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Author Topic: What is this digital mode? screen capture from Fldigi  (Read 307 times)

N3KXZ

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What is this digital mode? screen capture from Fldigi
« on: January 22, 2023, 08:35:42 AM »

What is this digital mode? I have been trying to use the https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide to id it but can't seem to pick it out. This morning I found it around 14.075 or so.

Weird that it seems there are several streams of different bandwidths? They seem to come in groups with a short pause between? I'm new to this so it is a little confusing.

Thanks,
Keith, N3KXZ

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W7XTV

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Re: What is this digital mode? screen capture from Fldigi
« Reply #1 on: January 22, 2023, 10:36:18 AM »

Given the frequency, it's probably FT8.  You need wsjt-x for that mode; fldigi won't decode it.
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He speaks fluent PSK31, in FT8...  One QSO with him earns you 5BDXCC...  His Wouff Hong has two Wouffs... Hiram Percy Maxim called HIM "The Old Man..."  He is... The Most Interesting Ham In The World!

N3KXZ

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Re: What is this digital mode? screen capture from Fldigi
« Reply #2 on: January 22, 2023, 10:50:07 AM »

Ok thanks much. I don't have FT8 capabilities yet so it isn't one I am familiar with.
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K3SF

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Re: What is this digital mode? screen capture from Fldigi
« Reply #3 on: January 22, 2023, 05:27:45 PM »

to get into FT8 and FT4 modes

just go here

https://wsjt.sourceforge.io/wsjtx.html

whatever soundcard you used fro fldigi will also work for FT8 and FT4 modes

Paul K3SF
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WB0CJB

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Re: What is this digital mode? screen capture from Fldigi
« Reply #4 on: January 23, 2023, 04:13:24 AM »

It's either Olivia or Contestia. Could even be DominoEX.
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K0UA

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Re: What is this digital mode? screen capture from Fldigi
« Reply #5 on: January 23, 2023, 06:14:41 AM »

Given the frequency, it's probably FT8.  You need wsjt-x for that mode; fldigi won't decode it.

The key takeaway is the frequency where you encountered the signal. 14.074 is the base frequency for FT8 on 20 meters. Meaning the lowest dial frequency you will encounter FT8 signals. Even then the WSJT-x software will not permit transmitting below 200 Hz so 14.074200 is the lowest frequency, HOWEVER you can transmit well above 14.074. If you move your red goalpost cursor to the audio frequency of 1000Hz, you will be transmitting on 14.075.

 So there is your answer, since you heard the signal on 14.075 or thereabouts it is most certainly FT8, because not much else will be in the passband from 14.074 to around or slightly above 14.077.  The 3Khz spread is about all most transceivers will do. With notable exceptions for some modern transceivers that are SDR based that will panoramically do 4K or more.  But if you go too high up, you run the risk of communicating with yourself, because a lot of rigs won't receive up that high without twisting the VFO knob.

Of course you can always move the VFO knob to take you anywhere, BUT then you lose the beauty of FT8, that of panoramic reception. In other words, if the entire worlds transmissions of FT8 stay within the 200 Hertz to 3000 Hertz "window" then the software will decode the entire worlds transmissions all at once.

 But don't think for a moment as propagation continues to improve that finding a "hole" to transmit in without interfering with others isn't a problem. I was having a heck of a time yesterday finding anything resembling a hole on the 10 meter FT8 frequency of 28.074

Fortunately FT8 software will decode overlapping signals that interfere with each other in the frequency domain with pretty good results "most" of the time.

The Amateur community has "voted" with its feet and the activity on FT8 on any single band outnumbers ALL other digital activity on ALL other bands by a wide margin. It also may outnumber CW and SSB operations on a given day as well. Some of these things are hard to measure and prove, but there is no question that FT8 activity, for better or worse, outnumbers all other digital modes, with the possible exception to some of the more popular RTTY contests.  Of course without a contest, scaring up a RTTY contact is rater improbable. Let along the hundreds of other unused digital modes with the exception of PSK31 which still has a following.

Nope FT8 is here, and it is here to stay.  Just ask the True Blue DX club.  ;D
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73  James K0UA
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