[CQ-Contest] So Sunday Sucked?

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

I have no clue who wrote that story about FT8 but it filled with fake 
news as they say.

FT8 has also killed Topband and now Contesting! Amazing!   Pig Farmer 
hams are celebrating across the globe and wondering why they didn't 
think of it sooner.

Since the 14th of October when I got on FT8  I have worked nearly 1200 
contacts.  I have 74 DX entities worked and 51 confirmed. The DX does 
not just roll in.  There are some fairly rare DX on FT8.  I have called 
lots of DX and never got a contact.  IS0 being one I call everyday and 
zip.    I worked WAS in about 2 wks and confirmed on LOTW.

Working DX is a bit more challenging than face rolling your keyboard.   
We will see how it goes if and when VK9MA gets on FT8.  They were on 
RTTY today so maybe!  It is similar to RTTY where you Xmit and hope they 
come back to you.  There is no moving needed with FT8.  Pick what you 
hope is a clear freq and call away and hope.  There is nothing you can 
do to get your self in the log other than wait.

You can only work so many people so fast.  I am not sure we will ever 
see FT8 in contests, although there is a VHF contest mode. Once again 
the VK9MA guys have a special version of the program so it will be 
interesting to see what they send etc.

Will it be a fad?  Maybe but it is better than psk and other modes.  
There are tons of people using it.  20m today was packed. I generally 
try to push the MUF hoping for rare dx or interesting openings.

Did FT8 take people away from SS?  Probably some.  I worked some FT8 
over the weekend and had zero desire to get in SS which is worth 
reflecting on.  Maybe contesting has peaked and is on the way down for 
now?  Similar to the NFL where it is being discussed that there is 
probably too much football on TV which waters down the product.

Do we have too many contests?  Are people burned out?  Inquiring minds 
want to know.

I would be no more interested in an FT8 SS as the CW or SSB version 
right now.  Maybe I am burned out.

I wonder what FT8 will slay next?  Poverty?  It could happen!

W0MU





On 11/6/2017 11:50 AM, w5portablesix--- via CQ-Contest wrote:
> This was posted on another contest forum and is worth a re-post here. J
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> The "NEW" Contest Killer
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> FT8!
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> Yep. In over 30+ years of contesting, I never thought I would NOT put in a full effort in a major contest, but I only played around for a couple hours in WW PH and SS CW because I was on FT8.
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> FT8 exchanges make it very attractive to the contester types. Quick signal report, exchange some grid square nonesense that very few care about and move on the the next contact..PERFECT!
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> Sure, FT8 requires very little, if any skill. You can basically mash your face on the keyboard, roll it around, and make QSO's, but the fact that I can sit in the NW with my small crappy vertical and 20w and work a never ending string of Europieans while the band is open is fun as hell. If I have PSK Reporter up it's even better! Watching all of EU light up on the map from a few simple CQ's makes me think Whoa! can this be real? Is this some kind of cheesy ham radio mode connected through the internet? Nope, it's REAL radio using the ionisphere, and it's a drug. I feel like i'm operating a DX contest from the East Coast. And i'm sure it's a similar feeling for the East Coast boys to work into Japan and SE Asia.
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>   Let's see... I can operate a major contest watching unworkable spots roll by, constinately getting trounced and totally rekted in pile-ups, where my chances of actually calling CQ and getting responses is zero  OR  I can sit here and run DX stations with my piss weak station about as fast as I can given my 15sec slot and fill my log with DX contacts. hmmm...thinking...
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> Honestly I haven't had this type of excitement where the possibilities are endless as to what country will call me next since playing with Dr DX on my Commodore 64 back in the day.
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> Is this a fad that's popular because it's new? Maybe. The big station guys will all try it and mess around with it for awhile, but for the small stations guys it's the "Real Deal".
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> The contest organizers need to take note here as it's always been a running topic on how to get the "new blood" into contesting. Moving forward, FT8 won't make it any easier.
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