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Re: Topband: FT8 - the end of 160m old school DXing? (long)

To: topband@contesting.com
Subject: Re: Topband: FT8 - the end of 160m old school DXing? (long)
From: W0MU <w0mu@w0mu.com>
Date: Wed, 25 Oct 2017 12:59:01 -0600
List-post: <mailto:topband@contesting.com>
I am pretty serious about DXing.  I am not on the honor roll.  I have over 300 confirmed.  I couldn't tell you who is at the top. Why does it matter?  Those at the top did it their way, whatever that was.  Some did it all from their own homes and never moved, many started over, many today use remote stations all over their own county and probably beyond some use 100 watts, some use 1000 some use 5000 or more.

I can't compete with the DX guy on the East Coast or with the guy with 200 ft towers and room for huge antennas.  DXCC is nowhere close to a level playing field.

The ARRL did not make it a competition.  They sell awards.  They could and should offer more awards and endorsements because I think people would buy them.

FT8 is not a level playing field all it does is allow people that could not even get on the field to do so.  My ft tower and a tribander is king over a guy with his hidden wire in the attic on FT8 just like it is on CW or SSB or RTTY.

To work rare dx on FT8 requires them to get on FT8.  S79 popped up on 17m just as I left he was -20db down.  I didn't get him.  I believe 3Y0X is going to try FT8, that should be a zoo!  I can't wait for a bunch of people who have never tried the mode to learn that day!  It will be gloriously poor.

W0MU


On 10/25/2017 12:17 PM, Mark K3MSB wrote:
As I’ve said before, I don’t believe it’s a case of FT8 being “good” or
“bad” for ham radio.   The problem is a level playing field for competition
purposes.

Personally, I don’t believe statements such as “Your DXCC is your own” or
“Your DXCC is what you make of it” etc.  Rubbish.    All serious DXers are
always looking to see where there are in the pecking order of
accomplishments.  If you’re a serious DXer and don’t care where you stand
among your peers,  then while you may be out there, I figure you’re few and
far between.

The ARRL could easily & significantly mitigate this by allowing band
specific DXCC awards with mode endorsements; stated alternately,  160M
DXCC-CW,  160M DXCC-FT8,  40M-Digital, 17M-SSB etc.

I’ve been a software engineer for 35 years.   While I appreciate the
complexity aspects of such a change to the DXCC award program,  I believe
the only real factor standing in the way of making such a change is the
ARRL’s desire to do so.    It’s not rocket science.    Make your voices
known.

For those that claim that mode is not important,  then ask the ARRL and CQ
to get rid of mode specific contests.   We’ll just have a single CQ WW
where you can use SSB, RTTY, Digital etc, one ARRL DX Competition where any
mode goes.    See how far the contest community will let that one go.

73 Mark K3MSB
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