Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW

[Peter Sundberg]

Let's ponder:

FT8 - everyone is on ONE center frequency 
(passband) and their computer is transmitting 
every 15 seconds for hours on end, regardless if 
they are in contact with another computer or not
FT8 - all the computers that are "hearing" other 
computers are making use of the built in 50 Hz filter in FT8
FT8 - computers "heard" are lined up and presented nicely sorted on the screeen
FT8 - some computers that are not fully copied 
are still presented as "heard" by use of the "a priori" functionality
FT8 - listening in by ear on 1840 it sure sounds like high activity

CW - people call CQ on an unspecified frequency, sometimes with long interrupts
CW - listeners can't easily surf the band and dig 
in the noise in 50 Hz bandwidth
CW - without knowledge of who is where we need 
good signals to attract our attention and so we can start focusing
CW - summer conditions vary, but one thing is for 
sure, the noise is certainly higher and many have 
taken their microscopes (receiving antennas) down for the season
CW - many of us also have to live with a less 
effective TX antenna during the summer as we have 
to roll in our extensive radial field
CW - the KST chat list a lot of interesting and 
capable stations but most of them don't transmit every 15 seconds
CW - not all who are active announce themselves on KST


Bottom line:

CW - it sure would be easier for us to only 
monitor a specific world wide calling frequency, but this is not realistic
CW - we have to accept that it is more difficult 
to do manual CW than single channel FT8 for reasons described above
CW - if we transmit more we will be heard :-)
CW - we are not lazy operators, we still love CW 
and continue to make noise whenever we can, despite the problems listed above
CW - we take on a challenge, we don't give up
CW- we look at the surrounding actors in a 
realistic way and realize what they are doing, 
duly noting that our table has better food
CW - we fully admire our colleagues in the 
southern hemisphere for being there all the time 
during our prime season up north!

CW is King!

73
Peter SM2CEW





At 08:25 2019-04-23, lennart.michaelsson at telia.com wrote:
>Roger et al,
>I was on early this morning and even checked in on  ON4KST.
>Called a few CQ DX on 1826.5 without response so back to bed. Yet I did see
>quite a few US callsigns on the chat. Perhaps they never check out?
>
>73 all
>Len SM7BIC
>
>-----Ursprungligt meddelande-----
>Från: Topband <topband-bounces at contesting.com> För Roger Kennedy
>Skickat: den 23 april 2019 10:17
>Till: topband at contesting.com
>Ämne: Topband: Lack of NA Activity on CW
>
>
>I get that many stations only use FT8 these days (out of laziness?) . . .
>
>But there are plenty of Top Band DXers (like me) who would never ever use
>FT8 . . . but many of these people hardly ever come on the band !
>
>It takes a pretty big setup to have a decent 160m DX station . . . what's
>the point in having invested all that time and money if the only time you
>ever come on the band is to work some DX-pedition?!
>
>Personally, what gives me a buzz is working ANY station on 160m more than a
>couple of thousand miles away. (it's the only band where that's actually an
>achievement).
>
>I don't care how many times I've worked that station before . . . and I also
>don't waste hours trying to get through a pile-up to work a DX-pedition
>station, as I'm really not bothered (I've usually already worked the island
>they're on anyway)
>
>It's becoming a self-fulfilling prophesy . . . If nobody makes the effort to
>come on the band on CW, there will be nobody on the band !!
>
>Roger G3YRO
>
>
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