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Help File

Note: Please use the BETA version from the Google Play Store - it works much better!

The FT8 Radio app allows operating FT8 on your radio in a portable (field/remote locations) fashion using an Android phone.

Note: It is meant for remote, digital SOTA / POTA activations. It 'sucks' for indoors use - use WSJT-X at home instead ;)

Note 2: I recommend getting familiar with FT8 QSOs with WSJT-X on a PC (or RPi) first. The app is like a simpler (and poorer version) of WSJT-X. If you are not familiar with WSJT-X, and rig interfacing, you are likely to have a tough time with this app. See https://github.com/kholia/DigitalRadioReceiverSupport#new-to-ft8 for some help on this topic.

The app handles FT8 RX, TX, QSO logging, and CAT control all by itself. No PC or Raspberry Pi is required!

Note 3: The app uses an optimized message sequencing to have quick, legit QSOs.

HELP REQUIRED: We are looking for Icom IC-9700 users to test this app. Please reach out to us if you have access to a IC-9700 rig - thank you! :)

Instructions

  • Ensure that the Android phone has the correct time on it. This is critical to get right.

    To correct the time on your phone WITHOUT root access, copy the Local offset value from the ClockSync app into the Time Delta field in the app settings (keeping the negative sign as it is, if present).

    Example:

    The ClockSync app shows -0.501 as the Local offset.

    ClockSync 1

    So enter the same exact -0.501 value in the Time Delta field in the app settings.

    App Settings 1

    Update 1: The app now supports getting the time from the phone's GPS subsystem. This feature is only activated when the user clicks the GPS button manually.

    To test and debug the GPS functionality on your phone, please use the GPSTest app.

    Update 2: You may use the https://time.is/ website on your phone instead of ClockSync to get the Time Delta value.

    Update 3: You may also use the AtomicClock: NTP Time app to get the Time Delta value.

  • Disconnect the rig from the phone.

  • Launch the FT8 Radio app.

  • In App -> Settings, select your rig model.

    General example: When using AF (VOX) mode with IC-7300, select VOX as the radio model in the app settings. When using CAT mode with IC-7300, select IC-7300 as the radio model.

    Set your callsign, grid, and band as well.

    ATTENTION: The callsign, and grid values need to be in UPPERCASE (CAPITAL LETTERS).

    Example: VU3CER (callsign) and MK68 (grid).

  • Configure the rig for FT8.

    For IC-705 / IC-7300, select the FT8 mode preset. This is explained on this page.

  • Connect the rig to the phone.

    For IC-705, connect the rig to the phone via a Micro-USB cable + an OTG-adapter.

  • [IMPORTANT] Note: Force kill the app (yes please...).

  • Start the app manually again.

  • IMPORTANT: Once you are in the app, increase the volume to the maximum (or to a level appropriate for your rig). This is required for getting the correct audio drive (AF drive) for the radio.

  • You are good to go. All the best, and good DX!

  • You can check (debug) your FT8 transmissions on the https://pskreporter.info/ site. Doing so is highly recommended!

    If you can't see your signal on this site, please double-check the time on your phone, and also double-check the volume on the phone for the app.

    I also use the IC-705's inbuilt monitor to see that the radio is consuming appropriate (and large) amount of current when TX'ing.

    You may find http://beta.reversebeacon.net/main.php useful too.

  • Note: The application doesn't run any (background) services. It can be exited from or killed like any other regular Android app.

  • TIP: If you do NOT use USB for CAT control, you can choose the VOX or Unknown radio model in app settings to avoid annoying pop-up messages.

Usage

Thanks for taking the time to set up the app.

The App Settings -> PTT ON (Test CAT) button can be used to quickly check that CAT control is working (or not).

The app will automatically start decoding FT8 messages, and the newest messages are on the top (of the screen).

To respond to a particular callsign, just click on that callsign. The app will automatically determine the correct message to send. The app will also turn on the TX button to say TX ON. The actual FT8 TX will happen at the next appropriate FT8 timing window.

The app has a smart state machine feature (auto-sequencing feature) built into it. This means that once the QSO process has been started, the app will automatically try to finish the QSO without requiring further manual human action.

Note: The TX LED on the radio will automatically turn RED when the transmission is taking place.

If you would like to cancel an upcoming transmission, just press the TX ON button once - this button will now say TX OFF and the upcoming transmission will be canceled. If the TX button says TX OFF already, then no transmission event is upcoming.

If you would like to send a particular FT8 message manually, then select the FT8 message from the dropdown list of predefined messages, and then turn on the TX button by pressing it - a turned on TX button says TX ON.

The RST (RESET) button enables own CQ-calling when the TX ON appears.

What's New? (March 2023)

  • Experimental CAT support for FT-891 radio
  • Experimental CAT support for FT-710 AESS radio
  • Experimental support for "DDX v3" radio
  • (tr)uSDX radio is fully supported now
  • CAT PTT support for Elecraft radios
  • Experimental CAT PTT support for IC-7100
  • Support for Digirig Mobile (RTS as PTT) is here!
  • 'Dark Mode' is here (see documentation)
  • Xiegu X6100 radio is fully supported now
  • Xiegu G90 radio is fully supported now
  • QDX radio is fully supported now

Known Bugs / Issues / "Features"

  • The app doesn't handle screen rotations well - so please disable screen rotation on your phone.

  • The app maintains very little state about the ongoing QSO. As such, the app can start replying to a stronger station without finishing the ongoing QSO.

  • This app only allows responding to the latest decoded FT8 messages. You can't respond to old messages (yet).

    The app is unable to enable callsign highlighting for older decoded messages.

  • The app doesn't show the FT8 messages being transmitted by the user (on most rigs).

  • ATTENTION: After changing the app settings, a manual app restart may be needed.

  • The usability is NOT great, primarily because of strict FT8 timing requirements and the ergonomics involved with small touch screens.

  • The app currently ONLY supports the following radios:

    • Generic radio support using VOX
    • Generic radio support via Digirig Mobile (RTS as PTT) support
    • Icom IC-705 - Uses Micro-USB cable with OTG adapter - use baud rate 9600
    • Icom IC-7300 - Uses USB cable with OTG adapter - use baud rate 4800
    • uBITX (various versions) - Needs a suitable digital interface (like LiDi v2)
    • Xiegu G90 - USB audio interface wired directly to the ACC port on the radio
    • Xiegu G1M - Works with an USB interface
    • Xiegu X6100 - Works fine in CAT mode and also in VOX mode (keepPort Number 1 in App Settings)
    • (tr)uSDX - Simple homebrew audio cable works great in VOX mode
    • (tr)uSDX - Works great with CAT PTT, and CAT-frequency-changing support with BETA version >= 120 - Use TS-480 (38400) as the radio model for (tr)uSDX.
    • Yaesu FT-857D - Works fine with DigiRig interface (from K6ARK)
    • Yaesu FT-991A - Tested with Galaxy Tab A 2016 by David (F4DVX). FT-450D also works with FT-991A settings!
    • Kenwood TS-590S - Currently untested
    • Yaesu FT-817 / FT-818 - SignaLink USB connected via OTG cable + using the DATA socket on radio
    • Yaesu FT-897 - Currently untested
    • QDX - CAT PTT support tested by HB9TXB, CAT Band Switching tested by ND7Y (Tyler)
    • Lab599 Discovery TX-500 - Experimental CAT support untested by us so far
    • Elecraft KX3 - Tested with DigiLink Nano interface (www.hb9zhk.ch) + a Lenovo tablet (M10 FHD Plus 2nd Gen. LTE)
    • ADX (LU7DID firmware emulating TS-480 @ 19200 bps) - Basic CAT PTT support works
    • Icom IC-703 - works fine in VOX mode with ZLP Electronics MiniProSC interface
    • Icom IC-7100 - works with Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 Lite (2020) after fiddling a bit with CI-V settings on the radio

    NOTE: Please reach out to us to get support for more radios.

  • CAT control support for some radios is incomplete - only the PTT functionality is implemented. This is because we don't have access to these radios ourselves for development and testing purposes.

    NOTE: Please reach out to us to get better CAT support for such radios.

  • The signal strength values shown (and used) by the app are different from the WSJT-X SNR values.

    Can we bring these different 'value systems' together?

  • The seconds-timer is a bit wobbly. Please excuse it. It is meant for rough visual timing debugging.

  • On Android, we can't easily use the 3.5mm audio jack (TRRS) for audio input.

    So rigs without inbuilt sounds cards will need a digital interface / USB sound card for audio reception.

    Reference: https://www.epanorama.net/blog/2014/09/15/android-device-external-mic-wiring/

    Update: To use the 3.5mm audio jack on the phone, see the following project:

    Note: https://github.com/4x1md/phone_rtty_interface - use this open-source project.

  • It can be difficult to reply back when multiple responses ("calls") are received at once.

    Tip: Let the app handle the pileup (multiple responses) on its own.

  • Keeping the volume on the phone too high might trigger ALC on Icom radios.

    Solution: Experiment with various volume levels, and choose an appropriate volume level.

Debugging Tips

  • Increase the volume after launching the app.

  • Check if your phone supports USB OTG using this free app.

  • Make sure that your Callsign value is in UPPERCASE in App Settings.

    Example: VU3CER is correct but vu3cer isn't!

  • Make sure that your Grid value is in UPPERCASE in App Settings.

    Example: ML76 is correct but ml76 isn't!

  • My app has suddenly stopped decoding FT8 messages!?

    • Please ensure correct time on your phone or the correct Time Delta value in the App Settings. Visit https://time.is/ on your mobile phone to your time offset.

      Alternatively, use the app's GPS Time Synchronization feature.

    • Ensure that the app still has microphone permissions!

  • Please put your radio in the USB (upper sideband) mode manually - the app doesn't do this on its own.

  • Note: Enable the OTG option in your phone settings. This is required on phones like Google Pixel 4 XL, OnePlus 6, and so on.

    If this option is not enabled, then the phone doesn't detect any connected USB devices like a USB stick or the radio!

    Tested cable:

    • RAMPOW USB C Cable 3.3ft (56k Ohm Type C Charging Cable)

    Tested OTG adapter:

    • USB C to USB Adapter - compatible with MacBook Pro, various Samsung phones, Pixel phones, ETC.

    • USB C TYPE OTG ADAPTER METAL 30MM

  • RX is working but TX seems to be a problem (on IC-7300, for example).

    We have had multiple cases where this was caused by actual physical connection issues - loose contacts, not enough stable connection.

    Retest your cables, OTG adapter, and the connections!

    Test with other Android devices - this is important. In one case, Note 9 and an old Samsung tablet had loose connection issues - shifting to an old Asus tablet fixed the problem straight away!

    Tip: To test your OTG adapter try connecting a USB stick to it and see if your phone can access the USB stick.

    Recently, an OTG-pigtail-cable caused the attached sound card to malfunction (with errors logged in dmesg). Replacing this OTG-pigtail-cable with a USB C TYPE OTG ADAPTER METAL 30MM immediately solved the connectivity issue.

    In another recent case, rebooting the phone immediately solved the bizarre connectivity issues. Oh well, software is hard!

Safety / Operating Tips

Use a common mode choke (CMC) near the rig. This solves a lot of bizarre issues caused by Common Mode Current, especially when using unbalanced antennas.

https://github.com/kholia/HF-Balcony-Antenna-System has some details on this topic.

For ICOM-7300, we recommend using the Tripp Lite USB 2.0 Hi-Speed A/B Cable with Ferrite Chokes (M/M) 3-ft. (U023-003) cable.

Add a CMC (choke) to the regular USB cables by making 10 turns of the USB cable on a FT240-43 toroid core.

Tip: To rule out bizarre issues (e.g. radio hanging or disconnecting from USB) due to CMC, test the radio with a dummy load.

Some versions of WSJT-X are known to be broken (especially for FT-817 emulation). Do report such (new) issues to the upstream WSJT-X project.

Antenna Recommendations

FAQ

  1. What does the 31 +0.32 1753 ~ CQ AP2IN MM63 line actually mean?

    • The first column (31) is the relative signal strength - a higher number means a stronger signal.

    • The second column (+0.32) is the DT value (time delay), which is similar to WSJT-X.

    • The third column (1753) is the frequency offset.

    • After the ~ character we have the FT8 message, which is CQ AP2IN MM63 in this case.

  2. I see a green microphone icon appear near the battery amount in the upper right corner of the screen. Is this OK?

    Yep - this is the expected behavior.

  3. RX and TX are working fine. Now, how do I have a QSO!?

    Click on a callsign from the latest decoded FT8 messages. The app will turn on the TX mode, and send an appropriate message at the correct time.

    After this initial action, the rest of the QSO process is automatically handled by the app, just like WSJT-X.

    I recommend getting familiar with FT8 QSOs with WSJT-X on a PC (or RPi) first. The app is like a simpler (and poorer version) of WSJT-X.

  4. What kind of a sound card do I need?

    Modern rigs (e.g. IC-705, IC-7300) have in-built sound cards, and with such rigs a separate sound card is NOT needed.

    E.g. For IC-705, I use an old phone charging Micro USB cable along with a small USB-C OTG adapter.

    USB-C OTG Adapter

    If your rig doesn't have an in-built sound card, you can buy a cheap (1 to 2 USD) USB sound card.

    https://github.com/kholia/DigitalRadioReceiverSupport URL has a picture of a suitable sound card. These are available easily on AliExpress and Amazon.

    This sound card is connected to the following USB OTG Hub (Type-C).

    USB Hub Type C

    The USB Hub is required as we need to connect two things (the CAT cable and the sound card) to a single USB port of the phone.

  5. How do I upload the QSO logs to QRZ.com or LoTW?

    Install a file manager app like Cx File Explorer on your phone.

    In the FT8 Radio app, click on the Share icon. This will allow you to export the QSO logs in a file named qso_logs.adi.

    This ADIF file can then be uploaded to LoTW or QRZ.com as usual.

  6. What does the SPX (SIMPLEX) button do in the app?

    SPX OFF means that the app will work in split mode where the RX and TX frequencies are different.

    And so on.

  7. What does the CLS button do in the app?

    The CLS button clears the app's display. Just like the DOS command ;)

  8. How do I call with CQ SOTA <callsign> <grid> or CQ POTA <callsign> <grid> message?

    Please select the appropriate pre-prepared SOTA/POTA message from the 'message dropdown list' in the app, and then click on the TX OFF button once.

    The app will then send the SOTA/POTA message in the upcoming FT8 TX cycle.

  9. How do I request support for a particular radio model (rig)?

    Once you have connected the rig to the Android phone using a suitable cable or digital interface, please run the USB Device Info app on your phone, and share the app screenshots with us.

    Essentially, we are looking for the USB-serial port details (Speed, VID, PID, CDC or not).

  10. How do I use the GPS Time Synchronization feature of the app?

    • Click on the location icon in the app. Give approval for the Location Permissions needed by the app.

    • Click again on the location icon again.

    • Let the app sit here for a while. Wait for the Time Delta value to stabilize well. I usually give it around a minute or more to settle down.

    • Click on the STOP CONTINUOUS SYNC button and press the back button on the phone.

    • You are done ;)

    Note: This feature automatically updates the Time Delta value in the App Settings.

  11. How do I activate the Dark Mode in the app?

    Dark Mode is automatically activated depending on your phone settings.

    On your phone, please enable the Settings -> Display -> Dark theme option, and relaunch the app.

  12. What does the Enable Spotting option do? What is spotting?

    The spotting feature uploads your FT8 decodes to the https://pskreporter.info/ site.

    Note: This is an optional feature.

  13. What is that counter in the upper left hand corner of the app's display?

    This counter is simply the seconds counter. It helps with debugging timing related problems on the phone / tablet.

    If this counter is not aligned with the timing of the FT8 sequences, then please double-check the time on your device.

  14. What does the Tune ON menu option do?

    It turns on the PTT, and transmits a VVV FT8 message for approximately ~13 seconds after which it turns off the PTT.

Radio Setup Instructions

  1. How do I configure Xiegu X6100 in CAT mode?

    • Select Xiegu X6100 as the Radio in App Settings.

    • Set Port Number value to 1.

    • Restart the FT8 app by force killing it first, and then relaunching it.

    • You are done ;)

  2. How do I configure Elecraft KX3 in CAT mode?

    • Use the original KXUSB cable from Elecraft.

    • Select the TS-590S (38400) model in the Radio field in the App Settings.

    • Restart the FT8 app by force killing it first, and then relaunching it.

    • You are done ;)

  3. How do I configure IC-706 (or IC-706MKIIG) to work with the app?

    Set the radio model to VOX or Unknown in the App Settings.

    Use one of the following digital interfaces:

    Note: IC-706 does NOT support PTT functionality via CAT control.

  4. How do I configure IC-7100 to work with the app?

    The app uses the default 19200 baud rate and the default 0x88 CI-V address for IC-7100.

    On the IC-7100 rig, please change the following settings:

    SET/Connectors/DATA MOD -> USB

    Set SSB mode to USB

    Note: You may have to do this multiple times for it to work. Oh, Icom...

    Reference: https://2e0pgs.github.io/blog/hamradio/2020/07/29/ic-7100-usb-data-mode-operation/

Phone (Device) Gotchas

The Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra phone doesn't seem to emit audio properly to drive the connected IC-705 radio. To fix this problem, give the following steps a try:

  • Go to Settings > Device Care > Battery > Charging. Set Fast charging to OFF.

  • Enable Developer Options on your phone. Google search to find the steps involved.

  • Ensure that the Disable USB audio routing is OFF in Developer Options.

  • Granting storage permissions to the Samsung USB-C Headset app can also help in some cases.

  • Restart the app (this may perhaps be required?).

  • Google for samsung usb-c no audio - this results in many hits!

  • Note: If the phone is emitting audio correctly, the IC-705 will consume over 2A current when TX'ing at 10W level!

  • Alternate solution: Buy a mid-segment Xiaomi phone (e.g. Redmi Note 11 Pro). They just work without problems.

Samsung S7: In CAT mode, Audio TX works but audio RX only works sporadically with IC-7300. We suspect that Android is using a low volume for the USB audio input device on S7 phone. For now, we recommend using the VOX mode (AF mode) when using Samsung S7 phone (and similar phones) along with a VOX based digital interface.

Samsung Galaxy models running Android 9 may be problematic as they can't find connected USB devices like Arduino Nano (using FT232 chip). In contrast, newer Galaxy phones - like Galaxy A52 running Android 11 - work just fine.

Recommended phones: Any of the low-range / mid-range Xiaomi phones with 3.5mm jack should be OK.

Tested Phones + Tablets

  • Redmi Note 7

  • Redmi Note 7 Pro

  • Redmi Note 8 Pro - 1080 x 2340 pixels

  • Redmi Note 8 Pro Max

  • Google Pixel 4 (Android 12) - comes without 3.5mm audio jack

  • OnePlus Nord N10 - has 3.5mm headphone jack - 1080 x 2400 pixels

  • Samsung S21 Ultra 5G - tested with USB C Type Male Plug to Micro B Data Sync & Charge Cable (from eBay) and IC-705.

  • Samsung S10 - works fine with IC-7300 over a USB cable.

  • Samsung Galaxy S20 FE (Spanish) - with uSDX+ radio

  • Xiaomi Mi A2

  • Galaxy S10 and S21 - in VOX mode with Yaesu FT-897 and FT-817ND

  • Huawei MediaPad 10" tablet - works fine with 'FT8 Radio'

  • Google Pixel 2 XL - works with IC-7300, and FT-857D (via DigiRig interface from K6ARK)

  • Samsung Tab A (8.0", 2019) running Android 11 - tested with FT-817ND + SignaLink USB

  • Samsung S4 (Lineage 14.1 - Android 7.1) - tested with QDX

  • OnePlus 6 (Android 10) - tested with QDX - please enable the OTG setting / mode in your phone

  • Samsung Galaxy Tab S6 + Samsung A90 5G phone - tested with Xiegu X6100 in CAT mode

  • LG K42 - A simple TRRS cable to the Xiegu G90's mini DIN Aux socket works fine with the G90 set to VOX.

  • Nokia 5.3 (2020) - Works fine with IC-7300 + USB + OTG cable

  • Samsung Galaxy S6 Lite (2020) - Works fine with IC-7300 + USB + OTG cable

  • Samsung Galaxy S9+ - Works fine with Digirig Mobile 1.9 (+ FT-818 cable) with Yaesu FT-818. Similar combination of Yaesu FT-818ND + Digirig Mobile + Google Pixel 4a also works fine.

  • Samsung Galaxy S8 - Works fine with FT-818, SB-2000 transceiver interface, and a OTG cable

  • Samsung Galaxy A12 - Works fine with DIGIVOX-2 modem

  • Motorola Moto G 5G Plus - Works fine with Xiegu X6100 and Icom IC-7300.

  • Moto G6 - Works fine with FT-891 operating in VOX mode.

    We will be testing FT-891 in CAT mode via the following 'digital interface' cables.

    • USB CAT control Cord Cable for Yaesu FT-891 HF Transceiver (bd7-maple on eBay)

    • FT8/FT4/JT65/PSK Audio Interface 6-Pin Mini DIN Cable DC-11F for YAESU (bd7-maple on eBay)

Note: We need your feedback in expanding this list - thank you!

Digital Interfaces

If your rig doesn't have an inbuilt sound card, you will need a digital interface to connect the rig to the PC / RPi / Android phone.

Currently, the authors of this app don't have access to Yaesu, and Kenwood rigs. Please reach out to us to help us improve support for these radios.

Note: Once you have a digital interface working with a PC (or RPi), the same setup should carry over to the Android phone.

Planned Features / Future Ideas

  • [Done in BETA 145] More time to select a callsign.

    Dhiru: Relax TX timing a bit. We are producing DT values of 0.0 to 0.2. We can relax our TX timing a bit ;)

  • [LP] Wireless (WiFi) support for Icom IC-705.

    • This will be a new app called FT8 705 or FT8 Radio WiFi to keep software complexity under control.

    • Note: WiFi on IC-705 is pretty poor. Even cheap ESP8266 does better !?

  • [NP] JS8Call support - will probably be another app.

  • [NP] FT4 support - will probably be another app (!?)

  • Log the remote grid natively in the app itself instead of relying on QRZ / LoTW to provide this value.

    This would be helpful for park to park, or summit to summit QSOs.

  • UI suggestions:

    • Make the red/green lines in the buttons TX OFF/ON and SPX OFF/ON thicker. They are very small and their color is not really visible (Samsung S7 and S10).

    • [High Priority] App Settings -> Put one space line between decoded messages. This will make selecting calls, and replying easier.

    • The app should return to the main screen automatically after having selected one of the recommended frequencies.

    • Better colors overall! Improve readability and contrast.

  • [NP] Different colors for new, and worked stations.

  • [LP] The color of the own CQ line first is violet, and then it changes to red after having received some stations. Fix this cosmetic bug.

  • [CORE] Add support for special callsigns.

    Examples: LW8EUA/A, LW8EUA/H, VU3CER/P

    Counterpoint: Use of /P or /QRP modifiers is frowned upon at times!?

    Also, ft8code "CQ LW8EUA/H MK68" decodes as CQ LW8EUA MK68 only (with 'err' indicated) and so on!

    Note: I recommend using CQ PORT LW8EUA grid or CQ FLD LW8EUA grid messages instead.

    Note 2: See if SP3LRS/P, OK/SP3LRS, DL/SP3LRS/P callsigns can be sent via WSJT-X or not.

  • Repeat sending, as long as the other station does not answer.

  • Allow switching on / off the Tx 1 (WSJT-X like) message.

  • Better correct support for WWFF program.

    • Make logging require a manual step at the end of the QSO

    • Respond to ONLY the first response to a CQ call, or a selected responder to/or from a CQ call

  • 'Logbook Browser'

    Enable the user to see the callsigns and countries worked so far.

  • Show contacted countries on a map.

  • Add a filter to only show CQ calls.

    This filter has be smart enough to show the messages from the QSO-in-progress.

Thanks to our app users for all these awesome ideas, feedback, and encouragement!

All the best and 73s from Dhiru - VU3CER!

References