spangenberg, KK4AGN Article in the Anderson Radio Club's July 2019 Newsletter www.andersonradioclub.com FT8 CRAZE Over the last couple of years, I have really liked the challenges and fun of learning different ham radio digital modes of DStar, DMR, and PSK31. I enjoy that I can have a conversation either by voice or text with another ham and possibly continue our conversations again on the air or even by email. When I began working FT8 I found it very fascinating to watch a computer do the contact work. Even with a less than optimal antenna and poor HF band conditions, I can easily with a click or two of a mouse, automatically begin making reliable confirmed QSOs with in a short period of time contacting one station’s PC to my PC using my ICOM 7100 with a USB cable interfaced to my laptop. However, the drawback of FT8 program only exchanges limited information during 15-seconds transmit and receive decoding between contacts. The shorter transmit and receive cycles will eliminate the fun and social networking or rag chewing over the air with other hams, compared to working SSB, PSK31, or CW modes. The fast streaming of QSO’s is like playing a game to see how many QSOs can be made in speed time, just like shooting fish in a barrel or hearing the clang of a bell or lights flashing each time a confirmed “73” appears on the screen. What is FT8? It’s a WSJT-X (V.2.0.1) amateur radio digital communications software beta program that has five applications including a FT8 mode application which is a weak signal mode but powerful for digital QRP HF communications. It’s the latest in line of digital software programs and was created by Steve Franke (K9AN) and Joe Taylor (K1JT) running 8-Frequency Shift Keying modulation, thus FT8. Their digital mode creation that is valid by LOTW since August 2017 is almost entirely automated that reports the call sign, the grid location, the sent and receive signal strength and 73 to end the exchange. Because FT8 uses a much smaller HF digital bandwidth, it requires very little power, has a low speed digital signal, and has more sensitivity during poor solar propagation down to -24dB, and receives an endless stream of QSOs signals in 15 seconds. It has been known that a completed FT8 digital contact can be confirmed in about one minute. FT8 also includes a vertical waterfall and spectrograph display showing the Hz signal reading, an optional auto sequence feature that automatically sequences a decoded QSO reply with another station, and shows miles distance between both confirmed contacts. Another feature is once a QSO is complete, a popup screen of the QSO information can be saved to the FT8 log directory file (adi) and eventually uploaded to LOTW. It’s important before running FT8 that the computer’s clock is synchronized with one of the Internet Time Servers, such as Dimension 4. Time is critical and the transmit station and receiving station are within a few milliseconds of “real” time to earn a confirmed QSO. It’s incredible how many hams are using FT8 in the last year. In fact, according to an www.arrl.org article of May 17, 2018, there were more than 2.3 million FT8 contacts that were uploaded in one month to LOTW. The reason for FT8’s popularity is FT8 is four times faster to answer and call CQ, resulting in large numbers of hams working towards grid square numbers, DXCC and Work All States. It’s no surprise that a number of hams worked all 50 states in six weeks and others completed DX Century Club (DXCC-confirming on-the-air contacts) in four months! As for myself, I couldn’t believe that only after four hours on digital frequency 14.074, with my ICOM 7100, one USB cable and my laptop, I had contacted 14 states, 2 Italy QSOs, and HB9SPACE (Swiss Air Force Museum Ham Radio Club) with FT8. The major reason for the FT8 craze is that HF analog band conditions have been so poor over the years that many hams have turned to the digital mode of FT8. Brad Humphries (AE4VJ) ARRL South Carolina Technical Coordinator believes, “It’s mostly because of the low sunspot number as we are approaching the bottom of the cycle. FT8 is a lot more robust than sideband or even CW and being able to make contacts under poor conditions is, in part, what is driving the FT8 boom.” But other ham operators believe as the new solar cycle gets better and the bands open up again, FT8 may decline in popularity and more hams will convert back to SSB. There has been much controversy that FT8 is less personal and less conversational with not much human interaction and almost entirely automated. Some argue that it’s not “real” amateur radio and FT8 is affecting the social network of amateur radio. There are hams that complain FT8 is boring, like watching paint dry on a wall as they watch their screen image show one PC and another PC do the work. One doubtful ham jokingly wonders will a group of hams know how to rotate the big knob (change the frequency). The advent of FT8 may not be for everyone and some hams are concerned digital modes may be the end of amateur radio but for me it’s another exciting way of learning and enjoying all communication modes of amateur radio. Yes, it can be mundane watching a list of QSOs streaming. But on the other hand, it can be more personable and interesting to look up the QSO’s call sign on QRZ.com learning their QTH and other information in their BIO. As fascinating as this new digital mode is, I still favor the fun of hearing a human voice on SSB but hope to Work All States with FT8!
