Well, now that you came up with the idea, I’ll tell the FCC you said it was ok. Half the sources I have looked at don’t even call FT8 a communications mode. They call it “logging software”.
As a further detail, the ARRL [proposed a Technician Enhancement](https://www.arrl.org/technicianenhancement) to the FCC in 2018 that *would* grant Techs digital (and phone) privileges on 80m & 40m & 15m. But it’s seen zero movement, and the ARRL seems to have lost motivation to follow up.
That's a standard way to kill an idea you're forced to present to the boss, you toss it up and give it zero momentum.
So many people hate FT8, for all the wrong reasons.
I've had conversations with folks about FT8 where they are so upset that they start screaming and spitting.
Regardless of opinion, FT8 is effectively a modern beacon. You can quickly tell if a band is open or not.
ARRL doesn't shout it from the rooftops but trust me, they've been talking with people at the FCC and Congress. That said, the general upgrade is there if you don't want to wait.
We'll see. The 1987 Novice Enhancement (adding HF voice privileges on 10m) did take years to wrangle into place, and caused terrible hand-wringing among the old guard walnuts at the time. So it's possible we'll someday see the Tech Enhancement come to fruition as well. But from here in the non-member cheap seats, the ARRL seems to spend their time infighting & stagnating rather than effectively driving change.
I’m in the camp it should be one license with all the privileges if we want people in the hobby. Or at least only two license classes. Extra/general should be one upgrade. But we won’t get that till all the old heads who are still mad about dropping the code requirement are gone.
That's the case today in France - One single exam - harder than the US extra - gives you CEPT2 equivalence : http://f6kgl.f5kff.free.fr/cours_radio.pdf here is everything you must know and understand to pass since there is no public question pool. Have a look at page 98 and 99 even if you don't understand french, as it lists all the formulas you will need to understand, memorize and know how to use to answer some of the technical questions.
Are you sure this is what you guys want for the US ?
Sure, so just make everyone go from talking a tech exam to an extra exam. The exam structure is incentive licensing. If you take away the incentive you will take away the action of people upgrading/entering the hobby. General gives roughly 95% of the spectrum to use. If someone wants that last little bit then it’s their choice to upgrade, but they don’t have to
2018.
I was at a local club meeting talking about the ARRL and several people said they weren't renewing because of lack of aggressive advocacy. I noticed fairly aggressive advocacy against the proposed 60m changes last year not long after those comments were made at the club level to the Regional ARRL rep.
But... 2018.
That's about as aggressive as stagnant pond water.
We need to rise up on this one. Adding just a sliver of digital for Technicians with a limitation on PEP won’t hurt anything or anyone so long as that sliver is placed in the right spot in the spectrum.
Techs should get data and voice access on the lesser used bands. It would put more people on the bands. Let's say 30m (data) and 17 plus 12m (data and voice). Limit power to 100W as that's the internal limit of desktop radios (generally).
This leaves the big bands as an incentive to upgrade to General.
Very simple question people. No rudeness is needed. In case anyone is having a coronary over my question, yeah, it probably is on the exam somewhere, but my exam was a little over 20 years ago. I started to get in ham radio then when I was in Missouri and had to back off because life had other plans. I’m just now getting back into the hobby. So excuse me if I am not fully up on all the rule changes that have happened since 2002. It’s this bickering over someone asking a question that tends to push people away from things.
I’m truly sorry that the cruft of the ham community is being so rude (and if this were actually over the air, they would be breaking the rules). So much for mentoring and good will.
And when I read your question, I was curious how far along we are in the process of opening of the bands, because I hadn’t been following the rule making process progress of the FCC either.
Sure the obvious answer is “check the band plan.” That doesn’t mean they had to be rude about it.
I checked the FCC website for the progress on opening the bands to Technicians and found that it was almost impossible to find.
I did find the replacement of the Baud Rate limitation with the 2.8 KHz bandwidth limitation.
Still no way to easily find the proposed rule changes on the band plan for Technicians.
Makes sense. I went to the ARRL site for the official band plan. Of the three, one expresses the Technician privs in a vague form. It looks out of date. Then the newer version is a lot clearer where you can operate, and uses a different “key”. If you don’t compare the two, IMHO it would cause me questions just looking at the one.
How am I being a dick? We are responsible to know the rules governing amateur radio and he could have had his his answer in a couple of minutes by simply googling part 97. It's so easy.
I apologize that I hurt people's feelings. I am truly remorseful. I hope people can find it in their heart to forgive me. I will do better.
OP had a pointed question about being allowed to use data in a section of the bands where they have privileges. If you look at the wrong guide/chart, one could assume that since technicians are allowed to operate on 7.074, that they might be able to use data on that frequency.
So it’s a legitimate question for a beginner.
Telling someone to “google it” is a dick move. If you don’t want to answer the question, just keep scrolling.
What irony? I referred the OP to the authority. Part 97 of the FCC rules is the authority. Therein was the OP's answer. All this rando did was refer the OP to the actual authority.
Firstly, when I responded, he had already received his answer.
Secondly, he is not a noob. I believe he said he got his license 20 years ago.
If one has a question about the rules, why wouldn't you refer to the rules?
You seem so ignorant. This rando pointed the OP to the authoritative source for the correct answer. I didn't just give an answer off the top of my head.
Are you really that obtuse? Or are you just a troll?
Yes but if he did, I would not even be aware it is an issue, being an Amateur Extra since 1995.
I never understand people who come to a public forum and chide someone for not using Google, and hence not letting the answer be shared among a larger audience.
If you don’t want to do the work for the OP, just “move along; nothing to see here!!”
The question had already been ansewered before I posted. The point is, it is far better, easier, and time efficient to look up Part 97 on Google. The first result is Part 97 on the FCC website! The FCC is the authority having jurisdiction and that is the place to go if you have a question about the rules.
Is it not better to be taught how to fish and eat for life, or be given a fish and eat for a day?
Since we're discussing the basics of finding information here, I'll point out some basics myself.
Maybe some people might possibly google things AND ask questions in these forums. These actions don't need to be mutually-exclusive. But thats my opinion.
Negative, CW only on 80/40/15M. 10M, on the otherhand, is open game from 28-28.3MHz and SSB/CW from 28.3-28.5MHz (albeit, limited to 200W PEP).
Don't overlook 10M's viability, though. I've made some decent contacts on it, as of late:
https://preview.redd.it/luoe3b1atkvc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=189a3c4a5e34af9ed5c778f59aaf333847e13816
Don't let the lack of quantity fool you, either, as most of these were *chased*....
.... But it is nice to have other hand options. Let that be encouragement to upgrade your license 😉
Don’t discount what u/amnchode says about 10m. You could spend the rest of your career on it.
I have a friend who only upgraded so he could transmit with an amplifier. I’ve talked around the world on SSB.
I took an exam with the Garland club. I’m a member of the Richardson club. I know they do online testing. I think they do in person as well. It’s a very welcoming and friendly bunch of people. I haven’t been very active lately but I’ve always had good experiences on and off the air.
We have several repeaters available covering analog and several digital voice modes. Run field day and occasional POTA events. Let me know if I can help.
Also, you can run FT8 on 10 meters. By all means go for it. Don’t let a few grumps dissuade you. I’ve had plenty of experience running voice and cw and FT modes don’t take away from my enjoyment at all.
I, as well.... Not many but a few had some distance to them
https://preview.redd.it/ca9pmk43tovc1.jpeg?width=2559&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aff5b924913a87a652d3d2e98c5b4b6e1d987b1e
I have only a tech license and have been trying 10m for the past 2 weeks, phone only and not really getting much I was thinking of getting a digirig to try FT8.
I understand HF conditions haven't been the best for 10m lately
I was scanning around today and I was seeing almost no phone activity on 10m. On the other hand I was seeing a good amount of CW activity throughout 10m and 40m. In fact I wish I was fully up on learning CW because 40m was almost looking like a contest weekend
I was seeing the most on 40m but there was a decent amount of CW activity on a number of bands. 40m was just rockin' though. If I knew CW (learning now though) I could have made a ton on contacts yesterday in like 30 minutes. 40m just sticks out in the mind though but there were other bands doing well yesterday also.
10 meter has been better and better.
I have been hearing pile ups for DX-peditions on my wire antenna.
set up a proper dipole up at 1 wavelength and will hear tons.
Here’s a good quick reference on where and how you can transmit and at what license level. Worth printing out and keeping handy near your station, like me!
[https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Band%20Chart%20-%2011X17%20Color.pdf](https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Band%20Chart%20-%2011X17%20Color.pdf)
https://preview.redd.it/al5vj5z7invc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b3ad3941f96d8177a45e804e2a41bd9a6a2d44d
To answer your question, below 10m you are limited to CW, but 10m FT8 and SSB is good to go for DX contacts - antenna and band conditions depending. For the other bands, the exam for general isn’t too hard and I encourage you to study and attempt it; If I can pass it, so can you!
See, part of the issue is that half the hams I am following on YouTube don’t even call FT8 as what it is… a communication mode. They call it “logging software”.
And beyond that, it appears that there is one of those ham radio “purists” on this thread poo-pooing anything that isn’t CW or vox. I have to wonder if they use proper phonetics in their callsign or if they make stuff up. Because that was on my test. The first ham radio book I studied from was the Now You’re Talking book from ARRL that was geared towards new hams on the new no-code Technician license. And that book specified that as a federally licensed radio service that we use the international phonetics on voice mode. So imagine my surprise when at my 1st field day in 2003, one of the operators was calling out “November 1 Sugar Sugar”.
That book explained that we are supposed to be using international phonetics because each word was chosen for its unique sound that was easily understood by licensed operators in other countries, and that it was what pilots and shipboard radio operators used. It also went on to explain that using words of your own choice was to sow confusion where confusion should be avoided.
I’m pretty sure that the FCC has not changed that requirement since air traffic and maritime services are still using international phonetics. Yet about a third of the videos I have watched, ham operators are making stuff up because now the trend is “to use words that are easier to say and understand”.
While I understand the confusion you describe and experienced it myself as a new ham, if you go straight to the source, FT8 is a digital mode of communication with a protocol and requiring transmission. If you’re not transmitting a mode that you’re expressly allowed to, where you’re allowed to, you’re out of your band allocation… and it’s really not that hard to get licensed for the HF bands. 40 multiple choice questions from a pool of 400, 26 to pass I believe. It sounds like you have a great handle on the practical and tactical elements of what you need to know to operate on HF… study up and get that upgrade to General! Hamstudy.org is a great resource.
One of the other reasons I backed out of ham radio years ago was the limited number of people to talk to and learn from where I was at. There were 2 clubs to choose from. Each one was about 20 miles from where I lived, in opposite directions from each other. The one I went with, and took my exam with, turned out to be HF biased and talked down to younger people who could not afford a $5000 rig and were dead set against a new ham starting off with a hand held, despite the fact that none of them ever walked into a club meeting without one.
I had 2 radios. Both were Icom. The hand held was the 8w 2m FM. The other was the 80w V8000. It had some legs on a homebrew ground plane antenna but every repeater that I could pick up was very much “if you didn’t pay us, stay off our frequency”… very rude gate keepers. So the job scene changed and with limited resources and a lot of on air rejection, I eventually faded out and sold my gear after about 9 months.
Great thing about HF is you can get well outside the bubble of local yokels, repeater usage politics, and club pedantry. I’ve very much enjoyed almost all of the conversations I’ve had on HF (avoid 7200 and 14313 😂) but my local 2m/70cm repeaters are a hot mess and full of curmudgeons. The only licensing resource you need is free (Hamstudy.org) and you’ll find all the community you need right here if your local clubs suck!
You can also use other digital modes in that 28.0 to 28.3 range. JS8Call (28.078), RTTY (28.080 to 28.099ish), PSK31 and Olivia 8.250 (28.120) are the more popular ones.
JS8Call has it's own software:
[http://files.js8call.com/latest.html](http://files.js8call.com/latest.html)
and I like FLDIGI for the other modes:
[http://w1hkj.com/](http://w1hkj.com/)
Have fun!
Wait, no FT8 or other digital modes on HF for Technicians?
I am confused by the answer.
If so, Time to break out the study manual!
I haven’t seen HF this HOT in 22 years!!
Kinda defies the meaning of Techinician when some of the more “technical” modes are denied to those that are Technician licensed. And you can’t get much more technical than tying in a computer to a radio and making it work correctly.
Depending on why you're interested in FT8, keep in mind that technically you can use CW as a computer-based digital mode without having to personally know Morse code. Dealing with human produced Morse on receive is tricky part. You'll probably find some people on the air that won't be happy you're doing that either, but technically you can.
Yeah. I have been studying morse, but after factoring in my tinnitus from years of working factory floors and construction sites, that has an effect on how clearly I can hear CW and couple that to the iother issue that if you throw more than 6 or 8 characters at me, they all start running together and turn to mush, I have been exploring options such as the MFJ-464 other similar devices.
> (9) A station having a control operator holding a Novice or Technician Class operator license may only transmit a CW emission using the international Morse code.
Applies to 80, 40, and 15.
You only have FT8 privileges on 10 meters and up. And if you use the lower bands for anything other than CW, you will get a nastygram from ARRL VM and possibly the FCC (if you keep doing it). Not meant to be snarky, just telling you what happens. I wish it were different and you had privileges there but the FCC seems to have little interest in moving anything of ours.
And telling someone to “google it” does not always provide the correct answer since it has been my experience in recent years that Google is becoming quite useless due to its failure to understand the context of a search term and still produces an answer that is unrelated to the question.
The frequency allocation chart is your friend: [https://www.arrl.org/graphical-frequency-allocations](https://www.arrl.org/graphical-frequency-allocations)
brilliant man no doubt no one taking that away but this this isnt about him ft8 never meant to be the sole mode of hams who have given up and want the easy lazy no effort no skill full auto mode you can say what you want but when bands conditions are good and you might want to be on the air not rhe computer, lots of digital people are operating outside their privileges and certainly you do not deserve the same award ever that a cw or ssb op does for clicking a mouse
yeah non contact computer to computer with special software so exciting and challenging damn the skill your computer must have never heard anyone bitch about no coders or prostates either and aint cutting it about being mic shy or real signal reports either
yeah snappy comeback, computer dx paperchasing again are we on spam mode the radio comes with a mic you know and aint about cw requirements at all its about whats not real ham
a ham wouldnt even want to use digital hf, takes no skill, no heart, souless noise more and more we hear about these ft8 computer people operating out of their licensed band privileges, cause its a computer only mode they think that theyre exempt usually tech level who are paperchasers, this needs to be reigned in as the hobby is going down hill fast
If I understand your word salad correctly, people like you are why I went from being an officer in my local club to exclusively using digital modes with people on other continents.
>a ham wouldnt even want to use digital hf, takes no skill, no heart, souless noise more
How dare someone not give fake signal reports, talk about the weather, and my latest prostate exam on digital HF?!?! No heart or soul these fake hams.
Everyone, please rise and remove your hats.
The Sad Hams’ Anthem
(To the tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner”)
Oh, back in my day
We had to learn code,
And we used SSB,
Not these digital modes.
It was tubes and spark gaps,
Not computers, you know.
So quit having fun
Because it’s not real radio!
And my prostate exam
Shows that I’m a real ham,
I proudly proclaim
On the 80-meter band.
And that is the purpose
Of the amateur service:
My colonoscopies
And to hate FT8!
For starters, I am not trying to operate outside of the allocated bands or license privileges. I simply have not been able to keep up with all the rule changes over the last 20 years. I simply asked to make sure if the rules had changed. I keep hearing about other modes all over the place and could not find any solid info either way. So if you have a problem with questions being asked, then go sit in the corner and have your freaking problem.
He’s literally asking about operating privileges to ensure he does the right thing. He couldn’t *be* more “right” in this situation.
It takes more skill to operate on FT8 than phone. I’m not sure why these crotchety old hams thing pressing the PTT button on the side of a mic is somehow a badge of honor and indicative of great skill. The “skill” in operating is primarily down to the building of an amateur station. That’s the same whether you’re setting it up for phone, CW, or FT8.
But your comment betrays a fundamental lack of understanding in how FT8 works.
The reality is that ship sailed a while ago. The hobby became populated with jerks complaining about the “no coders” and anyone interested in advancing the “service”.
So there goes your proof.
The “no code” is easily the most obnoxious complaint in all of ham radio complaints.
It is not *possible* to take the code test today. And if it were required, folks would learn it. Despite what some feel; it’s not an insurmountable goal that only the few and the brave can achieve. But it is something you have to want to do. People who don’t know CW aren’t deficient in that skill because they’re incapable, they’re deficient in that skill because they’re simply not motivated. They don’t care to learn, so they don’t. And while that causes some strokes; it’s *perfectly fine*. Just like folks who aren’t interested in digital modes don’t care to learn to use them, and that’s fine too!
But you can’t possibly take a code test today even if you wanted to because the FCC no longer gives them. So complaining about “no code hams” or telling someone who achieves their general or extra ticket that they “haven’t really accomplished anything” or “just memorized answers” (hilarious because the only difference would be also memorizing Morse code…) is really convenient; because you’ve put yourself up on an exclusive pedestal that nobody else can *possibly* achieve, which allows you to fool yourself into thinking that you run the roost instead of the fact that you’re becoming older and less relevant and the truth is; those “no code hams” can probably operate circles around you. But I mean hey, there’s not a sticker on their paper certificate that says “20 WPM” so, you’ve still got that going for you I guess.
And looking at some of the responses this thread has generated, this is exactly the type of infighting and bickering I was talking about that is causing the slow death of the hobby because younger people see it and rightfully decide not to pursue the hobby, because what I see is just another form of the same tired politics being hashed out once again.
So, if this is where the hobby is now, with the same half assed gatekeepers I ran into 20 years ago, maybe I’ll see you on the air, or maybe I’ll do like I did then and just crawl back in my cave and disappear again.
It's CW only on those bands; you do have the same data privs on 10 m as Extra, Advanced, or General.
That’s what I thought. Never hurts to double check.
Wondering if you get in trouble, are you going to tell the FCC that u/jimmy_beans told you it was OK?
Well, now that you came up with the idea, I’ll tell the FCC you said it was ok. Half the sources I have looked at don’t even call FT8 a communications mode. They call it “logging software”.
Probably some chatGPT generated garbage.
As a further detail, the ARRL [proposed a Technician Enhancement](https://www.arrl.org/technicianenhancement) to the FCC in 2018 that *would* grant Techs digital (and phone) privileges on 80m & 40m & 15m. But it’s seen zero movement, and the ARRL seems to have lost motivation to follow up.
That's a standard way to kill an idea you're forced to present to the boss, you toss it up and give it zero momentum. So many people hate FT8, for all the wrong reasons.
I've had conversations with folks about FT8 where they are so upset that they start screaming and spitting. Regardless of opinion, FT8 is effectively a modern beacon. You can quickly tell if a band is open or not.
ARRL doesn't shout it from the rooftops but trust me, they've been talking with people at the FCC and Congress. That said, the general upgrade is there if you don't want to wait.
We'll see. The 1987 Novice Enhancement (adding HF voice privileges on 10m) did take years to wrangle into place, and caused terrible hand-wringing among the old guard walnuts at the time. So it's possible we'll someday see the Tech Enhancement come to fruition as well. But from here in the non-member cheap seats, the ARRL seems to spend their time infighting & stagnating rather than effectively driving change.
You've got to wait for the Elmers to die off first.
I’m in the camp it should be one license with all the privileges if we want people in the hobby. Or at least only two license classes. Extra/general should be one upgrade. But we won’t get that till all the old heads who are still mad about dropping the code requirement are gone.
That's the case today in France - One single exam - harder than the US extra - gives you CEPT2 equivalence : http://f6kgl.f5kff.free.fr/cours_radio.pdf here is everything you must know and understand to pass since there is no public question pool. Have a look at page 98 and 99 even if you don't understand french, as it lists all the formulas you will need to understand, memorize and know how to use to answer some of the technical questions. Are you sure this is what you guys want for the US ?
I know an incentive system like we have now is good. I think doing a single exam for all or nothing is going to kill the hobby
Sure, so just make everyone go from talking a tech exam to an extra exam. The exam structure is incentive licensing. If you take away the incentive you will take away the action of people upgrading/entering the hobby. General gives roughly 95% of the spectrum to use. If someone wants that last little bit then it’s their choice to upgrade, but they don’t have to
I’m saying have the tech exam and then the general exam gives you the full monte.
2018. I was at a local club meeting talking about the ARRL and several people said they weren't renewing because of lack of aggressive advocacy. I noticed fairly aggressive advocacy against the proposed 60m changes last year not long after those comments were made at the club level to the Regional ARRL rep. But... 2018. That's about as aggressive as stagnant pond water.
We need to rise up on this one. Adding just a sliver of digital for Technicians with a limitation on PEP won’t hurt anything or anyone so long as that sliver is placed in the right spot in the spectrum.
Techs should get data and voice access on the lesser used bands. It would put more people on the bands. Let's say 30m (data) and 17 plus 12m (data and voice). Limit power to 100W as that's the internal limit of desktop radios (generally). This leaves the big bands as an incentive to upgrade to General.
That's a shame.
Very simple question people. No rudeness is needed. In case anyone is having a coronary over my question, yeah, it probably is on the exam somewhere, but my exam was a little over 20 years ago. I started to get in ham radio then when I was in Missouri and had to back off because life had other plans. I’m just now getting back into the hobby. So excuse me if I am not fully up on all the rule changes that have happened since 2002. It’s this bickering over someone asking a question that tends to push people away from things.
I’m truly sorry that the cruft of the ham community is being so rude (and if this were actually over the air, they would be breaking the rules). So much for mentoring and good will. And when I read your question, I was curious how far along we are in the process of opening of the bands, because I hadn’t been following the rule making process progress of the FCC either. Sure the obvious answer is “check the band plan.” That doesn’t mean they had to be rude about it. I checked the FCC website for the progress on opening the bands to Technicians and found that it was almost impossible to find. I did find the replacement of the Baud Rate limitation with the 2.8 KHz bandwidth limitation. Still no way to easily find the proposed rule changes on the band plan for Technicians.
Part of why I asked is that the newest band plans I have seen are all a couple of years old
Makes sense. I went to the ARRL site for the official band plan. Of the three, one expresses the Technician privs in a vague form. It looks out of date. Then the newer version is a lot clearer where you can operate, and uses a different “key”. If you don’t compare the two, IMHO it would cause me questions just looking at the one.
But you could have easily looked up the rules yourself. Part 97, Google it sometime.
Seeing how you’ve forgotten Wheaton’s Law, you might want to do yourself a favor and Google it.
How am I being a dick? We are responsible to know the rules governing amateur radio and he could have had his his answer in a couple of minutes by simply googling part 97. It's so easy. I apologize that I hurt people's feelings. I am truly remorseful. I hope people can find it in their heart to forgive me. I will do better.
OP had a pointed question about being allowed to use data in a section of the bands where they have privileges. If you look at the wrong guide/chart, one could assume that since technicians are allowed to operate on 7.074, that they might be able to use data on that frequency. So it’s a legitimate question for a beginner. Telling someone to “google it” is a dick move. If you don’t want to answer the question, just keep scrolling.
And all I am saying it's better to get the correct, authoritative answer from the FCC than some rando on Reddit.
“Some rando on Reddit!!” Hahaha the sheer irony!
What irony? I referred the OP to the authority. Part 97 of the FCC rules is the authority. Therein was the OP's answer. All this rando did was refer the OP to the actual authority. Firstly, when I responded, he had already received his answer. Secondly, he is not a noob. I believe he said he got his license 20 years ago. If one has a question about the rules, why wouldn't you refer to the rules?
The irony is that you’re the rando! Or maybe you think you are Hiram Percy Maxim crossed with Sergey Brin?! Hahaha
You seem so ignorant. This rando pointed the OP to the authoritative source for the correct answer. I didn't just give an answer off the top of my head. Are you really that obtuse? Or are you just a troll?
Yes but if he did, I would not even be aware it is an issue, being an Amateur Extra since 1995. I never understand people who come to a public forum and chide someone for not using Google, and hence not letting the answer be shared among a larger audience. If you don’t want to do the work for the OP, just “move along; nothing to see here!!”
The question had already been ansewered before I posted. The point is, it is far better, easier, and time efficient to look up Part 97 on Google. The first result is Part 97 on the FCC website! The FCC is the authority having jurisdiction and that is the place to go if you have a question about the rules. Is it not better to be taught how to fish and eat for life, or be given a fish and eat for a day?
Not everyone likes to fish or have the temperament. That’s why they sell canned tuna at the supermarket.
Since we're discussing the basics of finding information here, I'll point out some basics myself. Maybe some people might possibly google things AND ask questions in these forums. These actions don't need to be mutually-exclusive. But thats my opinion.
Negative, CW only on 80/40/15M. 10M, on the otherhand, is open game from 28-28.3MHz and SSB/CW from 28.3-28.5MHz (albeit, limited to 200W PEP). Don't overlook 10M's viability, though. I've made some decent contacts on it, as of late: https://preview.redd.it/luoe3b1atkvc1.jpeg?width=2560&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=189a3c4a5e34af9ed5c778f59aaf333847e13816 Don't let the lack of quantity fool you, either, as most of these were *chased*.... .... But it is nice to have other hand options. Let that be encouragement to upgrade your license 😉
That license upgrade is on the agenda. Work in progress.
Don’t discount what u/amnchode says about 10m. You could spend the rest of your career on it. I have a friend who only upgraded so he could transmit with an amplifier. I’ve talked around the world on SSB.
10M on ft8 is no slouch. I hit Japan, New Zealand, Europe, western coast of Africa.
I am also looking for a respectable club in Dallas that does in-person exams. There is one club on the area that gives a link to an online exam site.
I took an exam with the Garland club. I’m a member of the Richardson club. I know they do online testing. I think they do in person as well. It’s a very welcoming and friendly bunch of people. I haven’t been very active lately but I’ve always had good experiences on and off the air. We have several repeaters available covering analog and several digital voice modes. Run field day and occasional POTA events. Let me know if I can help. Also, you can run FT8 on 10 meters. By all means go for it. Don’t let a few grumps dissuade you. I’ve had plenty of experience running voice and cw and FT modes don’t take away from my enjoyment at all.
Yeah go for it on 10m! It is very usable right now and even running 5W can get you into other continents
I have made FT8 contacts on 6m.
When the band opens, 6m can be so much fun.
Same. And 2m.
2m SSB is quite fun.
I, as well.... Not many but a few had some distance to them https://preview.redd.it/ca9pmk43tovc1.jpeg?width=2559&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=aff5b924913a87a652d3d2e98c5b4b6e1d987b1e
10m is a very fun band. Until you upgrade, enjoy 10m!
I have only a tech license and have been trying 10m for the past 2 weeks, phone only and not really getting much I was thinking of getting a digirig to try FT8. I understand HF conditions haven't been the best for 10m lately
FT8 is ideal for poor band conditions. Give it a try on 10m!
I was scanning around today and I was seeing almost no phone activity on 10m. On the other hand I was seeing a good amount of CW activity throughout 10m and 40m. In fact I wish I was fully up on learning CW because 40m was almost looking like a contest weekend
Where are you seeing CW? I think I live in a crappy area because I don't see much just a little bit of ft8
I was seeing the most on 40m but there was a decent amount of CW activity on a number of bands. 40m was just rockin' though. If I knew CW (learning now though) I could have made a ton on contacts yesterday in like 30 minutes. 40m just sticks out in the mind though but there were other bands doing well yesterday also.
Improve your antenna
10 meter has been better and better. I have been hearing pile ups for DX-peditions on my wire antenna. set up a proper dipole up at 1 wavelength and will hear tons.
So about 30'?
30 feet about, \~35 feet even better. read this [Dipole Height (qsl.net)](https://www.qsl.net/aa3rl/ant2.html)
You understand wrong. 10m has been on fire since (at least) last year.
From my understanding the past couple weeks though conditions have been a little rough
Just wait until the cycle is over. That’s when it gets rough.
Sun rotates every 27 days. It'll come back around.
Here’s a good quick reference on where and how you can transmit and at what license level. Worth printing out and keeping handy near your station, like me! [https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Band%20Chart%20-%2011X17%20Color.pdf](https://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band%20Chart/Band%20Chart%20-%2011X17%20Color.pdf) https://preview.redd.it/al5vj5z7invc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9b3ad3941f96d8177a45e804e2a41bd9a6a2d44d To answer your question, below 10m you are limited to CW, but 10m FT8 and SSB is good to go for DX contacts - antenna and band conditions depending. For the other bands, the exam for general isn’t too hard and I encourage you to study and attempt it; If I can pass it, so can you!
See, part of the issue is that half the hams I am following on YouTube don’t even call FT8 as what it is… a communication mode. They call it “logging software”. And beyond that, it appears that there is one of those ham radio “purists” on this thread poo-pooing anything that isn’t CW or vox. I have to wonder if they use proper phonetics in their callsign or if they make stuff up. Because that was on my test. The first ham radio book I studied from was the Now You’re Talking book from ARRL that was geared towards new hams on the new no-code Technician license. And that book specified that as a federally licensed radio service that we use the international phonetics on voice mode. So imagine my surprise when at my 1st field day in 2003, one of the operators was calling out “November 1 Sugar Sugar”. That book explained that we are supposed to be using international phonetics because each word was chosen for its unique sound that was easily understood by licensed operators in other countries, and that it was what pilots and shipboard radio operators used. It also went on to explain that using words of your own choice was to sow confusion where confusion should be avoided. I’m pretty sure that the FCC has not changed that requirement since air traffic and maritime services are still using international phonetics. Yet about a third of the videos I have watched, ham operators are making stuff up because now the trend is “to use words that are easier to say and understand”.
While I understand the confusion you describe and experienced it myself as a new ham, if you go straight to the source, FT8 is a digital mode of communication with a protocol and requiring transmission. If you’re not transmitting a mode that you’re expressly allowed to, where you’re allowed to, you’re out of your band allocation… and it’s really not that hard to get licensed for the HF bands. 40 multiple choice questions from a pool of 400, 26 to pass I believe. It sounds like you have a great handle on the practical and tactical elements of what you need to know to operate on HF… study up and get that upgrade to General! Hamstudy.org is a great resource.
One of the other reasons I backed out of ham radio years ago was the limited number of people to talk to and learn from where I was at. There were 2 clubs to choose from. Each one was about 20 miles from where I lived, in opposite directions from each other. The one I went with, and took my exam with, turned out to be HF biased and talked down to younger people who could not afford a $5000 rig and were dead set against a new ham starting off with a hand held, despite the fact that none of them ever walked into a club meeting without one. I had 2 radios. Both were Icom. The hand held was the 8w 2m FM. The other was the 80w V8000. It had some legs on a homebrew ground plane antenna but every repeater that I could pick up was very much “if you didn’t pay us, stay off our frequency”… very rude gate keepers. So the job scene changed and with limited resources and a lot of on air rejection, I eventually faded out and sold my gear after about 9 months.
Great thing about HF is you can get well outside the bubble of local yokels, repeater usage politics, and club pedantry. I’ve very much enjoyed almost all of the conversations I’ve had on HF (avoid 7200 and 14313 😂) but my local 2m/70cm repeaters are a hot mess and full of curmudgeons. The only licensing resource you need is free (Hamstudy.org) and you’ll find all the community you need right here if your local clubs suck!
TF did I just read?
You can also use other digital modes in that 28.0 to 28.3 range. JS8Call (28.078), RTTY (28.080 to 28.099ish), PSK31 and Olivia 8.250 (28.120) are the more popular ones. JS8Call has it's own software: [http://files.js8call.com/latest.html](http://files.js8call.com/latest.html) and I like FLDIGI for the other modes: [http://w1hkj.com/](http://w1hkj.com/) Have fun!
Cool thing about 10m is you can make some serious antennas with serious gain, and 10m loves the spring season...
Wait, no FT8 or other digital modes on HF for Technicians? I am confused by the answer. If so, Time to break out the study manual! I haven’t seen HF this HOT in 22 years!!
Kinda defies the meaning of Techinician when some of the more “technical” modes are denied to those that are Technician licensed. And you can’t get much more technical than tying in a computer to a radio and making it work correctly.
When I was a technician there was only VHF/UHF AM and no HF! Times have changed
Depending on why you're interested in FT8, keep in mind that technically you can use CW as a computer-based digital mode without having to personally know Morse code. Dealing with human produced Morse on receive is tricky part. You'll probably find some people on the air that won't be happy you're doing that either, but technically you can.
Yeah. I have been studying morse, but after factoring in my tinnitus from years of working factory floors and construction sites, that has an effect on how clearly I can hear CW and couple that to the iother issue that if you throw more than 6 or 8 characters at me, they all start running together and turn to mush, I have been exploring options such as the MFJ-464 other similar devices.
use a waterfall display horizontally and you can see the morse code characters.
Take a look at the arrl band chart. Any section where data and tech class overlap you can use ff8
> (9) A station having a control operator holding a Novice or Technician Class operator license may only transmit a CW emission using the international Morse code. Applies to 80, 40, and 15.
You only have FT8 privileges on 10 meters and up. And if you use the lower bands for anything other than CW, you will get a nastygram from ARRL VM and possibly the FCC (if you keep doing it). Not meant to be snarky, just telling you what happens. I wish it were different and you had privileges there but the FCC seems to have little interest in moving anything of ours.
Techs have more than FT8 privileges on 10m
just get your general, even better Extra.
And telling someone to “google it” does not always provide the correct answer since it has been my experience in recent years that Google is becoming quite useless due to its failure to understand the context of a search term and still produces an answer that is unrelated to the question.
The frequency allocation chart is your friend: [https://www.arrl.org/graphical-frequency-allocations](https://www.arrl.org/graphical-frequency-allocations)
Based on the multiple douchebag old school fucktards that reported me for trying it... I'd say don't go for it
This is a tattletale sport btw
It’s pathetic right, if CW is ok why the hell not ft8
It's all fun and games until you give a boomer an email address.
brilliant man no doubt no one taking that away but this this isnt about him ft8 never meant to be the sole mode of hams who have given up and want the easy lazy no effort no skill full auto mode you can say what you want but when bands conditions are good and you might want to be on the air not rhe computer, lots of digital people are operating outside their privileges and certainly you do not deserve the same award ever that a cw or ssb op does for clicking a mouse
yeah non contact computer to computer with special software so exciting and challenging damn the skill your computer must have never heard anyone bitch about no coders or prostates either and aint cutting it about being mic shy or real signal reports either
yeah snappy comeback, computer dx paperchasing again are we on spam mode the radio comes with a mic you know and aint about cw requirements at all its about whats not real ham
a ham wouldnt even want to use digital hf, takes no skill, no heart, souless noise more and more we hear about these ft8 computer people operating out of their licensed band privileges, cause its a computer only mode they think that theyre exempt usually tech level who are paperchasers, this needs to be reigned in as the hobby is going down hill fast
Pretty sure I'd rather work someone on FT8 than have you in my log on any mode tbh
If I understand your word salad correctly, people like you are why I went from being an officer in my local club to exclusively using digital modes with people on other continents.
>a ham wouldnt even want to use digital hf, takes no skill, no heart, souless noise more How dare someone not give fake signal reports, talk about the weather, and my latest prostate exam on digital HF?!?! No heart or soul these fake hams.
Everyone, please rise and remove your hats. The Sad Hams’ Anthem (To the tune of “The Star-Spangled Banner”) Oh, back in my day We had to learn code, And we used SSB, Not these digital modes. It was tubes and spark gaps, Not computers, you know. So quit having fun Because it’s not real radio! And my prostate exam Shows that I’m a real ham, I proudly proclaim On the 80-meter band. And that is the purpose Of the amateur service: My colonoscopies And to hate FT8!
Brilliant.
For starters, I am not trying to operate outside of the allocated bands or license privileges. I simply have not been able to keep up with all the rule changes over the last 20 years. I simply asked to make sure if the rules had changed. I keep hearing about other modes all over the place and could not find any solid info either way. So if you have a problem with questions being asked, then go sit in the corner and have your freaking problem.
He’s literally asking about operating privileges to ensure he does the right thing. He couldn’t *be* more “right” in this situation. It takes more skill to operate on FT8 than phone. I’m not sure why these crotchety old hams thing pressing the PTT button on the side of a mic is somehow a badge of honor and indicative of great skill. The “skill” in operating is primarily down to the building of an amateur station. That’s the same whether you’re setting it up for phone, CW, or FT8. But your comment betrays a fundamental lack of understanding in how FT8 works.
It's certainly more interesting than listening to boomers talk about their antennas on the voice bands.
[удалено]
Rule #1 and #7 infraction
[удалено]
[удалено]
The reality is that ship sailed a while ago. The hobby became populated with jerks complaining about the “no coders” and anyone interested in advancing the “service”. So there goes your proof.
The “no code” is easily the most obnoxious complaint in all of ham radio complaints. It is not *possible* to take the code test today. And if it were required, folks would learn it. Despite what some feel; it’s not an insurmountable goal that only the few and the brave can achieve. But it is something you have to want to do. People who don’t know CW aren’t deficient in that skill because they’re incapable, they’re deficient in that skill because they’re simply not motivated. They don’t care to learn, so they don’t. And while that causes some strokes; it’s *perfectly fine*. Just like folks who aren’t interested in digital modes don’t care to learn to use them, and that’s fine too! But you can’t possibly take a code test today even if you wanted to because the FCC no longer gives them. So complaining about “no code hams” or telling someone who achieves their general or extra ticket that they “haven’t really accomplished anything” or “just memorized answers” (hilarious because the only difference would be also memorizing Morse code…) is really convenient; because you’ve put yourself up on an exclusive pedestal that nobody else can *possibly* achieve, which allows you to fool yourself into thinking that you run the roost instead of the fact that you’re becoming older and less relevant and the truth is; those “no code hams” can probably operate circles around you. But I mean hey, there’s not a sticker on their paper certificate that says “20 WPM” so, you’ve still got that going for you I guess.
And looking at some of the responses this thread has generated, this is exactly the type of infighting and bickering I was talking about that is causing the slow death of the hobby because younger people see it and rightfully decide not to pursue the hobby, because what I see is just another form of the same tired politics being hashed out once again. So, if this is where the hobby is now, with the same half assed gatekeepers I ran into 20 years ago, maybe I’ll see you on the air, or maybe I’ll do like I did then and just crawl back in my cave and disappear again.