Here are some screen shots and tips from my own setup for running WSJT-X FT8 with my Yaesu FTDX101D and a new Windows 11 computer. These settings may help you on a FTDX10 or FT710, since they are contemporary radios with similar hardware architecture. The setup shown here will get you running on FT8. I do not use N1MM with WSJT-X or FT8. I like to keep my setups simple from the aspect of software, since its mostly the software that screws things up.

WARNING: Even though you set the configuration menus in the FTDX101 for USB or REAR inputs, the FRONT MIKE INPUT is always live. For FT8, you must turn the mike gain down to zero to avoid stray sounds from going out on SSB in the RTTY/DATA/CW band segments when operating FT8. I verified this with Yaesu service Tim Factor. I do not understand why this misleading and defective menu selection problem still exists, and I hope it is corrected in future software updates. This is illegal. Also, be sure to turn Windows sounds OFF, and be sure only the radio sound card is selected for FT8 use. If you listen on a speaker while operating FT8, you will hear all sorts of noises like "You've got mail" and "new country." You should monitor your own outgoing signal, using the FTDX101 MONITOR function, to ensure you know what your transmit stream contains, and if it is a clean pure signal.

WARNING: To use the FTDX101 with any external software or CAT programs you MUST download and install the USB driver from the Yaesu website specific to your radio on your computer, BEFORE you connect the radio to the computer or attempt to configure software. Do not ignore this first basic step.

I strongly recommend that you do NOT use an external digital mode interface. The FTDX101 and FTDX10 have very capable internal sound cards which are interfaced by a simple connection of a single USB cable. This page gives information for that style of connection. Even then, you MUST set the radio for DATA-U and use the PRESET function to set the proper parameters. To avoid transmit distortion products, you absolutely MUST not allow ANY ALC meter deflection on the FTDX101. You also MUST properly adjust levels for the sound card to provide proper decodes and avoid transmit distortion splatter. More information about this is provided after the section of screen captures for setup below.

WARNING: You MUST prevent windows from keying up your FTDX101 during bootup. You could turn the radio OFF, boot the computer (and let it do its USB port scans), then turn the radio on, and then launch N1MM. But absent mindedly booting the computer while on the radio is on will result in chaos that may break your radio and amplifier. I use an external USB hub with switches on each port. The printer, scanner, video camera (for zoom meetings), the radios, and everything else connects via this switchable hub. And yeah, I don't like random software firing up the camera; hardware always works, software does what it likes.

I only turn the device USB connection on when I am ready to use it. This is a reliable HARDWARE method to prevent damage to your radio. If the radio is on, boot the computer, let it finish, push the USB hub button to make the connection to the radio, then launch WSJT-X FT8 or any other CAT program. That way, everything wakes up in a good mood.

Also, be sure to set the radio to lowest power and SSB mode when you turn it off, so it wakes up in a mode which does not transmit much power. This is especially important while you are setting up the radio and computer to talk to each other. Also be sure a dummy load is attached, so no computer generated out of band crap gets out on the air, and the radio does not try to transmit into a bad load.

Download the latest stable version of WSJT-X FT8. Don't mess with the beta versions, let the geeks get through playing with it. Launch the program. Navigate to this screen.

The SETTINGS are hidden in the FILE drop down menu. They are not in the configuration tab. Get the following screen on your computer so we can adjust it.

Enter your CALL SIGN and GRID SQUARE to begin setup. The grid square is important to locate your state and country for others to view in FT8 operation. Don't get fancy, use the defaults for the other stuff.

Pick YOUR radio from the drop down screen. I mostly stick to the recommended settings.

There may be a bunch of COM ports offered. You MUST select the ENHANCED COM port for the rig control. Sometimes this can be a matter of just trying til you get it right. There is a more scientific method, which I will show.

Very important: the baud rates MUST match the settings in the radio. Use the Yaesu manual to open the screen on the radio to set these. I make every attempt to get the COMPUTER to match the default settings in the RADIO, rather than the other way round.

Check your radio is set to the defaults of 38,400 for the ENHANCED COM PORT. Make sure the computer is set identically.

Click OK to exit the window, so that the new parameters are stored. Push the button on the external USB HUB to enable the connection. If you are lucky, the transmit mode and the frequency will display properly. If you turn the frequency knob, the computer display should track the radio. If not, don't dispair. What we have here is a failure to communicate.

Some people like VOX, some people like CAT. For initial setup, VOX allows the radio to go into transmit when audio is sent to the internal sound card. CAT has some advantages, but if the setup isn't working quite right, the sound could come out of the sound card, but the radio doesn't know how to transmit. This could help you troubleshoot problems.

You will need to select DATA-U and PRESET on the Yaesu radios for FT8. Also you have to adjust the filter bandwidth to 3 KHz. Very kludgey. (But this setup works without screwing up your SSB settings. Also, you should use a narrower SSB transmit bandwidth, but you may have to use a wider setting for FT8 to cover all the spectrum window for FT-8) You should set up for FT8 on all bands in your band stack register, and have the radio set to that so when WSJT-X FT8 changes bands, it only does it to the currently selected mode on those bands.

FAKE IT is very important to maintain a clean signal on the Yaesu FTDX101. This radio is very prone to IMD and distortion products on transmit. Also you will have to be scrupulous to allow absolutely ZERO ALC METER DEFLECTION! Keep the ALC meter selected on your radio display to minimize these problems. There are also level settings for the internal sound card which may cause overload and harmonics. More on this later, but FAKE IT is an essential tool for a clean signal, because it manipulates the transmit frequency and audio frequency to best use the transmit filter for best signal purity.

If everything was working from the previous pane, skip this step. If its unhappy, this procedure will tell you why.

Here are some Windows 11 tools which may allow you to fix the problem. Go to the the Windows logo at the lower left of the screen and right click. Select DEVICE MANAGER. This is what you will see. Expand the PORTS information by left clicking on the > symbol near PORTS. You will see all the COM PORTS listed, along with their COM number. See how the ENHANCED COM PORT is identified? Make sure that COM PORT NUMBER is the one selected next to the RADIO selection in WSJT-X FT8.

You may not get receive decodes yet, because you have not selected the Yaesu FTDX101 internal sound card.

The COM PORT numbers at this point match. Now the BAUD RATES must match also. Use the PORT SETTINGS TAB in this window to get the screen on the right. Use the drop down selections to set the baud rate in the port to match the radio and the WSJT-X FT8 program. Yeah, after all these years Windows should figure that crap out and make it "plug and play", but sometimes it doesn't. Also set the bits and stuff to match as well. That fixes this COM PORT.

Don't forget to use OK or the program will not store the settings.

Use the down arrow to get a drop down menu. Change the setting for INPUT and OUTPUT to match the radio, as shown.

SAVE DIRECTORY tells it where to put your logs. Use the default, don't get clever or you may regret it.

I like to REMEMBER SETTINGS for levels because the FTDX101 has a general power setting, not a "per band" setting. If you use an amplifier, you could damage it by overdriving it. This is a cool feature; you should check both boxes. By saving TUNE setting, it can reduce power to adjust an antenna tuner and check SWR before going to transmit.

At this point, you may get some receive decodes on the left hand screen, even though you are attached to a dummy load. Isn't FT8 awesome for weak signal work? Simply amazing!

Leave this alone for the time being. This can be used later for contest exchanges or Merry Xmas. Keep it very short, limited number of characters. Just leave the default message and go to the next step.

I HATE automatic stuff. PROMPT ME TO LOG QSO allows you to check all info is correct before it goes in the log, and also reassures me that the QSO was actually logged. I don't trust automatic software stuff.

If you get a request for a paper QSL card later, the dB needs to get recorded in the log so you can send an accurate QSL card.

I am a "little gun" station. I am in a quiet location, and often hear rare DX before anyone else, particularly on FT8. I definitely don't want to broadcast my attempts to make a DX QSO and log it, and have some mega station show up on my frequency before I am done. They can use a DX Cluster to spot it, AFTER I am done with the QSO and LOGGED IT. Tough luck for them, they already have enough advantages.

Use these settings if you roll this way too. Don't permit ADIF broadcast for the same reason.

There is a cool feature that allows operators to text message each other through WSJT-X FT8. You want to enable that as shown. I have had rare DX message ME to aid completion of the contact. I was not getting decodes, but they were trying their best. I then was able to use the awesome FTDX101 crystal filters to narrow down and focus on THEIR signal only, to avoid overload from the strong stateside signals.

You can narrow down the optional frequencies you use, but for now leave it alone on defaults. This screen also allows accurate frequency calibration, which is another subject for you to research. For now, I recommend you leave it at defaults and move to the next step.

I have WAS and DXCC already, but you will want to set the checkmarks up to highlight what you are looking for. Yeah, you can change the colors, but unless you are colorblind, this is just tampering with the program. If a guest operator is used to the standard colors, you will mess him up. Don't do that. This is not a very sophisticated method, so I recommend strongly that you download and install JTAlert. That is another subject, see the webpage. I may put up a setup page for that program. Its an overlay for WSJT-X FT8 which allows you to focus only on the entities YOU are looking for to complete your awards.

I recommend you click the FETCH NOW button to download a list of current LOTW users. This allows the WSJT-X FT8 program to identify LOTW users. These are the people who will upload logs to verify your QSO for awards.

Almost without exception, I will not allow a QSO with a station who does not use LOTW. Why waste the time? You can also configure JTAlert to highlight users of CLUBLOG, which is popular in Europe, and also with people who do not use LOTW. CLUBLOG has some neat awards. QRZ.COM has some cool awards, but I don't think JTAlert flags their users at this time.

This is where you set up FOX and HOUND MODE and so on. You will need that for rare DX which uses that mode to allow multiple simultaneous QSOs per band. You will have to research that separately. I do not comment here, so you can look it up on the WSJT FT-8 resources for the latest information.

IMPORTANCE OF AMC AND ALC WHEN USING FT8

I don't recomment that you use a digital mode interface which enters the FTDX101 via the mike jack. The front panel mike jack passes through circuitry like the AMC, COMPressor, and the EQ. This complicates changing modes because all that stuff has to be shut off for digital modes. The FTDX101 has an internal USB sound card which is quite capable and I see no reason to use an external interface. That said, some attention to these settings and keeping the ALC meter at ZERO during ANY mode such as SSB or FT8 on the FTDX101 will result in fewer unwanted products in the transmitter spectrum. Make sure to use split mode and fake it to minimize harmonic distortion when using digital modes with the FTDX101. Also, experiment in the proportioning of signal levels in the digital interface. Use the techniques recommended to observe distortion in voice modes presented here on the page related to SSB audio to evaluate your settings when using digital modes like FT8, for a clean signal. There is a separate rear panel DIN jack for RTTY for an external modem which employs true FSK; it is the definitive method for a clean RTTY signal, and skips all the problems of using an audio modulation method (AFSK). While it seems possible, I have not yet successfully set up RTTY using the internal USB connection. If you feel you must use an external sound card interface, the rear panel DIN jack is the best way to interconnect the signals.

UPDATED 1/24/24

Apparently serious issues exist with the internal sound card in the FTDX10, according to the links shown below. Some have given information on setting the level in the menus to a higher value so that the sound card does not run so high that it generates harmonics and distortion. Some have even taken to using an external digi sound card interface to clean up the distortion. People are seeing harmonic distortion of a single tone (tune mode), which suggests there is significant intermodulation distortion (IMD) as well in the FTDX10. This would lead you to believe that the source of the SSB distortion may lie outside the initial audio preamp stages and resides in the transmitter RF or ALC sections. In any event, I would strongly advise FT8 users owning FTDX101, FTDX10, FT710 or any other Yaesu gear employing AMC make certain absolutely no deflection on the ALC meter. Any deflection of ALC results in unacceptable distortion in the RF output. Whether there is anything that can be done to mitigate problems at lower levels remains to be determined by experiment.

https://groups.io/g/ftdx-10/topic/ft8_audio_harmonics/82436261
The following links are to information regarding the FTDX10. Whether these are directly applicable to the FTDX101 is up for question.
https://groups.io/g/ftdx-10/topic/ft8_audio_harmonics/82436261
https://www.reddit.com/r/amateurradio/comments/sjunu3/ft8_harmonics_but_no_alc_with_both_datau_and_usb/?rdt=48638

An alternative viewpoint is shown by KJ7E regarding the FTDX101. He demonstrates that allowing ALC up to the maximum on the meter seems to not cause splatter or wide signals on FT8, using a spectrum analyzer. He does not show his levels from the sound card output though. However, he makes the point that he times the spectrum analyzer sampling AFTER transmission has begun. This suggests the known problem of the attack time of the ALC could possibly allow a big wide signal upon beginning of transmission. I want to do these tests myself, and include the initial key down pulse.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwnZbaS2EWk

I have done extensive tests on my FTDX101D and was unable to duplicate the problems shown in the link above relating to the FTDX10. I did verify that KJ7E results were true. I deliberately selected a transmit spot in the lower 300 Hz region, turned "fake it" off, and even allowed some ALC meter motion. The built in spectrum display did not show significant distortion, under any condition I could devise. That's the good news for FTDX101D users. Here are my settings to get good control from the FT8 computer control screen. This seems to get audio drive for receive in a reasonable range, while also making transmit settings from the FT8 control panel in the computer not so touchy. Remember do not exceed 30 watts on any 100 watt radio to prevent over heating the final ammplifier. This is a continuous duty cycle mode like RTTY or AM. Setup suggestions below allow you to set up FT8 without having "PRESET" messing with your SSB settings.

FTDX101D SETTINGS FOR FT8 USING A USB CONNECTION TO THE INTERNAL SOUND CARD
• SELECT DATA-U AND THEN PRESS PRESET
• ADJUST RECEIVE BANDWIDTH TO 3 KHz IF NECESSARY
• AMC = 60
• POWER = 30 WATTS
• RPORT GAIN = 5
• DATA OUT LVL = 50
• TX BANDWIDTH = 100-2900

VERY IMPORTANT: The FTDX101D and FTDX101MP, as well as most radios are not rated for full output of 100 or 200 watts for full key down modes like RTTY or other digital modes. Reduce FTDX101D power to about 30 watts. This should be sufficient to drive a linear amplifier, if you choose to. Check your amplifier specs for its ratings for RTTY and digital modes. The ALS-1300 for instance, is not rated for 1200 watts full output, but I found it could be used at 300 watts for FT8 because of the short transmit time. This amplifier is fine for CW and SSB, but not rated for RTTY because it cannot handle key down modes for long times. Amplifiers like the Elecraft KPA-1500 are specified for full output on RTTY, if you observe their published duty cycle.

MY OTHER ARTICLES ABOUT THE FTDX101D