[VHFcontesting] Conditions and the digital modes

[JamesDuffey]

Kim - Your point on conditions is pertinent. I think the discussion of the impact that conditions have on contest scores is implicitly included in the discussion of digital modes. FT8 and FT4 in particular are designed to make contest QSOs under marginal sporadic Es conditions, and are a good equalizer under flat to poor conditions. And, if one uses these modes, it is fairly common to see short Es or tropo openings of a minute or two, long enough to make a QSO, and then they are gone. Similarly, the use of MSK has made meteor scatter QSOs available when meteor conditions are flat. So, I think when it comes to the digital mode QSOs, conditions are a variable that is well accounted for.

Where conditions come into play and drive scores is when propagation is favoring the analog modes and ops tend to stick on the digital modes. Casual contest operators on the digital modes do not adapt to changing conditions, which is what these discussions are all about.

Now, heading into Es season, is the time of year to volunteer a talk at your local radio club to promote VHF/UHF operating in general and the importance of moving off of the digital modes when signal strengths are high. - Duffey KK6MC
 
James Duffey KK6MC
Cedar Crest NM

> On Mar 21, 2021, at 10:00, vhfcontesting-request at contesting.com wrote:
> How can we truly assess impacts, decreases, and/or increases?
> 
> Are conditions the same for every contest?  For every station?
> 
> It's like banging your head against a concrete wall.
> 
> Let's have this discussion, and ignore the elephant in the room.
> 
> Conditions, conditions, conditions.
> 
> End of my rant.
> 
> 73, Kim - WG8S