How To Do FT8 In 60M With FT 991A

Doing FT-8 in 60m band with the FT-991/A

I've seen a lot of complaints in public forums, even with some posters claiming that the FT-991/A can't do FT8 in 60M, which is... Fallacious, to stay polite.

Other posters suggests the unrestricted TX mod in HF band (argh), but that's not the right thing to do.

Your 991/A can surely do FT8 in 60 meters - But that requires some configuration-fu.

Why can't I do FT8 in 60M out-of-the-box?

The 60 meter band is channelized, and your 991/A comes with preprogrammed memories for this band; the 5MHz01 to 5MHz10 memories.

The FT8-suitable channel is the 5MHz03 memory.

If you can not get to the 5MHz<xx> memory mode - Ensure that your config clause 034 MEM GROUP is set to DISABLE.

The problem is; your 991/A does not allow for any modification or change for this memory (due to regulatory requirements), and that includes the Mode too. Usually, the FT8 mode is done in DATA-USB mode and after tuning to this memory, the radio refuses to change the mode to DATA-USB.

And in USB mode the radio enters TX mode but does not transmit - no signal is outputted. Why so?

That's because of the Tx Audio Source Selection algorithm of the radio. In USB mode, a CAT command for TX will cause the radio to expect the signal to be transmitted to come from the front mic port.

How to overcome it?

Configuring your FT-991/A for 60M FT8

Since the radio is expecting the audio to come from the front port, we will now tell the radio that the expected signal should come from the USB Audio Interface. So without further ado:

1. Press the Menu/Setup front button
2. Set the menu config 106 SSB Mic Select to REAR
3. Set the menu config 109 SSB Port Select to USB
4. Select the Back button in the screen
5. Push the V/M button to enter the Memory mode
6. Stop the scope mode and push F/M-List to show the radio menus
7. Scroll the menus until you find the MCH button. Push it.
8. Using the MULTI knob, scroll the memories until you get to the 5MHz03 memory.
9. If you can not get to the 5MHz<xx> memory mode - Ensure that your config clause 034 MEM GROUP is set to DISABLE.
10. Happy FT8ing!!!

AFTER you have done your FT8 session, revert the configuration clauses to its defaults, in order to be able to talk SSB again using the front mic port:

1. Press the Menu/Setup front button
2. Set the menu config 106 SSB Mic Select to MIC
3. Set the menu config 109 SSB Port Select to DATA
4. Select the Back button in the screen

Hope that helps - 73 de PY2RAF.

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