[CQ-Contest] CW or SSB FCC says neither.

[Bill Tippett]

K4JRB wrote:
>The new FCC Chairman told a group of hams that its time for amateurs 
to move to the new modes and leave what he considers are obsolete modes. 

        And exactly what are his credentials?  Do you think he has any
idea he knows what he is talking about?  I don't.  

  http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/powell/mkp_biography.html

Perhaps he would like to demonstrate digital modes are superior by 
comparing contest results for existing contests.  Here are high-claimed
CQ/RJ WW RTTY scores from last fall's contest:

http://lists.contesting.com/pipermail/3830/2001-October/029841.html 

The highest number of contacts made by any single op was 2461 QSO's
which is not even close to the typical CW or SSB SOAB scores.  I even
made more than that myself on 10 meters alone!  Isn't it about time
we stop taking these "expert" claims at face value and do a reality
check with the brain God has given us?

>He said (and ARRL agrees) that a mode such as PSK31 is superior to CW
in weak signal environments.

        Then I have a challenge for CQ Magazine Dave.  Replace the CQ 
160 SSB contest (where SSB has already been proven inferior to CW) with 
the CQ 160 PSK31 contest.  Let's just see if Chariman Powell and ARRL's
claims are true rather than taking them at face value.  

>Amateurs are working each other with QRP where signals are below the noise
threshold.  Listen to the speaker and there is nothing!

        Sure some of the computer-to-computer modes (PSK31, WSJT, QRSS) 
can extract signals below the noise level, but how quickly do you think 
they could make contacts?  A QRSS contest would be a real blast to hear 
at ~0.8 words per hour!  

>The FCC Chairman also stated that CW is no longer in use in DOD applications
and is rapidly disappearing in Commercial Marine communications.

        So what?  Most of the human element is being removed from DOD
applications (pilots, operators, etc.)  My only question is "What do
you do when the computer or GPS fails?"  I suppose whe have also 
stopped teaching Commercial Marine captains how to use sextants, but
I wouldn't want to go to sea with one who didn't have one and know how
to use it.  Rather than making ourselves totally dependent on technology
(which I am a firm believer in BTW), I would hope we are teaching our
military "what to do when the computer breaks".

>So are we getting in disfavor with the FCC by sticking to CW or SSB?

        I think it's time we stopped accepting some of the groundless 
assertions we are getting from the FCC and ARRL.  If we really believe
some digital mode is superior, let's put it to the (con)test, which is
the ultimate test of communicatins under extreme conditions.  I have 
yet to see any digital mode that would even come close but I would
gladly change my opinion if factually proven otherwise.  Opinions from 
FCC Chairman Powell just won't do it for me.

                                                73,  Bill  W4ZV