Topband: Straws in the Wind ....A 160m Dx'ing Sea Change is Upon us!

[Ed Sawyer]

My thoughts on FT8:

 

-          How is it actually a Q from our normal perspective?  The comments
Jeff made on the fact that 2 operators (on both sides of the circuit) could
see evidence of each other for 20 minutes before the "computers" finally
made the connection - is proof that the operator is not making the QSO.

-          There is a floating robot in the Pacific making FT8 QSOs with
people right now - unattended.

-          3Z9DX has stated that they will leave an FT8 station going 24/7
(which means unattended) on T31.  

-          Are these what we want to count as QSOs?  What about in contests
- FT8 is already infiltrating VHF contests.  Should they be considered valid
contest Qs - while you sleep?

-          I agree with Jeff and others that for people that that consider
topband a PTA to operate and/or are not CW operators - 160M looks like the
perfect place to drop a robot and go concentrate on something else.  But
isn't this a slippery slope?  What about 10M/12M since the sunspots are low.
Or 80M because the static crashes in the tropics are terrible - etc.  Before
you know it the whole DXpedition is an FT8 robot while the "crew" is
lounging about the pool with the XYL/YLs.

-          If we continue to facilitate such nonsense, they we deserve what
we get in my opinion.  If we decide that the band counter is so important we
don't care how we have to get it, then its time to look in the mirror folks.

-          On the other hand, maybe some people are happier with the
computer doing the heavy lifting of digging out the QSO.  Personally, count
me out of that list.

 

Ed  N1UR