Hi Bob Interesting info. You do not hate FT 8 ,,, I do.
I consider FT 8 killing all challenge,personal efforts and operating skills. Sorry its the start of the end of our hobby,made by FT 8 Kind regards Hans SM6CVX > 1 jul 2022 kl. 18:57 skrev Bob Kile <midnigh...@cox.net>: > > My comments on the state of 160m. First let me say I am old enough to have > experienced, Loran C with power limitations, LA police KMA367 on 1730, fish > boats, buoy markers, Spy Trawlers sending code groups, Long delayed echoes, > OHR, local DX chats on 1845-50 SSB, QSO’s with W1BB, K6SE, VS6DO, ZL2BT , > JA7AO and many others that are were legends in their day and now are in > higher places. > > > I also had the opportunity to make thousands of contacts on 160m during solar > cycle 23 minimum 2005-2009 which for me was the ultimate hay day of 160m. > Experiencing new countries and new stations every evening on Cw with 100W was > truly an amazing event. > > > Whilst attending some Dayton contest forums this year some information was > brought to light. A prominent DX-pedition group member commented that FT8 > comprised 37% of the QSOs. For somebody like myself looking for a more > traditional achievement award of merit like WAZ on 160m CW it has become > virtually impossible in a life time. > > > Most recently I have witnessed the devastating effects of the high costs of > DX-peditons and limited operating times to juggle various modes. A very > skilled and talented group went to 8Q7 in Maldives. Late in their operations > they did go to CW mode on 160. They called CQ for about 5-10 minutes at my > sunrise. I’m sure they were looking at RBN responses of which there are few > in Asia worth a damn and went quiet only to show up on FT8 after my sunrise > morning peak. It didn’t matter I had Q5 copy and had to switch antennas, turn > amplifier on and try to make it through the Asian chatter. This I might point > out happened not once but twice. Did I mention from out west this is a 10 > minute window 11,000 miles away. Only one western station VE6WZ worked them > as a result of a spot I posted. > > > I don’t hate FT8 but It’s not my focus. It is very useful due to the shear > numbers of operators and PSK Reporter for determining propagation. Alone it > has had a profound impact on the HF bands some of which has been good and > many cases not so. A good CW operator can easily copy -18 dB SN station. > Perhaps C6AGU’s "Rig In a Box" will help by cutting DX-pedition costs and > allow operators to be in comfort spending more time on air operating rather > than fiddling around with all needed accessories and beat many of the > environmental regulations. > > > Bob W7RH > > -- > W7RH DM35OJ > > > If it's true that our species is alone in the universe, then I'd have to say > the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little. George Carlin > _________________ > Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector