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FT8 spread

David Edgar
David Edgar Member ✭✭
edited June 2020 in FLEX-6000 Signature Series

I've found two stations I tried to contact that responded with 'spread'. Okay, they're doing split ops. But there is no indication of them listening up/down or how far.

Is there some standard split for FT8?

Answers

  • Mike va3mw
    Mike va3mw Member ✭✭
    edited November 2019
    spread???  First time I have heard of it.  Clearly, FT8 needs to be based on more than just 1 VFO frequency.  There is no reason in most parts of the world it is not that structured.  

    There is no standard split.

    Are you sure you signal wasn't overdriven and you may have been wider then you should have been?  Make sure that your audio level is not too high.  Watch the drive level on SSDR.

    Mike

  • Bill Axelrod
    Bill Axelrod Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017
    Dave, There is no protocol yet. It will evolve. For nowm just keep in mind the WSJT copies the whole 2 Khz FT8 spectrum all at once. Just find an empty spot and call there. He will print all the callers in the clear and pick one a t a time to respond to. Good luck. 73... Bill K3WA
  • Mark_WS7M
    Mark_WS7M Member ✭✭✭
    edited October 2017
    I take this to mean they want others to spread out.  Several times now I've gotten reponses "spread out" and they seem to want the stations to spread apart when they are on top of each other.
  • Bob K8RC
    Bob K8RC Member ✭✭✭
    edited October 2017
    Since the software decodes everything in the audio bandpass and the other station's software will recognize its' own callsign, transmitting "zero-beat" with a station is not necessary.and can, in fact, be detrimental if others are also piling up on the frequency... Just unlock transmit from receive in the FT8 software.

    Transmit anywhere handy.


  • Ernest
    Ernest Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017
    Dave and Bill - that's the way I have been doing very successfully. Sometimes, It may take several tries and hopefully you'll be successful.


  • David Edgar
    David Edgar Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017

    Thanks for the info. I'll try it next time. Find an 'empty' spot and transmit there.


  • Ken - NM9P
    Ken - NM9P Member ✭✭✭
    edited June 2020
    With FT8, when a station says "Spread out," it usually means "find a hole between other stations and call me."  The waterfall is a wonderful tool for guessing where the "holes" are.

    I have nabbed a great many DX stations doing this, even when they didn't say "spread."  I can call during the other station's "73" transmission and I don't cover him up.
  • Ria
    Ria Member ✭✭✭
    edited October 2017
    There is a proposal for a separate DX window on 6 meters. With that said, split operation is the norm. The newer dev versions that I’m testing will modify the behavior somewhat to make sure split works smoother for everyone. Ria
  • Mike va3mw
    Mike va3mw Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017
    Dana VE3DS and I have been pushing for that.  :)
  • Tim VE6SH
    Tim VE6SH Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017

    You need to convince Dana to go Flex!

    73

    Tim VE6SH

  • Mike va3mw
    Mike va3mw Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017
    He's on my list.  :)
  • Dave - WB5NHL
    Dave - WB5NHL Member ✭✭
    edited October 2017
    The reason there is no "standard" spit is that the entire band (~3kHz) is decoded.  If your signal gets through (i.e. not clobbered by QRM) the station will see it. However, that still doesn't mean they will respond. Now that FT8 is popular QRM-less openings are getting hard to find hi hi. I can't remember the last station I DIDN'T work split!!   138 countries worked and counting!

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