As an electrical engineer you should realize that your rig _also_ turns
otherwise undetected signals into something you can hear.
Open the window, hearing any DX?
----- Original Message ----- From: <k8bhz@alphacomm.net>
To: <Topband@contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, May 20, 2017 11:47 PM
Subject: Re: Topband: Top Band and JT65
Promised myself I'd stay out of this, but it's getting
ridiculous....Comments like "I worked 20 new ones on 160, and I never
heard any of them!". Wow! That's amazing...I personally can't find
any satisfaction in claiming a contact I never heard. I never
have...Yes, the digi modes allow easier qso's that would never have
been made, but let's face it, you never made those contacts, your
computer & it's software did. Any resulting "Awards" should be made
out to your computer. Meteor scatter used to be very popular,
actually getting to hear the excited voices of those you worked was
thrilling. One m/s qso of mine was with a yl from the Carolinas with
a most delightful Southern accent...hard to duplicate with digi
modes. I don't know anyone who works or talks about rocks
anymore....no challenge. Same with eme, which I pulled the plug on
when it was no longer a challenge. How many new eme operators have
heard their own voices coming back from the moon? I migrated to
TopBand as one of the last real challenges left....
I find the litany of excuses about why one has to go to digital means
on 160 to be feeble at best." My rig can't cut it, I don't have the
antennas, I can't copy code (one of the real elephants in the room!),
my location isn't on the coast where it's easy, etc, etc". There are
MANY dxers operating successfully on small lots, and there are a
myriad of clever, small receiving antennas out there. How about the
gentleman on the left coast who worked DXCC on 160 from his mobile!!
(without digital modes).
My TopBand rig is quite modest, no towers or rotors. The TX antennas
are wires hanging from trees with no more than 50' vertical rise. The
16 radials under each are only 48' long. Desperately needing a new
rig, I bought the very cheapest HF transceiver on the market (no DSP,
keyer, antenna tuner, etc). My location in Upper Michigan is not near
either coast for "easy" dx, but is unfortunately close to the auroral
oval. My amp was a non-working "gift" that doesn't run full power.
However, I have 233 countries & 37 zones confirmed on 160. I have
personally HEARD every qso made & have decoded them as necessary, in
my HEAD. I don't spot myself or arrange skeds....I don't have a
computer in the shack.
If ham radio was to go all digital, I would walk away from it....Not
because I'm a curmudgeon, but simply because the challenge and
resulting thrills would be gone.
Lest you think I am a ignorant technophobe, I am a degreed electrical
engineer and have been a ham for over 60 years. I have a fine
computer & am on it actively every day....but I never pretend that
it's ham radio.
I realize from the comment below that it's rather boring to work digi
modes, but I suspect that help is on the way....I am truly surprised
that no one has produced an "app" that will take the remaining work
out of it. You would simply download the app, check the appropriate
boxes (DXCC, WAS, WAZ), select the desired bands, and turn it loose
24 hours a day. It would make all the contacts for you (with similar
robo-stations) and send you a text or email when it's through. Heck,
it could even apply for your desired awards, and then wake up your
printer to print your award certificate out! It would then send
another message to pick up your award....How truly exciting that
would be.
Brian K8BHZ
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