[wsjt-devel] New FT8 Frequencies?

[Rich - K. <k1...@co...>]

As we all know, when bands are open, it is not unusual to find the standard FT8 frequencies packed, end-to-end with stations. The waterfall is full of dozens of QSOs and many more dozens of stations calling others. There is no doubt that with the super success of the FT8 mode, it is imperative that additional frequency “Channels” within each HF band be identified for not only the new DXpedition mode, but more importantly for normal day to day FT8 operations. Although the number of JT65 users has greatly dwindled, there are still many of them using the mode on HF, so these frequencies and their JT65 users should be left alone.


The same holds for PSK31 and its army of Hams who like its rag chew capabilities that the FT8 and JT65 modes can’t provide. Then there is, on a normal weekday, a vast wasteland of the 14.080 to 14.099 RTTY band. When you tune across that frequency range during the week, rarely do you hear more than a few RTTY signals, while at the same time, packed into 2 KHz, many dozens of FT8 stations can be heard working each other. The only times that the RTTY band comes alive is during weekend RTTY contests and during DXpeditions to countries that RTTY users need to work for digital DXCC. DXpeditions usually operate around the upper 10 KHz of the RTTY frequencies. There are around a dozen major RTTY contests spaced throughout the year, all scheduled over weekend days.


A proposal needs to be made to the community of RTTY operators, most of whom probably already use FT8, to see if there would be a serious problem if some of the present RTTY frequencies could be shared with FT8. These might consist of the 4 KHz at the low end of each of the presently used HF RTTY bands. Floating the idea on the ‘rttycontesting.com’website would be a good place to start.


The frequencies above the NCDXF HF beacons flagged for digital use, but as ‘Packet’ where you probably will find Winlink transmissions, so those frequencies probably should be left alone.


Of course, the final additional FT8 frequencies chosen must adhere to Regions 1, 2 & 3 band plans.


So, where do we start? Time is flying by and the number of FT8 users are quickly growing.


Comments?

73,

Rich – K1HTV