Help with WSJT-X

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

I am trying to configure my Yaesu FTDX-1200 to my computer and the FT8 software. I have tried both USB and Serial port configurations without success. Most of the time I get a Hamlib timeout errors, have tried different ports, different baud rates. Every combination list on the software’s configuration page. Any ideas would greatly appreciated.

 

Thanks

Dave
K1DPW

 

[Fred Kemmerer]

Hello David,

Try using USB and setting the Baud Rate on both ends to 2400 baud. See if that might help.

 

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

I can  only go down to 4800 baud on this Yaesu, tried but it didn’t make a difference. Still stumped

[Hamilton]

Dave,

Assuming windows, can you see the driver in Device Manager?  If so you can right click on it and select the port tab you can see and set the baud rate, COM port, bits, etc.

The baud must match on the PC, radio,  and WSJT-X.

Let us know which OS you are using.

 

 

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

I seem to have got it going, thank you for all of the input. I was watching it work and seems to stay in transmit mode for while, longer than I think it needs to. I am using a Signalink and appears to be working, but the transmit time concerns me. It this normal?

[Hamilton]

15 sec Tx and 15 sec Rx over and over.

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Ok FT8 is up and running and I am making contacts, however there is one small issue I am having. I am running in the Auto Seq mode and it seems to work fine, except it always skips the RRR on Tx4. I have looked through the manual and it doesn’t seem that have set something wrong. It happens on every contact, they send me a RRR and I send the a 73.

 

Any ideas?

 

 

[Fred Kemmerer]

Hi David,

WSJT-X supports a short ending mode for good conditions. Instead of doing separate RRR and 73 messages, it sends a single RR73 message at the end to save a step. This is best used when conditions are good (they usually are on 20m FT8 for example). You turn this on/off by double-clicking the Tx 4 button.

I hope this helps,

[Hamilton]

Hello David,

Your autoseq is working.

The sequence is similar to SSB when you answer a CQ and expect to hear QSL to confirm he heard and copied you. You don’t typically say  QSL back to him, you both know his call since he was calling CQ and you answered him. The same is true for digital, you don’t send him a roger roger roger comfirming his call, this step is skipped.

When you call CQ you will be sending the rrr and shouldn’t expect one to come back.

As Fred writes there are other sequences that skip or combine steps to save time.

 

[Nashua Area Radio Society]

Thank you for the help, all seems to be working fine.

 

Dave, 73

[Author]

Posts