Italian developers unveil an experimental WSJT-X fork that completes full QSOs in as little as 7 seconds — four times faster than FT8.
The amateur radio digital modes landscape just got a major shake-up. On February 16, 2026, a team of Italian radio amateurs led by Martino Merola (IU8LMC) of ARI Caserta successfully demonstrated a brand-new experimental digital mode called FT2, completing dozens of verified contacts on the 40-meter and 80-meter bands with transmission cycles of just 3.8 seconds. That's four times faster than FT8 and twice as fast as FT4. The first-ever FT2 QSOs were logged between stations IZ8VYF, IZ8XXE, and IC8TEM, with contacts reportedly completed in roughly 7 to 11 seconds.
Signals were decoded down to −12 dB signal-to-noise ratio, and activity was verified on two bands with stations across Campania, Capri, Sardinia, and Turin.
What Is FT2?
FT2 uses the same codec as FT8 and FT4, a 77-bit payload, LDPC (174,91) encoding, and 8-GFSK modulation with the critical difference being time compression, reducing the cycle down to 3.8 seconds. The mode is implemented through a modified fork of WSJT-X v3.0.0-rc1 called Decodium 3, developed by IU8LMC with AI-assisted coding tools. The result is a theoretical throughput of roughly 240 or more QSOs per hour, compared to about 60 per hour with FT8. For contesters and DXpedition operators who live and die by contact rates, this could be a game-changer. However, FT2 is not intended to replace FT8 or FT4. It is a specialized mode for when pure speed is what matters. For weak-signal DX chasing from a modest station, FT8 remains the best tool for the job.
The Trade-Offs
FT2 is fast, but it comes with engineering compromises. For example the, wider bandwidth of approximately 150 Hz per signal reduces the number of simultaneously usable slots within a fixed spectral window, which becomes particularly relevant on narrow bands like 30 meters. The reduced sensitivity compared to FT8 means this mode is not designed for weak-signal, QRP deep-noise work, it needs reasonably strong, stable signal paths to perform reliably. Clock synchronization requirements are also four times tighter: FT2 demands ±50 ms accuracy compared to FT8's ±200 ms tolerance. If your computer's clock drifts, you may miss the decoding window entirely. Operators planning to experiment should ensure their system clocks are tightly synced via NTP or GPS.
