qFT8 is an Android phone app for amateur radio that decodes and transmits FT8, FT4, FT2, LQ8, JS8, or WSPR digital data messages using a transceiver.
Although qFT8 features out-of-the-box (plug-and-play) support for the QMX and ICOM 7300, you may also use it with any transceiver by placing the phone close to the speaker and microphone with VOX enabled, or using an audio link cable. You may also just try qFT8 without a transceiver: it transmits using the phone speaker and listens to signals using the phone microphone. Several phones running qFT8 can contact each other via audio when they are close enough.
qFT8 is a free app and does not contain ads. The license for its source code will be decided when the source code is released (LICENSE).
Luis Quesada Torres (HB9IPH) developed qFT8 in 2026, owns the copyright, and reserves all rights.
qFT8 includes parts from usb-serial-for-android (Copyright © 2011-2020 Google Inc., Mike Wakerly, Andreas Butti, Kai Morich, BSD-3-Clause), Roboto (Copyright © 2015 Google / The Roboto Project Authors, Apache-2.0), Roboto Mono (Copyright © 2015 Google / The Roboto Mono Project Authors, OFL-1.1), Natural Earth (Public Domain), hamradio-zones-geojson (Copyright © 2024 HB9HIL, HA8TKS, MIT license), and Big CTY (Copyright © Jim Reisert AD1C). これらのサードパーティ著者およびプロジェクトは、qFT8を推奨または提携するものではありません。
qFT8 supports three main ways of connecting your transceiver:
These transceivers are directly supported via a USB cable, which handles both CAT control (for frequency tuning and PTT keying) and high-quality USB audio transmission:
Note on External Interfaces (Digirig, generic USB-serial cables): Auto-detection (AUTO) is designed for transceivers with native USB controllers or model-branded cables. When using a generic external interface (like Digirig), auto-detection only sees the generic interface chip and defaults to VOX mode. To use CAT control with radios connected via external interfaces (e.g., Lab599 TX-500), please manually select your transceiver model in the Transceiver Settings menu.
More devices are supported via VOX, which is a partial audio-only integration.
Note: For safety reasons, qFT8 does not allow changing the Tx power of the transceiver. Adjust power manually in your transceiver.
Please ensure that you are using the right power supply for the transceiver (e.g. ≤12V for a QMX) or you will damage it.
Please also ensure that the USB cable and adapter you are using to connect the phone and the transceiver is rated for data transfer. Note that for devices that use connectors other than USB-C, a specific OTG (on-the-go) cable is often required. Most connectivity issues where qFT8 doesn't see the transceiver are due to using an incompatible cable or adapter.
Some Android devices have USB OTG disabled by default. This must be enabled in your device settings (the option may be hidden in advanced, system, or additional settings). If you are having connection issues—in particular if you are able to receive signal from qFT8 but not transmit and CAT commands don't work even when the device is fully supported (shown in the device dropdown, autorecognized in AUTO mode, etc.)—this is very likely the cause.
一部のAndroid端末では、USB OTGが無効(オフ)に設定されている場合があります。端末の設定からこの機能を有効にする必要があります(詳細設定、システム設定、またはその他の追加設定に配置されていることがあります)。接続トラブルが発生している場合、特に「qFT8で信号は受信できるが送信ができない」「無線機が完全に対応機種(ドロップダウンに表示される、AUTOモードで自動認識されるなど)であるにもかかわらずCATコマンドが機能しない」という場合は、このOTG設定が無効になっている可能性が極めて高いです。
When opening qFT8 for the first time, it will request several permissions:
Key Principle: qFT8 does not submit any information to a server dedicated to this app. All data processing happens locally on your device. You may explicitly authorize sharing callsign, date and time, and optionally approximate location if you enter a valid QRZ API Key.
For more details, see the qFT8 Privacy Policy - License.
Inputting a callsign is mandatory for qFT8 to function. If you do not intend to connect to an actual transceiver, any callsign can be input for testing purposes, e.g. XX1XXX.
qFT8 will ask you to input your callsign and acknowledge the following:
When the transceiver is plugged in and qFT8 is open, a system dialog will appear:
"Open qFT8 to handle Transceiver."
If you have issues connecting the Android device, check the Android device doesn't recognize the transceiver or it gets disconnected / Android端末がトランシーバーを認識しない、または切断される troubleshooting section.
qFT8 automatically configures the transceiver whenever it is connected.
↑ 目次へ戻るBefore you start operating, it is important to verify that the audio signal between your phone and the QMX is working correctly. Press the TX button and wait for the QMX to start transmitting in one of the next sequences.
If the TX button shows power output (e.g. 5W), everything is working correctly. On the QMX LCD, you should see a bar under the "A" VFO marker at the top-left of the screen — this means the QMX is receiving a good audio signal from the phone. You should also confirm that there is no "S" shown after the frequency on the LCD, which would indicate SWR protection.
If the QMX LCD shows an "S" after the frequency, it means SWR protection has engaged. Your antenna is not properly tuned for the current band. You can use the SWR check option in the QMX menu to measure the SWR and will need to tune your antenna.
If the QMX shows two dots instead of a bar under the "A" VFO marker at the top-left of the screen, the audio volume is either too low or too high.
Try: Go to qFT8 Settings, find the "Set system volume to [X] when transmitting" option, and try different values (e.g. 70%, 80%, 60%, 100%). One of these should turn the two dots into a bar.
On some phones, this option may not work. In that case, uncheck it and manually adjust your phone volume to different values (100%, 90%, 80%, etc.) until the bar appears.
Also, common-mode current may be impacting the QMX behavior, and adding a common-mode choke to the antenna may help with audio issues as well.
If there is no bar and no dots under the "A" VFO marker at the top-left of the QMX LCD screen, the phone may not be properly controlling the transceiver. This usually means USB permissions were not granted or were accidentally dismissed. Receiving will work, but transmitting will not.
Try: Unplug the QMX from the phone and plug it back in — the permission dialog should appear again. It may also be that the cable is not suitable for the QMX; try a different USB-C cable.
Once you see a bar under the "A" VFO marker at the top-left of the QMX LCD screen and power output in the TX button, your QMX is properly set up and ready to operate!
↑ 目次へ戻るYou may now import your existing QSOs; there are two approaches. Both ways require going to settings using the right-most button in the bottom bar of qFT8.
The manual approach: Go to the "ADIF File Import" section in settings, click the "IMPORT QSOs" button, and select the .adi file to import.
The QRZ automatic approach: Requires an active QRZ paid subscription. Go to the "QRZ Syncing" section in settings, enter the QRZ API Key for your callsign, press "VALIDATE", and then click the "IMPORT QSOs FROM QRZ" button. This will also set up automated uploads to QRZ and confirmation checks.
The LoTW automatic approach: Free of charge. Go to the "LoTW Syncing" section in settings, enter your Callsign and LoTW password, and enable background synchronization if desired. This will also allow you to perform the initial "IMPORT QSOs FROM LoTW".
↑ 目次へ戻るNote: Accurate time is critical for FT8. qFT8 automatically synchronizes time upon app initialization via NTP (internet) or GPS (satellites). If you are operating in the field without internet access, you can use the GPS SYNC button in the Settings tab to synchronize your clock directly from GPS satellites. This requires precise location permission and a clear view of the sky.
At this point, the transceiver should be connected to the right power supply and the antenna, and all permissions should be granted. Make sure that the antenna is tuned to a band with a reasonable SWR (ideally consistently below 2) that will not trigger SWR protections. It is a bad idea to disable SWR protection in the QMX; it could damage the finals or the antenna tuner.
You may now choose the band you want to use in the bottom bar of qFT8 or in the transceiver. Setting it in one of them will sync it to the other.
At this point, the spectrogram will show signals and start decoding messages, and the Stations tab will be updating with the stations you're hearing.
Pressing the TX button (left-most button in the bottom) will enable transmission.
If everything is correct, the TX button will eventually light up with "TX Transmitting" and will show the transmission power and SWR (e.g., "5.0W SWR 1.2").
Given the "AUTO" mode is selected by default, qFT8 will start making QSOs and logging them in the Log tab.
You may tap in the spectrogram to change the Tx frequency offset (additionally, tapping on the top part of the spectrogram, where the peak indicators are, allows you to input a frequency manually), you may change sequence by tapping the 0 and 1 buttons in the bottom bar, you may tap the different "CALL" buttons to call specific stations, or you may tweak the bar with the "AUTO" button in the Stations tab to decide on the strategy. More on all of these advanced features in the following sections.
Note that qFT8 will start calling stations or, if none of them are reachable, will start calling CQ. Eventually, if everything is properly set up and the propagation is good, qFT8 will achieve QSOs.
If qFT8 is not receiving proper signals and not decoding messages, that is a clear sign that something is wrong: propagation in that band may be closed, the antenna may not be properly tuned, the antenna may not be properly connected to the transceiver, the transceiver may not be properly connected to the phone, or some of your equipment may not be functioning correctly. See the troubleshooting section below for common issues.
↑ 目次へ戻るアマチュア無線のデジタルモードは、構造化されたテキストやデータを音声の周波数偏移変調(FSK)信号に変換し、単側波帯(SSB)で送受信します。極めて狭い帯域幅、高度な前方誤り訂正(FEC)、正確な時刻同期を組み合わせることで、人の耳には聞こえないノイズの底に埋もれた微弱な信号であっても全世界との確実な交信を可能にします。qFT8は主要な現代デジタルモードであるFT8、FT4、FT2、JS8、WSPR、LQ8をサポートしており、超微弱信号の伝搬調査から高速コンテスト、キーボードによる自由なチャットまで多彩な用途に対応します。
FT8(Steve Franke氏とJoe Taylor氏設計、8-GFSK)は、スポラディックE層のマルチホップや混雑したバンドなどの厳しい微弱信号環境向けに開発された世界で最も普及しているデジタルプロトコルです。15秒ごとの精密な同期、構造化メッセージ、堅牢な誤り訂正が特徴です。
FT8 operates in 15-second cycles. Every communication cycle is strictly timed, starting exactly at 00, 15, 30, and 45 seconds of every minute. For this reason, your device's clock must be accurately synchronized to UTC time.
There are two sequences within the protocol:
Stations generally alternate between transmitting and receiving. A station transmitting in Sequence 0 will listen for a response in Sequence 1, and vice versa. Within each 15-second cycle, the message is transmitted in a window between approximately +0.5s and +13s. This leaves time at the end of the cycle for decoding and at the beginning for preparing the next transmission.
Each FT8 message is transmitted as a sequence of tones with slight frequency variations (sometimes described as "wiggliness"). An FT8 signal is very narrow, occupying only about 50Hz of bandwidth. This efficiency allows dozens of simultaneous conversations to fit within a single 3kHz radio band.
A standard FT8 contact typically moves through six stages. Here is an example of an exchange between HB9IPH and XX1XXX:
CQ HB9IPH JN47JN47 is a
Maidenhead grid locator,
which indicates the
station's approximate geographic location.
There may also be a CQ
modifier, which is a note for other operators (e.g.,
CQ SOTA HB9IPH for the Summits On The Air program, or CQ US HB9IPH when
trying to contact someone in the US).
Both the modifier and location might not fit in the same message; in such cases, the location is
omitted. If the callsign is very long, it is possible that neither the location nor the
modifier will fit in the CQ!
HB9IPH XX1XXX JO21JO21), which may be omitted if the
callsigns are too long to fit everything.
XX1XXX HB9IPH -10-10) indicates the signal strength
relative to the noise floor in dB.
HB9IPH XX1XXX R-12XX1XXX HB9IPH RR73
HB9IPH XX1XXX 73
Because of the Two Generals' Problem, it is theoretically impossible to know for certain that the other station received your last communication unless they confirm so. However, then you would need to confirm their confirmation, and they would need to confirm that, and so on. The FT8 digital mode mitigates this by having structured stages: a QSO can technically be considered complete after stage 4/6 (when both signal reports have been exchanged). In practice, to ensure both stations agree that the exchange happened, a QSO is logged when a station has received an RR73 and has sent out a 73. Effectively, either transmitting an RR73 or a 73 triggers the logging of a QSO.
Note that stations may also call other stations even if they haven't transmitted a CQ first. For example, stations in rare locations may have a "pile-up" of many stations calling them simultaneously; in such cases, the rare station may simply move from one QSO to the next without needing to invite new callers with a CQ.
Some stations may use RRR instead of RR73 in stage 5. In that case, the contact requires an extra exchange: the second station sends 73, and then the first station sends 73 again to finish.
FT8 also supports free text messages (up to 13 characters), but qFT8 does not currently support sending these custom messages.
FT8 messages are highly compressed into 77 bits. Sometimes, complex information (like long, non-standard callsigns) does not fit in the standard message format.
<...>. It is much
harder to achieve QSOs when your callsign is not standard.FT4は、交信レートの高さが決定打となるアマチュア無線のコンテスト(コンテスト運用)専用に設計された高速デジタルモードです:
FT2は、強い信号強度での超高速交信、VHF/UHFの流星散乱(MS)、ハイスピードコンテスト向けに設計されています:
JS8(Jordan Sherer氏設計、8-GFSK)は、定型のコンテスト交信ではなく、キーボードによる自由会話(ラグチュー)、メッセージング、アドホックネットワークを目的に設計されています:
WSPR(Weak Signal Propagation Reporter)は、双方向交信ではなく電波伝搬経路の調査と自動ビーコン送信に特化したモードです:
LQ8は、qFT8の作者・開発者である Luis Quesada(HB9IPH) 氏によって開発された次世代微弱信号デジタルモードです:
REPORT+RR73)や、複数局への並列応答(MULTI_CALL)などの複合メッセージをネイティブサポートし、通常4〜6サイクルかかるQSOをわずか2〜3サイクルに短縮します。仕様、技術文書、ツールの詳細については、LQモードのポータルサイト https://lq8.org をご覧ください。
↑ 目次へ戻るThe qFT8 app is split in three parts:
The following sections describe all these components in detail.
The bottom bar shows important information: the transmission armed/disarmed state, whether qFT8 is transmitting, the transmission power, the Standing Wave Ratio (SWR), the message being transmitted, the current and selected sequence, the band selector, and the buttons to navigate the different tabs.
These are the components of the bottom bar in detail:
The spectrogram shows a peak view, and the waterfall with incoming signals and messages, outgoing signals and messages, markers for the change of sequence annotated with UTC time and time to decode, and the selected offset frequency for transmission.
These are the components of the spectrogram in detail:
The Stations tab is the command center for monitoring activity on the band and operating qFT8. It features filtering and automation controls at the top, followed by a list of active stations.
These are the components of the Stations tab in detail:
Individual station entries consist of four information-rich rows:
The first row shows station details (left to right):
The second row shows communication status (left to right):
第3行と第4行は、その局とのメッセージ交換を表示し、UTC時刻、周波数オフセット、メッセージ本文(受信メッセージにはRx:、送信メッセージにはTx:が付きます)を含みます。設定 → アプリケーション → ユーザーインターフェースの局の表示モード(デフォルトはコンパクト - 最後のRx、他にコンパクト - 交互表示、コンパクト - 最後のRx/Tx、展開表示)に応じて、局カードには3行表示またはRxとTxの両方を同時に表示する4行表示のいずれかが適用されます。
注意すべき主な視覚的インジケーター:
/Pなどの複合コールサインやハッシュ化されたコールサインの一致を含む)宛てに直接送信されたことを示します。これにより、相手局が自局を呼んだ、または自局の送信に応答したことが即座に視覚的に分かります。一般的なCQ呼び出しや他局宛てのメッセージは強調表示されず、メッセージが直前のサイクルより古くなるとテキストの色は自動的に通常のグレーに戻ります。送信(Tx:)メッセージは常にニュートラルなグレーのままです。
Stations are automatically sorted by relevance. Changing your target criteria or constraints will immediately re-sort the list.
↑ 目次へ戻るThe log tab shows achieved QSOs.
These are the components of the Log tab in detail:
Key visual indicators to watch for:
Editing QSOs: Tapping on any QSO in the list will open a prompt that allows manually marking a QSO as confirmed/unconfirmed locally in qFT8, or deleting a QSO locally in qFT8. Note that these actions are only local and are not synced to QRZ. Deleting a QSO in the app is irreversible, unless you keep an exported copy of the log file or it was uploaded to QRZ.
↑ 目次へ戻るWorld Map(世界地図)タブは、局の地理的位置、受信トラフィック、交信実績(QSOアチーブメント)、太陽伝搬状態をリアルタイムで表示するインタラクティブな世界地図です。
World Mapタブの各コンポーネントと機能の詳細は以下のとおりです:
SOTA、POTA、STATS、Spot ボタンが点滅している場合は、更新データのダウンロードができなかったことを意味します。
局マーカー、スポット、公園、山頂をタップすると、詳細情報カードが表示されます:
The settings tab allows configuration of qFT8.
The settings tab is organized as follows:
AUTO mode is the primary way to use qFT8. In this mode, the application automatically analyzes the decoded messages at the end of every cycle and selects the most relevant station to contact based on your target criteria.
The Stations tab displays a list of active stations, sorted such that the most relevant candidates (based on your criteria) appear at the top. At the end of each decode cycle, qFT8 looks at this sorted list and attempts to call the first eligible station. If no eligible target is found, it will automatically start calling CQ to attract callers. qFT8 always replies to calls in AUTO mode.
You can fine-tune the automation using the three dropdown menus at the top of the Stations tab:
Manual Override: You can always manually intervene by tapping the CALL button for a specific station. This enters CALL mode for that specific QSO. Once finished, qFT8 seamlessly drops back into AUTO mode.
To prevent qFT8 from calling a non-responsive station indefinitely, qFT8 offers a built-in retry and ban system, enabled by default. You can configure these in the Settings tab under Retry Logic:
Here are some recommended combinations of criteria for common goals:
| Goal | Target | Interval | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximize unique stations | Anyone | Once | Per callsign or zone |
| Maximize unique stations per band | Anyone | Once | In different bands |
| Maximize unique DXCC entities | DXCC | Once | Per callsign or zone |
| Maximize unique DXCC per band | DXCC | Once | In different bands |
| Maximize confirmed DXCC entities | DXCC | Once | Until zone confirmed |
| Maximize confirmed DXCC per band | DXCC | Once | Per band + Until zone |
| Collect unique Grids per band | Grid | Once | Per band + Until zone |
| Work all Zones (CQ/ITU) | I/C/D/G | Once | Until zone confirmed |
| Contest: Unique stations on different bands | Anyone | Once | In different bands |
| Contest: Points for same station on different days | Anyone | Daily | In different bands |
Note that in all these cases, you may enable Spy and Busy to reach out to more stations and enter their pile-ups.
Note: If your callsign is not standard (e.g. with "/"-separated suffixes or prefixes, long callsigns, or other callsigns with numbers in rare positions), you probably want to set Target to Call CQ as your callsign will likely be sent out hashed and only stations who have seen you call CQ will be able to map the hash to your callsign. You may still call stations but they will only map the message to your callsign if they recently heard you call CQ.
↑ 目次へ戻るWhile qFT8 is highly automated, you can take control at any time. Tapping the CALL button next to any station in the Stations tab will immediately enter CALL mode and attempt to establish a QSO with that specific station.
Once the QSO for the manual target is completed (successfully or not), qFT8 will automatically fallback to AUTO mode and resume your previous automated strategy (e.g., calling CQ).
If you find that you'd like more time at the end of the cycle to make manual decisions, you can get yourself more margin by adjusting the FT8 Settings in the Settings tab:
Warning: Adjusting these values aggressively into the margins may make your messages much more difficult for other stations to decode, as you are reducing the effective time available for the actual FT8 signal within the sync window.
qFT8 supports the standard ADIF (Amateur Data Interchange Format) for interoperability with other logging software, cloud services, and for manual backups.
The import feature allows you to bring records from other sources (like other logging programs or backups from other devices) into your local qFT8 log.
Tapping EXPORT QSOs generates an ADIF 3.1.6 file and opens the system Share sheet, allowing you to save the log to your device or send it via email/messaging.
<POTA_REF> / <SOTA_REF>)を含む的確なアワード申請用ファイルを生成できます。
<MY_SOTA_REF> field of
every exported record.
<MY_SIG>,
<MY_SIG_INFO>, and
<MY_POTA_REF> fields of
every exported record.
Note: For very large logs (over 100KB), qFT8 will display a warning as the deduplication and sorting process may take a few moments to complete on your mobile device.
qFT8 offers deep integration with QRZ.com to keep your logbook automatically synchronized. Note that QRZ integration is a subscription service that requires a QRZ paid subscription (XML Logbook Data or higher). If you prefer a free alternative, consider using LoTW integration, which is provided at no charge by the ARRL.
To enable QRZ integration, you need to provide your QRZ API Key in the settings tab. You can find your API Key on the official QRZ Logbook API page. Once entered and VALIDATED, you can enable "Upload QSOs to QRZ" for automatic background management.
The integration goes beyond just uploading. qFT8 also polls QRZ to see if your QSOs have been confirmed.
Pro Tip: You can see the sync progress in settings under "Oldest QSO synced for confirmation". There's no urgency in keeping this up to date, as qFT8 will take care of it over time.
In the synchronization settings, you can choose how qFT8 determines if a QSO is "fully uploaded" via the "Consider a QSO uploaded when uploaded to:" option:
qFT8 provides a robust integration with the ARRL Logbook of the World (LoTW). Integrating with LoTW is highly recommended for confirming your contacts and earning awards like DXCC and WAS.
To fully enable LoTW features, including automatic uploads and confirmation checks, you need to provide four specific pieces of information in the settings tab:
Station Location Automation: Details such as ITU Zone, CQ Zone, and Station Name are automatically determined from your callsign. No manual configuration is required for these fields.
In the synchronization settings, you can choose how qFT8 determines if a QSO is "fully uploaded" via the "Consider a QSO uploaded when uploaded to:" option:
qFT8は、SOTA(Summits On The Air)のチェイサー(ハンター)およびアクティベーター向けに、リアルタイムの自動スポット取得、参照点トラッキング、アワード達成ハイライト、専用ADIFエクスポートフィルターなど充実したツールを統合提供しています。
インターネット接続時、qFT8はバックグラウンドで公式SOTA APIに自動アクセス(90秒ごとに更新)し、世界中のアクティブな山岳運用スポットを取得します。
JA/TK-001, HB/BE-001, W6/NC-001)を自動取得します。CQ SOTA を送信する局とQSOを完了した場合でも、qFT8は新たに届いたスポットを参照して、直近(1時間以内)にログされたQSOへ山頂コードを自動補完します。山頂から運用中の局をハントする手順:
CQ SOTA 送信局)は2行目に SOTA バッジが表示されます。また、DXCC列ヘッダーが SOTA Reference に切り替わり、山頂コードが直接表示されます。qFT8はSOTA交信履歴の確認・修正機能を備えています:
JA/TK-001)を追加・修正・削除できます。山頂からSOTA運用を行う手順:
SOTA に設定します。CQ送信時に CQ SOTA [コールサイン] が送信されます。手動介入: 複数のチェイサーから同時に呼ばれて特定の局を選択したい場合は、その局の CALL をタップしてください。交信完了後、自動的にCQ送信へ復帰します。
アワード申請用ログやアクティベーター用ログとして適切なADIFファイルを生成できます:
<SOTA_REF> 含有)が出力されます。JA/TK-001)を入力します。全レコードに <MY_SOTA_REF> が自動付加されます。<MY_SOTA_REF>)と相手局の山頂コード(<SOTA_REF>)が同時に出力されます。qFT8は、POTA(Parks On The Air)のハンターおよびアクティベーター向けに、リアルタイムの自動スポット取得、公園コードの追跡、参照点の編集、柔軟なADIFエクスポート機能を完全に統合しています。
インターネット接続時、qFT8はバックグラウンドで公式POTA APIに自動アクセス(90秒ごとに更新)し、世界中のアクティブな公園運用スポットを取得します。
JA-0001, K-1234, US-0001)を自動認識します。CQ POTA を送信する局とQSOを完了した場合でも、qFT8は新着スポットを監視して直近(1時間以内)のQSOへ公園コードを自動補完します。公園から運用中の局をハントする手順:
アプリ内で直接POTAハンターログの確認・修正が可能です:
JA-0001, K-1234)を追加・変更・削除できます。公園からPOTAアクティベーションを行う手順:
POTA に設定し、CQ POTA [コールサイン] を送信するようにします。手動介入: 待機中の任意の局の CALL をタップすると、そのQSOを優先処理した後にAUTO CQへ戻ります。
pota.appへ直接アップロード可能な標準ADIFファイルを生成できます:
<POTA_REF> 含有)が出力されます。JA-0001, K-1234)を入力します。全レコードに <MY_SIG>POTA, <MY_SIG_INFO>, <MY_POTA_REF> が自動付加されます。<MY_POTA_REF>)と相手局の参照点(<POTA_REF> / <SOTA_REF>)が同時に出力されます。When operating in JS8 mode, qFT8 provides a conversational free-text chat interface alongside traditional FT8/FT4 QSO operations. JS8 enables robust, weak-signal keyboard-to-keyboard messaging at multiple configurable speeds (Slow 30s, Normal 15s, Fast 10s, and Turbo 6s slots).
The chat panel on the right-hand side organizes incoming and outgoing traffic into separate channel tabs:
[GLOBAL] Master Channel: Displays every decoded JS8 transmission across the entire audio passband, as well as all of your own transmissions. This gives you a complete live overview of all band activity in one place.@CQ, @ALLCALL): Used for general calls and announcements to all listening stations. Messages sent to @CQ or @ALLCALL will be seen by anyone tuned to the frequency.@GROUPNAME): qFT8 supports custom directed groups (e.g. @EMERGENCY, @SOTA, @NET). When a message is sent or received with a @GROUP tag, it is automatically organized into its dedicated channel tab.Over-the-Air Transmission (Not Private): All JS8 messages are transmitted in the clear as standard amateur radio digital signals. Direct station chats route conversation history into a dedicated tab for convenience, but they are not encrypted or private and can be received by any station monitoring the frequency.
[GLOBAL], @CQ, @ALLCALL, a group, or a specific station callsign).Tapping on any message in the chat log opens a detail dialog showing the full UTC timestamp, audio frequency, SNR, Maidenhead grid, and message content:
If your message is longer than what can fit inside a single JS8 transmission frame:
TX (1/3)).右側パネルのコールサインタブまたはグループチャンネルタブを長押し(ホールド)すると、管理メニューが開きます:
AUTOボタンが有効な場合、qFT8は他局から受信したダイレクトクエリ(SNR?、HW CPY?、GRID?、INFO?、STATUS?、HEARING?など)およびハートビートメッセージ(@HB HEARTBEAT)に自動的に応答します。
例えば、他局から自局コールサイン SNR?や自局コールサイン HW CPY?を受信すると、qFT8は手動操作を必要とせず、シグナルレポート応答(例: SNR -08)を自動的にキューに入れて送信します。同様に、ハートビート送信(@HB HEARTBEAT)を受信した際も、qFT8はハートビート確認応答(HEARTBEAT SNR -08)を自動的にキューに入れて送信局へ受信状態を返答します。
Requestボタンを使用すると、コマンドの構文を手動で入力することなく、選択中の相手局やグループに対して標準クエリを素早く送信できます:
SNR? / HW CPY?: 相手局にシグナルレポートを要求します。GRID?: 相手局のグリッドロケーターを要求します。INFO?: 相手局の設定された情報メッセージを要求します。STATUS?: 相手局の運用ステータステキストを要求します。HEARING?: その局が過去10分間に受信した局のリストを問い合わせます。WSPR(Weak Signal Propagation Reporter)は、極めて低い送信電力で電波伝搬経路を調査・測定するために設計された専用デジタルプロトコルです。WSPR 信号は狭帯域 4-FSK 変調、強力な畳み込み符号、および逐次ファノ(Fano)復号を使用し、雑音レベルを大幅に下回る −28 dB SNR の極微弱信号まで高感度にデコードできます。
WSPR の送受信は同期された UTC 2分間スロット(162トーンシンボル、110.6秒間のアクティブ送信)で行われます。送信は常に偶数 UTC 分の1秒後(:00, :02, :04, :06...)に正確に開始されます。スペクトログラムの垂直スクロールは、120秒のサイクル長に合わせて滑らかで緩やかなスクロール速度に自動調整されます。
WSPR は会話型 QSO ではなくビーコン送信および伝搬観測プロトコルであるため、qFT8 では QSO 左右分割のないフル幅のシングルペインアクティビティログを提供します:
JN45)。37 dBm)。yyMMdd HH:mm 形式)。WSPR アクティビティ画面の上部ヘッダーコントロール:
0% [受信のみ]、10%、20%、25%、33%、50%、または 100% 連続)。例えば、20% の設定では前回の送信から10分ごとに確定して送信します(50% = 4分ごと、33% = 6分ごと、25% = 8分ごと、10% = 20分ごと、100% = 2分周期ごとに連続送信)。qFT8 は受信したスポットを世界規模の WSPRnet データベースおよび PSKReporter に自動アップロードできます:
WSPR アクティビティパネルの右上にある EXPORT ボタンをタップすると、現在のセッションで記録されたすべてのスポットを標準の ADIF 形式(.adi)で直接エクスポートして共有・保存できます。
qFT8 includes an embedded HTTP server that allows you to monitor and control the application from any web browser on your network. This is particularly useful for remote operation or as a secondary display.
This is how the Spectrogram/Stations view looks like in the remote control web server:
It allows operating with the AUTO button, criteria dropdown, + button to directly add callsigns, and the list of stations with CALL buttons to manually call them.
And this is how the Spectrogram/Log view looks like:
This view shows the most recent log entries.
The server opens a specific TCP port (default 13497) on your phone. To access it, your devices must be able to "see" each other on the network:
You can configure the remote security level in the settings pane:
Security Note: Anyone with access to your network, IP address, and port will have the level of control you have configured. If set to Full control, they could potentially start transmitting using your station.
In Full control mode, the web interface offers nearly everything the app UI does:
Note: The web UI is designed to remain responsive even if the physical phone's screen becomes sluggish due to RF interference, providing a reliable fallback for control.
Note: The web server will function when the screen is off if the settings to run in background are enabled (the default is to keep running in the background when qFT8 is connected to a transceiver).
This is almost always a hardware connectivity or radio interference issue. USB connections are sensitive to vibration, cable quality, and fluff phone raccoons dwelling in the USB port. Another common cause is that USB OTG may be disabled by default in your Android device (in particular if you are able to receive signal from qFT8 but not transmit and CAT commands don't work even when the device is fully supported, shown in the device dropdown, autorecognized in AUTO mode, etc., this is very likely the cause). また、Android端末側でUSB OTGがデフォルトで無効になっていることもよくある原因です(特に、qFT8で信号を受信できるのに送信できず、対応機種として認識されているにもかかわらずCATコマンドが機能しない場合は、これが原因である可能性が非常に高いです)。
Try:
This indicates that the phone is using its internal microphone because it doesn't recognize the transceiver as an external audio source. The most common causes are:
Try: Using a different USB cable, a different adapter, or flipping the cable connections.
If the waterfall remains entirely black both when the transceiver is connected or disconnected, qFT8 likely lacks the necessary permissions to access audio.
Try: Go to your phone's Settings > Apps > qFT8 > Permissions and ensure that Microphone (or Audio recording) is allowed while using qFT8. Alternatively, fully uninstall and reinstall qFT8 and accept all permission prompts on the first launch.
If you see vertical "wiggly lines" in the waterfall (FT8 signals) but no text appears in the Stations tab, perhaps your clock is not synchronized.
Try:
If no wiggly stripes appear at all in the waterfall, perhaps the band is closed or your antenna is disconnected/untuned.
The phone processor may be too slow to decode messages on time.
Try: Make sure you switch to Fast decode in the settings, and feel free to move decoding time earlier (e.g. to 13000ms) to create more margin for decoding, at the expense of potentially missing some late messages every cycle.
If qFT8 shows 0W while transmitting, there are several likely causes:
If the QMX LCD display shows an "S" after the frequency, it means SWR protection kicked in. This means your antenna is not properly tuned for the current band, and the QMX has stopped transmitting to protect its circuitry.
Additionally, qFT8 has its own configurable SWR threshold setting in the app settings. When measured SWR exceeds this threshold, qFT8 will automatically stop transmission to protect your equipment.
Note: qFT8 waits 1 second after the start of transmission before checking for 0W to avoid false positives while the QMX ramps up. If the QMX recovers and power rises above 1W, the problem indicator clears automatically.
If the QMX does not show that SWR protection is engaged, and it shows that transmission is happening properly, it may be that the firmware is old and does not support power measurement. Devices like the QDX also do not support power measurement. qFT8 does not know how to interpret 0W and it gets confused.
Try: If your QMX firmware is old, update it. If you are using a QDX, there is no way around this.
If the QMX does not show the "S" icon after the frequency, then it is likely that the transceiver is simply not receiving a suitable audio signal from the phone. The volume may be too low (not enough signal) or too high (clipping/distortion causes the QMX to reject the signal).
Try: Check the signal indicator on your QMX. A single dot means no audio, two dots mean there's audio but it's not loud enough. Go to the FT8 Settings section and adjust the "Set system volume to [X] when transmitting" setting to different values (e.g. 70%, 80%, 90%) to find the right level for your device.
This seems like SWR is spiking or peaking at high power for some instants during actual transmission, which triggers SWR protection. This is an indicator of a finnicky antenna (e.g. magloops), a bad cable, a bad connection, or an issue in the setup.
Try: adding common-mode current chokes (such as ferrite beads) should decrease common-mode current.
This notification allows qFT8 to continue processing audio and managing QSOs when you minimize the app or turn off the screen.
Some Android manufacturers implement very aggressive battery optimizations that may kill background apps even if you granted the initial permissions.
Double check that you granted the permissions: Go to your phone's Settings > Apps > qFT8 > Battery and select "Unrestricted" (or "Don't optimize").
This is caused by RF Interference (RFI). If your antenna is close to the phone or the cable is poorly shielded, the radio energy can interfere with the touch digitizer.
The app's user interface is occasionally updated, so some minor visual elements may have changed since the screenshots were taken. However, if significant parts of the UI are completely missing or the colors look heavily altered (e.g. the yellow progress bar, the sequence selectors, etc.), your phone's system dark mode may be incorrectly overriding and messing up the application's color palette.
Try: If your system's dark mode is causing issues, you can try temporarily disabling it or adding qFT8 to its exclusion list to restore the correct design.
The issue is likely that you didn't grant the permissions to connect qFT8 to the transceiver. Sometimes this happens because you tap somewhere out of the permission dialog and the dialog closes.
Try: Disconnect and reconnect the transceiver, this should trigger the prompt again. For comfort, mark the option "Always open qFT8 when transceiver is connected" so you never hit this issue again.
This comes from the operating system locale (i.e. language selection).
Try: Switching that configuration to the right country (e.g. English (United States) for miles, English (United Kingdom) for kilometers) will fix it.
This is a known bug in the QMX firmware (up to at least 1.03.000). If you are using the 2x4 mods (e.g. in a QMX+) and your transmission power exceeds 9.9W, the radio's formatting wraps around. For example, 10.1W is reported by the transceiver to the app as 0.1W over the secondary CAT protocol.
Try: There is no workaround inside qFT8, as the app is directly displaying the value it receives. You can safely ignore this display error or reduce your power below 10W to keep the readings accurate until this bug is patched in the transceiver firmware.
The default Share method relies on the native Android share mechanism to export logs. Sometimes, your device's built-in file sharing menu does not offer a direct option to save to your local filesystem.
Try: Change the export Method to Local save in the settings. This uses the Android file picker to directly save the file to your local storage without relying on the sharing menu.
Try: Enable deep decode in the settings. Deep decode does recursive decoding and is able to decode more messages when the band is busy, at the expense of extra processing power. Keep an eye on the spectrogram: if deep decode time is too high in your device (e.g. greater than 1 second) and the app is not able to make decisions on time, disable deep decode.
If this happens only during transmission, it is likely extreme RFI as mentioned above. If it happens at other times, please scroll to the bottom of the Settings tab and use the "Email me to report issues and bugs" link.
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