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Locked New user, problems decoding FT8 #FT8

Chris Mitchell
 

Hi,
I have just started using WSJT-X. I am unable to see any decodes of FT8 signals. There are plenty on the waterfall and the signals are audible through my rig speaker (IC-705). In the settings/ radio tab both Test Cat and Test PTT work. The green receive indicator on the main screen is showing about 60dB.
Before trying FT8 I used WSPR mode and that worked fine. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Chris, G1VNA
Karza <kari.sillanmaki@...>
 

Chris,

Does web page https://time.is/ report your time as being "exact!" ??

73's de Kari, oh2gqc

On 5.2.2021 18.08, chrisc.mitchell via groups.io wrote:
Hi,
I have just started using WSJT-X. I am unable to see any decodes of FT8 signals. There are plenty on the waterfall and the signals are audible through my rig speaker (IC-705). In the settings/ radio tab both Test Cat and Test PTT work. The green receive indicator on the main screen is showing about 60dB.
Before trying FT8 I used WSPR mode and that worked fine. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Chris, G1VNA
Chris Mitchell
 

Hi Kari
Yes, it does.
Chris

On 5 Feb 2021, at 17:15, Karza <kari.sillanmaki@...> wrote:

Chris,

Does web page https://time.is/ report your time as being "exact!" ??

73's de Kari, oh2gqc


On 5.2.2021 18.08, chrisc.mitchell via groups.io wrote:
Hi,
I have just started using WSJT-X. I am unable to see any decodes of FT8 signals. There are plenty on the waterfall and the signals are audible through my rig speaker (IC-705). In the settings/ radio tab both Test Cat and Test PTT work. The green receive indicator on the main screen is showing about 60dB.
Before trying FT8 I used WSPR mode and that worked fine. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Chris, G1VNA
Karza <kari.sillanmaki@...>
 

Do you have WSJT-X rig setings like these?

Also make sure you are using USB-D mode.

'Kari

On 5.2.2021 20.44, Chris Mitchell via groups.io wrote:

Hi Kari
Yes, it does.
Chris

On 5 Feb 2021, at 17:15, Karza <kari.sillanmaki@...> wrote:

Chris,

Does web page https://time.is/ report your time as being "exact!" ??

73's de Kari, oh2gqc



On 5.2.2021 18.08, chrisc.mitchell via groups.io wrote:
Hi,
I have just started using WSJT-X. I am unable to see any decodes of FT8 signals. There are plenty on the waterfall and the signals are audible through my rig speaker (IC-705). In the settings/ radio tab both Test Cat and Test PTT work. The green receive indicator on the main screen is showing about 60dB.
Before trying FT8 I used WSPR mode and that worked fine. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Chris, G1VNA


Karl Beckman WA8NVW - NNV5BH
 
Edited

If you are seeing good signals on the screen but can't decode them, check your operating mode one more time.  Some rigs will defaull to LSB for frequencies below 9 MHz.  However WSPR is ALWAYS sent using USB, regardless of the frequency band.  It's the opposite of RTTY which always appears as LSB, where the transmitted mark freq is lower than the space). 
Also, make sure the receive level indicator stays steady green.  +60 on receive might be strong enough to overload the decoder input.
--
Karl  WA8NVW  OH
WA8NVW@...
in WSJTX@groups.io
Bill Somerville
 

On 05/02/2021 16:08, chrisc.mitchell via groups.io wrote:
Hi,
I have just started using WSJT-X. I am unable to see any decodes of FT8 signals. There are plenty on the waterfall and the signals are audible through my rig speaker (IC-705). In the settings/ radio tab both Test Cat and Test PTT work. The green receive indicator on the main screen is showing about 60dB.
Before trying FT8 I used WSPR mode and that worked fine. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Chris, G1VNA
Hi Chris,

one likely cause is your PC not being synchronized to UTC well enough. The WSPR decoder has a much larger tolerance for time difference than the FT8 one does. We recommend installing the Meinberg NTP Client application if you are running on MS Windows.

73
Bill
G4WJS.
Chris Mitchell
 

Hi Guys,

Many thanks for all the help - reset the time again, now decoding!

Chris
G1VNA

On 5 Feb 2021, at 23:21, Bill Somerville <g4wjs@...> wrote:

On 05/02/2021 16:08, chrisc.mitchell via groups.io wrote:
Hi,
I have just started using WSJT-X. I am unable to see any decodes of FT8 signals. There are plenty on the waterfall and the signals are audible through my rig speaker (IC-705). In the settings/ radio tab both Test Cat and Test PTT work. The green receive indicator on the main screen is showing about 60dB.
Before trying FT8 I used WSPR mode and that worked fine. Any ideas what I may be doing wrong?

Chris, G1VNA
Hi Chris,

one likely cause is your PC not being synchronized to UTC well enough. The WSPR decoder has a much larger tolerance for time difference than the FT8 one does. We recommend installing the Meinberg NTP Client application if you are running on MS Windows.

73
Bill
G4WJS.
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