Operating modes
The modes you meet on the clusters, with what each one is good at, how it shows up in a spot and where it lives on the bands. HamQSO colours them the same way here and in the app.
- CWCWCW, Morse code by radio: the narrowest, most efficient mode, and still where most rare DX is worked.
- SSBPhoneSSB, single sideband voice: the standard phone mode on HF, lower sideband below 10 MHz and upper above.
- FT8DigitalFT8: the weak-signal digital mode that took over the bands, with fixed 15 second cycles and fixed dial frequencies.
- FT4DigitalFT4: a faster sibling of FT8 for contests and quick runs, with 7.5 second cycles.
- RTTYDigitalRTTY, radioteletype: the oldest digital mode on the bands, still alive in contests and on DXpeditions.
- PSK31DigitalPSK31: a narrow keyboard-to-keyboard digital mode for real conversations at low power.
- JS8DigitalJS8: free-text conversations built on the FT8 signal, with store-and-forward messaging.
- SSTVDigitalSSTV, slow scan television: pictures sent over voice frequencies, a few dozen seconds each.
- FMPhoneFM: the mode of repeaters and local contacts on VHF and UHF, and of the top of 10 metres.
- AMPhoneAM, amplitude modulation: the original voice mode, kept alive by operators who love its sound.