I am glad FT8 has enhanced contesting for most. The impact of this
technology on the hobby entire is undeniable. It's not just another
digital mode.... It is fundamentally different from a miles-per-milliwatt
perspective. This is not Psk-31, RTTY, etc.... It's cutting edge
stuff.... Precisely what this hobby should be embracing.
Going forward, no station can be competitive without FT8 or it's future
variants as a primary mode. A "non-FT8" category beyond FM-only seems in
excess.... Why bother with SSb/CW in competition when there are only half
a dozen stations participating on those modes all weekend? You'll miss
Ft8/mults that SSB/CW will never provide.
So, this is great!
However.....
I've never been a competition driven contester. Rather, I enjoy them
because of the activity boost on the V/U spectum. It's usually much more
relaxing and friendly than HF contesting.
The human aspect of a V/U contest QSO is the attractive thing for me. I
like briefly chewing the rag between Qs, comparing band condx notes, and
sharing mountaintop experiences with my fellow local contesters.
That kind of activity is unique to ssb, cw, and FM.
Seems to me that my future contest activity should focus more on FM as a
primary mode.
At that prospect -- and after this year's thoroughly unenjoyable cold,
low-q, high-rain experience, I'm getting more inclined to either stay home
and work on my garden next June, or leave the radios at home and just go
camp out.
;)
VY 73 DE KF4YLM
On Jun 19, 2019 7:43 PM, "Mark Spencer" <mark@alignedsolutions.com> wrote:
Well they may not be "magic" but in my experience digital modes at times do
seem to enable qso's that would be difficult or perhaps even impossible
with traditional analog modes. For example I recall using JT65C to
complete a 1296 qso during a contest that simply wasn't getting done with
CW or SSB. In my view digital modes can be a tool in the toolbox to use
when analog modes are not suitable. My preference would be to only use
them when needed. There might also be some merit to scoring digital and
analog qso's differently but I haven't put any thought into that issue.
73
Mark S
VE7AFZ
mark@alignedsolutions.com
604 762 4099
> On Jun 19, 2019, at 3:59 PM, Dave Clouser <dave@nz3m.com> wrote:
>
> Interesting how folks perceive digital comms as some sort of magical mode
where you don't even need propagation. Digital is a "sound" that is
generated by your computer and sent through your transmitter, just like SSB
or CW is through your mic or key. That sound is received by your receiver
and sent to the computer to be decoded, just like SSB is decoded by your
brain when you hear it (thanks to English classes). You need propagation
just like the other modes. Its just a language that we don't
understand....YET :-)
>
>
>
>> On 6/19/2019 6:10 PM, David Huff wrote:
>> I agree with others, splitting the contest might be better.
>> Have 1 weekend be ONLY digital VHF/UHF
>> A second weekend being only VHF/UHF SSB/CW
>> And then a third weekend of VHF/UHF any mode.
>>
>> Note, we have ARRL awards for HF split by mode, but not VHF/UHF, meaning
there is no digital only VHF award. They just lump everything together.
Looking at the grid chase stats, it is clear digital HF modes are more
popular than HF CW/SSB for the HF bands. But a lack of VHF/UHF radios that
do SSB/CW/Digital as well as FM is probably to blame.
>>
>> My personal theory, more people would be on VHF/UHF if the radios were
more convenient to interface to a digital source like a laptop, and
cheaper. Right now there is a lack of affordable ALL mode style radios for
VHF/UHF. And the ones that do exist are expensive.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> David
>> W0IM
>>
>>
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