Exploring FT8: A Modern Digital Mode for Field Day
As Field Day approaches, the West Essex Amateur Radio Club (WEARC) is getting ready for one of amateur radio’s most exciting weekends. If you’re curious about the hobby—or already active and looking to try something new—this is a great time to explore one of the fastest-growing modes in use today: FT8.
This year, on June 28th and 29th, WEARC will have an FT8 station live and operating as part of our Field Day setup at the Fairfield, NJ American Red Cross facility. We invite anyone with an interest in radio—whether licensed or just curious—to stop by. You’ll have the opportunity to watch FT8 in action, get hands-on experience with the software and equipment, and learn from operators who are happy to walk you through the basics. If you’ve never worked digital before, this is your chance to see what it’s all about and even make your first FT8 contact.
Field Day, held each year on the fourth full weekend of June, is a coordinated operating event where thousands of amateur radio operators across the United States and Canada set up portable stations, often in parks, fields, or other public spaces. It’s part emergency preparedness drill, part public outreach, and part contest. Stations work as many other stations as possible during a 24-hour period, logging contacts across different bands and modes. Voice and Morse code are longtime staples, but digital modes like FT8 have surged in popularity over the last several years.
FT8, short for “Franke-Taylor design, 8-FSK modulation,” was introduced in 2017 by Joe Taylor (K1JT) and Steve Franke (K9AN). It uses an extremely narrow bandwidth—just 50 Hz—and a series of timed 15-second transmissions to make rapid, reliable contacts, even when signals are weak or noisy. The mode is built for efficiency, not conversation; each exchange includes only the essential data: callsigns, grid locator, and signal report. Yet this simplicity is what makes it such a powerful tool, particularly under poor propagation conditions.
You don’t need the latest equipment to get on the air with FT8. Any HF transceiver capable of SSB will work, including older models. Most modern radios, like the ICOM IC-7300 or Yaesu FT-991A, have built-in USB audio interfaces that make setup straightforward. For radios without that feature, an external interface—such as the Tigertronics SignalLink or Digirig Mobile—will connect your rig to your computer. You’ll also need free software like WSJT-X, and your computer clock must be precisely synchronized to within a second—something easily handled using network time protocol (NTP) or GPS-based tools. Once configured, you can start making digital contacts with stations around the world.
Since its debut, FT8 has seen explosive growth in the amateur radio community. In 2017, it made up a tiny slice of digital QSOs. But by 2020, FT8 had become the most-used mode in the world, accounting for over half of all logged amateur contacts. That growth has only continued, with 35 to 40 million FT8 QSOs per year according to Club Log estimates. It’s not just popular—it’s dominant, particularly among operators in compromised environments with limited antennas or power.
FT8 also provides a scoring advantage on Field Day. Voice contacts (e.g., SSB) are worth one point each, while digital contacts—including FT8—earn two points apiece. That’s a compelling reason for clubs and individual operators alike to consider adding digital capability to their Field Day operations.
Visit https://www.wearc.org/news-blog for additional Field Day details. We look forward to seeing you there!
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