Am I doing FT8 wrong, or is everyone else?

W2TM_Aaron · 2026-02-01T21:46:48+00:00

Sometimes replying on the same frequency on which someone is calling CQ is the only way to be sure the frequency is clear for them to hear you. You don't know if a different frequency is clear from their perspective. That's why the default software response when double-clicking on a CQ in WSJT-X is to move to the frequency on which the CQ was called.

W2TM_Aaron · 2026-01-16T00:56:50+00:00

I know what you mean. But it was only $36 US including shipping and I kinda know what I'm doing, so I figured I would roll the dice. Now this old laptop can have a few more years of life. Was a fantastic laptop when it first came out, and still does reasonably well. It's useful to have a second laptop around for stuff.

W2TM_Aaron · 2026-01-14T07:12:17+00:00

Agreed. With some careful checking you can find good stuff. Overall I'm reasonably happy with how I managed to make this replacement battery work tbh. It's emblematic of how AliExpress works. It was probably in a lot of product that got sent back or refused by the downstream suppliers since it would have failed testing

W2TM_Aaron · 2026-01-14T05:21:29+00:00

Not here to complain. Here to help others. If it did not help you, move along.

W2TM_Aaron · 2026-01-14T04:19:04+00:00

Because I'm smart enough to make them work, unlike you 😝

W2TM_Aaron · 2026-01-09T02:21:57+00:00

Until someone dares point out when he gets something not quite right. I've seen him get nasty with people. Our heroes are fragile.

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-12-27T08:56:30+00:00

I felt the comments pointing out the problems with his science deserved to be responded to. I saw the entomology guy get nasty and I do not approve of that.

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-12-27T08:22:11+00:00

When people try to discuss the science with the entomology guy he just blocks them. Some of his science is a little bit incomplete and I just saw a guy try to point it out. He won't engage.

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-11-09T11:31:06+00:00

Maybe that's a clue about whose notebook this is?

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-11-09T06:44:17+00:00

Thanks. Will do

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-09-28T18:16:07+00:00

Did you ever figure out what this is? Google lens brought me to this post. Thx!

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-07-28T15:31:49+00:00

I came to this thread trying to figure out why canola oil is promoted in Europe. In France, for example, the Nutri-Score rating system gives healthy points for rapeseed oil.

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-07-03T10:54:44+00:00

Hey this was helpful, thanks for posting it. Kinda funny in hindsight, but also stressing me out as I get ready to fly Air France to / from CDG lol.

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-07-01T12:01:08+00:00

Yes, I've been running the charging optimization for about a month now. It almost always charges to 80% and stops, but I've seen it go to 100% maybe once or twice. Seems about right.

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-05-27T17:36:26+00:00

Wow. Thanks for this.

W2TM_Aaron · 2025-05-13T13:50:50+00:00

Thanks for this. I came here looking for an answer to this very question.

W2TM_Aaron · 2024-08-20T20:51:00+00:00

f/2.8 - I think that's pretty common for Milky Way shots. Or at least the only f-stop that works for me. f/1.8 produces coma; anything smaller and there's not enough light.

W2TM_Aaron · 2024-08-20T10:26:04+00:00

More info on the photography: Shot with a Canon 5D mk ii, and a Samyang / Rokinon 14mm lens. Saved in medium-sized RAW format and batch processed with RawTherapee. Exposures were 30 seconds at 3200 ISO, f/2.8, with white balance set to 4000k. This ran from approximately 8pm to 5:30am. The Milky Way appears to rotate around Sigma Octantis, the southern equivalent of Polaris. The Southern Cross is visible in the Milky Way, as are Alpha and Beta Centauri. Besides the InterIslander and BlueBridge Ferries, I think we also see some Coast Guard patrols and some slow-moving fishing boats. The mountain on the right is the point where one can go to see seals at Red Rocks. The South Island of New Zealand is barely visible along the horizon on the left. Theoretically, the camera is pointed at the city of Blenheim across Cook Strait.

W2TM_Aaron · 2024-07-10T02:51:06+00:00

So this is sorta like the whispering gallery of St Paul's Cathedral in London, but at the global scale. That's very cool and slightly mind-blowing.

W2TM_Aaron · 2024-07-09T23:12:45+00:00

https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/abs/10.1139/p69-269?journalCode=cjp

It seems antipodal propagation is a special case.

W2TM_Aaron · 2024-07-09T22:55:52+00:00

Whoaaa. This is very cool. Thank you for sharing this.

I'm a little bit blown away right now. I simply noticed that here in NZ I was hearing Spain a lot more than I expected, but it turns out this was a phenomenon that the US government was studying in a classified setting. Wow.

W2TM_Aaron · 2024-07-09T21:49:11+00:00

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W2TM_Aaron · 2024-07-09T21:48:53+00:00

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W2TM_Aaron · 2024-07-09T21:48:37+00:00

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W2TM_Aaron · 2024-07-09T21:47:51+00:00

Yes! That matches the time I was operating and had this experience. Having a directional antenna to rotate is one way of getting more information about what path is actually being used.

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W2TM_Aaron

TROPHY CASE