Second Public Test of FT8 DXpedition Mode Demonstrates High Contact Rates Possible

The second public test of FT8 DXpedition Mode has shown that the mock DXpedition stations (“Foxes”) were able to work the pileups of callers (“Hounds”) at a fairly good clip. Logged data showed that 390 unique stations were copied by one or more of the three Foxes. FT8 is part of the WSJT-X digital software suite. Ned Stearns, AA7A, the operator at W7/KH7Z, learned to manage queues of calling stations much more effectively as his hour progressed, according to co-developer Joe Taylor, K1JT.

“After a program restart at 1532 UTC, he worked 105 additional stations, a rate of 225 per hour during the remaining part of the hour,” Taylor reported. “Slowly but surely, we are optimizing the software and improving our ‘FoxOp’ skills. Further progress will definitely be possible!”

Taylor also released a list (attached below) of stations heard and worked during the second public test of the still-beta FT8 DXpedition Mode protocol. It showed that W1/KH7Z logged 61 stations in 36 minutes, for a rate of 102 per hour; K1JT logged 55 stations in 21 minutes for a 157 per hour rate, and W7/KH7Z worked 174 stations in 60 minutes, a rate of 174 per hour. Taylor’s March presentation on WSJT-X at the MicroHAMS Digital Conference has been posted on YouTube. Taylor has credited the “very professional” editing by Budd Churchward, WB7FHC.