A few hours ago I had a nice conversation with a ham in TN on SSB. 660 miles away. Lasted over 10 minutes. Not bad for a "dead" band. And was much more fun then a few key clicks.
Hams come to the radio, or to the PC, for different reasons. Some like to chat, sometimes that's spoken, sometimes its tone coded or text. Some just collect QSO / "entities" to qualify for an operating "achievement" (award). Radios and PC's are both electronic technology that has evolved together and now been merged. There is both a novelty and utility factor explanation for the explosive use of JT / FT8 on-the-air now. The novelty comes from the same force that drove radio and PC technology together. The same thing has disrupted telephone use; far more cleverly annoying messaging going on rather then long soulful vocal conversations. I am nostalgic for the old days as much as any one, but, that's tempered with the joy of something new enabling me to play on the radio even in the face of Mother Nature taking away a lot of the old bats and balls. The utility comes from the cold fact that solar conditions have deadened the bands so badly that the gain of 20+ db and propagation penetration advantages to be had from JT/ FT8 modes can't be ignored, not to just to make any contact, but for DX. But, I don't always want DX. Sometimes I just want to talk, or, oddly, actually meet another person. And that's when I seek out somebody interesting calling a CQ on SSB or CW, or do it myself. The issue with digi modes now is so many who may just want to CONNECT are using them. Same as the first few lines of a cell phone message or chat room stream. The limiting issue for JT/FT8 is the data message is so short and not very flexible. Will the JT/FT8 novelty wear off? Will cell phone messaging ever wane ?? There should be a quick way of signaling a change of mode from JT/FT8 to SSB/CW for longer chats. Hey, pick up the phone, err, microphone, or grab the key / paddle, and CALL each other! That may reduce congestion on the channels for the rest of us digi mode DX'ers! 73 de John - WØPV
Why is that an issue? Is the assumption that if there was no FT8 the users of that mode would instead switch to long SSB or CW rag chews?
That link you posted shows a lot of HF contacts---not 6M (unless they're buried underneath somewhere)---but your point is moot, anyway. Six meters is seldom truly dead to begin with. It's that old perception that keeps coming around like a bad penny...
No assumption on any truly weak signal below noise level QSO' being accomplished nor criticism meant against the new digi modes. Quite the contrary. I very much appreciate the extended range and invigorated band utilization JT/FT8 and other new digi modes alternatively provide under today's and future crappy ionospheric propagation conditions. It's an issue simply because I see so many FT8 or JT QSO's being made between stations with relative signal strengths that would be solid "Q5" copy on SSB or CW, where the QSO experience could be so much richer. That's kinda sad. Currently the limited messaging capacity of JT/FT8 inhibits easily asking a station "Switch to XX.XXX MHz for a Fone/CW QSO". It's strictly a bare bones contact only; better then nothing, but far from as good as it could be.
The link as provided goes directly to "all bands." Only after selecting 6M at the top left did I see nothing but 6M stations...
I am no fan of "exchange info and go" modes but if you like to ragchew and still work digital try oliva or contesta. All the weak signal advantages of a digital mode and all the fun of a "real" QSO. Just my 2 cents worth.
Fair, but in reality during band openings CW or SSB contacts are typically also just RS(T) and grid square, maybe name. So no difference there. Those who would be interested in a "real" (whatever that means) QSO will still use other modes. I regularly check back in the CW portion as well.
That's strange because when I click-on the link only 6-meters with the red 'balloons' comes up. Perhaps it has to do with pre-set cookies on my PC. Anyhoo, you get the gist.
So my bemoaning this sudden exit of operators switching to the digital craze makes me a fanatic? OK, maybe chasing dx on 6M phone for the past twenty years the hard way qualifies me as such right off the bat. No worries. At least I achieved 6M WAZ, 6M WAC, 448 confirmed grids and 82 confirmed DXCCs through my due diligence, operating skills, good antennas with brute power and always having an ear peeled for the propagation in play. Cycle 23 F2 prop and my island QTH helped a great deal in living and achieving my dream but it was still hard work to nail many of those contacts. It was not a passing fad for me, either as I got my ticket just so I could chase my 6M DX dream actively from then on. It wasn't long before I discovered the joy of distant voices coming back to me on VHF and I was hooked. Fan or fanatic is fine, I don't mind being called either. (Also a longtime fan of Winston Churchill, too) I also have a lot of patience which has always helped me get over the long periods of listening to static on my favorite band, too. Since I don't have the quite the same patience for listening to "internet static" I will shove off from this shore and leave you to your preferred modes and the keystrokes you must employ with them. If I keep responding to this thread I'll never have time to work whatever sporadic E openings that are left near the end of this summer's season. Whatever aspect or aspects of ham radio you and everyone else enjoys is like religion---it's really that person's choice and prerogative and I do not seek to denigrate anyone for their choices. To each his own! This flocking to FT-8 and JT-65 is sad trend for me to witness, though and I have a hard time understanding how such a robotic and detached method of making contacts can be so exciting for anyone in the first place. Even if I worked someone in Timbuktu with 5 watts I don't think I'd be breaking out the champagne---it would be all too easy. If I blinked or looked away from the screen I might miss the "QSL,"too ha ha! The test of time will tell us best about the implications and impact of all of this new technology---and if we eventually lose portions of the six meter band (due to inactivity below and above the digital frequency watering holes)---then so be it. I had my fun and it was grand while it lasted. 73 and going QSY back around 50.125---it is still the Magic Band down there for me and a handful of others.....Jeff
Sure, the abbreviated contact is the first step for many, mainly for chasing operating achievements (VUCC, WAS, DXCC, etc) and of course contesting. And that's true on all bands. But even on 6m, when the band is strongly open, it's not odd to find more longer winded QSO's occurring among those so inclined, usually comrades who have run into each other over and over throughout the years and built friendships that way. Texted modes don't exude that same quality. Repeated contacts with the same station are identical to the first. It's not just in ham radio that's being "sterilized" this way, it's everyday interpersonal communications. So many now seem satisfied just being connected to family and Old Pals, or newcomers, via extensive or sole use of social media and SMS; instead of using those to schedule a time to ring up the others, enjoy their distinctive accent, laughter, or, Morse code fist.
