Posted: 7/10/2026 11:55:27 AM EDT
[Last Edit: tyrex13][Edited]
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What is this guy doing wrong? He’s 5 miles away from me. Attached File |
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What radio are you receiving with? What is the S-meter reading for this signal? Just asking in order to rule out or rule in the possibility of receiver IMD. Because FT8 is a single-tone mode (one of eight tones at a time with phase-continuous switching), transmitter IMD (splatter) is unlikely. It may be that the neighboring station is doing something wrong in the audio connection between the FT8 software and the transmitter. |
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| It is easy to get you FT8 signal set correctly. Make sure the power "knob" of the rig itself is set to maximum. Keep backing the "speaker" audio coming out of the computer down down down until the power starts to fall. You signal should be clean. If you want less power output because the rig gets to hot or you want to operate QRP for any reason just keep backing down on the audio coming out of the computer until the RF power is where you want it. Never put more audio in after the rig is maxed out on power. In fact back it down just a bit. So if your rig will run 100 watts output, then put just enough audio in for say 90 or 95 watts power output. MAKE SURE THE POWER SETTING OF THE RIG IS AT MAX. You cannot overdrive your rig if the amount of audio put into the rigs input will not drive the rig to full output. If you are not sure what the max power of your rig is capable with any current antenna just switch to mode like CW or RTTY where the tones are internally generated and read it there. If the rig is slightly "folded back due to SWR that will be your max power out of the rig. Make sure your FT8 audio is less than that. Clear as mud? |
| It may well just be that you're so close to him that the signal strength is too high and causing the display that you are seeing. Someone further away needs to look at his signal. You can use a web SDR to do so in some cases. |
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I'm not adequately aluminumized for this thread. - gonzo_beyondo
CO, MI, OR - Please lobby your legislators to end discrimination against non-resident CCW permit holders
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Originally Posted By Gamma762: It may well just be that you're so close to him that the signal strength is too high and causing the display that you are seeing. Someone further away needs to look at his signal. You can use a web SDR to do so in some cases. There is another guy that lives 550 yards from me and we both see splatter and harmonic signals when we work the same band on FT8. Neither one of us run more than 90 watts. |
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Originally Posted By aa777888-2: What radio are you receiving with? What is the S-meter reading for this signal? Just asking in order to rule out or rule in the possibility of receiver IMD. Because FT8 is a single-tone mode (one of eight tones at a time with phase-continuous switching), transmitter IMD (splatter) is unlikely. It may be that the neighboring station is doing something wrong in the audio connection between the FT8 software and the transmitter. Using TS-590SG, 6m antenna is M2 HO loop at 30'. No S meter because AGC is off, but if it happens again I can turn it on. He was around +35dB in WSJT-X. |
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Originally Posted By tyrex13: Using TS-590SG, 6m antenna is M2 HO loop at 30'. No S meter because AGC is off, but if it happens again I can turn it on. He was around +35dB in WSJT-X. The guy 550 yards away from me is at a max of +31dB and usually around 21-25 dB depending on which antenna he is using. He uses wire antennas and a vertical antenna. |
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