A NEW FT8 with QSO and Rag Chew capabilities called FT8CALL

I don't think this is hair-brained at all, it has potential. Would it be possible to have a waterfall display hosted on the web that each digital mode app could access and display a slice of bandwidth that graphically shows what modes are being used where? Yes, that would mean that portable or stations with no WWW access could not 'see' this information but it doesn't stop them from operating as is done now.

So looking at the WF and I see color coded bars or spikes across the band with colors representing the various modes (RTTY, CW, PSK31, FT8, etc.). The width of the bar would indicate how much spectrum is being currently occupied by any particular mode. Transparency of the bar could give a clue as to QSO density in the small slice of spectrum. SO 10% transparency indicates little activity at that frequency and 90% is a pile up or something like that. Or lots of FT8 activity at 14.074 say the spike grows higher and/or darker (and wider) to represent QSO density. Clicking on a bar would zoom in on that slice of bandwidth to reveal the frequencies being used maybe even a list of stations operating there in near real time, in the way the PSKReporter does.

I then use that information to manually spin the dial to where I want to operate.

 

Just trying to understand how PSKReporter gets RTTY and CW data. Does it rely on people running software ( like WSJT-X for FT8 ) with "reporting" turned on, or does it rely on monitors that actually pick up RF and decode it? The reason I ask is because it seems to me that PSKReporter is not catching all QSOs.

When I run FT8 I do not have "reporting" turned on. So if I were working someone who also had it not turned on, would the contact be not captured in the data? Or would someone else decoding the contact report it? Either way, the data would be a relative indication of QSOs, not an actual number of QSOs. And if 100 people decode the same QSO, does it report one or 100 QSOs?

And for RTTY and CW, if it relied on "self-reporting" rather than a very broad monitoring-decoding-reporting network, then it would seriously under-estimate the number of those QSOs. I don't doubt the dominance of FT8. I just suspect that the RTTY and CW numbers are under-reported. I understand CWReporter and CWSkimmer are used, but I would be interested to know if they capture "all" CW contacts or just some.

Example. 1300-1400 UTC on Wednesdays there is a CW test. Maybe 100+ CW operators, some making 200+ contacts in the hour. That's a lot of CW QSOs. Does PSKReporter capture some, most, or all of them? And some of those 200+ per hour QSO guys when running don't send their call sign very often, so a dozen QSOs or more could be made with only one ID. And many don't send CQ, they sent CWT instead. I doubt many of those QSOs would be captured.

 

got a MAJOR question here. It seems with FT8 you need an internet connection to keep the program and the computer clock in synz. Well I operate mobile and not always near any internet wifi internet connections. So I have to take my computer in my house every 2 days or drive until I find a connection.It's really a pain the ### with the present FT8. Is your program going to be that way or not? I removed ( or tried too ) the present FT8 program and have just the HAM RADIO DELUXE program. thank you so much de KA1BSZ VT USA

 

I use a GPS USB dongle. No internet. Problem solved. I think it cost $7 shipped from you-know-where.

 

You need to be able to sync to a 15-second interval. The actual time is irrelevant. See: http://forums.qrz.com/index.php?thr...es-called-ft8call.623882/page-19#post-4767393

 

Jordan,
My apologies for editing in your table, but I found it easier to comment it in the table. Did you consider my proposal in message #222, which seems to stay out of most alleys? However, I notice that my proposal leaves too little room for RTTY on 40 and 17, which should be adjusted.

While FT8 has been allocated 2 kHz below JT65, we now regularly see that it spreads 2,5 kHz and more upwards of the dial frequency, i.e. well into the JT65 recommendation. Assuming a success in the neighbourhood of FT8, FT8CALL can be expected to cover up to 2.5 kHz above the dial frequency. Your proposal seems to spread FT8CALL into RTTY segments in several bands. Your proposals at 078.5 plus audio of 1.5 - 2.5 kHz puts the signal well into the RTTY segment on 20, 17, 15 and 10, and into the PSK segment on 80. On 80 I believe your proposal leaves Japan out, as they have som limitations above 3,575 kHz, which is why FT8 was lowered from originally 3,574 kHz to 3,573 kHz.

I will send you a spreadsheet by direct e-mail with some comparisons, starting out from the frequencies quoted by Mike NO7Y in message #114: http://www.qsl.net/sv1grb/psk31.htm

73 Frode LA6VQ

 

Someone in the "FT8Call Users" Facebook group mentioned that someone transmitting ALLCALL will disrupt their QSO if they have AUTO enabled.

Example: They are decoding a TX directed towards them, it may take several cycles to get the full message out. Someone else TX's ALLCALL? and now the guy who is decoding a message directed towards him automatically responds to the ALLCALL and misses part of what was originally being sent to him from the other station.

Anyway to disable a response to ALLCALL if/when in the middle of a QSO?

 

Yes. Turn off AUTO.

 

Ah. I didn't know if there'd be a way to detect or plans to implement a feature that when someone who had AUTO on was in the middle of a QSO and it'd ignore the ALLCALL command so they could complete it uninterrupted.

I'll pass it on.

 

Yea, I'd like to build something eventually, but right now that's the only recourse. Thanks!

 

Could not be disabled at the begining of a QSO stablished? The app will know there is an ongoing QSO if there is a reply from his OP.

 

Yes of course. But that's not built yet.

 

Well the RTTY contesters are prepping for the weekend on 14.080. A V31 station was trying to work a K0 station after I worked the V31, but V31 was not decoding the K0 guy's RTTY. It was because he was at 1900 on the water fall and a FT8 Worm call was dropping at ~1600. When the FT8 modulation disappeared, he could copy the K0 guy.

Yes the RTTY signal was in that part of the band first all morning prepping from V31 land. hes moved away now, probably figured out what the other signals were.

 

Very often i am on fielddays and there is no internet available. No problem, i never use the Internet time of the computer, i bought for 12 Euros a clock which is radio controlled (DCF77 signal with range of more than 1000 kilometers around Germany. Signal can be heard in whole Europe. As much as i know there is (was???) a station in the UK nr Rugby (my knowledge may be expired, sri) and a station in Canada. I prefer KISS (keep it simple and stupid)

 

Great Video for FT8CALL / For operations



The only issue is this was in the first few days of FT8CALL, and today, it is the second most used program

C U on the bands, NN2X