Topband: A way to keep old school modes vibrant alongside FT-8

[W0MU Mike Fatchett]

I have no problem with awards with lots of categories.

It is much easier today to work lots of countries on 160, because of 
remote radio.  Remote Radio is another great innovation for the hobby.  
It also allows people that have limited space or live in restricted 
areas to get on and play radio.  It has gotten easier because our radios 
have gotten better and people have been more interested in putting up 
and experimenting and finding better receive/transmit antennas than in 
the past.  There has been plenty of change.

The problem with getting to 300 countries on 160m is that people have to 
go to all the difficult to get to places and then use FT8 and then those 
people actually have to work that station on that mode which is more 
difficult than you think.  I think most of you think that FT8 works 
everything it hears for you and you do nothing.  This is wrong.

Lets see what happens if Mellish Reef tries FT8 and how crazy that is 
going to be.  RTTY pileups are terrible on rare dx now that everyone 
seems to do it.  I suspect it will be a zoo for Mellish and Bouvet if 
they try it.

Ham radio is all about rowboats, sailboats, motor boats and speed boats 
all competing for the same prize.  That is exactly what DXing and is.  
We the QRP guys the guys with modest stations and then those like you 
that have expanses to put up big antennas in areas with little noise.  I 
would say you have a huge advantage over others.  Sadly there are locals 
around me that run 5kw and don't even care or blink an eye about it.  
But that is another issue.

This is all about peoples feelings and nothing more.  You feel like your 
efforts are all of a sudden watered down or lessened. I can't even 
imagine 300 countries on 160.  You should be proud of your efforts 
regardless of whatever technology comes along.  I have 65 countries 
confirmed plus of minus.  I live close to the city.  I have an 8 circle 
array up in less than optimum space for topband and an inverted L but I 
have a job or two and I like to sleep at night.  So I do what I can.

Nobody should feel slighted about their accomplishments.

W0MU



On 10/28/2017 3:17 AM, Steve Ireland wrote:
> Hi Vince
>
> Definitely  not - I was being dead serious (but, as I'm Australian, interspersing what I said with attempts at humour).
>
> The part of the post I made from which you made the extract is about the ARRL getting its DXCC awards program updated to match the emergence and fast growing popularity of the inaudible digital modes, which have a huge communications advantage (10 to 15dB) over CW, SSB and the older digital modes such as RTTY and PSK31.
>
> We have an 'apples and oranges' situation here and the best way to keep the peace between people who use traditional audible modes and those that have embraced the new inaudible digital technology is to have separate DXCC awards.
>
> Put yourself in the place of someone who has spent 40 years getting 300 countries on topband SSB/CW. Being considered in the same category as someone who is using inaudible new wave digital modes to potentially achieve the same total is unlikely to endear the former to the latter!
>
> For the sake of 'peace in our time', let's get separate DXCC categories. Dinghy or yacht sail boats don't compete in the same race categories as motor boats - and this is the situation we currently have.
>
> By the way, it is not that I don't enjoy FT-8 - as my first email said, I like be able to decipher radio signals using my ears - which is why I've never used RTTY, AMTOR, Packet Radio and any WSJT modes including FT-8.
>
> I did used PSK31 a few times on 20m when it first came along because it was an interesting technical challenge to do so, but then lost interest. As the beat poets used to say, "it's just not my bag."
>
> Vy 73
>
> Steve, VK6VZ
>
> ---------------------------
> Not sure of to think of this. Was it another veiled dig at a mode you don't
> enjoy?
> A way forward to keep 'old school' modes
> vibrant alongside FT-8? (long)
> 73 de Vince, VA3VF
>
> On Thu, Oct 26, 2017 at 9:43 AM, Steve Ireland <vk6vz at arach.net.au> wrote:
>
>> This 'new wave' digital award could have a new cool, 21st century-looking
>> certificate (are holograms 21st century?) , would give new wave digital
>> operators the chance to be among the first to get this award and would also
>> give the ARRL DXCC program the chance to potentially get some extra revenue
>> in issuing these awards.  Of course, all the contacts would be submitted
>> electronically. ;-)
>>
>>
>>
>> Vy 73
>>
>> Steve, VK6VZ/G3ZZD
>>
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