New digital modes appear in amateur radio with software downloads and a sound card connection to a suitable laptop computer. FT8 is the new thing logging at least 10x more contacts than any other, or perhaps all other modes combined. post 
I operated psk31 around year 2000 using digipan software and a homemade audio interface. post
I developed Web31 to monitor PSK31 bands, decode as many signals as possible, and publish the decoded text to the internet. post
Decades pass.
Pat Cunningham, KD7MPA
My now grown son suggests I join the newer digital modes and helped me select a commercial audio interface and a new computer to connect to it.
We picked up a SignaLink adapter from Ham Radio Outlet in Tigard for 100 dollars. site
We examined all of my available computers and found none well suited to run the popular software. site
We picked up an HP laptop with Windows 10 installed from Target for 200 dollars. page
We had to say no about 100 times to just turn on the laptop. This took several hours.
The radio software installed smoothly but had many configuration options that my son chose for me. wsjtx
We left it listening overnight and then operated it for a few minutes before returning to family activities. Web software showed us who we heard and who heard us. site
This map shows that my station was experiencing 14 MHz ionospheric skip, the pink band, reaching 1000 to 2000 miles based on thousands of online reports. expand
I've taken to leaving my radio monitoring and check the 15 minute reports by smart phone throughout the day. Here I noticed the east coast coming in along with a few Russian stations over the arctic along the terminator. expand
FT8 contacts are highly structured with all operators using globally synchronized 15 second slots. As with psk31 dozens of signals fit within the audio passband but newer mode clips along quite quickly using pre programmed sequences so there is lots to watch but less to do.
FT8 requires an accurate computer clock. If transmissions are out of step by more than a second others will see. check
Tip: The guys over at Microsoft decided to not make the ntp infrastructure in Windows 10 very accurate. This is where I definitely recommend the Meinberg NTP client for Windows: it does the job, and does it well. post site
Tip: Removed or disable saved wav files or you will eventually run out of disk space. I ran out after saving 12,000 files. pdf
C:\Users\Ward Cunningham\AppData\Local\WSJT-X\save
See Ham Radio Operations this year, all in FT8.