Topband: FT8 - the end of 160m old school DXing?

[Brian Pease]

I think that digital modes such as FT8 are a boon to hams in homes with 
covenants, allowing them to work the world with minimal, even indoor, 
antennas and QRP power levels. For them, at least, the challenge is 
still there. I think FT8 is so popular because there is more reward 
(contacts) for a given station setup compared to older modes.  No one is 
being forced to use FT8, which currently only occupies a tiny 1% of the 
160m band (~2kHz).  Also, no internet spotting assistance is needed to 
see who is active (and copy-able) on the band.  I can listen to the 
music of FT8 by simply turning up the volume control on my K3S.

On 10/25/2017 9:38 AM, JAYB1943 at OPTONLINE.NET wrote:
> I guess I don’t understand what makes the new Digital modes any different
> from old RTTY...the “sounds” are similar enuf to learn to love and the words
> are still displayed on (in the old days) paper or a screen.
> There are many audibly-compromised hams out there – such as me – who really
> welcome a mode that doesn’t require sharp hearing to work CW or especially
> SSB.
> In addition, I have recruited several new (young) hams by attracting them
> with the computer-based modes...all but eliminates “mike-fright” and
> “key-freezing”.
> I guess a lot of old-timers (I am 75) feel that the awards like DXCC and
> WAS, etc. earned with FT8 have less merit than they did with good-old CW or
> Phone or RTTY.  But few people objected when CW filters were invented or SSB
> replaced AM or smaller, lighter, more efficient radios replaced the old tube
> stuff...so is a CW DXCC earned in 1948 somehow worth more than one earned in
> 2000 using these major tech improvements ?
> There will always be a place for CW and voice modes in ham radio for those
> that want to practice those..and remember one of the major facets of ham
> radio is to “advance the state of the radio art” which surely describes the
> new digital modes.
> Room for everybody out there, guys....73 Jay NY2NY
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