[VHFcontesting] Conditions and the digital modes

[Mark Spencer]

Reflecting on this a bit more if I suppose if I was truly serious about contesting and wanted the highest possible score for myself  I probably wouldn't visit remote areas during contests.   I suppose from that perspective I am not a serious contester but I still have fun and I enjoy this part of the hobby and which at this point in time is my main goal.

I do find this type of dialogue useful and will keep these points in mind if I ever decide to mount a serious contesting effort.

All that being said I do believe digital modes have made visiting remote areas much more viable and enjoyable for me during VHF and up contests but I agree Analog has its place as well and I will continue to run both Analog and Digital to varying degrees.

At this point in time I am fairly comfortable saying that some of the  WSJT-x modes have caused me to chose to put more effort into remote grid activations during contests and to put less effort into other contesting activities.

73

Mark S
VE7AFZ

mark at alignedsolutions.com
604 762 4099

> On Mar 21, 2021, at 11:57 AM, Jay RM <w9rm at calmesapartners.com> wrote:
> 
> I've made this point before, but it's worth repeating.
> 
> If you're not seriously contesting, run whatever mode makes you happy.  If
> you think you are seriously contesting and you stay on FT8 or what-have-you
> when there is a decent band opening, then you are NOT seriously contesting.
> 
> -W9RM
> 
> Keith Morehouse
> via MotoG
> 
> On Sun, Mar 21, 2021, 12:42 PM Mark Spencer <mark at alignedsolutions.com>
> wrote:
> 
>> James you bring up some good points about the utility of using the digital
>> modes to make contacts when band conditions are flat.
>> 
>> I will say for the last several years I have been focusing more on the
>> digital modes on 50 MHz (especially MSK144) as they give me a much higher
>> certainty of at least making some contacts from remote areas in the absence
>> of a band opening.   I have been told that this is at times frustrating for
>> other operators who don't want to use the digital modes and I have made a
>> number of efforts to accommodate those operators, but from a perspective of
>> making QSO's from remote places during flat band conditions the digital
>> modes have a lot of advantages in my view.
>> 
>> I do try and keep an eye on the analog calling frequencies when running
>> digital modes with a band scope but it is not the same as continually
>> listening to the calling analog calling frequency hoping for a band
>> opening.  Even if I detect a band I may or may not want to stop running
>> digital and jump on the analog frequencies (especially if I am part of the
>> way thru a digital QSO.)
>> 
>>  I don't think there is a single right answer to this issue and at this
>> point I remind myself this is only a hobby (:
>> 
>> 73
>> 
>> Mark S
>> VE7AFZ
>> 
>> mark at alignedsolutions.com
>> 604 762 4099
>> 
>>>> On Mar 21, 2021, at 9:34 AM, JamesDuffey <jamesduffey at comcast.net>
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 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
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>>> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>> _______________________________________________
>> VHFcontesting mailing list
>> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
>> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
> _______________________________________________
> VHFcontesting mailing list
> VHFcontesting at contesting.com
> http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/vhfcontesting
>