This is not just a contesting issue. It seems to me that the distinguishing
feature of ham radio is HOW we choose to communicate with one another - the
hard way, for its own sake. When ham radio evolves or adapts into automated
(or semi-automated) communications, I say it has evolved or adapted into
something else entirely.
The difficulty we face now is that, in its unthinking wisdom (I'm being kind
here), the ARRL has promoted these data modes (and there's a new one every
couple of months) as the golden ticket for today's youngsters to enjoy ham
radio.
Someone should shout "Stop".
73,
Paul EI5DI
On 03/12/2018 18:22, Wayne, W5XD wrote:
Fellow contesters,
ARRL has added WSJT-X as an allowable mode for next month's RTTY Round
Up. I am daring to speak from ignorance (I have yet to make a single FT8
QSO) but will ask anyway whether this is a "good idea."
There is a place for building robots to do battle with each other. I
have attended the Robotics competition once since they moved it to
Houston a couple of years ago. Here a reference:
https://www.firstinspires.org/robotics/frc It is very exciting to watch,
and its clear it appeals to young people in a way that ham radio
contesting has not.
But I ask the question of whether WSJT-X really fits into the current
definition of radio contesting? And does it fit so well that it ought to
be directly incorporated as an equivalent to RTTY into an existing
contest like Round Up? I have to, again, admit up front that the faces
in that firstinspired URL are all about 50 years younger than the faces
at my local radio contesting club and maybe that, over the long run, is
the only argument that counts.
But, even as a geeky, introverted nerd, I have to counter that
contesting has a social aspect that appears missing when we all build
our robots to compete with each other and wake up at the end of the
weekend to see who won (or have I completely misunderstood FT8?) I still
like hearing the old calls year after year, and sadly missing the ones
that don't show up anymore.
Wayne, W5XD
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