VHFcontesting
[Top] [All Lists]

[VHFcontesting] Picking a Bone With Gene

To: "VHF Contesting Reflector" <vhfcontesting@contesting.com>, <vhf@w6yx.stanford.edu>, "WSJT Group" <wsjtgroup@yahoogroups.com>, "Eugene Zimmerman" <ezimmerm@erols.com>
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Picking a Bone With Gene
From: "Les Rayburn" <les@highnoonfilm.com>
Reply-to: Les Rayburn <les@highnoonfilm.com>
Date: Mon, 4 May 2009 12:07:11 -0500
List-post: <vhfcontesting@contesting.com">mailto:vhfcontesting@contesting.com>
With all due respect to Gene Zimmerman, W3ZZ, I have to disagree with some 
statements that he made in the May 2009 Issue of QST. In his column, "The World 
Above 50Mhz" Gene writes;

"we must consider FSK441 digital contacts that, while sometimes more difficult 
to set up, technically utilize the skill of Joe Taylor, K1JT, as a software 
author to complete". 

Sorry Gene, but using that logic, you're technically using the skills of Icom 
engineers, or TE Systems design to complete your SSB or CW contacts. There is 
certainly skill involved in making FSK441 meteor scatter contacts, especially 
those on the fringe areas of possible propagation range. 

Predicting optimum paths, time of day, and time of year are a big part of the 
equation. To get good at it takes a fair amount of study on the part of the 
operator. Also, station designed must be optimized for meteor scatter work. And 
manipulating the software to pull out really distant contacts has a pretty step 
learning curve. Please explain how that differs from similar skill sets used in 
other areas of contesting. 

If your experience with the mode is limited to working a few super stations 
with high power, large gain antennas, and optimum paths on 6 Meters, then yes, 
perhaps the contacts could be considered almost "automatic". But try those 
modest station contacts on 222 or 432 and see how easy it is. 

Gene goes on to say, "Given even a modest station-100W to a small beam- most of 
your WSJT contacts are guaranteed if the other station shows up."

Again, I'm not sure how active Gene is on WSJT, but contacts, even with 
stations much better equipped than he describes are hardly guaranteed. In fact, 
the majority of contacts attempted during contests or any other period are not 
completed. Even when coordinated using resources like Ping Jockey. At least not 
on 2 Meters. During last year's contests I had WSJT skeds with a number of 
stations, and completed only two of those. Some of these were with powerhouse 
contests stations, who were multi-op. 

After contest correspondence revealed that they did indeed "show up" but the 
rox simply didn't allow the contact to be completed before one or both of us 
had to move on to another attempt.  

These remarks reveal a basis than many VHF men have toward the digital modes. 
Since it's new and unfamiliar to them, they dismiss it as being somehow "less 
than" the older modes. I think this is very contrary to the pioneering spirit 
of the bands. In the 1940's and 50's, don't you think that anyone in the ranks 
of VHF/UHF work would have given their eye teeth for a mode that would offer 
several db of improvement over CW? 

All that being said, Zimmerman's logic about adding distance scoring to the 
September contest makes a lot of sense. I believe that it would encourage VHF 
men to give WSJT more of their operating time, which I think would be healthy 
for all of us. For some of us who have compromised stations, WSJT represents 
the best chance for awards like VUCC on 2 Meters, but the lack of stations 
using the mode makes that difficult. I think a distance scoring based contest 
would increase the usage of WSJT, and further development of the software would 
advance the state of the art. 

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
EM63nf
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114


_______________________________________________
VHFcontesting mailing list
VHFcontesting@contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>