Chet - I hope you took the survey about the use of FT8 and expressed those
sentiments in it.
To the more general audience and contest participants this weekend, I urge
participants that use WSJT-X to go to the SSB or CW calling frequencies
regularly, say on the hour and/or half hour for 5 to 10 minutes, or when the
SNR reported in WSJT-X is - 5dB or greater for CW and 5dB or greater for SSB,
to use FT4 for greater rates and faster QSOs, to use MSK144 in the morning, and
to tune the band and listen for the weak ones.
Good luck in the contest. 73 KK6MC
James Duffey KK6MC
Cedar Crest NM
> On Jan 14, 2022, at 08:08, Chet, N8RA wrote:
>
> Subject: [VHFcontesting] FT8 and VHF contesting
> Message-ID: <002801d80958$8700fab0$9502f010$@snet.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> 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
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