Topband: future of ham radio

[Rudy Bakalov]

Roger,

It’s a rather myopic view to think that if the QSO is digital there no skills involved. The QSO is a combination of engineering skills to design a competitive station including effective antennas, knowing the propagation, and actually showing up to make the QSO.

Let’s remember why digital modes exist in first place- to improve SNR, not to automate the QSO. That is, the effort to improve SNR is part of the same journey as the transition from AM to SSB, CW to RTTY, general purpose antennas to dedicated RX antennas, etc.

Rudy N2WQ

Sent using a tiny keyboard.  Please excuse brevity, typos, or inappropriate autocorrect.


> On Oct 28, 2017, at 5:42 AM, Roger Kennedy <roger at wessexproductions.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> 
> I appreciate the point about trying to get youngsters interested in the
> hobby . . .
> 
> However, the trouble with the computer-based Digital modes is that there is
> no SKILL involved in having a contact - it's your Computer having a contact!
> 
> That lack of skill and therefore achievement is what gets people hooked into
> a hobby - if there's none they will quickly become bored.  
> 
> Look what happened with the countless new Amateurs (with new
> easy-to-get-licences) who just came on VHF and used Repeaters - they quickly
> got bored and most are now inactive, unless they were fortunate to have
> someone show them how satisfying making REAL contacts can be.
> 
> The same can be said about Motor Racing . . . if the cars people used
> getting into the sport all had ABS, Traction Control, Automatic Transmission
> etc etc it would be pretty boring and they'd soon lose interest.
> 
> 73 Roger G3YRO
> 
> _________________
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