Anyone do digital modes on HF?

[Rate_of_Twist]

After passing my General back in April I decided on a compact radio setup that I could take portable under battery power (not QRP, type small but not 7300 big) The inspiration is admittedly OH8STN, and his FT-891 rig.

So, a few orders later and I now have a HF station that consists of a FT-891, LDG z-100plus, a half wave, end fed strung between my house and a tree.

Raspberry Pi4 will be the computer for the rig along with a super small USB audio interface.

After a few hours of fiddling I now have the Raspberry PI running full rig control (via FLRig) and FLDIGI up and running (waterfall works, transmit works, PTT over USB works)

My antenna setup needs to be better, but I can hear and have made contacts along the eastern seaboard and almost had my first overseas contact in Spain last week (could just make out above the noise floor but just couldn’t get him to hear my call sign correctly)

Over the past weekend trying to make a first contact via digital types I got absolutely blanked.

Part of this was my fault, trying to jump all over the place to hear or make contact with too many variables.

So, given that, I’m going to attempt to focus in on PSK31 for the time being using FLDIGI and my rig.

Any recommendations?

 

[UJay]

DRB, FT8 and FT4 are the modern modes that are the current rage and a hoot. Helped me secure many single band WAS and DXCC awards, too.
Very active and the mode is designed to hear deep in the noise for QRP.

WSJT-x is the software from the mode's developer.

 

[JDL]

I do a lot of FT8 it is a real easy digital mode and I get plenty of contacts with my compromised antenna it is only about 4ft off the ground right now until I get it back up to regular hight. This has not seemed to effect FT8 that much. If you need information on how to set up FT8 contact for help
John N1HM

 

[Silverado]

Your going to have a lot of fun and make many contacts, that FT 891 looks like just the rig for it. I was using an earlier free version of Ham Radio Deluxe but there are other programs. Good luck from N1JGE.

 

[Rate_of_Twist]

Thanks guys, I’ll take a look at FT8 and WSJT-x on my Raspberry PI

 

[timbo]

I'm pretty old school having run RTTY back when you needed the old TTY machine. I graduated to the the TRS80 Mod III and then eventually making my own PC Clone and my own RTTY Mod/Demod interface. Now everything is SO much easier. I occasionally still get on RTTY but also use PSK and Olivia. I have yet to get on FT8, mostly because I haven't been able to sit down long enough at my radios to figure it out. It's on my todo list.

 

[Bladerunner]

WSPR is pretty cool. You can get kits to make a transmitter easily enough. This is the one I made many years ago, not sure if this is still available from W5OLF.

 

[Bladerunner]

I would edit to add that if you want to play with this QRP stuff, espeically WSPR, go and get the Oak Hills Research WM-2 kit to build yourself a nice QRP watt meter. This was one of the best kits I have seen and the end product came out pissah. Sensitivty in mW is great.