[CQ-Contest] My FT8 totals: Not what I thought it would be.

[Peter Lunn]

No robot here.  A little over 4,000 x FT8 contacts in 13 months. 130+ 
FT8 countries confirmed, many on LoTW but some direct. Mostly with 20-30 
watts, occasionally more as needed for DX on high bands.  Contacts on 
all bands 160-6 except for 60 meters. 160 meter mono-band vertical with 
76 x 130 foot radials, 8040 vertical with 64 x 65 foot radials.  
10-element LPDA at 73 feet for 30-10 meters.  And 5-element 6 meter yagi.

Time spent --- what an abnormal irresponsible divorced guy with 
non-resident adult children might do if he had nothing better to do.  
Except that I still spend much more time on CW than FT8.  And I spend 
more time working in the woods ( and on new antennas ) than I do 
operating.  Overall 16,000-24,000 contacts a year.

Note in the same 13 months my CW totals are MUCH larger than my FT8 
totals and my SSB totals are much less than my FT8 totals.

I have no interest in digital DXCC but use FT8 for filling in US 
counties and filling in states/provinces/districts of other countries.  
In my limited experience, there is little overlap between who I work on 
CW and who I work on FT8.  There are tons of South American stations and 
European stations that I see on FT8 that I never see on CW and vice versa.

73, peter, N4UP


On 12/20/2018 9:08 PM, DXer wrote:
> Here is the scenario:
>
> 1) FT8 user since day 1;
> 2) No FT8 robots ever used;
> 3) Maximum power used is 75 Watts, on 80M only;
> 4) Antenna is a Hustler 6BTV at ground level, no radials;
> 5) Time spent on the radio is only what a normal, responsible family 
> man, following a healthy/balanced lifestyle would spend.
>
> Total entities confirmed: 68...yes, sixty eight. I thought I had a lot 
> more.
>
> I'm sure a number of entities would not have been worked/confirmed 
> using other modes. This is still far from the end of the hobby as we 
> know it, or the banalization of DXCC.
>
> It does not appear, based on this sample of only one user, that FT8 is 
> responsible for any undue advantage in favor of the little pistol, to 
> the detriment of the more accomplished DXer/Contester.
>
> It would be great if others could post their FT8 totals for comparison.
>
> 73 de Vince, VA3VF
> _______________________________________________
> CQ-Contest mailing list
> CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
>