[VHFcontesting] Very poor contest in FN55

[Sean Waite]

We at least had showers, but the roadside BBQ (with baked beans), taco
bell, and other fast food probably weren't helping the situation.

We're looking at FT8 for the rover. When 6 was open, we had all of the
contacts we could handle on phone. After dark everything died off, though
we could still hear a few FT8 signals. We should be able to work 2m phone
while trying to find stations on 6m FT8. It'll also give us the ability to
work MSK144, which should be interesting.

Our 2m scores were a little slow, and the higher bands were pretty much
dead. There were quite a few stations, even local ones, that only had 6m
and were unable to pass. We were mobile for much of the openings on Sunday,
so we only had one op and 6m phone ruled. Part of the problem with the
higher bands for us is the low power (8W) on 222 and on 70cm the antenna is
kind up wedged up in among the supports for the 6m loop.

There are a lot of advantages to FT8, especially for the casual or
compromised op. We just need to educate people how to use it and also when
to use it.

Sean WA1TE


On Wed, Jun 13, 2018 at 6:35 PM <nosigma at aol.com> wrote:

> Sean,
>
> I think mountain toppers have you beat on the smelling bad.  4 days no
> shower then a day being  rain soaked in the sweaty clothes that I had on
> for two days.  XYL wouldnt let me in the house when I got home.  My shoes
> are still outside due to toxicity.
>
> I worked 2m SSB with W4IY most of the time so I get your point, it was
> slower than FM and thats saying something.  Fortunately I also got to work
> 6m phone a bit which more than made up for it.
>
> Smelling better today.
>
> 73
> John
> KM4KMU
>
> Sent from AOL Mobile Mail
> ------------------------------
> On Wednesday, June 13, 2018 Sean Waite <waisean at gmail.com> wrote:
> I know a rover or two. No one wants to talk to them anyway, and they also
> kind of smell bad.
>
> 73,
> Sean Waite, K1SIG/R
>
> On Wed, Jun 13, 2018 at 12:15 PM Jonesy W3DHJ via VHFcontesting <
> vhfcontesting at contesting.com> wrote:
>
> > On Wed, 13 Jun 2018, David Olean wrote:
> >
> > > I know what you are saying about 144 MHz. That has always been my
> > > favorite band from the time I heard my first signal while standing on a
> > > branch in our apple tree. My brother and I were using a walki talki kit
> > > that had a 19" whip and a 3A5 in a super regen receiver. That was in
> > > 1961. Lately 144 MHz has taken a big hit in activity. Part of this is
> > > that the old crew of VHFers is dying off. These were the guys who made
> > > big antennas and homebrew KWs in an effort to push the limits and
> really
> > > learn about the propagation. Sam Harris was a prime example. Others
> were
> > > W4HHK, K2UK/ KH6UK, W8PT, W5RCI, K4IXC, W8KAY, W2AZL, and hundreds just
> > > like them. They are all dead now and times have changed. Add in the
> > > digital phenom and the band is not the same. My hat is off to KA1ZE for
> > > keeping the flame alive.
> > >
> > > I am quite upset about the FT8 situation. I could be wrong, but it is
> > > looking like a race to the bottom as far as I can tell. It is a way to
> > > play with no understanding of CW, so it opens up potential DX to those
> > > with none of the skills that make a good VHFer. The activity then
> > > attracts others because that is where the action is. I am quickly
> > > losing interest in VHF with all the digital modes as it disconnects me
> > > from hearing the actual propagation. I lost EME and meteor scatter and
> > > now I am losing troposcatter. I went to 160 meters in hopes of finding
> > > a new challenge, but FT-8 is taking over there as well.
> > >
> > > I got two bands back up and running with help from AA1VL and K1BX. Art
> > > operated mostly on six. I made a few contacts on 144, and we did not do
> > > any digital mode activity at all. He was strictly CW and SSB and loved
> > > every minute of it. He lamented that many DX grids were only on FT8 and
> > > he was shut out as a result. We did hook up an FT8 setup beforehand,
> > > and got it working but decided not to bother with it in the contest.
> > >
> > > I am rapidly losing interest in VHF and it breaks my heart.
> > >
> > > Dave K1WHS
> >
> > What he said!
> >
> > The seemingly headlong rush away from actual human-to-human contact
> > in amateur radio saddens me greatly. Where once we had ham radio
> > VHF contests; we now see computer radio VHF contests.
> >
> > Soon, with autonomous vehicles, even the rovers can stay home and
> > not have to actually talk to anybody.
> >
> > Jonesy W3DHJ/r -- usually DM87, DM88, DM77, DM78
> > --
> > <pre> Marvin L Jones | W3DHJ | W3DHJ | https://W3DHJ.net/
> > Pueblo, Colorado | @ | Jonesy | __ linux FreeBSD
> > 38.238N 104.547W | jonz.net | DM78rf | 73 SK
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