KE0FFTOne of next week’s #HamRadioGoals will be to stop just talking about it & get some form of #FT8 -ish comms up & running. (The somewhat conversational variety that lets you type almost free-flow is the one I’ll be after.) I have an #IC7300 that has seen very little use & a small Gateway notebook that I think will be sufficient. So… I’ll do the research, but does anyone have suggestions for their top pick for a best website or YouTube chan / video perhaps? #KE0FFT #AmateurRadio #HamRadio
Phil Landmeier@KE0FFT Sounds like PSK31 and similar modes is for you. It's fun and very conversational if you type okay. Also, CW is the most fun.
@shuttersparks Thanks for the suggestion. The CW is a skill that I have (always room for improvement), and I agree, it’s fun! I’m basically just looking to add another mode to the toolbox. Getting up and running with Winlink will also be on the short list before too long.
@KE0FFT Yes, CW is like flying. You're never 100 percent happy with a landing. And yes, CW is HARD. But the payoff is huge and well worth it. It's so much fun when it becomes second nature. This takes 1 to 2 years of constant practice. But then... oh boy is it fun.
You know you're there when you hear a call or DX, and aggressively dive on the key without thinking.
beeznatch@KE0FFT sounds like you might want js8call possibly as well, of a chat like experience is desired?
Channels wise, I would point at either The Tech Prepper, or KM4ACK as good starting points: TTP is deeply focused on targeted comms, often with PC integrations, and KM4ACK covers all sorts of computer integrations with radio.
@beeznatch Thanks for the recommendations! I’ll check them out.
RéYes try JS8CALL, it's fun and with 5W you'll contact the world. It's not overcrowded.
Just a tip : type few first words and then press "Send" and then you can continue typing the end of your message. The software will transmit (without waiting the end of your full message) when you are typing.
Matt Gumbley@KE0FFT Hi, I haven’t tried JS8CALL much, but the “Hinson Tips” guide for FT8 also applies. https://www.g4ifb.com/FT8_Hinson_tips_for_HF_DXers.pdf
Giovanni - ZL2GX@KE0FFT Here's a tip that might save you some time/frustration: When transmitting digimodes, make sure the IC-7300 mode is USB-D (Data). If it's just USB, then receiving (audio to computer) works fine, and transmitting will work but the audio level from the PC to the radio on transmit is *way down*. I was having to get the PC volume up to 150% to get any reasonable power out from 7300. As soon as I switched from USB to USB-D, all behaved as expected.
@gmoretti Thanks! Just now catching up on comments to my posts. I appreciate the advice. Still haven’t tried the digital modes, but last weekend was a good on for CW. Cheers!