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[W4OEQ]

Have been unsuccessful in getting my Yaesu FT-891 to cooperate with FT-8.  It will show the signals on the waterfall but will not decode.  I looked at YouTube videos (e.g., one by WC0O) for assistance.  I am able to see the waterfall of signals but the software is not decoding.  I specified the rig as FT-891 and I also tried specifying the rig as "None."  Neither approach works.  Suggestions, please!  73, W4OEQ

[K0UA]

Have been unsuccessful in getting my Yaesu FT-891 to cooperate with FT-8.  It will show the signals on the waterfall but will not decode.  I looked at YouTube videos (e.g., one by WC0O) for assistance.  I am able to see the waterfall of signals but the software is not decoding.  I specified the rig as FT-891 and I also tried specifying the rig as "None."  Neither approach works.  Suggestions, please!  73, W4OEQ

Give me a call and we can get it fixed.  Load the screen sharing software Anydesk before the call.

James K0UA

[W4OEQ]

Call you how?

[K4WH]

If this is the first time you have used your computer for ft8, then make sure you time is correct to the fraction of a second.  All the digital type of programs are quite sensitive to time.  You can find many good articles online.  You should probably or will have to install an add on time management program for your computer.  Even if you do that, you should resink your computer each time you sit down for a digital session. 

[K0UA]

Call you how?

On the telephone.  All you need to do is send me an email  (look it up on QRZ.com) or send me a PM here and we can exchange telephone numbers.

[VE3YF]

Does your computer clock have the right time.

Do you use a time standard program Dimension 4 etc. This type of program is required when using FT8

[HAMHOCK75]

As mentioned by nearly everyone above. Failure to time sync the computer is the number one reason for being able to see all the signals but not decode. My computer is sometimes off by as much as 8 seconds before time sync'ing but it can decode if the error is around 2 seconds.

I recommend JTSync. It is the only program I know of that can time sync to a station which is also not sync'ed properly.

http://dk5ew.com/2019/09/09/jtsync/

[AC1LC]

Had the same issue and it was the clock sync.  I sync my clock before I start every FT8 session and haven't had a problem since. 

[WA9AFM]

Had the very same issue on Field Day till we got our 'hot spot' up and running.  Once we were connected to the Internet, D4 was able to sync and we we're in business.

[K0UA]

There are many issues that can cause no decode. I have had guys tell me over the phone that they can see signals on the waterfall and yet no decode, and it turned out they did not have the proper codec selected and were looking at noises in their own room picked up by a laptops built in microphone. Yet they thought it was FT8 signals. Having never seen an FT8 signal how would they know? 

Having looked at many guy's waterfall with desktop sharing software, I am appalled at how poor many fellas antenna systems are and how much locale noise they have to deal with.  They might be getting 3 or 4 decodes per pass when they should be getting 50 decodes at least per pass on the weekend on 20 meters.

And what you can "fix" in 2 or 3 minutes in person can take an hour over the phone. Your eyes are someone else's eyes, your hands are someone else's hands, and your brain has to convince another brain to think like you think. Solving problems over a phone is hard. Solving problems over a forum, can be even harder.

[G8FXC]

Are you using a laptop or other PC with a built-in microphone? I've got caught out a few times when WSJT-X (or other digimode program) got configured to use the microphone rather than the sound-card input. If you have the volume on the radio turned up moderately high and the PC microphone reasonably close to the radio, then the level of pickup from the speaker can be enough to give you apparent signals on the waterfall, but the quality of the audio is too poor for reliable decodes.

Martin (G8FXC)

[K4WH]

Don't you just love it when people ask a question and people respond with good ideas or wants for more info, and then disappear.

[K0UA]

Since he never contacted me by email or PM, and never got my phone number, I just assume he got the problem solved on his own, or by other means.  Can't say I didn't offer.

[W4OEQ]

Sorry for my delay in responding to comments.  I resolved the issue and am now a happy user of FT8.  I thank all of you for your comments.  73, W4OEQ

[AF5CC]

So what was the issue?

73 John AF5CC