FT-8, The New HF/6m Digital Mode, Introduction For Beginners
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- Here is a new digital mode that comes to you from the makers of JT-9 and JT-65.. Called FT-8 (Franke-Taylor design, 8FSK modulation). A weak signal mode that is not as sensitive to JT-65/9 but definately something that will work when voice and CW will not. This is an introduction to someone who has never heard of it, or never has used JT-65 before. It may not be for everyone, but everyone should try it.
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physics.prince...
Very helpful. No disrespect to the other Elmers out there that have uploaded videos for FT-8, but this is much clearer and easier to understand.
73!
i love ft-8, i enjoy digital modes more than voice, its just easier to me. i know some people hate Digital, i dont know why, its all a hobby. there is something for everyone
Just seeing this 3yrs later, but great summary! I knew zero about this mode and now i feel like i have a good understanding of what it is. I thought the video length was perfect.
You do an excellent job of explaining to an old newb like myself.
Incidentally: power by itself doesn't "blank out the waterfall" or "distort" signals. Most of those types of effects can be mitigated by turning off AGC and reducing the RF gain.
There's a widely held popular belief that every strong signal is someone running "power" but power is only a tiniest fraction of the equation when it comes to signal strength (this usually causes readers to come banging on the door with pitchforks and torches so I'll put my flame suit on). Just a recent example: I received a +18dB report running 1.5 watts from a station one minute and then the band dropped out and I had to up the power to 50 watts and finished the QSO with a -18dB report. Reports are not absolute (I have more info on this from Joe Taylor directly if you're interested). It's also quite difficult to overdrive FSK signals like JT65, JT9, and FT8 (though every other post you see on the various social media sites drops the word "overdrive" like it's candy as well as the very over used "ALC" references). A signal like the modes generated by WSJT-X are essentially constant amplitude and continuous phase. A linear transmitter PA is not necessary and the ALC level isn't nearly as critical as it is with, say, PSK31 (this one REALLY brings out the keyboard commandos so for those folks: I have verified this with the WSJT-X development team including K1JT so if anyone wants to argue the point, go argue with him, however, my money is on the Nobel Laureate ;) ).
Lastly (this is for the benefit of others who may be reading) - the waterfall is a convenience appliance only. It was never intended to be used to measure signal quality or spectral purity. There are dozens of factors that influence how a signal appears on the waterfall - the signal you see is not the actual signal but the sound card's interpretation of what it "hears" from the radio. This is where a Panadapter tied into the IF comes in handy. In 15,000 JT65 contacts, several thousand JT9 contacts and going on 4,000 FT8 contacts, I can literally count on one hand (maybe two now but I'll have fingers left over) the number of "poor" signals I've seen and in each case, those were not caused by "power" or "overdrive" but by lack of isolation between the soundcard and the radio (very necessary!!) or RF making its way back into the transmit chain due to common mode current riding the coax back to the shack.
Ok, that was way longer than I'd intended :)
73,
Jim S.
N2ADV
I'm a relatively new amateur radio operator (did signals in the Reserves for 14 years though when I was a young buck) and have only just this Easter weekend created my first HF station at home using a Yaesu FT-450 and a DIY horizontal delta loop that isn't resonant on any of the bands, as I've just used the available space in my small garden. Somewhere about 9MHz would be resonant I think. I've only had one voice QSO since Sunday and It dings your confidence when you spend a lot of time calling CQ and trying to work other stations and you don't get a reply. One of my club mates loaned me a data cable on Tuesday night and so I spent a couple of hours yesterday installing WSJT-X, configuring the radio to work with it, and trying to respond to and initiate CQ calls using this mode. I had one QSO the whole evening, but I'm not disheartened as I can see the reception reports on PSKReporter.info and I can see that my meagre signal is being heard as far as East Coast USA, and central Russia.
Cut to the Chase Andy!! ----I've got a better understanding of the way the protocol works as a result of watching this video, the idea behind the waterfall, and how to respond at the correct time. Thanks very much. 73's M6UAW
FYI, the slider on the left is for the gain of the signals on the waterfall. The slider on the right is for your audio levels. Make sure to check your ALC against the audio level slider on the right. If you are calling CQ, check the "Call 1st" button. It will allow the software to auto respond to the first station the software decodes. This way you do not have to click on stations when responding to a call, potentially missing a call or extending the amount of time spent on a QSO. 73, N5SDD.
Great Video Eric. I'm a very recent license holder and was working PSK with little success when my Elmer told me to try FT8. Your video explained a number of questions I had about the software and I'm finding contacts all over the place now. THANKS!
Great and simple. Length not an issue. I learned a lot in those 17 minutes.
I share your passion for short, to-the-point, UA-cam videos regardless the subject. Yours was timed perfectly. It contained a lot of good, relevant information and no unnecessary drivel. More importantly, I learned from it, so thank you. 73, Steve, W6SDM
I watched another video after first watching this one, Well what can I say, I had to come back to your video to clear up the confustion from the other. Well done on explaining this new digital mode in good all plain english. Great job..
Best video I've seen so far showing what FT-8 really does and doesn't do.
I really appreciate this video. I just started up FT-8, but before blundering through it I wanted to know the right screen activity during a contact involving the macros and you made it very clear what is going on. Much better than other sites I've been trying to see what's what. Thanks!
Yes, a very good summery of FT8, I am going to try it, thank you for the video and not talking down to folks like some others do.
Those who have negative things to say are probably of the same mind set when SSB first went on the air, can you imagine the negative comments from the CW and AM crowd?
Just wanted to say....Thanks for all the vids man. You dont just create vid of jabbering on for 1-1/2 hours every single video. You dont have a “superiority” attitude. Just a “normal” guy that really enjoys ham radio. Ive watched a lot of your vids, and continue to learn about things I havent had the opportunity to see before.
Got my Tech just a few months ago, took the General early this month, and passed the Extra yesterday. With all of that study behind me, Im going to spend some time on some of the other modes I havent any experience with. I get on the phone bands every day, but want to setup some other communications options.
Anyway....thanks. 73
i actually tried it yesterday for the first time. Before I tried it, I thought it was absolutely a waste of time, but I read up on it and gave it a go yesterday. It is a super fast mode. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how well signals got out. I am running a 55 foot vertical and lowered my output power to 2 watts and then used the signal transmit slider to lower my power even more. I was making contacts with 0.1 watt on 40, 80, and 160 through pretty horrendous conditions that CW would not even be able to penetrate. I finally wrapped it up at like 2am. It was fun. Sure, a lot was automated, but the fun part was trying to reach out to DX with minimal power. I couldn't reach Argentina at 5600 miles...but it was fun trying. It's a bit finicky to set up on the Mac, and make sure you go find JT-Bridge (software-that finds your contacts on WSJT-X and imports them into your Logbook www.k0pir.us/macloggerdx-wsjt-x-jt-bridge/). The most difficult part of the FT-8 is figuring out how to make a contact. It's one of those modes you definitely have to read the manual. I tried going on youtube and people get so bogged down in details that it's difficult to see what's going on. Whoever designs these modes has an amazing thought process. I am amazed with what can be done with such low power.
Great video here...above. I like that little Yaesu, especially that front display.
Thanks for the video. The mode is lots of fun. One correction... At 9:20 in the video ALL of the signals in the waterfall are being simultaneously decoded in the left hand pane automatically!! You don't have to click on top of a signal as it says in the video, in order to decode it. 73, John AF3K
I love these ultra efficient digital modes, having the ability to make contacts even when the antenna and band conditions are very poor is incredible for me.
After s year nearly since discovering it, I have not used it as much as i expected. certainly incredible. But it's to monotonous for me and i fall asleep over the keys Hi. I do as well and end up with a headache. So mainly use it for testing home made gear and propagation to get some idea off band conditions. It has taken off in mass. has now dominated the hf bands and also first time i have heard a digital mode on 160m and 6m. Whenever i switch on i now find a FT8 signal. I was s keen psk man, but hardly hear any now after building a dedicated psk system. now tuned to ft8 just for the fun of monitoring. that's my problem, i find monitoring More interesting..leave it monitoring while on the workbench. Not a dx chaser or contester. Been mainly cw for many years, but thats dried up a bit, rare to get a reply on s cq call i find now, yet years ago 1 watt qrp worked the world. so not much of an :operator now as little rag chews around now. Gone back to building gear. using valves as i have 'loads of them. Anyway FT8 certainly created a stir.
contacts..ok great. But can you actually ever communicate more information? How effective for example would FT8 be to communicate an emergency message
I went back to review this video even though I have already tried FT8 to get a refresher. While some have said this video was too long, I on the other hand thought it was just fine and very informative. Since FT4 is now out there, like you, I enjoy the experimenting part of the hobby. And while I might not stick with any particular mode, I do it primarily to be able to explain it to those who are new to HAM radio to show them what they can do if talking on the radio isn't their cup of tea. In closing, thank you for your dedication to the hobby and sharing your knowledge with us all. 73 - W0HLK
Some very good comments Kenneth. Experimenting with all the different modes is just part of the fun! 73
Casual non-amateur listener here - I was having a casual surf around the amateur band and came across what is likely to be FT-8. Had never heard anything like it before - initially sounded like someone mashing keys on a musical keyboard, sort of like a digital mode, but initially threw me for a loop. Thanks for the clarification :)
ChayD huh I just had the same experience on my SDR a couple days ago. I’m still learning too, actually taking my technicians test in the morning!
When I first started FT8, I did find it kind of boring. But after getting some tips from a local ham, I got really interested because I was racking up contacts all over the US, Europe, and Asia. However, to do that, I did have to kick up my output power beyond 10 watts. But I'm kind of a DX'er anyway, so, getting contacts in Europe and Asia made it worth it to me to continue.
Dude, you have a knack for great instruction/demonstration! You get to the point and you're probably the first person I didn't have to keep skipping ahead! Thanks!
Another great video Eric.. Been using this mode for a few weeks now...much faster then jt65 Sill waiting for LOTW to accept this mode
I'm new to DXMAP but on there FT8 is, by far, the most common digital mode. I think it's great that digital modes are evolving to be ever more tolerant of poor signal and propagation conditions. Having such a mode is great for QRP with small portable antennas and it would also be very useful in emergency conditions operating from battery power where getting through is far more important than the data rate.
Good job. was looking for a FT-8 video before my DX club meeting where they are going to talk about it and this was the bomb! Can't wait to teach it in my General Class next month. TNX VY MUCH N8FE
Marsha FLeming,,,looking for a beginner hanradio what's your recommendation?
Video was not too long. I learned a lot. I've been experimenting with JT65 and a Uniden HR2510 on 10 Meters, and I'm having a lot of fun with it. I'll try this mode next. 73 Paul AA1SU
Thanks for the good info. Not a bad length of video for me. I am wanting to learn and I always come to your channel to find out these things! 73
Funny, you say you're no expert on FT8- I got more out of this video than I have from the so-called experts. Thank you for clearing up a few things. 73
Re: the waterfall: your radio is displaying the carrier frequency (were the carrier not suppressed since you're running SSB). Since you're running USB for these modes, the waterfall shows the number of Hz above the carrier frequency. So if your radio shows a frequency of 7.074 MHz, looking at the waterfall at 1,000 Hz, a signal is sitting "on" 7.075. At 2,000 Hz, the signal is "on" 7.076; this is important to remember as since the JT65 segment starts at 7.076 MHz so if you show a frequency of 7.074 MHz and you transmit a signal at, say, 2,800 Hz, you're 800 Hz into the JT65 watering hole and you may be causing QRM to someone running another mode.
Hope that helps.
73,
Jim S.
N2ADV
True, but the FT8 stations are now sending at PSK frequencies and others, pretty annoying when they do that
Great video, I am just getting into digital modes Eric and I live in an area that produces a noise level 10/9 on every band so I hear this mode will still get through... Time will tell :) Thanks was great and I for one learnt about operating FT8 from this!
Thanks for the video. I'm just starting FT8 and your video helps a lot.
Thanks for the info. I just got a ftdx-3000 and am looking into ft8. My dad has used it for a bit and I have to say you helped me alot. Now I feel confident to get into it. Alot simpler than psk31 but looks like more fun to play with lower power. Im gonna start at 5W and then work up only if I need to. Thanks again and 73, ad0am
Thank you SO much! This is the bare bones I needed to find. Now, if I can just get the TX to work, I'd be happy.
Nice job. This is a much better video than most similar tutorials.
Yes, much quicker than JT65. Quite a few different stations on 40m, Thank you for sharing
That was great and down to earth, easy to follow well done regards from the UK
That's actually really cool. Maybe I'm overly impressed because I've never done any digital before, but I think I'll try it this weekend. Thanks for the video!
Give it a go! It's a lot of fun.
Perfect for me as a beginner 👍
Good video. I tried it but just can't get excited about digital modes. It's just too boring and I don't like the fact that it requires a PC to run. SSB and CW are a lot more fun.
Andrew Ivanov .......I agree Andrew. Making a contact yourself requires skill and leaves you with a sense of accomplishment. People are relying too much on computers to do their work. Its the very definition of lazy!
There are exceptions though. For example, obtaining weatherfax and satellite images or chatting with the ISS as she flies over. APRS can be quite useful, as can the ability to access email or internet-based wind/weather information without an internet connection - as I did when circumnavigating solo in a 26ft yacht.
But, just harvesting QSLs in an automated fashion is boring, and is simply a way of checking conditions and performance... it's not easy to get excited about unless you're a gridsquare hunter or a contester. Manual modes are so much more gratifying.
But, speaking as someone who's used amateur digital modes in anger, when the nearest human being to me was on the ISS... and had that digital access keep me safe, connected and avoiding storm systems... I got to say, it can be damned useful.
Even in voice modes and CW, many OPs simply want to register a contact and move on. Amateur radio can be so much more than that.
Thanks. Your video helped me understand a bit more about the info on the screen!
Just saw your video. It's really good. FT8 is my first foray into digital since the county-wide APRS Wx packet network I setup back in the '90s. I've been playing with FT8 for a few weeks now and in that time have worked all states (just on FT8) on 40m, nearly all on 20m, and am getting close to DXCC. Previously, I had worked all states on 40m SSB on a late night net that requires physical QSL card confirmations... that took many years.
If I may make a few suggestions.. I've found that I need at least 40w (and occasionally higher) to establish a good exchange, without going too much over a R+00 report. I've heard from many in the FT8 community that this is a poor signal mode, NOT a qrp mode, and 40-60w is quite common; unlike other digital modes.
In addition, everytime I saw a station in your video show up in green on the left pane, I was thinking , "Did he already log them?" Only previously worked stations show up like that for me. Unworked stations, show up in dark purple if they are a new entity; and light purple if I've not worked them, but have worked their state or country.
Finally, it might be worth explaining JTAlertX. I found setting it up it to be the most frustrating aspect, but also quite rewarding once I had it tweaked correctly. No more uploading ADIF files, or knowing if I worked that station on one band but another.
Very useful and clear video - I'm just trying to set my FT-450 up to use it, as I am limited to vertical HF antenna. First impressions of range of signals received is very encouraging. Here in UK I am receiving China and South America which I really struggle to QSO with on SSB. Thanks very much - length of video is fine for beginners. 73 Rob G1VXD
Very good beginner vid. Comment below is understood disappointment that it's digital and not rag chew. It's less than a contest 599 report. But a different type of experience with QRP and distance
JT65 is my preferred method, but I’ll be def trying this out.
Interesting.....thanks for sharing.
I am really late to the digital game being a ham for 30 years now, but thank you for the video. Going to try this with a newer rig and some cables I have coming for it.
how’d it go?
@@HighFidelityFox It's going great. I use MSHV I stead of wsjtx because for me it works better. For me the cat cable control never works. Not sure why,but works fine using vox.
@@user-bn3zo3mh5v Never heard of that programme until now, will definitely try it out as I hate the WSJTX split window for waterfall. For me it’s the opposite haha, I can’t get vox to work but I can get CAT to work
@@HighFidelityFox Don't know. I have all the proper cables but no luck. I have tried regular serial cables and usb to serial and it acts as if there is nothing there,but I can use the audio cables and it works fine. I am a hardware guy in a software world. Just glad I can get on at all.
@@user-bn3zo3mh5v Have you made sure all the settings such as baud rate are correct in the programme? Your radio manual should have the settings. Tried using MSHV but the UI was so confusing i couldn’t figure it out haha
Thanks for that. Nicely explained and I'll be giving it a go in the next few days.
Very helpful. A great mode for lots of qsos. 73s
Use D4Time to sync your clock...has been on my computer a long time...flawless...
Thank you for the video, now I have a better understanding about it.
I did learn something, what all them lines of data mean lol. Thank you.
Great info, I have been playing with FT-8 and hadn't got the auto sequence sorted - should be good to go now. It is fast...
Nice video. Never heard of FT8. I do a lot of JT65 and got my WAS using JT. Definitely going to check this out. JT65 is slow but I can multitask during the 48 seconds. Heck I've even cooked dinner during QSOs. Thanks for the info. I also just gave you a sub. AK3GR.
I downloaded rc1 of wsjt-x and made 3 contacts within minutes. I'm hooked. This might kill JT65.
Very helpful explanation. Would have been uses to explain what the other over movable bars above the waterfall define. 73s ZL4AI
Saw it in action at VE3ZM FD 2018. Nifty stuff.
Best video I've seen and understood.....
Cool. Just installed the software and 40m looks pretty busy on this mode.
You know what? it isn't a digital mode, it is an analogue data mode that uses tones, electric pulses of varying amplitude, whereas Digital is binary format (zero or one) where each bit is representative of two distinct amplitudes. people keep making this mistake, It's not a digimode because it does not send a digital signal! The actual carrier of the signal is USB
Good video KD2TIP
Found this really helpful thanks , M7PNR 😀
Thanks for this helpful video. I still feel as if I'm muddling through. I just purchased the ARRL book, "Get of the Air with HF Digital. I hope to clear the water a bit with it.
I thought I'd never have an interest in digital until FD2018 when I observed KM4YMI making loads of contacts. Now I guess the bug has bitten me.
Great video. I just don't see the attraction of any of these digital modes though. And I'm far from an old timer.
Awesome thanks!!!
Always enjoy your videos, however I find this mode kind of silly, but having said that I believe it is a tool in some respect. It will test your antenna with low power to see how far you can reach out and touch someone. I've been using it for a very short time.
Great! I liked it. Keep up with good work! It is not too long video! :)
Since the bands are so bad here in Hawaii and I have not been able to make a single HF contact so far I decided to try the FT-8 since it works in poorer conditions with less than perfect antennas. Well, so far I am having the same results with FT-8 as the other modes. I can barely see anything on the waterfall, a few extremely weak signals, but nothing anywhere near strong enough to decode. So far, no contacts.
UPDATE: I kept at it on 20m with the FT8 and I have made 3 contacts within 5 minutes, New Zealand, Japan, and another Hawaii station that I normally cant talk to with phone.
Thank you great information.
Great video, best I've seen yet on FT-8. KE4KMG
Excellent video. Now that FT4 is soon to be released to production, it will be interesting to see the uptake of that vs FT8. I did a comparison video on my channel of the two. 73
I have a video of Ft4 I did last week on my channel.
@@HamRadioConcepts Thanks I commented on that video too
KE8BYM
Thanks Eric, great video helped a lot. One thing I would like to add is synchronizing the PC clock once the software is installed and being set up. I ran into an issue where the software was not decoding however it was receiving well, synchronized the PC clock and the band activity began to fill in. I am running a Yaesu 857D with a Signalink USB through a USB hub. Cat control of the 857 and VOX control of the Signalink work fine. Have made my first few QSOs now! Thanks again.
you cut off... I have an 857D and wanted to know what you were trying to finish saying..
Your reviews are very cool 73 from VE3BDE
Thanks bro.
Thanks for this video. Just started with FT8 and was kind of wandering how to make a QSO. 73
i hope someone sometime develops a mode that actually allows for a conversation
How about writing software to automate the QSOs? Let the computer work DX while you sleep! LOL.
Andrew Ivanov, I am afraid we're coming to that. Hell, stick a rig in your coffin when you croak and run a coax and power cord topside and you can work DX for an eternity!
They already have....many years ago. Its called CW!
Someone did. FT8 Call.
great job on the video !!
nice video
Thanks
thanks this was very helpful
I was a skeptic, but it is a fun program. FT8 is just one of a bunch of modes the WSJT-x software promotes. I haven''t done any digital operating since 2002 or 2003. I am amazed in the advances in digital and obviously the radios. I remember building a transmit box back in 1999 so my Yaesu FT840 could transmit through the Mic Jack, and I could operate PSK31. Hard to believe that was almost 20 years ago. I am glad Amateur Radio didn't die out after the code was abolished for licensing.
Nice 17 minute video. When the red tx and green tx bars are moved at the top of the waterfall, how does that affect the transmit and receive band frequency? Is it an offset? Does it affect the contacts?
Very,very good video. I am also new to FT8 and am learning. This added a few more pieces of the puzzle for me. I have a few questions that maybe you can answer:
1. At the end of your last QSO you sent him a signal report 2 times, the same value. Why?? Is this normal or other reason?
2.In the Tx even/1st do you have to change this based on the time sequence your CQ caller is on? That is 0 or 5??
Greg... KO8A
Thank you for the tutorial. I am trying to learn this mode, but is too much dificult. Congratulations for your job!
Sounds like something from Star Trek.
SO WILL WSJTX AUTO LOG TO QRZ LOGBOOK?
I was using the Icom 7300 and the lowest power out it will transmit is 2 watts, so I wanted to reduce my transmitted power so I used the transmit slider on the right. If you are using 2 watts and you reduce the slider on the right down to -3dB, you have decreased you power output effectively by 1 watt. You can go to: www.pasternack.com/t-calculator-ratio-conv.aspx#/ and mess around with the dB formula. You can see the relationship in power by inserting 2 watts in and 1 watt out in the spaces in the link provided and see a 1 watt reduction is -3dB. If you want to estimate your power out you can watch your reported reception and figure out I guess how much your system losses/propagation performance are too. Thinking in dB can warp your mind at 2am. lol.
Very helpful! Thank you! 73
Good video but dang, FT-8 looks like a colossal waste of time, and you don't even need an operator to do anything. I keep wondering if I should get into ham, but it's stuff like this that I find very unappealing. Every time I ask a ham operator what they do, it's just trying to make contact and exchange a location with people and a signal report, and that's it. Like, what's the point? I thought the idea of ham was to communicate, but as best I can tell it's basically just a bunch of people ticking off boxes.
What good does this mode do if all you can say is "this is my callsign and locaion"/
In an emergency, it would be good to be able to request help, call for supplies of provide casualty information.
Can this mode actually be used for something more useful ?
Of course. It sends data... that data can represent anything you wish... well, almost.
Unless you have a commercial license you will have certain limitations...
*Content*
You MUST include your callsign in the QSO at the intervals dictated by the licence and the communication must NOT be commercial in nature. It also cannot be obscene or offensive. It can be opaque but it cannot be encrypted.
If you are a commercial user, then usually none of the above restrictions apply.
*Remote control or message relays*
If you want to use this to send information to an unattended system _(some form of remote control)_ then this is fine, but for the unattended system to transmit data back at you _(even an acknowledgement of receipt)_ the unattended system MUST have the appropriate variation added to its operators license to allow unattended operation. As the operator of any unattended transmitter, you should _(and in some jurisdictions, MUST)_ have an alternate way to shut down the remote transmitter/repeater system if it misbehaves or if you are required to do so by an authority. Internet, SMS commands, Pager message or Phone-in DTMF are all good for this, although, even simply being able to call some person to go pull the plug for you is also acceptable.
A transmitter being operated remotely does not count as unattended, if the live operator is in real-time control of the transmissions and content. And, receive-only remote stations are always permitted on public bands without any license considerations.
If you are a commercial user, then usually none of the above restrictions apply.
*Emergency use* - reasonable use clauses
In a genuine emergency all of these restrictions are lifted but this does not free you from having to act reasonably and responsibly. For example, if stranded in the ocean or on a deserted island - you ARE permitted to use the international aviation frequencies, although you should limit this to the civil and military emergency channels. Same with marine distress or hailing frequencies... you do not need a license to use maritime radio in a genuine emergency. You can also use a police/military/ambulance/fire service/taxi radio... if the legitimate operator is in distress or unable to make the call, such as in an "officer down" situation.
In addition to using restricted equipment and frequencies, you can also use a higher power than is normally permitted, provided you can justify it's use. You can technically use non-standard modes too - although, this is harder to justify, less likely to receive a response and more likely to interfere.
So, in an emergency - use whatever works to get a response - in order, starting from the least invasive/disruptive.
Many nations licenses state this explicitly, some imply it, and others are silent on the matter and leave it to be decided after the fact.
If you're in the US, the relevant sections are :
- Part 97.403: Regarding "The safety of life and protection of property", which states :
_No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station of any means of radiocommunication at its disposal to provide essential communication needs in connection with the immediate safety of human life and immediate protection of property when normal communication systems are not available._
97.405: Regarding "Any station/user in distress", which states :
_(a) No provision of these rules prevents the use by an amateur station in distress of any means at its disposal to attract attention, make known its condition and location, and obtain assistance._
_(b) No provision of these rules prevents the use by a station, in the exceptional circumstances described in paragraph (a) of this section, of any means of radiocommunications at its disposal to assist a station in distress._
Note that this also applies to unlicensed users, and implicitly extends to licence-free emergency operation.
Note, also, that this is reciprocal. You DO NOT have to be in distress yourself. If you are the only person hearing a station in distress - regardless of frequency or licensing, you may transmit as required to gather information and to assist by relaying that information appropriately.
*Emergency use* - liability
None of the above releases you from liability should your signal interfere with, or cause any loss to, the primary users of that band or channel... any "Emergency" must be grave, immediate and quantifiable - and any "more conventional" solutions must be tried and found to be either unavailable or fruitless.
Remember, you may need to justify the action to a court or to a radio authority... fines _(and even jail time)_ await anyone who plays fast and loose with the definition of "emergency" ... so, it's definitely not something you'd want to do unless there is simply no other option.
*Strict necessity as a valid defence*
In most countries, during peacetime, "strict necessity" trumps even the criminal law.
Great video, well delivered. as an aside, these digital modes are ushering in the end of Amateur Radio. How soon till we simply go back to push to talk aka Nextels?
I wish I would have never made this video. Bands have been open every day, and all it is FT8, My soon to come video, you will want to see, about FT8 LOL
Well done. Thanks for the info. I'm not clear on why you need a separate USB audio device if the rig is already controlled by USB from the computer. I have a Yaesu 991A. If it's already using the sound card in the PC, why would I need a separate USB audio device? Sorry if that's a dumb question. Just got my tech license after a 50 year hiatus in ham radio, and damn if things haven't changed a lot :-)
Thank you for the video. It's very hepful. I"m wondering if it's better to check the 'Tx even / 1st' or to leave it unchecked?
Very interesting, not sure that it's for me.
Thanks good description de vk5cz ..
If you can’t convey anything more than some demographic data, like a message, what’s the point? What am I missing?
Great video! Are you planning on doing a JT Alert and PSK Reporter video?
Mark Norman KN4CWT I already did pskreporter
I saw that after I posted. Sorry about that.
Very good presentation!
Bang bang, thank you ma'm! Not for me, but great video!
I'm not overdriving my input, I can see a lot of stations, but still, not decoding.
It's really a crappy software.
I even tried to install a time sync app, as suggested by some, but it does not help...
Thanks for information I may end trying it out I have sigalink
nice video thanks man i learned a lot from you 73 PD2ARI