[CQ-Contest] FT4 - Robotic Contesting

[K5WA]

Sterling,

 

Your argument would carry a lot more water if you had the skill to copy FT4
in your head.

 

Bob K5WA

 

 

Message: 6

Date: Thu, 2 May 2019 20:01:53 -0500

From: Sterling Mann <kawfey at gmail.com <mailto:kawfey at gmail.com> >

To: Mike Smith VE9AA <ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca <mailto:ve9aa at nbnet.nb.ca> >

Cc: "CQ-Contest at contesting.com <mailto:CQ-Contest at contesting.com> "
<cq-contest at contesting.com <mailto:cq-contest at contesting.com> >

Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] FT4 - Robotic Contesting

Message-ID:

 
<CACxCfFo7n6uH7=M0C3_ciOvsHkDsXiUSCHkFo7bvxsAqD3kh4w at mail.gmail.com
<mailto:CACxCfFo7n6uH7=M0C3_ciOvsHkDsXiUSCHkFo7bvxsAqD3kh4w at mail.gmail.com>
>

Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"

 

In the beginning, there were people. And people raced on foot. And then man
domesticated the animal, and raced that. And then man got creative, making
cars, planes, boats, trains, rockets, and so on and so forth...and raced
them all.

 

Ham radio is the same. In the beginning there was CW. And then phone. And
then RTTY. And then BPSK. And so on and so forth, until now with FT4.

 

What I'm getting at is that FT4 contesting will still be just as much fun as
CW, SSB, and RTTY, and just as competitive. But, I think now after reading a
negative opinion or two on CQ-contest, QRZ, eHam, reddit, and elsewhere, is
that the contesters ingrained in CW, phone, or RTTY radiosport will be hard
pressed to believe me. Meanwhile contesters of modern-day modes will have as
much fun with FT4 as those who have been contesting with CW for their
lifetimes and it makes me sad that they'll be unlikely to share that
experience. So, I challenge the naysayers to give it a try. I promise you
that the "robot" you QSOing with will be no different than the N1MM
automation that manage 99% of a contact already.

 

-Sterling N0SSC