[CQ-Contest] FT8 vs FT4 in the Contest

[Edward Sawyer]

I am reading with interest the discussion about the digi contest.  Many people were repeating that FT8 was used more than FT4 to "pick up the casuals".  I thought that FT4 was a protocol that allowed a contest exchange.  So if the contest this weekend had a simple enough exchange (grid) that you don't need FT4, what's the point of FT4?  From reading posts, it seems that some of the slow rates were attributed to dividing the contest up between 2 incompatible modes.

Would it make more since to just use FT8 and make sure the exchange is FT8 compatible?

Just asking.

Another observation from the postings - while FT8 may be taking over much of the DXing activity, it doesn't seem to be any threat to the Contest activity.  It's a new interesting mode to try.  And we will see if it sustains good activity as it has time to develop.

73

Ed  BV/N1UR