Topband: Useful things to use FT8 for

[Artek Manuals]

I understand many of you are frustrated by the FT8 camel with his nose 
in the tent. Things change

Now FT8 showed up while I was on sabbatical for 10+ years from the hobby 
so I am now just getting into it.

On the negative side I agree
1) It has caused a loss of contacts on CW
2) It is a lot like watching paint dry, I have long contended that for a 
large proportion of us died in the wool CW DX Pilup jockeys that having 
Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is a necessary personality trait
3) It is a little TOO STRUCTURED. ( see comment about ADD above) . If 
you want to stop and chat a minute about you rig or the WX that option 
is largely not available. Thus it takes on the persona of "take a 
number, fill out this form and go stand in that line over there till 
your number is called".


But every tool has it's good side as well
1) It is a great way to check propagation. There is a free program 
called PSKReporter. I try to get on 160 and 80 around sunrise/sunset and 
call CQ with FT8. IF I get a reply great but even if I dont, I can go to 
PSKReporter and see who hears me, where and how strong . For example 
every morning I find that ZL4YL hears me on 160 and I log the relative 
signal strength I now know if the band is open to VK/ZL and what the 
cndx are likeo the same "monitoring" station day in and day out ( I see 
as much as 15 db variation day over day , that so far have NO 
CORRELATION to SFI, A or K) . Often if I am getting a really good report 
I can call CQ DX on FT8 or CW and many times  get a reply. IF the same 
monitor signal reports are way down , I move on. I even had luck by 
blind calling the "monitoring station" created a small EU opening for 
myself on 6M last week using this approach. Sometimes it is a lot like 
playing "blink", everyone is waiting for the other guy to make the first 
move.
2) For those of us with A.D.D. ... you will like the feel and pace of 
FT4 much better... After a couple of months of FT8 , I found the new FT4 
release actually a breath of fresh air because of the 7.5 second QSO pace.
3) The Robot station I posted about in an earlier post is also a useful 
tool for checking propagation ... So far I have worked my favorite robot 
with 5 watts on two bands and he apparently doesn't care how often I 
call, I can use him to check my F/B on my beam etc.
4) In spite of an earlier post by a K4,  that a friend of mine sent me 
about the various noise immunities of the various modes that may have 
come from this reflector . I have worked a couple of DX stations on 
160/80  that I could not hear ( maybe my ambient noise level is higher 
than that K4's?) I was never more surprised to see the screen turn red 
as someone answered me on FT8 and I had NO CLUE anyone was there
5) Some of you LIKE the fact that the exchange is short and not messy , 
I don't have to act like I heard (or even care) your name correctly or 
that I actually know how how much power your running. If this wasn't 
true more of you would have been on SSB than CW in the first place in 
the past
6) FT8/FT4 It is probably better for our hearing than sitting there with 
a pair of headphones on with the volume turned up too high trying to 
sort the beeps from the static crashes

So don't throw the baby out with the bath water just yet...use it where 
you can to your advantage

Dave
NR1DX
manuals at artekmanuals.com

www.ArtekManuals.com


---
This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software.
https://www.avast.com/antivirus