Do you find digital modes boring? Does FT8 seem to drag? FT4… faster but still… Well, if that is how you feel, let me direct your attention to FT2, the new digital speed demon. Just a few days ago I saw a YouTube video briefly mentioning FT2. I didn’t make much of it. But then a few days later, a local ham asked if I had looked at this new mode called FT2. I mentioned I had heard of it but didn’t try it.
He said he had not either, but it was supposedly faster than FT4. Ok, so now I am intrigued. As the cycle time for FT8 is 15 seconds, and FT4 only 7.5, FT2 boasts a cycle of only 3.8! So if all the “shortcuts” are observed, and signals are strong, a contact can be made in about 15 seconds. Do I have your attention? If so, let’s get into it.
This new mode is being developed out of Italy. That’s right, BEING DEVELOPED. It is not perfect, there are still bugs to work out, but more on that in a bit. To get started with FT2, you will need to download the software. It is a version of WSJT-X called “Decodium” and can be found at www.FT2.it
Once downloaded and configured, which was so easy even I could do it, I was off and running in the world of FT2. My first contact was with IW3FVQ, Mirco, from Italy on 10m. Over the next few minutes I made contacts with fellow radio operators in Haiti, Switzerland and Luxembourg. It was easy and quick!
But as fast as this mode is, there are downsides. Due to the speed of the transfer, a good signal has to be coming from both stations. In my LIMITED experience, there was a LOT of repeats. So many in fact, FT4 (or even FT8 in some cases) would have been faster. Also the software (Decodium) didn’t always progress through the contact correctly and had to be manually advanced. So to keep it all working, you definitely had to pay attention.
So is FT2 the future of digital operating? Probably not—at least not yet. It won’t dethrone FT8 when it comes to weak-signal performance, and it still has a few growing pains to work through. But that’s part of the excitement. FT2 feels like a glimpse into what ultra-fast digital could become. When band conditions are strong and you’re looking to rack up contacts in a hurry—like during a park activation or contest-style sprint—it’s a blast. For now, it will not replace the classics, but it certainly adds a new gear to the digital toolbox. And for those who thought digital modes were boring… FT2 might just change your mind.