If you have spent any time on the HF bands in recent years, you will know that digital modes have transformed amateur radio. FT8 and FT4 made it possible to work weak signals that would be lost in the noise on SSB or even CW.

Now there is a new arrival on the scene, and it is faster than anything that has come before it. It is called FT2, and this post will walk you through what it is, how it works, and why so many operators are excited about it.

So, what is FT2?

FT2 is a digital mode designed for amateur radio, built specifically for short, efficient contacts on the HF bands. It was created by Martino Merola, callsign IU8LMC, with the support of ARI Caserta in Italy. The very first FT2 contact in the world took place on 16 February 2026 between IU8LMC and IZ8XXE on the 40 metre band.

The headline figure is the cycle time. Where FT8 uses a 15-second transmit and receive cycle, and FT4 uses 7.5 seconds, FT2 squeezes the same job into just 3.8 seconds. That makes it roughly four times faster than FT8, with a complete contact typically wrapping up in around 6 seconds.

How does it relate to FT8 and FT4?

This is where things become reassuring for anyone already familiar with the existing modes. FT2 uses the same underlying codec as FT8 and FT4. The 77 bit payload, the LDPC(174,91) forward error correction, and the 4-GFSK modulation are all identical. In other words, FT2 is not reinventing the wheel. It takes the trusted protocol core that has been refined over the years and packages it into a much shorter cycle.

What makes the difference is how that information is transmitted and decoded. The transmission bandwidth is wider at 167 Hz (compared with 50 Hz for FT8 and 83 Hz for FT4), and the effective transmit time is much shorter at around 1.89 seconds. Combined with a clever new decoding engine, this produces a mode that is both fast and remarkably sensitive.

The numbers that matter

A quick comparison helps put FT2 in context:

Parameter	FT8	FT4	FT2
Cycle time	15 seconds	7.5 seconds	3.8 seconds
Bandwidth	50Hz	83Hz	167Hz
Sensitivity	-21db	-16.5db	-23db
Full QSO	~60 seconds	-30 seconds	-6 seconds
Max contacts per hour	60	120	450

That sensitivity figure of -23 dB SNR is particularly impressive. It means FT2 can pull signals out of the noise that are weaker than what FT8 can manage, which is no small achievement given the shorter cycle.

The Raptor Engine and Shannon’s limit

The software that powers FT2 is called DECODIUM, and the current decoding engine is named Raptor. Without getting too technical, Raptor uses a refined approach to digital signal processing that pushes performance close to what is mathematically possible.

Claude Shannon, the father of information theory, proved back in 1948 that every noisy channel has a theoretical maximum capacity. The Raptor engine is described by its developers as operating at the practical limit of Shannon’s theorem for 77 bit blocks on HF. As the project’s tagline puts it, “more power is not the answer, better math is.”

Asynchronous transmission

One of FT2’s most interesting features is asynchronous transmission, or ASYMX as it is called in the software. Traditional digital modes require all stations to be synchronised to a precise clock, usually using NTP or GPS. FT2 does away with this requirement. It begins transmitting within about 300 milliseconds of decoding the previous message, with no need for the even and odd time slot dance that FT8 operators will recognise.

For new operators, this means you do not need to worry quite so much about keeping your computer clock perfectly aligned. The mode works around clock drift and timing variations in a much more flexible way.

FT2 – Officially recognised by ADIF

A digital mode is not really part of the amateur radio mainstream until logging software supports it properly. FT2 cleared this hurdle on 22 March 2026, when the ADIF Development Group voted unanimously, 22 to 0, to include FT2 as an official submode in ADIF 3.1.7. This was the highest participation ever recorded by the group, and it means every major logging platform now recognises SUBMODE=FT2. Names you will know, including LoTW, DXLab Suite, Log4OM, Cloudlog, eQSL, Wavelog, and Fldigi, all voted in favour.

Getting started with FT2

The software you need is called DECODIUM 4.0, codename Shannon. The latest public beta was released on 19 May 2026, and it is available as a free download for Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon), and Linux. There is also a Raspberry Pi port for anyone wanting to build a compact portable FT2 station.

You can find the official downloads at ft2.it, and there is a Telegram beta group where you can ask questions and get help from other operators. With over 2,000 active operators and more than 500,000 QSOs logged across 40+ DXCC entities, the community is already a healthy size for a mode this young.

Should you try FT2?

f you already enjoy FT8 or FT4, the learning curve for FT2 is gentle. The on-screen workflow is familiar, the message structure is the same, and your existing rig and interface should work without modification. The main differences you will notice are the rapid pace and the absence of strict timing constraints.

For contesters and DXers, the appeal is obvious. Roughly 450 contacts an hour is a serious rate, and the improved sensitivity means you stand a better chance of working that rare station whose signal is barely audible. For more casual operators, FT2 offers a chance to make many short contacts in a single session without committing to the longer cycles of FT8.

Either way, FT2 is a notable step forward for amateur radio digital modes. It builds on what FT8 and FT4 established, takes advantage of modern computing power, and pushes performance close to the mathematical limits of what is possible. Whether you are a seasoned digital operator or just starting out, it is well worth a look.

73, and good luck on the bands.

For more information, you can visit www.ft2.it/