ARCHIVE: Australian Ham Radio Discussion Forum ( AHRDF )

Joe Taylor K1JT has announced a new digital mode, FT4, which is 2.5 times faster than FT8 

FT4 is an experimental digital mode designed specifically for radio contesting.  Like FT8, it uses fixed-length transmissions, structured messages with formats optimized for minimal QSOs, and strong forward error correction. 

T/R sequences are 6 seconds long, so FT4 is 2.5  faster than FT8 and about the same speed as RTTY for radio contesting. FT4 can work with signals 10 dB weaker than needed for RTTY, while using much less bandwidth. FT4 message formats are the same as those in FT8 and encoded with the same (174,91) low-density parity check code.  Transmissions last for 4.48 s, compared to 12.64 s for FT8.  

Modulation uses 4-tone frequency-shift keying at approximately 23.4 baud, with tones separated by the baud rate.  The occupied  bandwidth, that containing 99% of transmitted power, is 90 Hz 

Further information on FT4 is at http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt...otocol.pdf 

(SouthGate)


From text edition for April 28 2019 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA : http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/

Also in Weekly news from the WIA: MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2019-04-28.mp3 Text edition:


What software supports FT4 ?  WSJT-X 2.1.0

FT4 will be released in a RC soon according to the doco on WSJT-X website

video on FT4 is here https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_conti...Pd7zB40xdY

Thanks Pedro,

It's interesting to hear Joe speak but for those that just want to hear about FT4, you can skip forward to the 15:37 mark.

I'll be releasing a summary video of FT4 shortly

You can download wsjtx-2.1.0-rc5-win64.exe (or for other O/S) from near the bottom of the page at 
http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html

FT4 Protocol document 
http://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt...otocol.pdf

From text edition for June 9 2019 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA : http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/
Also in MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2019-06-09.mp3


"FT4
Logbook of The World accepts FT4 contacts

Logbook of The World is now accepting FT4 contacts. The latest TQSL update, released on the 22nd of May, includes FT4 as a sub- mode of MFSK.

It also adds AISAT-1 and PO-101 in the satellite category. As of the 23rd of May, over one thousand million contact records have been entered into the system, resulting in 200 million contact confirmations.

Logbook Of The World has 118,328 users.
(RSGB)
"

Latest FT4 beta release 'Leaps and Bounds' better

 ARRL say user reports have been favourable in the wake of the release of another new beta version of the FT4 protocol by the WSJT-X Development Group.
 
 Release Candidate 7, WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc, which is now available for  testing, is not compatible with any previous FT4 releases.

 Read the full ARRL story at  arrl.org/news/new-ft4-beta-release-leaps-and-bounds-better-than-earlier-iterations.


LINK :  https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html

From text edition for June 16 2019 - VK NATIONAL NEWS BROADCAST ON VK1WIA : http://www.wia.org.au/members/broadcast/wianews/

Also in MP3 edition of news available at: http://www.wia-files.com/podcast/wianews-2019-06-16.mp3