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  2. Curiosity -- why is there no ft4 assigned frequency on 160 m?

Locked Curiosity -- why is there no ft4 assigned frequency on 160 m? #NewUser

Richard E. Ravich
 

I just discovered ft4 and have been making many contacts when 20 and 40 meters ft8 is very busy.  I also noted that there is no ft4 on 160 meters but I can't find a logical reason why that is so.  Any thoughts on this subject?
Love the program -- works  very well!   Keep up the good work, team.
de WD6FIE - Richard
Joe Subich, W4TV
 

On 2021-04-26 11:28 PM, Richard E. Ravich wrote:
I also noted that there is no ft4 on 160 meters but I can't find a
logical reason why that is so. Any thoughts on this subject?
A couple of reasons ... the available spectrum for data modes is quite
limited on 160 and the band tends to be quite noisy. SN requirements
for FT4 are such that other modes - particularly FT8, JT9, and FST4
are much better suited to the narrow, noisy band.

73,

... Joe, W4TV


On 2021-04-26 11:28 PM, Richard E. Ravich wrote:
I just discovered ft4 and have been making many contacts when 20 and 40 meters ft8 is very busy.  I also noted that there is no ft4 on 160 meters but I can't find a logical reason why that is so.  Any thoughts on this subject?
Love the program -- works  very well!   Keep up the good work, team.
de WD6FIE - Richard
Buddy Morgan
 

Might I point out that there is no assigned frequency for anything, in Amateur Radio. You could say there are recommended frequencies, however. Most of these "recommendations" are established by users. A good example is the FT8 frequencies for the VHF and higher bands. When I first downloaded the WSJT software, 144.174 MHz, FT8 was already in the software. I did not think that was a great frequency for digital - a little too high in the band - but, it was in the software: go with it. There were no recommended frequencies for any of the bands above Two Meters. Over a period of time, some of us worked to establish xxxx.174 as the recommended, FT8,  frequency, on all the higher bands. It seems to have caught on.

Buddy WB4OMG
Dave smith
 

Added to which 160 mtrs is for real QSOs ....proper conversations!😉

On Tue, 27 Apr 2021 at 15:36, Buddy Morgan via groups.io <beamar=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:
Might I point out that there is no assigned frequency for anything, in Amateur Radio. You could say there are recommended frequencies, however. Most of these "recommendations" are established by users. A good example is the FT8 frequencies for the VHF and higher bands. When I first downloaded the WSJT software, 144.174 MHz, FT8 was already in the software. I did not think that was a great frequency for digital - a little too high in the band - but, it was in the software: go with it. There were no recommended frequencies for any of the bands above Two Meters. Over a period of time, some of us worked to establish xxxx.174 as the recommended, FT8,  frequency, on all the higher bands. It seems to have caught on.

Buddy WB4OMG
Dick- K9OM
 

I'd like to see a "Recommended" FT4 Frequency added to 160m.  A substantial amount of Contesting takes place on 160m. during the winter months so FT4 should be allowed to join the mix.  FT4 occupies a lot less frequency than SSB.

73, Dick- K9OM
Buddy Morgan
 

Do what I did, on 222 MHz and higher, for FT8: pick a frequency and see if it catches on.

Buddy WB4OMG



-----Original Message-----
From: Dick- K9OM via groups.io <RLVZ@...>
To: main@WSJTX.groups.io
Sent: Wed, Apr 28, 2021 10:59 am
Subject: Re: [WSJTX] Curiosity -- why is there no ft4 assigned frequency on 160 m? #NewUser

I'd like to see a "Recommended" FT4 Frequency added to 160m.  A substantial amount of Contesting takes place on 160m. during the winter months so FT4 should be allowed to join the mix.  FT4 occupies a lot less frequency than SSB.

73, Dick- K9OM



Richard E. Ravich
 

Joe,
Thanks for the logical answer which makes sense to me.  I appreciate all your answers to questions!
73's
de WD6FIE
Jim Brown
 

On 4/27/2021 7:50 AM, Dave smith wrote:
Added to which 160 mtrs is for real QSOs ....proper conversations!😉
I have 170 countries worked on 160, all but 20 on CW, but I can't remember the last time I had a "conversation." Indeed, where I live, CW activity on 160M is pretty thin except during contests. I have very good RX and TX antennas and good waterfall, but except during contests or a DXpedition, it's rare to see more a handful of signals on the band in an evening!

73, Jim K9YC
Santa Cruz, CA
Jim Brown
 

On 4/28/2021 7:59 AM, Dick- K9OM via groups.io wrote:
A substantial amount of Contesting takes place on 160m. during the winter months so FT4 should be allowed to join the mix.  FT4 occupies a lot less frequency than SSB.
I have several thoughts on this. First, the administrators of those contests establish the rules. Second, there is strong "moldy fig" resistance from OT 160M ops to ANY digital modes. Third, if ANY digital mode is to be promoted on 160M it should be FST4, which offers significant advantages in fighting the encroaching noise that has made 160M more and more difficult for weak signal work.

From my QTH in the mountains S of San Francisco, I've HEARD six CW signals from EU in five years, and two of them could hear me. I've made many QSOs using FT8, and added 20 EU countries in three seasons. And I've got a pretty good antenna farm!

73, Jim K9YC
Richard Bertrand Larson
 

Using some courtesy an operator could just switch their mode to FT4 and call CQ in the same segment as FT8 on 160M or 60M. KD0XD Rick


On 5/2/2021 3:36 AM, Jim Brown wrote:

On 4/28/2021 7:59 AM, Dick- K9OM via groups.io wrote:
A substantial amount of Contesting takes place on 160m. during the winter months so FT4 should be allowed to join the mix.  FT4 occupies a lot less frequency than SSB.

I have several thoughts on this. First, the administrators of those contests establish the rules. Second, there is strong "moldy fig" resistance from OT 160M ops to ANY digital modes. Third, if ANY digital mode is to be promoted on 160M it should be FST4, which offers significant advantages in fighting the encroaching noise that has made 160M more and more difficult for weak signal work.

From my QTH in the mountains S of San Francisco, I've HEARD six CW signals from EU in five years, and two of them could hear me. I've made many QSOs using FT8, and added 20 EU countries in three seasons. And I've got a pretty good antenna farm!

73, Jim K9YC

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