..and FT4 is painfully slow compared to SSB (...or CW) when signals are
stronger.
Anybody who is a died-in-the-wool CONTESTER abhors what has happened on 6M
during June and July contests. How is the "art of contesting" served by
40-50/hour run rates on digital ? The real problem is, only 25% of us on a
given contest weekend are serious, the rest are leisure time ops, just
looking to work somebody...anybody. "They" are the ops that allowed "us",
the serious contesters, to have our fun and adrenaline rush, running a 200+
hour on SSB.
Those ops, the ones that count, are gone, never to return to SSB (...yes,
or CW). Change the rules all you want, add more incentive, add more
'coolness', whatever - they are tied to FT8 and are not going to bite and
move to another mode, because FT8 is what they want - some time to make a
few easy Qs without worrying about pile-ups, procedure, ect.
Yes, VHF contesting dynamics have changed drastically - strategy is NOTHING
like it used to be. Participants can either change, deal with the vastly
reduced hourly rate (,,and the Qs you may not have been able to work before
- yes, a very good positive) and forge on. Or, if you're a rate junkie,
retire from the VHF contest game and move on to something else - I doubt
the FT8 contesters will miss us much.
-W9RM
Certified rate junkie and ex-VHF contest op
Keith J Morehouse
Managing Partner
Calmesa Partners G.P.
Olathe, CO
On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 8:41 AM Chuck Dietz <w5prchuck@gmail.com> wrote:
> I think many contesters would agree that we should not penalize or
> discourage FT8, however, it would be good if we could encourage FT4 because
> it is not as painfully slow.
>
> Chuck W5PR
>
> On Fri, Jan 14, 2022 at 9:08 AM <chetsubaccount@snet.net> wrote:
>
> > Hello fellow contesters,
> >
> > Some recent threads here and elsewhere about FT8 have prompted me to
> > express
> > my alternate view.
> >
> > I agree with the summary statement that FT8 has presented VHF contesters
> a
> > complex problem.
> >
> > What I do not agree with is that FT8 has ruined VHF contesting. The most
> > vocal about its demise seem to be the big mega MM stations. I understand
> > the
> > angst; they have put in a huge effort over the decades to optimize their
> > station capability and team and now it doesn't work the same anymore. The
> > old ways have been challenged. But that beautiful 4-1000A 6M amplifier
> and
> > plate modulator had to sadly be replaced too.
> >
> > For a station like mine that runs low power, the changes are exciting. In
> > the past, from here in CT, I could hear a distant big operation like
> K8GP,
> > AA4ZZ, or W3SO long before they could hear me, if at all. But using FT8
> I
> > have that extra 15-20 dB of help and now I will likely get that grid.
> >
> > For many years I've maintained my own VHF call history file to use with
> my
> > logging program. When I started trying FT8 a couple of years ago, it was
> > striking how many local stations I'd work that were NOT in that history
> > file. That means a LOT more (new?) amateurs are getting on for the
> contest.
> >
> > For any mode, to do well you still need a good station and antenna
> system.
> > Make that a never-ending part of your effort. As an avid contester and
> not
> > a
> > DXer, over the years I've put-up multiple antennas and switching systems
> to
> > provide wide azimuthal coverage. Other improvements are still being
> > pondered. Consider this: A 5 element yagi has a 3dB beamwidth of 54
> > degrees. On FT8 the equivalent MDS azimuth coverage is now 128 deg.
> > Remarkable! This wider coverage and increased boresight range makes many
> > more contacts possible. If you want to fare better, adapt, and keep
> > improving.
> >
> > Does FT8 take over for the operator? It could, if someone chooses to
> watch
> > the New England Patriots get whomped and just click a mouse now and
> again.
> > But an avid contest op will watch the decode screen every cycle, notice
> how
> > strong stations are (for clues when to go to ssb or cw), note who is new,
> > scan for a new mult, make decisions what antenna to select right now and
> > next, decide if the current qso really is complete, etc. An avid op will
> > acquire a feel from experience for what part of the day to try beaming
> > north, or to go on SSB for a while.
> >
> > Want more challenge? Reconfigure your station to allow having one session
> > going on 6M and another on 2M at the same time. That will get the little
> > grey cells going to do it and in learning SO2R think. How does using real
> > time texting to "arrange" a contact do that?
> >
> > A traditionalist may suggest penalizing the use of digital modes thru
> rules
> > revisions. Hmmm. so the amateur that puts in thought and maybe a lot of
> > resource into trying and maybe even adding EME capability (as many MM
> > stations have done) to try to work more multipliers should be shown the
> > door
> > now? I thought the point of contesting was to encourage technical
> learning
> > and skills, not discouraging it. It is our own choice to use or not use
> > EME,
> > or FT8, or spectrum windows, chat rooms, rover circling, remote radio, or
> > other new ideas, but should not discourage those that are trying them.
> Find
> > your own personal comfort zone and enjoy your operation.
> >
> > 73, and keep on growing,
> > Chet, N8RA
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > VHFcontesting mailing list
> > VHFcontesting@contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> >
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>
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