Just for all the smartasses here.If you beat that record with your last century modes like SSB or even CW, I'll be quiet. But you can't! You simply don't understand the word evolution. You just stay at AM please? So I don't have to make contact with Neanderthals like you.
Look... I’m really technically inclined, but those robo-QSOs are pretty boring. It’s like telling people you’re really into making meals from scratch, but upon further examination, they are microwaved. If you’re just gonna have a computer do all the work, why do anything at all? That’s not fun. At that point it just becomes ridiculous record-chasing. This is one of those situations where “there is no correct answer.”
Right.... let's congratulate the computers... because the computers took the time to build that station, put up the antenna & get on the air....... This mode superiority attitude is so old. Ignore the trolls OP. Congrats!
tabasco sauce is aged for 3 years, but you don't lose your certification as a pro chef by buying a bottle instead of fermenting your own in oak barrels in the basement. The allergy that so many hams have to technological advances is simply stunning. Do it with CW if it was 'no big deal'. I'll wait.
I still find it quite amazing that some hams still haven’t caught up with the times and embraced digital modes as a additional way to enjoy amateur radio. For those that aren’t educated enough to view the video - you’ll notice that I didn’t get a chance to film the “boring” bits of using FT8 to break a 8 year old digital record - hardly record chasing. Also of note - we made a SSB contact, although this was not any sort of record, it has been done before. The MAIN goal was to encourage ANY sort of activity on the underutilized 3.4 GHz band. We succeeded as many other amateurs are now building their systems up to make contacts and engage in field days using the band. So... it’s much much more than just a couple of PC’s talking to one another.
Congrats are in order even though I'm not much of an HF digital op.. And keep on mind, more records will be made by modes that haven't even been thought of yet!
As a radio scientist and a HamSCI member (www.hamsci.org), this is excellent - congratulations! Weak signal propagation is at the frontier of understanding of our upper atmosphere and its effects on transiting signals, and we have a great deal to learn yet. Experiments such as this one help push the envelope that much further - an excellent example of citizen science. And to those of you who are dumping on the achievement as "computers talking to one another" and "boring", I am sad, and furthermore I am forced to assume that you have lost the spirit of curiosity and discovery that you once had as a student. This is really regrettable. I seriously suggest that you reconsider that attitude - and engage your interest, rather than disparaging those who are investigating new things.
Congrats....! I was Aussie Land, met with VK3MO as well (5/5/5/5/5) 20 Meter Mono Bander I hope you make the record of 400K in the summer NN2X Tom
The ridiculous responses about congratulating the computers are doing us all a service. Now we easily know which users to press the Ignore link in the QRZ Forums. Problem solved!
So many grumpy old men complaining about digimodes in this thread. It smacks of jealousy if I'm going to be honest. The irony of people complaining about computers on the Internet is delicious. This is a great achievement, and I'm waiting for your detractors figure out a way to get their walkers up a mountain with their tube rigs to try and beat you for themselves.
Outstanding reply !!! I think the appropriate Australian phrase to the haters is "Miserable old Bas..."
Many of the problems in the world today of course come from a quick dismissal of people rather than listening and engaging them. The internet is a fluid medium that encourages it. So my reply was intended to encourage engagement. It's easy to sit behind a keyboard and throw cold water on achievements (and yes, they _are_ achievements). But here are the facts: FT8, JT65, JT9, etc. uses tools from the most advanced, optimal signal coding for low SNR (LDPC, etc.) that is available anywhere, period, end of sentence. They are revealing things we simply do not understand about ionospheric propagation. I say this as a person with a career in ionospheric physics. Human understanding of our environment demands more, not less, participation in efforts which get us to a better understanding of the whole atmosphere. If you've paid attention at all to the terrestrial weather lately, this is important and cannot be overemphasized. Statements such as those disparaging ones in this thread have the effect of discouraging participation. This is totally counter to the statements I made above. So I will be direct: put down the keyboard, find what is interesting, and engage in it. If you are limited enough that you can't find anything interesting, go away please so those of us who are in fact interested in increasing knowledge can just get on with it. One way or the other, we will make these advances happen and benefit the science and human community. To be direct: you can choose to be part of it, or you can get run over. What's your reply?
