so ive been running FT8 for about a year now and yeah its great for working new entities and all that but honestly it started feeling kind of hollow after a while, like youre just clicking buttons and logging callsigns. somebody on a local net mentioned JS8Call and i downloaded it last weekend to mess around with it.

and now im kind of confused because on one hand JS8Call seems way more like actual communication, you can type stuff back and forth, there's relay functionality, store and forward, you can even do some basic APRS-like position stuff i think. but on the other hand the decode sensitivity doesnt seem anywhere close to FT8 and i feel like im comparing apples to oranges here. like they're solving different problems.

my question is i guess — for weak signal work specifically, like trying to reach someone across a noisy path or through marginal conditions, which one actually performs better in practice? i understand FT8 was designed around sensitivity but JS8Call has different speed settings too so im not sure how the slower modes compare. running an ic-7300 into a dipole at about 35 feet if that matters.

you're basically right that they're solving different problems. FT8 is a beacon and contact logging machine, JS8Call is trying to be actual keyboard-to-keyboard communication on weak signal paths. the sensitivity comparison isnt really fair because JS8Call at its slowest speed (8 WPM equivalent i think) does get surprisingly close to FT8 territory but its still not quite there.

where JS8Call really shines for me is on 40m and 80m during regional stuff, like talking to someone 300 miles away during a storm event or whatever where voice would be marginal and FT8 would just give you a signal report and nothing else. the relay and store/forward is genuinely useful if youre doing any kind of emergency or preparedness work. i run both, different tools. your 7300 and dipole should be totally fine for either.

dont overlook PSK31 either if you want actual typed conversations with decent weak signal performance. its older but theres still activity especially on 20m around 14.070 and on 40m. the waterfall hunting is kind of fun in a way FT8 really isnt. that said yeah FT8 wins on raw sensitivity by a pretty wide margin, like it can pull signals out that you literally cannot hear at all, which still kind of blows my mind after all this time using it.