FT8 version 2.0 and SR8Call

FT8 2.0

FT8+ or FT8 version 2.0 was released yesterday.  

Here's a few of the enhancements
https://www.dxzone.com/wsjt-x-2-0-rc1-new-version-with-enhancements/

The download page is
https://physics.princeton.edu/pulsar/k1jt/wsjtx.html

It has all the operating systems covered.

I was very surprised to see the uptake on day one and have both version 2.0 and the older 1.9.1 loaded on my machine,  I'll probably swap between them from time to time (as they are not compatible with each other), until 2.0 really takes over, but that may not be too long.

One thing that surprised me with 2.0 is that it seems to work through the noise better than 1.9.1.  By that I mean that with 2.0, I have less repeats on QSOs where one or both parties are weak.  Tonight I had several QSOs where the reported signal was between -20 and -24 and neither party had to repeat. 
That's great and makes for faster QSOs.

Make sure you read Gary's (ZL2iFB) user guide to FT8.  It covers 2.0 and has been significantly updated.
http://www.g4ifb.com/FT8_Hinson_tips_for_HF_DXers.pdf

JS8Call

I have JS8Call, (which I will now call JS8), loaded and I have made a couple of QSOs, the furtherest being to the USA but most are within 1500 miles.

It is verrrrry slow, but it does give you keyboard to keyboard communications.  It is certainly nothing like PSK31.  

Besides the fact that there aren't too many people using it, the other problem is that the software author keeps generating new versions of software, usually once a week, which often are not compatible with previous versions.  

So for now I am going to park JS8 and wait for a month when there hasn't been an update before giving it another go.  I feel I may be waiting a while.