An annual event for almost 30 years in Austin, Texas The SIX Meter BBQ. September 21 and 22, 2018 http://sixmeterbbq.com Sign up now - hotel block available Great information Great speakers Awesome friends Hope to see you in Austin! 73 Tim K3LR
I hope everyone took my post as humor; in general the folks who go to this event are amongst the top ops on 6M, and will leverage any mode that works. But we do have to acknowledge the reality that 6M has , outside of VHF contests, become almost exclusively an FT8 band, with just a few KHz used, on 50313. There is a romance to watching Es bring in the QSO's ,which you immersively experience on CW or phone. FT8 reduces that to machines communicating on a dicey link. There is no denying the value of FT8. Its just more challenging to feel you are interacting with another person. 6M has shown this in extremum the last two seasons. Wishing everyone a great 'Q !
I wonder if all the CW guys back in the day bagged on the new AM crowd? If all you do is CW and Voice I think your missing out on some great contacts, I listen to all the portions of the bands and lately it has been pretty slow but there is always some activity in the FT8 portion of the bands, No contacts versus an FT8 contact? I think I will make contacts using whatever mode's I am allowed by my license, Do the folks that dont like FT8 think SSTV is not a hams ham mode as well, I just send pics no voice just pics and signal report? The FT8 portion of the bands is really crowded these days so be my guest not to try this mode and leave all that great DX to the FT8 users!
Lots of good folks on pingjockey and meteor scatter is always fun and interesting. Throw some tropo and E's in on top of the scatter and it can get crazy.
FT8 may be teaching us that Es is more common than we thought; it's just more easily exploited by silicon than by carbon. That's not a bad thing, nor does it devalue carbon-based efforts.
All these computer modes, I hear that chatter with the EME guys too... Worked 30 of this or that. You mean your rig bounced and logged you a contact while you were at the office or asleep. It's like calling a super ham to win your station a DX contest or "PUT in the TIME" and do well for you. No skill involved. There's an unbelievable thrill making a sked, and keeping that sked off a rock in space or on its way down on either SSB or CW... and receiving that other station with your own ears. The only EME we've done was on 2 cw at moonrise back in the late 80's and even then the "colloquial opinion" was the BIG GUN on the other end carried ALL of the load in those QSO's... Meteors, EME and working Aurora's Buzz-Saw should only be a hands on experience. Get on there and really enjoy yourself. Erika DD
I would like to go but I'm 10 hours to the west and flying is out of the question. This should be fantastic to listen to in person. The audio from the last year was very poor, hard to listen to. Where is Gary Pierce when you need him? Maybe next year I can make the trip. I haven't moved to FT8, I'm still a sideband kinda guy. There is still hope for a 5 element quad and 1000 watts. 73, Larry WB8LBZ El Paso, TX DM61sw
I do enjoy FT8 and the new interest it has sparked in me to continue to learn and become skillful Amateur Radio Operator. As many HAMS now a days I live in an HOA Community and have limited space for my antennas. FT8 and many other digital modes has given me the opportunity and the thrill of making contacts all over the world! So... maybe it's not for you or maybe you are just to stubborn to realize that experimentation and trying new things is good for the progression of our hobby. So do as you like. Enjoy and participate in the things you know how to do, but stop whining and complaining about the different things that all other HAMS are enjoying and having fun with. Learn to embrace change and perhaps find something in common with the rest of us. "It is change, continuing change, inevitable change, that is the dominant factor in society today. No sensible decision can be made any longer without taking into account not only the world as it is, but the world as it will be." - Isaac Asimov -DEM
Sounds sort of hostile there DEM... So your computer retries until the information is decipherable. Sounds like listening to a drunk.. Have a great day! DD
Oh no! No hostility. I believe you are misinterpreting what I say. It is an invitation to accept change and to embrace new ways of opening up and communicating with the rest of the world. 73's and have a great day as well. Sincerely, DEM
So because you say she should try and embrace the ways you operate she should just do it. Pushing modes of operation on another ham is not cool. You can lecture me next cause I don't do this FT8 stuff and have no plans to start. I use 99.9% SSB. I know a lot frown on SSB only operators but that is their problem and not mine. John, WB0MPB
