Topband: FT-8

[Guy Olinger K2AV]

>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: w5zn <w5zn at w5zn.org>
> .....snip
> Last weekend leading up to and during CQWW 160, all of the FT8 folks
> bitterly complained that the CW guys had taken over the entire band and
> destroyed FT8.
> .....snip


In the US anyway, it was pretty clear to me that folks were steering clear
of 1840 thru and including 1843. But contesters were operating at 1839.5
and 1839.7 and 1844. The FT8 signals did not seem to be occupying close to
the edges though. Can't speak to what was going on in Europe.

There *were* some absolutely bodacious signals in the contest, a lot of
them. 20 or 30 over S9 on a calibrated K3. All the way, 1800 to 1840, 1845
to 1875. Think the SSB guys that live on 1850 and 1847 LSB were hearing a
lot of CW, and probably just turned on their autonotch.

I do think some cheap front ends, or too broad IF's may have been
absolutely CRUSHED by the sum RF signal voltage on the band. The answer
there, as always when one needs a clear 10 kHz to keep front end or IF's
from going mush, is to get a modern receiver. The K3 is into its 11th year
since release. Time enough to modernize a bit.

I thought it was rather decent of the boys to stay away from the FT8 slot.

73, Guy K2AV