[CQ-Contest] sunspot cycle

[robert]

GE Jeff

         I hate to say it but your remark about "dumb down contest to 
the point

         where no skills are required "   is on the horizon when it 
comes to FT8.

         This from someone who spends 20% of his time on FT8 ! I believe 
it is also

         making some of us a bit more of a lazy operator.

             73 BoB WA1FCN


On 3/24/2019 4:36 PM, Jeff Clarke wrote:
> If you're into FT8 there seems to be plenty of DX spotted on a daily 
> basis to keep your typical DXer happy despite the bad radio conditions.
>
> Can you see the scenario in the future that those casual contesters 
> are going to call for the sponsors to all add FT8 as a valid mode for 
> their contest? Hope it doesn't happen and dumb down contests to the 
> point where no skills are required.
>
> Jeff
>
> On 3/24/2019 03:24 PM, Bill kollenbaum via CQ-Contest wrote:
>> The post was not about the demise of contesting, it was about 
>> sunspots numbers and propagation.  If you look at the numbers, they 
>> predict a flux consistently in the 50s.  I can't remember ever seeing 
>> a number that low. We have been banging around 70  or so for most of 
>> this year, with a few exception like those right now (around 80).  
>> Almost everyone seems to agree, that at that number conditions are 
>> not very good
>> Of course we will always have some bands open,  but if the null in 
>> the sunspots continue through 2022 it is generally thought that this 
>> cycle will be extremely low at the peak since there is a direct 
>> correlation between the length of the minimum and the strength of the 
>> next cycle.
>> This may or may not have an effect on contesting.  However, it is 
>> pretty easy to see that it has had an effect on daily operating.
>> KH7XS,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, 
>>
>> Bill,
>>
>> You have made other statements about the demise of contesting. It's 
>> not happening.
>>
>> For example, 2900 QSO's from New Mexico in ARRL DX CW a few weekends 
>> ago. No
>> sunspots. Great fun.
>>
>> 73,
>> Steve, N2IC
>>
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