As we all know, when bands are open, it is not unusual to find the standard FT8
frequencies packed, end-to-end with stations. The waterfall is full of dozens
of QSOs and many more dozens of stations calling others. There is no doubt that
with the super success of the FT8 mode, it is imperative that additional
frequency “Channels” within each HF band be identified for not only the new
DXpedition mode, but more importantly for normal day to day FT8 operations.
Although the number of JT65 users has greatly dwindled, there are still many of
them using the mode on HF, so these frequencies and their JT65 users should be
left alone.
The same holds for PSK31 and its army of Hams who like its rag chew
capabilities that the FT8 and JT65 modes can’t provide. Then there is, on a
normal weekday, a vast wasteland of the 14.080 to 14.099 RTTY band. When you
tune across that frequency range during the week, rarely do you hear more than
a few RTTY signals, while at the same time, packed into 2 KHz, many dozens of
FT8 stations can be heard working each other. The only times that the RTTY band
comes alive is during weekend RTTY contests and during DXpeditions to countries
that RTTY users need to work for digital DXCC. DXpeditions usually operate
around the upper 10 KHz of the RTTY frequencies. There are around a dozen major
RTTY contests spaced throughout the year, all scheduled over weekend days.
A proposal needs to be made to the community of RTTY operators, most of whom
probably already use FT8, to see if there would be a serious problem if some of
the present RTTY frequencies could be shared with FT8. These might consist of
the 4 KHz at the low end of each of the presently used HF RTTY bands. Floating
the idea on the ‘rttycontesting.com’website would be a good place to start.
The frequencies above the NCDXF HF beacons flagged for digital use, but as
‘Packet’ where you probably will find Winlink transmissions, so those
frequencies probably should be left alone.
Of course, the final additional FT8 frequencies chosen must adhere to Regions
1, 2 & 3 band plans.
So, where do we start? Time is flying by and the number of FT8 users are
quickly growing.
Comments?
73,
Rich – K1HTV
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