[Elecraft] Legal Limit With FT8

[Mike Harris]

I'm aware of the concept of tail-ending. I was wondering how it could be 
applied in the context of FT8 which has a proscribed timing structure.

If I'm S&P I wait until I see a 73 or RR73 and immediately enable TX. 
The timing is then determined by the PC clock. An exchange or not is 
determined by the inclination of the station called. Then it is down to 
chair time.

Most of the time when I come on FT8 it turns into a pile-up. I can have 
anything up to and beyond 10-15 minutes of callers backed up, that is 
the wsjt-x right hand window goes solid pink. Sounds great but can 
become very tedious. When I send 73 or RR73 running a pile the following 
period is used to determine who to call next and that isn't necessarily 
the newly decoded tail ender who sends his call once and expects to be 
answered immediately. What about the guy who has been waiting for ten 
minutes, the one I have already loaded into the TX sequence. The tail 
ender joins the list. Often, if not answered within a cycle or two they 
can be seen calling someone else, left hand window.

The issue from the sharp end is that you can see who has been hanging in 
and the choice has to be made who to make happy and who to disappoint. 
You can only hope they will continue hang in there. A LoTW using W7 in 
WY is another thing altogether. No contest.

So really it comes down to luck of the draw. However, I freely accept 
that VP8/F has a slight edge.

Running an RTTY pile, what I'm looking for is a clean pair of tram lines 
and will happily hop about the audio passband if necessary. Not running 
a multi channel decoder, unlike FT8, means that I have no prior 
knowledge who the caller is until I land on them. What works for me 
running a pile, the tricks of the trade if you will, also seems to work 
for others and after a few minutes watching and learning this has 
enabled me make the QSO with a feeling of smug satisfaction whilst 
others are still blindly calling without success. A modest #266 (RTTY) 
DXCC leads me to believe I'm doing something right.

On topic. All this has been achieved using K3 #00345 much modded and 
upgraded. A bigger investment over time than a shiny K4.

Regards,

Mike VP8NO



On 12/11/2021 10:56, Andy Durbin wrote:
> "Please explain "effectively tail-end" using FT8."
> 
> To tail end is, at least in my terminology, to call a station at the end of their current QSO without waiting for them to call CQ.
> 
> To tail-end effectively means, at least in my terminology, to call the station without causing QRM to their current QSO and have them answer the call.
> 
> "Using FT8" should need no explanation.
> 
> One essential aspect of tail ending effectively without causing QRM is to NEVER call on the current QSO frequency.
> 
> 73,
> Andy k3wyc