KA1J stated
"this is a licensed sport, I see it in some ways like fishing which is also
a licensed sport; some catch and keep, some catch and release, some pay big
bucks to fly to way out of the way places that most can't afford to do, to
get the big fish, some fish the docks. Some like to go on Charter boats,
some fish off the shore. Some get famous for fishing (River Monsters) and
others compete in an even field to see whose skill is better. Some use a
trot line, some use nets, some spear, some remove the barbs from the hooks,
some try to get their families involved and some go fishing to get away from
their families, and so on, and so on.
Each of us has our idea of what Ham Radio should be. Some keep it to
themselves, some feel the need to vent but one thing is for sure, we like
finding other hams that think as we do. Some of us feel if someone sees
things differently, then they are some kind of threat to what we hold
sacred, anything negative in the woodpile is the beginning of the end.
To me, each of us is competing against
ourselves and anything else is like
spitting into the wind. If I spent every penny I own on ham equipment, there
will be so many more that have far more money than that available as chump
change. Any contest I enter, no matter how well I did, someone in my call
area could have done better if they had better location, equipment or time
into it. All I can do is compete against me and then it is fun.
If someone uses CW and hates FT8 or RTTY, whatever the mode and I use FT8,
we're not competing against each other, but some see it as a threat to what
they see as the brass ring. All my antennas are wire, how can I compete with
stacked monobanders? My
160 is a sloper and at max, 50' tall, how can I compete with a full size 4
Square or better? I can't. Nor do I find any value in comparing what I have
to do to make a Q compared to what they have to do to make the same contact.
I'm happy for them, they're having fun and so am I so everyone wins.
DXCC, I need one more for Honor Roll. It's my game against me, not me
against some station that makes contacts easier than me. In that light; It's
futile to complain about a mode someone else uses in getting the same award
because its easier for them not doing it my way. Their award has a value to
them and it's not up to me or within my power to assign worth just because I
don't like their mode.
I personally prefer CW, enjoy RTTY but
RTTY is to me pretty much like FT8. One can argue that RTTY with N1MM+,
MMTTY and a pan-adapter still require some playing with to make the Q but if
the software were out there to do it as automatically as FT8 and make
quicker Q's... you can bet your bottom dollar it would be the new contest
mode the moment it's released.
Bottom line is: If it is a popular mode it is not going away and nobody
disliking it will make any difference in the final outcome."
------------
This was not the original point of Jeff's (VY2ZM) post actually. The point
was that the DX to be worked was no longer available because they were on
FT8. So its not a matter of preference, it's a matter of is the DX even
there to be worked on the mode you desire. Specific to fringe bands like
160M and 10M and 6M, I can see this becoming a problem on DXpeditions if
there is not an "expert on the team" that enjoys those bands. Plus if you
are trying to "make big numbers" it could be more Q productive to have the
robot working 160, 10, and 6 and have the human operators work the other
bands.
It looks to me like VHF contesting is about to be decimated for the CW/SSB
op in favor of robots working each other on FT8. I am glad I am not into
VHF contesting.
So a personal choice is one thing. But having the choice removed is
another.
My original point was that if those (like me) don't like the trend, we
should make choices not to join it, otherwise we shouldn't be surprised if
the trend continues.
73
Ed N1UR
_________________
Topband Reflector Archives - http://www.contesting.com/_topband
|