Topband: Summer Update & a Surprise

[daraymond at iowatelecom.net]

Interesting observations Jeff.  I will remain on 160 CW as I have in years 
past.  I enjoy the visceral satisfaction that comes with pulling out the 
weak signals and having direct, unencumbered interaction with the station to 
which I'm communicating. . .or trying. . .hi.  CW is still great fun.

73. . . Dave, W0FLS

-----Original Message----- 
From: k1zm--- via Topband
Sent: Wednesday, July 31, 2019 7:20 AM
To: topband at contesting.com
Subject: Topband: Summer Update & a Surprise

Hi Gang


It is mid summer here and E season on 6M has been fun to play with while 
160m is pretty S L O W as it usually is.
On these pages there has been alot of chatter regarding FT8 - (which 
basically took over 6M DX'ing starting in July 2917 - all DX is now on 
50.313 FT8 - which is why I had to adopt this mode in order to continue 
DX'ing on 6m).  It was either do that or give up operating on 6M during E 
season.
I do hope that CW continues to thrive on Topband - but this past season 
there was TONS of DX on FT8 and in my opinion LESS DX on CW than in prior 
years.   It is quite possible to work in JA on 160m from here on FT8 with 
100w out - which would have been quite rare indeed on CW as I recall (I do 
not think I ever worked JA with 100w from here - but who knows?)
Today as I write this - I am listening to 28.074Mhz on a totally DEAD 10m 
band.  If I tune the entire CW portion and the whole SSB portion, there is 
NOTHING - repeat NOTHING there - no signals whatsoever to be found.
Yet on 28.074Mhz - I just worked a whole page of Europeans on FT8 - to my 
almost total INCREDULITY!!
I am not sure how I feel about all of this - but one thing is SURE - the DX 
world has changed - and there is no looking back.
I love CW on Topband and used to love CW on 6m - but that no longer 
xists  -so I do hope the 6m migration to FT8 does not repeat itself on 
Topband!
To all a good summer and CU on CW again starting in September.
73 JEFF   VY2ZM


.

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