59 and good luck in the contest! That's half of the SSB QSOs I hear...also boring. Most guys on phone are boring...
And the other half of SSB conversations are interesting conversations, something FT8 never has or ever will. I have had some great conversations with people a state over from me, with operators in Kuwait, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Slovakia, Sweden, Australia, New Zealand, S. Cook Is, Martinique, and a host of other operators from around the world. Plenty of ragchews that went past gear, weather, and signal strength. And there is nothing wrong with stations that discuss gear and such. If you enjoy computer beeps and checking off contacts for the sake of checking off a box, have at it. Every OTA ssb contact I've made had a voice on the other side. Maybe it was a struggle to pull it out of the mud and a whlsper, but it was a voice putting in effort to talk to me! The same goes for CW. I'm no conversationalist in CW but I know quite a few who love to ragchew slapping a key. Talking to people like Art Bell is a hoot, something that couldn't be in a computer beep. Even just the phrase of "thank you for the contact " is a joy for me.
No, what's annoying is how ft8 users work hard to defend their computer beeps as superior other modes. He stated half the ssb contacts were boring, that still means half of them aren't boring. All of ft8 (even jt too) are just watching a screen (now not even that concerning the OP) make, confirm, and go on to the next station. I did that for a few months, decided that I would rather talk to somebody in Kansas or New Mexico in crap conditions.
Do you see FT8 users drop into threads about CW saying it's pointless? No. Find me an FT8 related thread where a non digital op doesn't drop in with a Bob Ross watching paint dry meme. Different modes have different purposes, some are better than others for their intended purpose. Modes I don't like I don't use, I don't go post on threads about them, either
For a station such as mine, FT-8 allows me communication opportunities I would not otherwise have. I also use other modes, including SSB as well. I am not a rag-chewer at this point in the hobby so I don't use phone a lot. I can also use the digital modes while sitting with my wife in the same room watching TV.
I don’t understand why all the hate for this mode. I think it’s great I also think Phone is great CW OK just kidding if you don’t like it don’t do it how hard is this?
The nice thing about old curmudgeons complaining about FT8 is that nobody actually cares about what they think.
Nice thing about, FT8 no one can hear you whinge. Unless you kept your mic open...(this happens to people it seems!)
... and that is very valid - if you have home-brewed a significant fraction of the station. Trouble is that very few do home-brew much these days - the best you can claim is that you are proving that the ICOM IC-73999 is better or worse than the Yaesu FT-1010101... Martin (G8FXC)
Don't you just love the hams who think they are DJ's with the boom mics, and headphones. One is the talker the other is the listening bobble head, trying to imitate the Howard Stern show or mimic the other talking head ham shows. But, I digress. FT8 is nice and surprising in it abilities but after using it for a few years with some RTTY, PSK, SSTV, thrown in, I have gone back to my roots and that is SSB, AKA talking to someone. I scan the FT8 frequencies from time to time to see if there is a new one but they are coming less and less frequently So I do mostly listen and have moved on up to the higher frequencies, 6 & 2 and not on repeaters. K2WH A Ham for 51 years, and yes I am a curmudgeon but still like FT8 (as is).
