Web-FT8 Interface Setup Instructions

Welcome to the Web-FT8 setup documentation. Web-FT8 runs FT8 and FT4 entirely in your browser — decoding, encoding, waterfall, logging, rig control, and reporting — with no separate desktop app to install. Follow the sections below to get your station on the air.

1. Account & Session
2. Station Info
3. Audio Interface & Microphone Setup
4. FT8 / FT4 Mode & Waterfall
5. Time Synchronization (UTC)
6. Running QSOs & Auto Sequencing
7. Decodes, Ignore List & Waiting Queue
8. Logbook, ADIF Export & QRZ Upload
9. QSO Map & PSK Reporter
10. Rig CAT Control (Web Serial)
11. Panels, Themes & Bug Reports

1. Account & Session

Web-FT8 is now account-based. You'll need to sign in before the client loads — this is what lets your logbook, ignore list, and settings follow you, and lets us verify your account is active.

• If you're not signed in, you'll be redirected to the login page automatically.
• Your session stays open for as long as the tab stays open and active; it will only time out after a period of inactivity, so you generally don't need to re-log in mid-session.
• Use the Logout link in the top-left of the client to end your session manually.
• If your account has admin access, you'll see an additional Admin Panel link next to Logout.

2. Station Info

• Enter your My Call and Grid (Maidenhead locator) in the top-left of the client — these are used to generate your CQ/reply messages and to plot your station on the maps.
• Check Save Station info to remember your callsign and grid locally in your browser between visits.

3. Audio Interface & Microphone Setup

Web-FT8 needs access to your system's audio input (from your transceiver's audio output or a virtual audio cable) to decode the waterfall, and audio output to generate transmit tones.

• Connect your transceiver's audio output to your computer's line-in/USB soundcard, or route it through a virtual audio cable (e.g. VB-Audio, Soundflower).
• Click "1. Grant mic" in the Audio Settings panel and allow the browser's microphone permission prompt.
• Pick your specific radio interface from the Input device dropdown, and your monitoring device from Output device.
• Use Input gain / volume and Monitor volume to set recording level and how loud you hear your own RX/TX audio.
• Set Decode depth (fast / normal / deep / deeper) to trade decode CPU time for sensitivity — deeper settings pull out weaker signals but take longer per cycle.
• Click "Start RX" to start the audio processor and the live waterfall.
• Tick "Remember audio settings" to have your device choice, gain, volume, and decode depth restored automatically next time.

4. FT8 / FT4 Mode & Waterfall

• Use the FT8 / FT4 toggle above the waterfall to switch modes. This switches the actual codec used for RX/TX, the slot length (15s for FT8, 7.5s for FT4), the standard calling frequencies, and the logged ADIF mode — all in one click.
• If a rig is connected via CAT, switching modes will automatically retune your radio to the standard calling frequency for the new mode on your current band.
• Adjust Contrast, Brightness, Noise floor, and Speed to tune how the waterfall renders.
• Click anywhere on the waterfall to set your TX audio Hz (the tone/offset you'll transmit on), or type it directly into the TX audio Hz field.
• Enable Hold TX Hz to stop the app from auto-shifting your TX frequency when you click on a decoded station.
• Tick "Remember waterfall" to keep your contrast/brightness/floor/speed and waterfall panel height between sessions.
• Use the band buttons below the waterfall to jump straight to the standard calling frequency for the selected band, in whichever mode (FT8/FT4) is currently active. If a rig is connected, this also retunes the radio.

5. Time Synchronization (UTC)

FT8 and FT4 are both tightly time-synchronized modes — your computer clock needs to be accurate to a fraction of a second for reliable decoding and transmission within each slot.

• Click "Check UTC Sync" in the top bar to compare your local clock against a network time source.
• An offset under ~200 ms shows green (synced); a larger offset is flagged so you know to fix your OS's time sync (Windows Time Service, NTP, etc.) before operating.

6. Running QSOs & Auto Sequencing

• Check Enable Tx to allow the app to transmit on your selected TX message during your chosen slot.
• Check Auto Seq to let the app automatically advance you through the standard QSO exchange (grid → report → R-report → RR73 → 73) as matching messages are decoded.
• Check Call 1st CQ Station to have the app automatically answer the first CQ it decodes that isn't already logged or on your ignore list.
• Choose Even or Odd under TX/RX Time Sequence to control which half of each cycle you transmit in — the app will flip this automatically to stay opposite the station you're working.
• Tx1–Tx6 message slots are generated for you (CQ, answer, report, R-report, RR73, 73) from your callsign, grid, and the DX station — click Generate Msgs to refresh them, or edit any line by hand.
• Click Halt Tx at any time to immediately stop transmitting.

7. Decodes, Ignore List & Waiting Queue

• The Decodes panel lists everything heard each cycle, with even/odd period, UTC, dB, DT, Hz, and message. Click any row to load that station as your DX target.
• Rows are color-coded: your callsign is highlighted, POTA activators get their own highlight, and stations you've already worked show as logged.
• Enable CQ only to filter the decode list down to CQs and messages addressed to you.
• Use Ignore stations to add callsigns that Call 1st CQ Station should skip automatically.
• If a station calls you directly while you're already in a QSO, it's added to the Waiting QSO Queue instead of being lost — click any queued entry to load it as your next contact once you're free.

8. Logbook, ADIF Export & QRZ Upload

• Click Log QSO to manually log a contact, or let a completed auto-sequenced QSO open the log dialog for you automatically.
• Double-click any row in Logged QSOs to edit it.
• Click Export ADIF to download your full logbook as a standard .adi file.
• To push contacts straight to QRZ.com, paste your QRZ API Key into the field below the logbook and click Upload to QRZ — only QSOs not already marked uploaded are sent, and each row's QRZ column shows upload status.
• Clear Log permanently deletes your logbook — export an ADIF backup first if you want to keep a copy.

9. QSO Map & PSK Reporter

• The QSO Map plots your station and every logged contact's grid square, with great-circle paths and distance — click a callsign in the popup to open it on QRZ. Toggle Miles/Kilometers to change the distance units.
• The PSK Reporter panel shows which stations have reported hearing your callsign, pulled live from pskreporter.info. Choose a time Range (15 min to 24 hours) and click Refresh to update, or use Full Map to open pskreporter.info directly.

10. Rig CAT Control (Web Serial)

Web-FT8 can control your radio's frequency, band switching, and PTT directly from the browser using the Web Serial API (Chrome, Edge, or Opera).

• Connect your radio via USB cable or serial adapter.
• Pick your radio from the Radio preset dropdown to auto-fill the correct baud rate, CAT dialect, PTT method, and CI-V address for common rigs (Icom, Yaesu, Kenwood, Elecraft, and more) — or set these manually under — Custom / Manual —.
• Choose your PTT method: CAT commands, hardware RTS/DTR lines, or a combination.
• Click Connect rig and select your serial port from the browser's prompt.
• Use Probe to confirm communication, Set freq / Query to push or pull the dial frequency, and the PTT ON / PTT OFF / Test PTT buttons to verify keying before you transmit live.
• Tick "Remember CAT settings" to keep your baud rate, dialect, PTT method, CI-V address, and preset saved for next time.
• The CAT log at the bottom of the panel shows raw TX/RX traffic for troubleshooting.

11. Panels, Themes & Bug Reports

• Every panel can be collapsed with the −/+ button in its header — your collapsed/expanded state is remembered per panel.
• Use the Dark/Light switch in the top-right to change the interface theme; your choice is remembered automatically.
• Found a problem? Click Bug Report in the top-right, describe the issue, and optionally attach screenshots — reports go straight to the developer along with your callsign.
• Click Changelog to see what's new in the latest beta build.