12 May 2025
Last night I got bitten by a bug. Not the creepy crawly kind you might be thinking of. No, this one is much more sinister—the kind that bites when you finally overcome an obstacle and can suddenly see the path on the other side. But enough with the metaphorical bug speak. What I mean is: I found joy in something that had previously felt like a chore.
I hate to admit it, but I actually had fun last night when I finally got WSJT-X working properly in FT8’s “Fox and Hound” (FH) mode. Knocking out QSO after QSO was enjoyable, even if I was up way past my bedtime.
I’d almost gone to bed early on my “Friday” night, but the lingering frustration over FT8 not working right was—well—bugging me. That’s how I usually handle issues like this. I take them as personal challenges and won’t rest until I figure them out. Thankfully, this one was made a lot easier thanks to all of you. I received countless emails offering encouragement and technical help that pointed me in the right direction. That’s what I truly love about this hobby: the international community of helpful hams.
Around 0730 UTC, I set up my 17-meter dipole, determined to get FT8 working from Wake Island. I think I officially got past whatever gremlins were blocking me. Between 0830 and 0930 UTC, I worked several EU stations, but they soon faded behind the wall of JA stations. Then, to my surprise, the EU stations came back strong after 1030 and stayed steady well past 1200 UTC. I finally turned off the radio just after 0100 UTC (that’s 1 a.m. Wake Island time) after logging close to 930 contacts over several hours.
My alarm at 6:45 a.m. was a rude awakening, but I’d already posted that I’d be on 12 meters SSB after breakfast—so up and at ’em. After eating, I met up with Richard (KR4CDI), and he helped me get things set up. I thought I had my 12-meter dipole with me… I did not. Time to improvise, adapt, and overcome.
What to do? I wondered if the Big Signal DeltaFlex would tune up on 12 meters. It’s built for 10, 15, 20, and 40 meters, but I’d previously gotten a decent SWR match on 17 meters. Sure enough, with Richard manning the selector switch while I watched the IC-7300’s meter, we managed an SWR around 1.5:1. A quick tweak with the radio’s internal tuner, and we were good to go.
I was a bit ahead of schedule, and the silence across the 12-meter band confirmed it. Not a single signal. So, we waited—and enjoyed the morning coffee with a view across the Wake Island lagoon in the (relatively) cool island air. Just after 2000 UTC, I posted a spot on the Parks On The Air (POTA) site. We were probably still early for propagation toward North and South America, but a few calls started coming in. Mostly JA, but a smattering from across the U.S.
After struggling to get 30 contacts, I paused to ask myself: Am I ready for another FT8 marathon?
Apparently, yes.
I changed to 10 meters to get a better match on the DeltaFlex and posted another POTA spot, noting I’d be operating FT8 FH mode above the normal FT8 frequency. Only a few CQs in, and stations started calling. It ramped up fast. By 11 a.m. local time, I had 260 contacts in the log.
Now what?
It was still an hour before lunch, and I didn’t really want to do much else. So—back to 12 meters! And wow, did things pick up. That’s when I discovered my new FT8 problem: I don’t know when to stop.
Just one more click. Okay, maybe one more. I’ve got time for a couple more, right?
There’s something about those quick, defined exchanges in FT8 that makes time melt away. Before I knew it, lunch was slipping out of reach—I kept checking the clock, knowing the dining facility closes at 1 p.m. “I’m not that hungry, right?” I told myself.
Half an hour more. Then another. And another.
By the time I finally shut things down at 0300 UTC (3 p.m. local), I’d logged nearly 760 contacts on 12 meters—bringing the 24-hour total to over 1,900 FT8 QSOs. I was mentally exhausted and hungry for the lunch I gave up but it was worth it.
Your Turn
Have you ever lost track of time during an FT8 run? Pulled off a last-minute antenna improvisation? Share your stories in the comments or drop a note.
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