Topband: 160: Digital only DXCC needed

[dan at np2j.com]

I have been reading the posts starting with Jeff K1ZM's first post on 
the 160/FT8 issue.
Jeff and I had some personal discussions about this during the V84SAA 
DXpedition.
I have waited to comment because I am sad that the Hobby I love is 
dying.

 From personal experience the last couple of years I can tell you that 
Digital has totally killed CW/SSB activity on Six meters. Two years ago 
I could get on Six when band was open and start a pileup in a few 
minutes by calling CQ and run station after station.

  The first time I got on Six meters was June 6, 2017 I worked over 200 
Eu stations in a few hours. That Summer I had many good runs into 
Europe, whenever there were Digital spots I could make CW contacts. (I 
think the so called advantage of FT8 pulling signals out of the noise 
that can't be worked on CW is a myth) Quite often I would "open the 
band" by calling CQ.
  Move on to last year 2018 and I would have to call CQ for quite a while 
to make a contact and then only a few people calling. This year I can 
call CQ for an hour and not work anyone. Sad.

The same thing that has happened to Six meters has spread to the other 
bands including our beloved Topband. Three years ago I could call CQ on 
160 and get a nice little pile-up going, work 50-100 guys in a hour or 
two. Two years ago the pile ups shrank to nothing, and last season I 
could call CQ for 10-15 minutes and NO ONE calls! The only time anyone 
is on is for a Contest or when a DXpedition is on.

Many DX stations and worse still, DXpeditions are running mainly/only 
FT8 on 160.

Personally I have less than Zero interest in clicking a mouse and having 
a computer do all the communicating. I can not see what satisfaction you 
get by making a "Contact" in this manner.


But the fact that little skill is needed for these "contacts", nor 
little in the way of equipment (No big antennas, no Amps, etc) nor the 
fact that it is totally boring, these are not the reasons I say that 
Digital modes are the DEATH OF HAM RADIO.

Please don't tell me "They said the same thing abt SSB" it is NOT the 
same! SSB did not take the Human out of the loop.

First off: What happens to all the Amateur Radio equipment manufacturers 
that make CW keyers, paddles, microphones, headphones, etc??? Don't need 
any of those things to make digital "contacts"

Since Digital is so superior, no need for High power Linear Amps, no big 
towers, no big antennas, so all those companies will go by the wayside 
eventually also.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY:
As others have pointed out, what happens when we lose our spectrum space 
to commercial interests?

How can we justify our need of large frequency bands when only a few Khz 
of bandwidth is only being used?

When the Internet provides bandwidths up to hundreds of MB/second and 
with 5G GB/Sec speeds, compare this to our Digital modes that provide a 
speed of a few characters a minute???

How will we justify our need of RF spectrum when we are communicating 
digitally only a few characters a minute?


The folks I have talked to give only one reason for using FT8: "It is an 
easy way to work a new one".

Now since everyone has this new "easy" way to work new countries, and 
the "contacts" count towards the Normal Mixed DXCC award, everyone is 
grabbing new ones the easy way, hence the shift in activity to Digital 
modes.
So what motivates the FT8 activity is the desire to increase ones DXCC 
totals.

  The problem is these Digital mode "contacts" need to be separated from 
the mixed DXCC, the ARRL needs to step up and create a Digital only DXCC 
(Not RTTY).

A separate Digital DXCC might stop the bleeding of CW/SSB activity, 
However I don't think the ARRL will do this as it makes too much sense, 
and I am afraid it is too late anyway.

Enjoy it while you can.