I've made this point before, but it's worth repeating.
If you're not seriously contesting, run whatever mode makes you happy. If
you think you are seriously contesting and you stay on FT8 or what-have-you
when there is a decent band opening, then you are NOT seriously contesting.
-W9RM
Keith Morehouse
via MotoG
On Sun, Mar 21, 2021, 12:42 PM Mark Spencer <mark@alignedsolutions.com>
wrote:
> James you bring up some good points about the utility of using the digital
> modes to make contacts when band conditions are flat.
>
> I will say for the last several years I have been focusing more on the
> digital modes on 50 MHz (especially MSK144) as they give me a much higher
> certainty of at least making some contacts from remote areas in the absence
> of a band opening. I have been told that this is at times frustrating for
> other operators who don't want to use the digital modes and I have made a
> number of efforts to accommodate those operators, but from a perspective of
> making QSO's from remote places during flat band conditions the digital
> modes have a lot of advantages in my view.
>
> I do try and keep an eye on the analog calling frequencies when running
> digital modes with a band scope but it is not the same as continually
> listening to the calling analog calling frequency hoping for a band
> opening. Even if I detect a band I may or may not want to stop running
> digital and jump on the analog frequencies (especially if I am part of the
> way thru a digital QSO.)
>
> I don't think there is a single right answer to this issue and at this
> point I remind myself this is only a hobby (:
>
> 73
>
> Mark S
> VE7AFZ
>
> mark@alignedsolutions.com
> 604 762 4099
>
> > On Mar 21, 2021, at 9:34 AM, JamesDuffey <jamesduffey@comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >
> > Kim - Your point on conditions is pertinent. I think the discussion of
> the impact that conditions have on contest scores is implicitly included in
> the discussion of digital modes. FT8 and FT4 in particular are designed to
> make contest QSOs under marginal sporadic Es conditions, and are a good
> equalizer under flat to poor conditions. And, if one uses these modes, it
> is fairly common to see short Es or tropo openings of a minute or two, long
> enough to make a QSO, and then they are gone. Similarly, the use of MSK has
> made meteor scatter QSOs available when meteor conditions are flat. So, I
> think when it comes to the digital mode QSOs, conditions are a variable
> that is well accounted for.
> >
> > Where conditions come into play and drive scores is when propagation is
> favoring the analog modes and ops tend to stick on the digital modes.
> Casual contest operators on the digital modes do not adapt to changing
> conditions, which is what these discussions are all about.
> >
> > Now, heading into Es season, is the time of year to volunteer a talk at
> your local radio club to promote VHF/UHF operating in general and the
> importance of moving off of the digital modes when signal strengths are
> high. - Duffey KK6MC
> >
> > James Duffey KK6MC
> > Cedar Crest NM
> >
> >> On Mar 21, 2021, at 10:00, vhfcontesting-request@contesting.com wrote:
> >> How can we truly assess impacts, decreases, and/or increases?
> >>
> >> Are conditions the same for every contest? For every station?
> >>
> >> It's like banging your head against a concrete wall.
> >>
> >> Let's have this discussion, and ignore the elephant in the room.
> >>
> >> Conditions, conditions, conditions.
> >>
> >> End of my rant.
> >>
> >> 73, Kim - WG8S
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> >
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