FT4, NEW Digital Mode For HF/6M, Faster Than FT8

Here is a video talking about the new FT4 mode by the same developers of the famous and widely popular FT8.
SUPPORT www.patreon.com/hamradioconcepts
DOWNLOAD physics.prince...
SUBSCRIBE

[@davidj.c.cortvrient3861]

Thanks mate 4 the nice info, I started using FT4 yesterday with my new CIRO STEALTH LOOP, nice nice. Hope 2 work you soon, 73, de ON6FY, David

[@Sky1]

I worked Paraguay, Brazil and Cypress after work today VOICE USB on 20

[@soberscooter]

My concern is simply the 'narrow' (tiny) slice of the bands that these modes use ... Legislators will certainly see that if hams can operate on a tiny slice of the band ... 'other-services' ... can also operate comfortably on those bands .. once we lose a portion of a band it is unlikely we will get it back ... if we don't use it we WILL lose it. SSB is the most noticeable (besides RTTY) I only operate CW so I suppose I am as bad as anyone but .. I still think it is a valid concern that should be addressed by HAMS

[@lonnyy]

Would be good to see a video on JS8Call which is based on the FT8 weak signal mode, and offers keyboard to keyboard QSO, ability relay messages, send position reports into the APRS network and more.

[@HamRadioDX]

Thanks for the great video. FT4 is the future for contesting over RTTY. I see it getting as much use as FT8. 73, Hayden

[@Sam-cp6so]

Will we get an ft2 when ft4 is insane at the top of the solar cycle? Are there not more advanced forward error correction systems that could be worked on?

[@MichaelLloyd]

Nope the bands are not dead. I like every single mode a Ham operator can use. FT8 is a very narrow mode so when you said you were on 20m, 40m, etc you were on a small part of those bands.

[@daveborchard2019]

It sounds like FT4 is compatible with FT8 hi the same frequencies are used for both FT4 and FT8. The FT8 mode is a way of determining if the bands are open or not open. During the daytime hours, sometimes I’ll check 17 meters and I’ll hear FT8 stations, then I’ll check 15 meters and it’s totally dead. So, I call CQ on 15 meters for 5 or 10 minutes. Sometimes the act of calling CQ on 15 meters with FT8 seems to encourage activity from other stations on 15 meters. When the 15 meter band sometimes appear to be dead, I’ll hear and sometimes contact FT8 stations in the NE U.S. From the upper midwest U.S. I’ll also hear FT8 traffic from South America. Sometimes the 15 meter band openings only last a few minutes and are sporadic, but they happen. I normally hear FT8 stations on the 20 meter band till about 11:00 PM to 11:30 PM central time, many hours after the CW and SSB stations were shut down for the night. About 30 years ago, I used AMTOR ARQ on the 20 meter band. The AMTOR ARQ signals were heard on 20 meters long after the CW and SSB stations on the 20 meter band were shut down for the night. I wish that the AMTOR ARQ and PACTOR modes would be used more on the HF bands. These digital modes work with weak signals, much better than PSK-31, and are rag chewing modes, ideal for the low sunspot years, unlike FT8, which is only good for preprogrammed semi automated very short contacts. Today’s HF radios have much quieter T/R relays, so maybe it time for the AMTOR ARQ to make a comeback.

[@ae1tpa92gwtom2]

Thx Eric, I watched the you tube video posted recently with JT presenting at the Fair Lawn Radio Club, NJ, he introduced FT4 during his talk at the club, was a great Vid. Chk it out if not already, cheers AE1TP A92GW

[@tonycampbell1178]

Who on earth are these people who you say are telling you that the bands, or in the case of this video, certain bands are dead? I have never, ever heard any amateur say the bands are dead! Are they all in the US? The bands in Europe are packed with contacts every day. A couple of days ago, I had some 10m contacts within Europe, and the longer bands are full of contacts every day here. The only time I ever hear that the bands are dead, is when I listen to your videos........come on Eric, seriously.

[@HamRadioConcepts]

OK Tony, If you don't believe me, get on DSTAR or DMR or Fusion, check out some of the forums.. I have been called vulgar names on Facebook and email because QUOTE: "You get on Dstar and tell people the bands are not dead, yet I haven't heard the bands open in over a year" These are the same morons that refuse to get anything better than a G5RV, or they are loading up a tin can on 40 meters and expecting magic because the tuner tells them they have a flat SWR but don't understand what the tuner is doing.... I am not making this up.. We laugh about it every day when I'm on certain reflectors in the mornings during the drive.. We work QRP and bicycle mobile stations in Canada, but I am being told I'm full of shit because they hear nothing.. And these people do not call CQ, they loook at the solar index on QRZ and avoid turning on the radio... Funny thing is, every time it says "POOR" on that image on QRZ home page, I hear pileups into Europe... Ham radio operators who continue to act this way are ridiculous, because they are ruining the hobby and killing the excitement for that new guy who just bought a radio. I heard one fellow tell a new ham on Dstar, "Don't even bother turning that new HF radio on, just sell it, it's a waste of time. Wait a few years for the solar cycle.. The bands are dead"... What a moron...

[@jptucsonaz8503]

Nice vid, Eric as always! I have one concern with FT-4, that being the high wear & tear on the x'cvr, i.e. specifically the tx/rx relay(s). Speaking of transcievers, did you ever figure out was causing the problems with your Yaesu 450D?

[@w4mkh]

I'm curious how the 7300 will handle the duty cycle. MIne doesn't get hot and it hasn't had any issues with FT8. I'll experiment some with FT4 and see how it goes.

[@uriah4201]

The point of FT-8 is pulling out really weak signals. Some really good things in life require a little bit of patience. I'll stick with FT-8 until the bands improve, since so many DX stations are below -10, and I don't want to miss them.

[@HamRadioDX]

Also extremely handy for Sporadic E signals that can appear and disappear again with a moments notice!

[@zanado11]

I completely agree, about the bands being open. I work 40 a lot and recently in the evenings the waterfall is completely lit up with signal activity. 73 de Roger W8RLP

[@danielvhebert99]

So bored with FT8.

[@flyboybobio3431]

dan hebert I totally agree but to each his own. I’m a rag chewer on HF. I don’t like the impersonal nature of FT8. Just my 2 cents.

[@californiakayaker]

I think I'm seeing QSO's, conversations keyboard to keyboard just above your ft8 area, JS8 or JS8CALL ... Looks very busy. I love having QSOs with friends up on Vancouver Island. Tell me, does FT8 and FT4 have a way to set your timing without a clock ? Like JS8 has ? And a way to tell you how close you are to others with a timing Delta Measurement column ? Not sure if JS8 is officially rated but I'm regularly decoding signals at -28db with level four enabled. Can't see or hear a thing ! Relooked at the timing and , darn, I think its ft4 because there a lot faster. Actually , it was kind of strange for ft8 to be so slow as people want to get large NUMBERS of contacts, not knowing anything about these hams, their stations, the weather they are having, nothing. Just a bunch of call signs. With JS8 that is what you get. As much info as the other ham is willing to tell you. One thing about the area (7.078 for instance) that JS8 stations usually hang out at, it seems quiet ? That is because all of these stations are waiting for someone to send a beacon signal, and respond then, and if the operator is right there, respond to qso requests, but not constant beaconing like ft8 and ft4.

[@douglaswilliams6834]

I think -10 dB decodes are very conservative for FT4. I regularly decode -15 dB or weaker signals on FT4.

[@stater3]

Eric, which antenna are you using for your digital? I know you have many. Thanks.

[@barryanderson5116]

I agree with an earlier poster that I work MUCH more DX on CW than on FT8. Occasionally, a DXpedition sets up with FT8 and that is cool, but the real DX (non-DXpedition) is on CW and phone. My question is do you get into ham radio to merely stack up contacts ?? I'd imagine getting tired of that very quickly. FT8 has to be the most boring process to make contacts created. Totally mechanical and non-personal. Do I use FT8 … yep … do I enjoy it … nope.

[@mssippijim]

Still plenty of SSB / CW, etc.

[@Eugen963]

I usually have better luck working DX on CW than FT8

[@Joe-KN4IFI]

I love FT8 and have been running it exclusivity for the last year or so. I am not a contester but like the long distant DX you can get with FT8 with the poor band propagation. 73 KN4IFI

[@edtexas5064]

Same here. Sometimes I just want to make contacts and not have a rag chew with a DX station.

[@user-yl1tt9de3l]

MNI, MNI TNX!!!!! From US4ET VICTOR 73!!!!!!!

[@rupee0987]

Hi @ 1.45 Joe Taylor K1JT not Frank. Cheers

[@HamRadioConcepts]

Stephen FRANK, and Joe TAYLOR, 4FSK = FT4

[@rupee0987]

Thanks my error. Cheers @@HamRadioConcepts

[@stevejones8665]

@@HamRadioConcepts Good Job Mr Taylor isn't called Stein otherwise we could have called it Frank an Stein Mode 😊😂...hi hi. Thanks for the Info on FT4 Eric.

[@tommyboy9998]

lol phone.. i remember it well. involved saying stuff about things didn't it?

[@mcso911]

I have heard about this but never looked into it. While I do find your videos informative they are not geared towards someone who has no experience in the digital stuff. How about a start to finish video of FT-8 from the software to the radio requirements. In other words "what all do I need to have or do to make this work". if its posted somewhere that I missed, My apologies.

[@freezerfreezer9097]

Don't really understand any real purpose of these modes . No one's using them for ragchew.. yes you can watch your screen fill up with automated contacts, which seem like a hollow victory to me..sure they can be used to check propagation but so can a spectrum analyzer... seems like a lot of setting up to not really talk to a foreign ham and find out what's going on in his part of the world... so please someone enlighten me on how this is fun mode... I like CW and RTTY, FEC, And SSTV where I can get pictures from all over the world ... someone please give me a perspective on this mode that I'll be tempted to work it and not be so dis about the badly needed bandwidth this modes using up.

[@jimguelde4068]

I second that. I'm fairly certain that I am not the only HAM who would use digital if it were useful for something other than racking up points in a contest. I have limited knowledge of digital modes, so maybe I'm missing something.

[@mykenwood830]

JT9 was a great mode till FT8 came along and ruined it.

[@mairaa.n1359]

O

[@Sky1]

ham radio is dead, nobody on repeaters anymore

[@lu1hko]

Ham Radio operators may be, Ham radio experimenters are growing !