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The reported death of Amateur Radio due to FT8 is an exaggeration

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by VK6FLAB, Jan 18, 2019.

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  1. N9OU

    N9OU Ham Member QRZ Page

    During this past Saturday's NAQP SSB, I didn't find much of any "open bandwidth" on any active (non-10m, non-WARC) band. Overlapping signals on 20m and 40m consistently.

    John
    N9OU
     
    KU2US likes this.
  2. W7UUU

    W7UUU Director, QRZ Forums Lifetime Member 133 QRZ HQ Staff Life Member QRZ Page

    Yep. Contests ALWAYS pack the bands.

    Dave
    W7UUU
     
    K3TEF and KU2US like this.
  3. N7XCZ

    N7XCZ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    I Love too contest its a challenge to run against the big guns and if it gets more activity on the bands I am all for it. Also if you like to chase the paper
    contest are a great way to get that new state or county or island or grid or country. I use all the modes and bands that my license and wallet say I can
    and sometimes I even chew the rag with other hams can you imagine that , I just like amateur radio every facet of it! I dont think a person could live long enough to do it all in ham radio but I sure HAM trying LoL, looking forward to the next contest and or the next mode or the next technology 73's HamBoys Dah Dit Dah Dit Dah Dah Dit Dah
     
  4. WG7X

    WG7X Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

    Lets try not to be so USA-centric in our discussions. I don't think that the USA could unilaterally cut / slice/ or dice any HF band without affecting other countries. The very nature of HF would preclude any country doing that. VHf and above is an entirely different story. But in this case unless I totally missed the point, the debate is about FT8 on the HF bands.

    It is, unfortunately, well within the ability of the IARU to gut our allocations at the next WARC meeting. Lately, we have seen an increase in HF allocations, not a decrease. Some of this is due to the various member societies, like the ARRL, lobbying efforts and some of it is probably due to the fact that most "non-ham" interests see little advantage to using HF. That too, might change but I for one am not going to lose any sleep worrying about it.
     
  5. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    The US can back out of its allocation agreements.

    Where have you been for two years...vis a vis US abrogating several key international agreements?

    :-> ?
     
    NU4R likes this.
  6. W1YW

    W1YW Ham Member QRZ Page

    But that's the problem--

    The 'duty-cycle' is low and clumped. Clumped is interpreted as being 'unessential use'.No one outside of ham radio buys into this notion that such clumped activity meets key aspects of the Part 97 mission.

    Should they?

    Yes, I think so.

    The idea of sprints-- weekday contests-- is one way to get past the 'clumped' criticism.

    Getting OTA on a regular basis is far better.
     
    NU4R likes this.
  7. NU4R

    NU4R XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Seriously. Someone PLEASE remind me.

    When PSK31 became all the rage back in back in, what? The late 1990's? Was there also this never ending string of flaming controversy as there is now with this FT8 stuff? In fact, replace my query of PSK31 with ANY OTHER topic of choice of and about ham radio, and remind me if it's caused this kind of endless attention.

    To whatever end dear Onno. This IS NOT one of your better posts, Sparky.:(

    73, you all
     
    Last edited: Jan 22, 2019
  8. G3SEA

    G3SEA Ham Member QRZ Page

    Yaaaaaawn :cool:

    G3SEA/KH6
     
  9. K3GD

    K3GD Ham Member QRZ Page

    QRZ, you can block this continual FT8 discussion any time now!
     
    NF6E likes this.
  10. N2NH

    N2NH Ham Member QRZ Page

    The reported death of Amateur Radio due to FT8 is an exaggeration

    Told ya so.
     
  11. KB2HSH

    KB2HSH Ham Member QRZ Page

    It's fun.
    It's ONLY a hobby.
    I remember hearing the same old tired story when PSK-31 was all the rage.
    Use it, don't use it.
    Use WSJTx, JTDX, MSHV.
    But please...relax, people.

    John KB2HSH
     
  12. KD8TNF

    KD8TNF XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    The premise I read here in many posts incorrectly assumes the popularity of FT-8 will continue, undiminished forever and ever, my viewpoint based on operating observations of activity. This isn't a opinion based so much on internet chat room discussions as much as in the trenches radio assessments. I operate, A LOT.

    From my center-of-the-universe perspective, FT-8 is already deflating. Nothing will approach those first weeks of JT-65 followed by FT-8 for operational levels not approached perhaps ever in the history of hamming, even compared to the novice portion cw days of chaos, which I missed. Ops are getting bored, shrugging their shoulders and returning to the sidelines. New ops will not balance those becoming at the very least more casual instead of binge operating like I and everyone else in my circle young and old, did at the start of these modes. This has no correlation to the idea of FT-8 allocation spreading out on the bands, even though it may not ever be necessary technically. Even the recent 2.0 run-up was nothing like the genesis of the mode, when everyone was on essentially one freq per band 24hrs for weeks. The fox and hound 2.0 thing for DX sort of pushed me the wrong way. I never previously had any trouble working any of those within station capabilities using regular FT-8. Necessary rig control only by the desire to use a mode is where in hindsight I found the line in the sand.

    Returning to legacy modes seems like a let down for many, not for me. They can pry my key knob from my cold dead arthritic fist.

    I agree this isn't news as much as click bait.
     
    AE5GT, WN1MB and K2NCC like this.
  13. K5FZ

    K5FZ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    FT8 is just another tool in the toolbox. CW is my favorite mode, but I'm guilty of using SSB, RTTY, PSK31, FT8 and a few others.

    FT8 has aided a bit in building my county count on 160 meters and it has really been fun on 6 meters and 60 meters.

    To each, his own...but trying out something new once in a while keeps the old brain cells active.
     
    W4LJ, KB2HSH and SE3X like this.
  14. KI7WL

    KI7WL Ham Member QRZ Page

    I would argue that FT-8 has helped keep the hobby alive during these horrendous sunspot lows. It can get really quiet out there and not everyone is blessed with large antennas. You are either on the air or not, and FT-8 counts as on the air. Better than waiting a few years for the bands to improve...

    Billie Marie KI7WL
     
    W4LJ, KP4SX, SE3X and 3 others like this.
  15. K3DFD

    K3DFD Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Lots of Hams moving into antenna-restricted new digs can barely get an end-fed wire up without the HOA losing their s**t. FT8 is something that they commit radio with because it's quiet. While one can wear headphones, with FT8 there is no chance of SSB or CW sounds escaping to make the neighbor's suspicious.
     
    W4LJ, WU8Y and KB2HSH like this.

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