How much better is the new antenna or amp? Use FT8 dB to see.

[admin]

Don't shoot the messenger; this isn't about the merits or otherwise of FT8, but all the same there is a lot of it about and it's a useful comparison tool.

Disclaimer: This is a scientifically really scruffy method, easy to refine and maybe better than nothing.

Your FT8 logs contain lists of contacts, each with a sent and received signal report in dB. The FT8 software tries to decode everyting down to its lower limit of usually -24 dB. It will always do this so the weakest signal logged will always be -24 db.

However, the strong signals are different. They have numbers in dB that extend up as far as the antenna and rig can perform. With the old antenna , rig whatever we are comparing, export the FT8 logs as a spreadsheet and sort by signal strength -sent or received, whichever or or both that interests you. Now take the highest 20 or so of each and average the result. Now do it again with logs from after your "improvement", and compare. Better Tx? Better Rx? Now you have a…login to view the rest of this post