> - All modern HF rigs include 6m - if you have an HF rig you are ready
> with another antenna to contest on 6m as it is just another choice on the
> band switch. If you are set up for HF FT8 you are set up for 6m FT8. Not so
> with 2m and above with the exception of the FT 8xx type of transceivers
I have been wondering for a while where the FT8 VHF contest ops are
coming from and if perhaps some of the community's concern is overblown.
I see two possibilities:
* Casual ops who have that HF+6 radio and get on to play around for a
couple hours, get some new grids towards VUCC, etc. In the past, these
people would have done the same thing but on SSB. I have a feeling
there's a lot of them. They are not serious contesters and were never
going to be people you could work through the bands with.
* More serious contesters who are wanting to try something new and are
focusing much of their time on making digital contacts. I feel like
there are relatively few of these people due to their likely time and
money investment in having gear for other bands.
The first group wasn't going to have 2m, 70cm, and up beams and amps at
home. Not having digital modes available means we are losing points and
some mults by not being able to work this group, but I don't have any
concerns that I am missing higher band contacts due to the move from SSB
to FT8 here.
The second group is the one to be concerned with. I haven't been here
long enough to know what the answer is, so hopefully someone else does.
Personally, my roving plan for at least future June contests is to have
two ops. One op will essentially be a mult station, dedicated to
watching 6m on SSB and FT8 during openings (and also watching for when
those openings occur). The other op will be the points station and
handle all the other bands.
--
Chris Lumens - KG6CIH
Hike * MTB * XC Ski * Haskell
Research - Experimentation - Testing - More Testing
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