Topband: He who holds the gold makes the rules/CB0ZA

[Steve Ireland]

G’day

As a 160m DXer for almost 30 years from VK6 (238 countries worked and 39 zones on CW/SSB) and with absolutely no interest whatsoever in using computer-decoded modes, I have recently come to terms with the likelihood that I will never work my 40th 160m zone. 😉

This zone happens to be Zone 12 (CE0Y/CE0X/CE0Z)  - i.e. if I had got onto FT8 I may have at least had a chance at achieving this by chasing CB0ZA. 

But to me this would be pointless and without any satisfaction whatsoever.

As we all know, DXpeditioning is a very expensive and dangerous business and the number of contacts made is all important in terms of DXpedition aims.  

If you want to work a new country on CW/SSB, be clear to a DXpedition organizer by email that you are only donating to them because they have said they will use SSB/CW. 

If a DXpedition organizer knows that 80 per cent of their donations are coming from CW/SSBers who only want to work them in that mode, then it is more likely they will use SSB/CW up to 80 per cent of the time.  

But if you don’t tell them this, they will use the mode they think will give them the best number of contacts in poor conditions, which they probably currently perceive to be FT8.

We, the operators who work the DXpeditions, actually hold the gold in this area – don’t donate to DXpeditioners/organisers who have a proven track record of mostly using FT8. Don’t whinge about them using FT8 – do something about it!

As a final thought for all, VK6 is a popular starting point for DXpeditions to the sub-Antarctic regions and the Indian Ocean.  Over the last ten years, as a result, I’ve got to talk face-to-face to a lot of operators from all over the world.

If anyone thinks that automatic/robotized FT8 contacts aren’t being done by operators living in locations that are DX to the USA, Europe and Japan on a daily basis, they are sadly mistaken.  That is the reality of amateur radio today.

As for me, once I am over my current kidney surgery, it will be back to working CW/SSB on 160 – 10m (plus a bit of Ancient Modulation).  

As for FT8 operators who want to work VK6/Zone 29, all three of us in VK6 who have built really good 160m stations and regularly work the band use CW and no FT8.  

There are a few VK6 who do work FT8 on the band but their signals are likely to be considerably weaker than ours. 

He who holds the gold always makes the rules. Good luck!

Vy 73

Steve, VK6VZ/VL6T 






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