You make a good point Keith aka JayRM
-
The real problem is that everyone is mesmerized by the computer screen flashing
CQs by and nobody is listening on 2M except maybe the rovers and the multis,
and there are darn few of those around here anymore . Before I could CQ on 2M
all day off the call and get responses, and a CQ on the Call once or twice an
hour always seem to draw out a bunch who were listening there and then run some
bands. Now they turn off their audio so they don't have to hear the drone of
6M FT8 and don't even listen to the other bands. I actually did try and wait
them out on Saturday hoping they would at least listen to 2M once in a while
but they didn't! I had to call a few multiband stations I saw CQing on FT8 on
the phone to get them to run the bands. One that I was able to QSY to 2M told
me that he didn't have anything above 2M even hooked up because he didn't have
enough computer screens to monitor 6M FT8 and the other bands too (6M was
practically dead at the time) so I could please call back "later" .. and as you
know "later" almost always means never. Lots of points and mults down the
drain there. It seed like they finally got off FT8 the last hour or so and it
was bedlam every time I called on 2M with multiple stations in multiple
directions all trying to QSY me at the same time around the bands at same time.
That dog won't hunt on 432 most times ... forget about 1296 and up. Maybe a
dream for a multop, but as a SO I had to go for the best bang for the buck and
leave a lot of points on the table because I just couldn't be everywhere at
once. - We can be very specific about a QSY request on phone or CW but the
darn 13 character max makes it hard to be that specific on FT8 or MSK144. What
I found that seemed to work best was to type their call and a specific
frequency like I said previously. That's all there is space for. I guess "GO
144200 SSB" might work but you don't have enough characters to direct it to a
call and a frequency and a mode too. And I would hope that when they tune there
and actually listen they can tell if I'm on SSB or CW .. if not we have bigger
problems LOL!
++++
73 de Bob2
++++++++
Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:42:27 -0600
From: Keith Morehouse <w9rm@calmesapartners.com>
To: "vhfcontesting@contesting.com" <VHFcontesting@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] FT8 and the ARRL June VHF Contest
Message-ID:
<CACCAnzWwFUHL-9rV1NqUU8KOqqKHJYLTntxsyUdM3kFQpWakQQ@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
I think the problem with the whole "QSY 2" thing on FT8 is the other guy
(probably not an experienced contest op) doesn't know if you mean QSY to 2
using FT8 on some frequency he's not savvy to, or QSY 2 on the calling freq
with SSB. You would think MOST people would understand that 95% of the
operation on bands above 6M is on the calling freq, but maybe not.
To tell you the truth, if I was on 50.313 running FT8 and was asked by
someone on FT8 to QSY to another band, I'm not sure I would be confident we
would get hooked up again. I think I would probably respond "FREQ?" or
some-such unless I absolutely knew where the guy was going by pre-arranged
agreement or by the fact we had done it before.
The BEST scenario would be for the "local guy on FT8" with other bands to
check 144.200 or 432.100 occasionally and not get so damn fixated on his
WSJT screen. He has other bands, why not look at them occasionally ?
-W9RM
Keith J Morehouse
Managing Partner
Calmesa Partners G.P.
Olathe, CO
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