Jeff highlights a couple of outstanding points, that go well beyond the FT8 debate, that struck home with me.
First, most of the DXpeditions today boast "a focus on low bands" but don't have any experienced low band operators, regardless of the mode, and don't understand propagation and when to be on for optimum times. Even if they "think" they do, they will show up for five minutes or less and then throw in the towel. 3Y0K was a recent example of a very good 160-meter effort. If Jeff goes on a DXpedition you can bet the ranch you'll be in the log simply because of determination on the DXpedition end to hang in there. And yes, I do understand how frustrating it is to call CQ hours upon end and only work 2 stations. As SM5EDX once said "160-meters is a band for men, NOT for sissies!" Second is not having a good assessment of the planned operating location and when they arrive, they discover a horrendous noise issue that obliterates 160 meters. No mode can overcome that. That is common place today and suggests poor planning on the DXpedition organizers. I've have had two 160-meter goals the past 10 years; to work my 40th zone and hit the 300 DXCC mark on the band. I finally worked my 40th zone this year but only because of FT8 so while saddened I could not do so on CW (the other 39 were) I'm not going to complain. For DXCC, I'm sitting at 294 (290 of those on CW) and given the current state of DX and DXpeditions on 160 meters, as noted above, I quite often wonder if I'll live long enough to hit that mark, or my desire to maintain an effective 160-meter station dies. I'm beginning to ask myself why I spend so much time on one band. But, alas, its summer and my interests are on all things other than 160 meters but come September I'll most likely be right back in the hunt, full throttle, albeit quite discouraging as the outlook seems. I'll close with yet another quote, this one from TF4M who said "160-meters is a serious band. It should be treated with respect". I have that quote and SM5EDX's written on a piece of paper and posted in my shack. My hope is future ops (and some old ones), regardless of the mode, will also write those down, post them in their shack, and take them to heart. 73 - GL es DX on 160, Joel W5ZN -----Original Message----- From: Topband <[email protected]> On Behalf Of k1zm--- via Topband Sent: Monday, June 1, 2026 2:03 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Topband: 160m Today - Some additional musings....about the old days... Monday 01 June I have been following this thread and YES - FT8 has materially changed 160m. There is almost NO CW on the band today - except during MAJOR contest weekends. I can often hear 30-40 countries each winter night on 1840 on FT8 and only a handful of the SAME stations on CW when I tune down the band such as: OK1CFF5INON7PQEA5CZS1COZ1BNN and one or two random others. And to make matters worse - FT8 Dx'peditioners seem to have failed to operate at THEIR OWN SUNRISE peaks to make matters worse when they come to 160m. They operate early evening looking into EU - and then qsy to 80m or 40m when propagation at THEIR SR periods favors qso's into North America on 160m. This is maddening to make matters worse... OR Pacific Dx'peditoners often fail to understand EAST COAST SR peaks here on the EAST COAST - and come on the band LONG AFTER SR has occurred here on Cape Cod. This too is disappointing.... For me - this has been a SEA CHANGE on 160m and I too have often had no other choice but to HOLD MY NOSE and get on FT8 along with W8LRL and AA1K both of whom I often see on 1840 these days. I am not IN LOVE with FT8 - far from it - but it is either that - or not be able to make any DX contacts most nights on 160m at all. I never thought I would live long enough to see this take place on Topband! And starting in 2020 the same thing happened on 6m during E season. Now you just sit on 50.313 or 50.323 all day long now and work what you SEE on FT8 mode - there is almost ZERO DX'ing on 6m CW or SSB anymore - same thing that happened a few years thereafter to Topband. FWIW The 4 current160m DXCC Single Band honor roll members on Topband each made all of their contacts on HUMAN modes - eg: CW or SSB - but most future DXCC's almost assuredly will include entities worked on FT8. I do not think there will be many more (IF ANY) DXCC single band honor roll members on Topband with the exception of those that are there today...So IT IS WHAT IT IS - sadly! I fully understand that you cannot hold back technology - FT8 is here to stay - but I am very glad I lived (like a DINOSAUR) in the glory days of 160m. About the only thing that remains today is that YOU STILL HAVE TO UNDERSTAND PROPAGATION on 160m in order to run up a strong DXCC total. That's about all that remains - everything else has changed - SO IT IS WHAT IT IS - HI HI Thanks for the bandwidth... 73 JEFF [email protected] _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector _________________ Searchable Archives: http://www.contesting.com/_topband - Topband Reflector
