I must be missing something. FTn isn't like CW or SSB where the loudest station often wins in a pileup. If you have enough FTn signal to be decoded reliably, say -10 or better, how does more power enhance your chances of getting through? WSJT-X chooses whom to answer based on a "first decoded" algorithm that I don't fully understand but it doesn't seem to be based on signal strength. I often get multiple callers and the loudest one often isn't selected. I'm surprised Joe didn't point that out - it's his mode, after all. But maybe there's something I don't understand.
FTn are modes in which the standard FCC guidance to use the "minimum power required" seems to make sense. I set power based on incoming signal strengths. With my antennas, 40W usually gets through to anyone -15 or better, often to -20. If most signals are weaker or if a station "calls CQ in my face," I QSY to another tone that might be clear on its end and/or go up to 80W. I turned on the amp at 200W one time when I was decoding a new one only sporadically and expected I would also be weak. Got it. ;-) /Rick N6XI On Wed, Nov 10, 2021 at 8:04 PM Richard <[email protected]> wrote: > I had a discussion about this sort of madness with Joe Taylor, creator of > FT8 and WSJT-X. Here's what he had to say about it: > > "Hi Richard, > > "Yes, it's annoying when people engage in a QRO arms race to make more > QSOs or make them more quickly with FT8. Using high power is one thing when > conditions demand it, as with some 160 m DX paths, for example. It's quite > another thing when high power is not required to make the QSO, but only to > help you get through first. > > "However, it has always been thus, and there's not much anyone can do > about it. As a general rule it's often useful to move up above 2500 Hz or > so, audio frequency. Or even to set your dial frequency 1 kHz higher than > the default for a band. > > "We are also thinking about suggesting a "QRP FT8 sub-band" in which power > should be limited to 10 W (say). > > "-- 73, Joe, K1JT" > > Richard > W4KBX > ______________________________________________________________ > Elecraft mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected] > > This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net > Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html > Message delivered to [email protected] > -- -- Rick Tavan Truckee and Saratoga, CA ______________________________________________________________ Elecraft mailing list Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/elecraft Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm Post: mailto:[email protected] This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html Message delivered to [email protected]
