[Elecraft] An FT8 Radio- just dreaming

[Bill Frantz]

One of my favorite radios was a Small Wonders Labs PSK20. This 
was a radio designed to only send and receive on the 20M PSK 
subband (14.070-14.074). Coupled with a computer to run PSK 
software it made a very effective travel radio, and I made many 
QSOs with it.

In the modern age, a KX2 is about the same size, but covers 
80M-10M and is basically a HF HT. Many of the JS8Call people are 
using modern Raspberry Pis to run the software, and JS8Call uses 
the same encode/decode/modulation as FT8. (It allows rag chewing.)

For myself, I could probably change the frequency on my PSK20 to 
work on the 20M FT8 band, but it's not a high personal priority.

73 Bill AE6JV

On 2/22/21 at 10:36 PM, elecraft at mailman.qth.net (Doug Millar 
via Elecraft) wrote:

>I have been wondering for some time- How will FT8 change ham 
>radio equipment?  Right off I imagine a radio and computer in 
>one box maybe with the display. (FT8 should vastly simplify the 
>first interface with the radio, with menus reaching deeper into 
>its control. Most of today's designs are not well enough 
>integrated and I think are hampered by preconceptions. Nor do 
>they take advantage of graphic user interfaces that are common 
>in say cell phones.  I think it could be one box with voice 
>and touch control with keyboard and mouse optional. How about 
>an internal projector so that the screen can be projected onto 
>another surface making monitors optional? If it is going to be 
>worth it, It has to be not different but do things differently. 
>    Has anyone else had any thoughts?        Doug K6JEY

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