Topband: KH1/KH7Z TopBand Ops Brief

[Gary Smith]

Hi Jim,

I consider myself a hard core CW op, I 
think I've taken part in maybe 4-5 SSB 
contests total in the last 39 years, maybe 
10-15 or so RTTY contests. However, I've 
been in easily several hundred CW 
contests, some of which I've taken 1st 
place in my class. I need 1 more ATNO for 
Honor roll and of those ATNOs' I have, 
only two were SSB, & no CW was available 
to work them.

With that, I have found FT8 interesting as 
a communication mode. Not exciting as when 
I pull CW out of the noise and make a Q, 
but it is a ham contact never-the-less.

I do enjoy discovering signals are 
available below the noise level, when I 
can't hear them but the K3s & WSJT-x do. 
Those calls wouldn't be there on the 
screen if they didn't exist. If the band 
is dead for one mode but alive for 
another, I'll go for what's alive. 

I just ordered a 7 element M2 antenna for 
a dedicated 6M station with K3 & external 
pre to run CW and FT8, I'm looking forward 
to my first 6M CW contest.

Yeah, I consider myself a hard core CW guy 
but I see a place for FT8 as well.

73,

Gary
KA1J

> ##  FT8 is indeed a game changer,  but I dont think the hard core CW
> ##  op will  buy
> into the.... new fangled mode. 
> 
> Jim   VE7RF
> 
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