[Elecraft] QRP FD KX2 Batteries & FT8 Report

[Brian Waterworth]

Hi Carl,

One of our club stations (6m) wanted to operate FT8.  I asked him to
install wsjt-x before coming onsite.  I then configured wsjtx-x for him.
It took less than 30s to do that.  Wsjt-x has an ARRL field day mode with
an entry field to add in your exchange.  Click click click and you’re
done.  It is very simple and wsjtx handles the cadence and the FD exchange
like a boss.  Wsjtx seemed to handle most situations and made operating a
joy.  It also gave me an opportunity to teach other hams and visitors how
to operate FT8 using wsjt-x because of its ease.

I used also wsjtx for my digital station as paired with a KX3.  I used the
KX3 with solar power to gain a 100 point bonus.  The KX3 was a champ.
Handled the voltage variances from the panel by automatically reducing
power from 10w down to 5w when the voltage wasn't quite enough for 10w.

Regards
Brian
VE3IBW

On Tue, Jun 25, 2019 at 8:27 AM Carl Jón Denbow <carl at n8vz.com> wrote:

> Peter,
>
> I am curious how you got FT8 to do the proper FD exchange?  I read a post
> where some hams were discussing this and it sounded very difficult and
> complex, so I decided against trying it.  One guy actually had two FT8
> programs running simultaneously, with one connected to HRD, which somehow
> enabled him to do the proper exchange.  His description made absolutely no
> sense to me, so though I’m an experienced FT8 op, I decided to forgo FT8
> for this FD.  I’m curious how you accomplished this feat!
>
> 73,
>
> Carl
>
> Sent from my iPhone
> ===========================
> Carl Jón Denbow, N8VZ
> 17 Coventry Lane
> Athens, Ohio 45701-3718
>
> carl at n8vz.com
> www.n8vz.com
> EM89wh
>
> IRLP 4533   Echolink 116070
>
> PSK and JT65 Forever!
> ===========================
>
> > On Jun 25, 2019, at 9:37 AM, Peter West <peter at peterwest.ca> wrote:
> >
> > When our club’s plans for FD fell through at the last minute I set up 1B
> with my trusty KX-2 with a Bioenno battery and two internal KX2 battery
> pacs on my back porch. Got a Par 40-20-10 end-fed up about 40’ in a
> north-south orientation only to find band conditions here were pretty bad
> here in the north with QRN, QSB and faint signals at best. So switched to
> FT-8. I was forced to run QRP (which isn’t an issue as I am primarily a QRP
> contester anyway) as anything over 5 watts caused the rig to overheat to
> the point of automatically reducing power to 5 watts. Had WSJT, JT Alerts
> and even N1MM all cooperating and auto logging so all I had to do was stop
> reading the newspaper and occasionally glance over to the computer to see
> if I had worked anybody since the last time I clicked on a callsign. Then I
> started to notice my setup wasn’t completing a lot of calls which I had
> initiated. I started to pay more attention to the screen and discovered
> that it appeared to me that my signal was getting swamped out by QRO (100
> watts or more on FD) signals which I couldn’t readily detect. At a
> suggestion from the FT8 FB group switched on the hold-my-transmit-frequency
> button. On CW my rates aren’t much different from QRP to 100 watts as I’m
> only 2 S-units down and aggressive operating skills can compensate for a
> lot of differences in power and I can deal with QRM I can hear and see. Not
> so on FT-8. I am rebuilding my contest station and only have the end-fed
> and an HF-2 vertical up right now and know that better results on QRP are
> largely antenna and location dependent (oh to live on a saltwater marsh).
> Running FT8 with the KX-2 on FD was an education and I’ve got to do some
> thinking about how to improve my chances if I decide to try this again. All
> in all great fun with some learning but can’t wait for more future
> propagation. Maybe I should by the Elecraft amp LOL.
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