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eHam Forums => Digital => Topic started by: KD6NRP on February 19, 2023, 03:12:52 PM

Title: FT8 QSO Square Brackets < >
Post by: KD6NRP on February 19, 2023, 03:12:52 PM

Good Afternoon:

I recently had a QSO with a DX station and my callsign was in square brackets (refer to the text below).

022215   Tx         1682  ~    <S79/DL2SBY> KD6NRP DM04
022230  -20  0.3  1797  ~    KD6NRP <S79/DL2SBY> -17
022245   Tx         1682  ~    <S79/DL2SBY> KD6NRP R-20
022300  -21  0.3  1797  ~    <KD6NRP> S79/DL2SBY RRR
022315   Tx         1682  ~    S79/DL2SBY <KD6NRP> 73

When my callsign appears in square brackets, what does it mean? Was this a valid QSO?

73

Brian, KD6NRP

Title: Re: FT8 QSO Square Brackets < >
Post by: VE3VSM on February 19, 2023, 04:43:26 PM

Angle brackets surrounding a callsign indicate that the callsign was not transmitted in full but rather using a smaller number of bits - a "hash code" in computer terminology.  This frequently happens when compound callsigns appear in the message or the message is particularly long for other reasons, since transmitting the message in full would require more bits than an FT8 message can accommodate.

It is normal and your QSO is valid.