Mastodawn

Glad you asked about #JS8, @treknor !

There are some JS8 users here, including myself.

The canonical place to fetch the software is https://github.com/JS8Call-improved/JS8Call-improved/releases .

The community is relatively small. Activity mostly happens on 20 m and 40 m (and on 11 m outside #hamradio), but in the late evenings there's often some on 80 m. https://www.pskreporter.info/pskmap.html#preset&callsign=ZZZZZ&mode=JS8&timerange=1800&hideunrec=1&blankifnone=1&showlines=1&mapCenter=49.3727,17.6051,4.77 tells you on which bands people currently gather.

Shameless plug: A German introduction is available at https://dj3ei.famsik.de/2025-JS8/

Releases · JS8Call-improved/JS8Call-improved

Active development HEAD for the JS8Call project. Contribute to JS8Call-improved/JS8Call-improved development by creating an account on GitHub.

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Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Apr 12

Somehow, today's #JS8 party had something of a "bad hair day" for me.

You had to leave one QSO early, @G8RKE , I another, later one. Someone got distracted so I had to wait for some 20 minutes in the middle of a QSO. On two different occasions, two people tried to chat with me simultaneously (in one of those two, it was clearly my fault: being confused and sending confusing signals).

My motto for such: If all always worked smoothly, we wouldn't enjoy our successes quite as much.

🤷

Next time.

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Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Apr 9

For perspective: I'm a ragchewer. I typically count a #JS8 party 🧵 a success if I manage four QSOs during the course of the weekend - but with at least two of them (if not all four) lasting longer than an hour.

In some other digimodes, you typically work the same station on the same band only once and then never again.

In JS8, I like to meet both new folks, but also the same friends again and again. It can be fun to pick up a conversation right where we left off last time, weeks or months ago.

Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Apr 9

The monthly #JS8 party comes up again!

From Saturday, April 11, 19 UTC for 24 hours until Sunday 19 UTC, more people will be active via JS8 than usually. This is no contest, just a time of enhanced activity. You can also start earlier or linger on later, if you want to. It is all quite relaxed.

https://js8call.groups.io/g/main/viewevent?repeatid=12902

If you don't have the JS8Call program installed yet and want to change that: Version 2.5.2 is the latest as I'm writing this, and you can pull it from

https://github.com/JS8Call-improved/JS8Call-improved/releases

[email protected] | View Event

Muro deGrizeco Apr 8

#Cat story:

Some months back, using a rescued e-waste laptop as a ham radio computer.

Running Debian #Linux, it sat on my office desk, with a tiny QDX digital radio on USB, squeaking out tiny 4 Watt QRP #JS8 signals into antenna coax.

JS8 is low speed chat mode, with relaying and stored messages, right? I would let it run all day, then check it once or twice a day, message scattered ops.

Well... One day I get WTF email saying,

"Dood, U Ok? You been sending nonsense last hour!"

Oh no!

Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Mar 14

RE: https://mastodon.radio/@dj3ei/116223379123767240

This month's #JS8 party is going nicely, and it has just started!

Conditions rather crappy, but I already had one QSO that was the third JS8 QSO for the person on the other side. I love it! And another QSO that was the very first JS8 QSO for the person on the other side. I looove it!

Both a nice friendly ragchew, duration a bit above 70 minutes each.

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Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Mar 14

Eine deutschsprachige Einführung in #JS8 gibt es in Form des Artikels, der von https://dj3ei.famsik.de/2025-JS8/ aus verlinkt ist.

ein JS8-Vortrag

Resourcen zu DJ3EIs JS8-Vortrag

JS8-Vortrag

Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Mar 13

It the monthly #JS8 party again this weekend! From 19 UTC Saturday to 19 UTC Sunday. Though you can start earlier or linger around longer as you please, as this is not a contest, just a time when people who are sometimes JS8 QRV are particularly active.

Details: https://js8call.groups.io/g/main/viewevent?repeatid=12902

If you've never done JS8 before, this Saturday is an even better time to start than any other day!

Software at https://github.com/JS8Call-improved/JS8Call-improved/releases , the guide (under reconstruction, but useful) at https://js8call-improved.github.io/JS8Call-improved/d6/d14/md_docs_2user__guide_2JS8Call__User__Guide.html

[email protected] | View Event

Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Jan 25

I took part in #WinterFieldDay, as a lowly 1H DX station. Spent quite a few hours in front of the rig, both Sa and So. I almost exclusively did #JS8.

I once came very close, just the final confirmation from the other station was missing to complete the QSO. I heard other WFD stations 3 or 4 times. But my end result: Not one single QSO.

Never had that in a contest before when I seriously tried to take part.

Oh, well... If all worked out nicely first time, successes wouldn't be so exhilarating.

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Andreas, DJ3EI, he/him Dec 15

A lot is unclear as of now.

E.g., I think if I'm present at the premesis while my station is running, I'm legally administering my transmissions, so I don't need that special license for automated operation.

Am I allowed to sleep next to my station while it's up and running? Or do chores in the same or another room?

In the context of #JS8, lots of people already do this. While IANAL, I think I'm operating within the limits of what my license allows if I do that as well.

@9v1rt