[VHFcontesting] FT8 and the ARRL June VHF Contest

k2drh at frontiernet.net k2drh at frontiernet.net
Wed Jun 13 14:09:47 EDT 2018


You make a good point Keith aka JayRM
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The real problem is that everyone is mesmerized by the computer screen flashing CQs by and nobody is listening on 2M except maybe the rovers and the multis, and there are darn few of those around here anymore .  Before I could CQ on 2M all day off the call and get responses, and a CQ on the Call once or twice an hour always seem to draw out a bunch who were listening there and then run some bands.  Now they turn off their audio so they don't have to hear the drone of 6M FT8 and don't even listen to the other bands. I actually did try and wait them out on Saturday hoping they would at least listen to 2M once in a while but they didn't!  I had to call a few multiband stations I saw CQing on FT8 on the phone to get them to run the bands.  One that I was able to QSY to 2M told me that he didn't have anything above 2M even hooked up because he didn't have enough computer screens to monitor 6M FT8 and the other bands too (6M was practically dead at the time) so I could please call back "later" .. and as you know "later" almost always means never.  Lots of points and mults down the drain there.  It seed like they finally got off FT8 the last hour or so and it was bedlam every time I called on 2M with multiple stations in multiple directions all trying to QSY me at the same time around the bands at same time. That dog won't hunt on 432 most times ... forget about 1296 and up.  Maybe a dream for a multop, but as a SO I had to go for the best bang for the buck and leave a lot of points on the table because I just couldn't be everywhere at once.    - We can be very specific about a  QSY request on phone or CW but the darn 13 character max makes it hard to be that specific on FT8 or MSK144. What I found that seemed to work best was to type their call and a specific frequency like I said previously.  That's all there is space for.  I guess "GO 144200 SSB"  might work but you don't have enough characters to direct it to a call and a frequency and a mode too. And I would hope that when they tune there and actually listen they can tell if I'm on SSB or CW .. if not we have bigger problems LOL!
++++
73 de Bob2


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  Date: Wed, 13 Jun 2018 10:42:27 -0600
From: Keith Morehouse <w9rm at calmesapartners.com>
To: "vhfcontesting at contesting.com" <VHFcontesting at contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [VHFcontesting] FT8 and the ARRL June VHF Contest
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I think the problem with the whole "QSY 2" thing on FT8 is the other guy
(probably not an experienced contest op) doesn't know if you mean QSY to 2
using FT8 on some frequency he's not savvy to, or QSY 2 on the calling freq
with SSB.  You would think MOST people would understand that 95% of the
operation on bands above 6M is on the calling freq, but maybe not.

To tell you the truth, if I was on 50.313 running FT8 and was asked by
someone on FT8 to QSY to another band, I'm not sure I would be confident we
would get hooked up again.  I think I would probably respond "FREQ?" or
some-such unless I absolutely knew where the guy was going by pre-arranged
agreement or by the fact we had done it before.

The BEST scenario would be for the "local guy on FT8" with other bands to
check 144.200 or 432.100 occasionally and not get so damn fixated on his
WSJT screen.  He has other bands, why not look at them occasionally ?

-W9RM

Keith J Morehouse
Managing Partner
Calmesa Partners G.P.
Olathe, CO


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