Topband: CY9C topband CW

[Jim Brown]

On 9/1/2024 5:51 PM, Wes Stewart via Topband wrote:
>   
>   If you look at Clublog stats, you'll see fewer than half of the Qs are
> on CW.  Furthermore, 53% of the Qs are with EU, and 37% are with NA.  I
> did a rough count once and EU had only 60% of the ham population of the
> US.

I suspect that's at least somewhat dependent on what modes produce the 
greatest number of QSOs, which in turn is based on condition, AND signal 
to noise on both ends of the QSO. Experienced DX ops have said that SSB 
is the roughest mode on which to make rate, CW is much easier, and FT8 
is much easier than CW. The difference is the signal to noise advantage 
of the modes relative to each other and their relative occupied 
bandwidth. It's much easier to pick out calls in a CW pileup than on 
SSB, and the WSJT-X decoder is much better than most ears on CW. As to 
signal to noise -- CW with great ops on both ends is roughly 10 dB 
better than SSB, and FT8 is roughly 10 dB better than those great CW ops.

I'm guessing that the reason there are more FT8 QSOs is the efficiency 
of their new transmission mode that allows them to respond to many 
callers at full power, and neither op needs to use their brain to copy 
the exchange. It is, indeed, all about RADIO, antennas, and noise.

I'm only trying to fill the DXCC slots I didn't already have. I just 
worked them on 30 CW, first call. Worked FT8 on 60 and 17. I still need 
160, 12, 10, and 6. I'm monitoring 160 and DXWatch.

73, Jim K9YC