2E0VEB

  Background Following on from a post  earlier this year, where I discussed reception of FT8 signals, I finally got around to transmitting on this mode in the last few days. As a quick reminder, FT8 is a digital mode for sending messages by radio and is particularly good at getting "through the noise". For those not familiar, everything we do produces Radio Frequency (RF) emissions. Many devices are shielded to reduce this, some are better than others and some have no shielding at all. As a result, that generates a lot of junk/background radio emissions which can make it difficult to get a strong signal through. FT8 is intentionally designed to work in conditions that would be far from optimum for other modes. It is mostly used on (High Frequency) HF bands. Again, for those who are unfamiliar, these are the "long distance" bands and are affected by various factors from time of day, solar weather and other conditions. FT8 can be used on VHF and UHF bands - which are