Topband: K9FD

[Jim Brown]

On 9/28/2022 9:47 AM, ok1tn wrote:
> Unfortunately, the days of dx on the
> top band ended with the expansion of FT8.

Even during major contests, CW QSOs with EU have become nearly 
impossible from my QTH near San Francisco, thanks to greatly increased 
noise levels at both ends of the QSO. I can still work VK/ZL and JA on 
CW, bot I've heard 7 CW signals from EU in seven seasons, and only two 
of those stations have heard me, running legal limit into a TX antenna 
that is a few dB better than what I had in 2006 to work a dozen or so EU 
stations.

Thanks to its 10 dB advantage over CW to get through noise, FT8 is a 
solution to that, and, during the recent solar minimum, enabled me to 
add twenty new countries in EU over two seasons. FST4 provides 
additional noise rejection, which is why it dominates 630m and 2200m.

Although I've been primarily a CW op all my 67 years in ham radio, it's 
also about radios, antennas, understanding propagation and learning new 
stuff.

73, Jim K9YC