[TowerTalk] MFJ QRT on May 17, 2024

[john at kk9a.com]

I posted the MFJ QRT story on towertalk because they make antennas.  The
thread has now changed to FT8.


John KK9A


John Webster NN1SS wrote:

I would like to suggest that there may be broader implications.  On any
given day, more than 80% of all activity on the HF bands is in the
digital modes and largely in FT8.

Look at RBN spot data that was collected (I assume) last year:

23-May



CW     4294       14%

RTTY     69      0.22%

FT8  26318        86%



Total 30681



24-May



CW    4370     13%

RTTY    46      0.14%

FT8   29298    87%



Total 33714


WSJTx and its derivatives have created a growing world-wide market for
small, simple and software-driven. One no longer needs a backyard, a
tribander and all the "accoutrements" that MFJ sells for global HF
communications.

Last week I worked BH7HQT on 20m FT8. You can see his apartment "station"
on QRZ - small, simple, software driven.  The HF bands are now accessible
to apartment dwellers living in the largest of the world's population
centers.

73
John
NN1SS