Operating FT8 FT4

Operating FT8 and FT4

The DIGI panel decodes and transmits FT8 and FT4 in the browser (the ft8ts decoder), in both builds. Nothing else is needed on the client, and nothing is needed on the server beyond the audio path.

Opening the panel

Press FT8 (or FT4) among the mode keys. The panel takes the place of the scope: an audio waterfall of the 3 kHz passband with the callsign of every decode drawn where it was heard, the band activity list on the left, and your QSO (messages to you, your transmissions, logged contacts) on the right. The band dropdown retunes the rig to the standard FT8 or FT4 frequency for the band, 60 m included on rigs that have it. Opening the panel puts the rig in USB and retunes to the dial frequency; closing it puts the frequency, mode and filter back where they were unless you changed band inside.

Set the station callsign and grid in the gear dialog first; the panel refuses to transmit without them. One callsign feeds every mode.

Markers

The RX and TX markers on the waterfall are the audio frequencies you listen on and transmit on. Drag them, or click the waterfall: a plain click moves both, Shift+click moves TX only, Ctrl+click (Cmd on a Mac) moves RX only, as in WSJT-X. Hold TX keeps your TX frequency where it is on a plain click, so answering someone does not move you onto their frequency; Shift+click and dragging the TX tab still move it.

Making a QSO

• CALL CQ starts calling on your parity. The slot parity button picks even or odd.
• Double-click a decode (or tap it on a phone) to answer it. The panel runs the standard sequence (report, R-report, RR73, 73) with AUTO on, including when the QSO starts from a non-CQ message such as a station calling someone else who did not answer.
• ENABLE TX arms transmission; the next slot of your parity goes out. HALT stops the current transmission at once, audio included.
• TUNE sends a steady tone at the TX frequency for the antenna tuner or power check.
• LOG when the QSO is done; the panel pre-fills the entry. Each logged QSO goes to the shared Logbook and, on the Server build, to the remote logger if one is set.

CQ ONLY filters the activity list to CQs. The DXCC entity of each decode is shown next to it: a gold star marks an entity never worked, a silver star one not worked on this band, and stations already worked on this band are dimmed; the worked-before hints can be switched off in the station settings.

Free text messages (a custom CQ such as CQ JA K1FM FN30, or any 13-character message) can be typed and sent in place of the standard ones.

Field Day and contests

The FD switch puts the exchange in ARRL Field Day format (class and section) and the decoder recognises the Field Day message types.

Spotting (Server build)

The panel's settings can report decodes to PSK Reporter, which needs the server (a browser cannot open the connection). Standalone shows the control disabled.

Phone layout

On a phone the panel's panes stack and the activity list takes the full width; the markers are dragged with a finger. The key lock (padlock) stays available. See Phones and Tablets.

Things to know

• The speech compressor is switched off for the transmission and restored after; see Troubleshooting.
• The clock must be right to within a second: the panel shows the UTC time and the slot progress bar; a laptop that drifted will decode nothing.
• The panel is an overlay peer of the JS8 panel; opening one closes the other.