Topband: Lack of DX CW Activity

[mstangelo at comcast.net]

I've been following this thread. Do you know why FT-8 is so popular. I remember what a salesman told me years ago "You bought the radio. Now what are you going to do with it?" Let me explain.

As a teenager in Queens, New York I bought my equipment from Lafayette Radio. I saved up enough money to buy a serious radio, a Lafayette HA-350 that I got on a sale price. After getting it he asked me  "You bought the radio. Now what are you going to do with it?" and explained Hams rarely consider the environment that they intend to use the radio. Since many Hams in the city lived in apartments or has postage stamp lots he sold them am antenna that at least would get them started. I popular one was Hustler whips, I forgot the others. We were moving to the suburbs and told him I would select an antenna once there.

Years later I got married and in we bought a house in Queens on a postage size lot. It was in a quiet residential area and the utilities were underground. Looking back the noise level was low. I could not get up a 160 antenna so I concentrated on Low Frequency and NDB DX'ing.

I followed my job to New Jersey and and able to buy an acre lot in horse country a couple of miles from the ocean. I bought an Elecraft K3 and started with an Inverted L against radials which I figured was the minimum needed for 160. I noticed the noise level was getting higher than in Queens and it was harder and harder to work the weak signals. FT-8 came out. I tried out, did not like it. I consider it an ersatz mode and as a rule don't operate with a computer. I still do paper logging. I am retired so what to do?

I found out I don't like sitting around for extended lengths of time. We spend lots of time at the beach and parks so I started to do lots of portable operation; I find a quiet place at the beach or park and operate there. I am amazed at the low noise levels. I haven't operated 160 portable but are thinking of ideas.

Getting outdoors also makes the hobby more palatable with my wife. She says Ham radio could provide good mental exercise but is a sedentary hobby, bad for physical health.

Enjoy what gives you satisfaction but keep it legal.

Mike N2MS





> On 01/06/2024 1:35 AM EST David Raymond <daraymond at iowatelecom.net> wrote:
> 
>  
> I don't know if I would call it lazy but it certainly is a matter of 
> ease and convenience.  Just look at all the new expeditions that focus 
> primarily, if not exclusively, on FT-8.  No need to for seasoned, highly 
> skilled, ace operators to dig out weak calls signs from huge CW piles 
> which sound like a swarm of buzzing mosquitos. . . or SSB piles for that 
> matter.  My 11 year old great nephew could run the piles once things got 
> set up.
> 
> 73. . . Dave, W0FLS
>