Don't know what to do with FTDNA results and Ancestry has sale, do I take one?

Question

I have taken a Y-DNA, &family finder.  Mother's maternal cousin has taken Y-DNA for maternal gmother's paternal.  I don't know what to do with the tests.  Do I upload them to Ancestory.com?   Can & do I upload to GEDcom, I'm not sure what it is.  Ancestry sale til midnight, should I? Help?

Comments

Upload the raw DNA file to GEDmatch.  I can tell you that the only matches of significance for me - that is, ones that were able to be verified by the paper trail -  have happened solely because folks who tested with other companies uploaded to GEDmatch.  I would have otherwise never connected with them.

GEDmatch is free and I truly don't understand why more folks don't utilize it.

Answer 1

yes do it if you have questions about your tree in the last 4 generations

Answer 2

FTDNA's Family Finder and the test being offered by Ancestry are both Autosomal DNA tests, so why do the test again?  You can upload Autosomal tests to www.gedmatch.com to search for more matches.

Comments

The reason for subscribing to all 3 DNA services is that you will have access to millions of tests that are not on gedmatch.  You are covered 100% instead of less than 10% of the possible matches. AncestryDNA and 23andme combined are well over 2/3's of all the available potential matches.

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OK if you are prepared to spend on the chance of discovering close cousins.  It's a shame people do not upload to GedMatch. Personally I am more interested in Y-DNA matches for surname studies, and in finding distant common ancestors than in looking for close cousins - unless you need to find these cousins to see if they know about your recent extended family.

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I submitted my 1st of 4 yStr tests back in 2008.  I had no matches with surname Sargent.  I have paid for Ancestry.com every year focusing and spending an incredible amount of time and money on researching the descendants of my patrilineal 4th great-grandparent and many other research tools to find a match.

It wasn't until a 2nd cousin was tested on 23andme did I suspect a Non-Paternal Event this close and on my paternal line.  It was not until 3 siblings tested on AncestryDNA was I able to determine it was on my side. It was not until this point was I able to look for another surname to make use of my ySTR test.

Since I've been burnt, it seems natural for me to have others avoid the same possibility. I believe it is prudent to establish auDNA connections with as many known relatives as possible first, and identifying possible early Non-Parental Events(NPE).  No one expects an NPE with a well-documented tree, but IMO, they happen enough to take out some insurance.

Answer 3

I wouldn't fret of missing an AncestryDNA sale.  There is always a sale.

If I were you and it is possible, I would test your mother on all 3 DNA Services.  Next, I would test yourself on AncestryDNA and 23andme.

Answer 4

save your $  ftdna is a waste   it tells you only what I, and other family historians can tell you in our paper trails because that is ALL THEY USE IS  OUR  data and info and family  lore... save your money it is a SCAM!

Comments

Oh.  Really?  Ok, great!   I have found almost everything on my maternal side, back to the 1300- 1700's.  So what can you tell me about my Paternal side?  I never knew my father and he died in 2007.  I can not get past my Grandparents and Great Grandparents.

http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Wise-2512

Thank You for your help!  I REALLY appreciate it!

Ken Wise