[Elecraft] Ideas for an FT8 Radio

[Bill Frantz]

The short answer for issues of obsolescence is the same for 
computers as it is for RF components: modularization. I replaced 
the synthesizers in my K3 when better ones came out. I would 
expect to do the same for the computer, whether it is integrated 
into the radio package or separate.

I think the best route towards a FT8 radio is to have a radio 
that will do FT8 and any other mode its computer can handle. 
Running a single-board Linux computer seems attractive. It seems 
like the radio will need a keyboard, display, pointing device, 
audio, and RS-232 interfaces. Raspberry PIs have USB for 
keyboard, pointing device, and RS-232; HDMI for display; and 
built-in audio.

For future flexibility, just using USB and HDMI may be 
attractive. Or just USB if there are usable USB displays. Using 
only one or two interfaces makes swapping computers simple, at 
least until the interfaces are no longer supported. USB seem to 
have a lifespan on par with radios, so obsolescence seems a low 
risk. HDMI is higher risk, as display interfaces are caught up 
in the whole Digital Rights Management arms race.

73 Bill AE6JV

On 1/1/19 at 8:42 PM, wa8jxm at gmail.com (Ken) wrote:

>As for the concept of a dedicated FT8 radio, what's going to 
>happen when FT9 becomes the latest craze?  How many people 
>operate Olivia (or even JT-65) now?

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