FT8 is the most popular digital mode in amateur radio, and it's easy to see why. It works when signals are too weak to hear, it runs fine on a modest station, and a complete contact takes about a minute. This guide covers how to get started with FT8: what you need, how to set up WSJT-X, and how to make your first digital QSO.
If you've tuned across 14.074 MHz and heard a cluster of warbling tones, that's FT8. Every one of those tones is a station somewhere in the world exchanging callsigns, grid squares and signal reports in tightly timed 15-second slots. Your computer does the decoding. Your job is to pick who to call and keep your station running cleanly.
What Is FT8 and Why Is It So Popular?
FT8 was created by Joe Taylor, K1JT, and Steve Franke, K9AN, and it runs in the free WSJT-X software. Each transmission lasts just under 13 seconds inside a 15-second window, and each signal is only about 50 Hz wide, so dozens of stations fit side by side in a single 3 kHz voice channel.
The big draw is sensitivity. FT8 can decode signals well below the noise floor, well under what you could copy by ear. That makes it ideal for operators with indoor or compromise antennas, low power, or a noisy neighborhood. It's also why FT8 is a favorite for chasing new countries and states: when a band is barely open, FT8 is often the only thing getting through.
The trade-off is that an FT8 contact is short and structured. You exchange callsigns, a grid square and a signal report, and that's it. Some operators love the efficiency. Others prefer a conversation. Most of us end up doing both.
What You Need to Operate FT8
- An HF or 6 meter transceiver with SSB capability. Most modern radios work.
- A computer running Windows, macOS or Linux.
- A connection between the radio and computer. Many current radios have a built-in USB sound card, so a single USB cable carries both audio and radio control. Older radios need an external audio interface.
- WSJT-X, the free software that encodes and decodes FT8.
- Accurate time on your computer, which is more important than most new operators realize.
Technicians can use FT8 too. The Technician privileges on 10 meters include digital modes, so 28.074 MHz is open to you, and 6 meters at 50.313 MHz is fully available.
Step 1: Set Your Computer Clock Accurately
FT8 depends on every station transmitting and listening in the same 15-second windows. If your clock is off by more than a second or two, your decodes drop off and other stations won't decode you. The standard Windows time sync often isn't precise enough on its own. Install a time sync utility that checks against internet time servers frequently, and confirm your clock is right before you start. In our experience, a bad clock is one of the most common reasons a new FT8 station "hears nothing."
Step 2: Install and Configure WSJT-X
Download WSJT-X from its official site and install it. Under the settings, enter your callsign and your four-character Maidenhead grid square. If you don't know your grid square, any callsign lookup that shows your license record will have it.
Next, set up the radio connection. On the Radio tab, choose your rig model and the serial or USB port it uses so WSJT-X can change frequency and key the transmitter. On the Audio tab, choose the radio's sound device for both input and output. Click "Test CAT" to confirm the computer can talk to the radio.
Step 3: Set Your Audio Levels
Getting levels right is what separates a clean FT8 signal from a messy one.
- Receive level. With the radio on a band with no strong signals, adjust the input level so the meter in the bottom left of WSJT-X sits around 30 dB.
- Transmit level. Transmit into a dummy load or your antenna and adjust the output so the radio's ALC meter shows little or no movement. Driving the audio too hard creates a distorted signal with extra tones that splatter across the band.
- Power. You don't need much. Plenty of operators make contacts around the world on FT8 with 25 to 50 watts or less. Keep in mind that FT8 is a full-duty-cycle mode, so running at full rated power for long periods can heat up some radios.
Common FT8 Frequencies
FT8 uses USB at these standard dial frequencies:
- 160 meters: 1.840 MHz
- 80 meters: 3.573 MHz
- 40 meters: 7.074 MHz
- 30 meters: 10.136 MHz
- 20 meters: 14.074 MHz
- 17 meters: 18.100 MHz
- 15 meters: 21.074 MHz
- 12 meters: 24.915 MHz
- 10 meters: 28.074 MHz
- 6 meters: 50.313 MHz
WSJT-X has these built in, so you can simply pick a band from the drop-down menu. Twenty meters during the day and 40 meters in the evening are the busiest places to start.
Step 4: Make Your First FT8 Contact
Watch the Band Activity window fill with decoded stations for a few minutes before you transmit. Each line shows the time, signal report, frequency offset and message. Messages that start with "CQ" are stations looking for a contact.
To answer a CQ, double-click it. WSJT-X sets up the reply and transmits in the correct time slot. From there the sequence runs largely on its own:
- You send your callsign and grid square.
- The other station replies with a signal report.
- You send back a report of your own, with an "R" meaning you received his.
- The other station sends "RR73" or "RRR" to confirm.
- You send "73" and the contact is complete.
When the exchange finishes, WSJT-X offers to log the QSO. Accept it, and the contact is added to the program's ADIF log file.
A good habit to build early: pick a clear spot in the waterfall for your own transmit frequency instead of transmitting right on top of the station you're calling. WSJT-X lets you set transmit and receive offsets separately, and the "Hold Tx Freq" option keeps you parked there.
FT8 Etiquette and Good Practice
- Stay in the passband. Keep your transmit offset roughly between 200 and 2,800 Hz so your signal stays clean and inside the radio's filters.
- Don't call a station that's already working someone. Wait until he calls CQ again or signs 73.
- Don't leave your station unattended. FT8 software assists you, but you are still the control operator and responsible for every transmission.
- Watch your duty cycle and power. Clean beats loud on FT8.
Logging Your FT8 Contacts
FT8 operators rack up contacts quickly, and that's where good logging pays off. WSJT-X saves every contact to an ADIF file, and you can import that file into QSL Shack at any time. Once your contacts are in, push them to LoTW or QRZ from the same logbook so your confirmations start rolling in. Any FT8 contact with another QSL Shack member who logs the same QSO is matched and confirmed automatically, and your digital QSL cards are exchanged.
If you're still setting up your station, our guide to ham radio base station setup covers power and noise, and HF propagation for beginners explains which bands will be open when you sit down to operate.