That's just what this hobby has come to - FCC gives away the license , so the ARRL give's away the awards? That makes sense!
Congrats to G4TUT!! I know just how hard he worked , as I am doing the same thing. I already am on the Honor Roll with 3 to for #1HR (P5,SV/A and BS7H) Not much chance of those being worked anytime soon! So I needed a new challenge. Work DXCC and WAS on a minimal Station and poor antenna. The Station is an ICOM IC-737A, Signalink and a MFJ Customized Tuner. the antenna is G5RV sloping from the middle of the EAST ROOF TOWER (aproximately 35ft off the ground) sloping to the north to the fence at 6 feet. IT really sucks, but it works GREAT on FT8! These "OH I CAN WORK A DXCC IN A WEEKEND" stories are all lies. Maybe someone using a MULTIMULTI station like you find winning the CW and Phone Contests could do it. With their rotary 80 meter beams and KWs. But the Pipsqueak stations find it a VERY FORMIDABLE CHALLENGE I started my endeavor on Feb 7, 2019 and as of today I am up to 73 Countries with KAZAHISTAN last night on 20M. DXCC from So Cal is way different than being in the East Coast or Europe, where 100 is relatively easy. Here on the West Coast, we have to WAIT for the Midwest and East Coast to finish before we have a chance. And a PILEUP on FT8 can last HOURS with only a few stations worked! And its not just the COMPUTER DOING ALL THE WORK!!!!! I have to sit here and SQUINT at the screen to try and make out the callsigns and Grid Squares as they flow past. WISH they made a FT8 module for us old Codgers with poor eyesight! When a station has been spotted I need, I can call and call and call, and still never get thru. Especially 20 meters which is a COMPLETE ZOO!!! This means I have to play the propagation games to find when We have a favorable path and band. NO SUNSPOTS means NO JOY for most situations. SO I HAVE REALLY FOUGHT IT OUT to nab the 73 so far, and new ones are far and few between. Then getting them to LOTW is another issue. I have all 50 states worked on 80 and 40, but getting them to confirm is another story. I swear no hams live in MAINE!!!!! At least not many! I am short confirmations for that and VERMONT to finish the WAS where I can send it in. I get up all kinds of hours to work the statiions. Last night I was in here at 7PM, then again at 2AM, then at 6AM and now again at 5PM. I have 20 done and 15M I need only AZ. NEED Lots on 10M for the 5B WAS, so that will take awhile. I just called CQ on 10M, ZIP!!! I sure have JAPAN CONFIRMED!!!! I must have worked a 1000 Hams there by now! So all U folks that think it is SO EASY have yet to try it the HARD WAY!!!!
That does tend to take more than a few days but I have 113 confirmed DXCC on FT8 in 2019, all via LotW, plus 18 worked but not confirmed. So yeah, *most* of them do come back.
Sorry to pop your bubble Pat, but those stories are most assuredly not lies. Exaggerations, maybe, but not lies. I can only speak for myself, but I have gotten 100 DX stations in a single weekend myself. In a contest of course, because that's where you will find lot's of DX on a DX contest weekend. During the last ARRL RTTY roundup, with absolutely crummy conditions, I almost got to 100. Made it into the 90's (DXCC that is) using my only antenna (80 meter Delta loop) and no more than 500 - 600 watts. An amp certainly helps, and you know that! Yes, I know that but the question was directed to the German and English stations. The German fellow did finally reply in the affirmative, but it took a while. There was never any real question of the accomplishment of getting 100 DXCC entities into the log but if you look at post #79 you will see that they still don't have all the confirmations. Working the 100 stations, on any mode, is a bit easier when you are in Europe and the next country over is counted as DX even if the actual distance is measured in tens of kilometers. Let's not even get into the USA east coast vs west coast DX differences. Just for the record: On FT8 I generally run 60 - 80 watts depending on band and conditions. I'm most assuredly not a QRP type. Also just for the record, I am not even in Pat's class although I might get a bit closer one day. By my count, which includes countries and QSO's that are not in LOTW, I have 291 DXCC worked and confirmed. When LOTW came out, I started all over again just for the fun of it and I an currently at 237 DXCC worked and confirmed... So yeah I know how the system works.. I really like LOTW. It has taken a lot of the drudgery out of the ham radio record keeping process. Honor roll is not an aspiration for me, I just like to get into the pile-ups and try to get a contact or two, especially during contests. If it wasn't fun, I would not do it!
I am really glad Spring is here so I can watch the grass grow while my computer makes FT8 contacts. My cat made an FT8 QSO by walking on the keyboard. Now that is really CAT rig control.
Oh. OK partner no problem! BTW, just for historical purposes: I've been on LOTW ever since it's inception. I kinda know what I'm talking about, OK? Not all stations participate even in these days of advanced technology...
Haters are going to hate. Great job in any mode. I know all of you nah sayers that are purest to ssb and cw have never worked a net or a preset schedule to get the dx or station that adds to your collection. I have been doing this for 40 plus years. I had more trouble getting the money to pay ARRL for the awards, so I didn't. Now cards are lost or destroyed; too many moves through the years. Welcome FT8 and all digital modes. I remember in the old days we were building anything or trying any new ideas to give us an advantage on our quest to chase dx. No difference here, just haters. ac5q
Expect counter argument feedback from FT8 fanbois on the "fully automatic" part. Slightly reworded - It's like semi-automated/aided fishing. The "Awards" are meaningless. To expand on the fishing parallel, I often note the difference between barb-less hook, catch and release fly fishing and fisherman to rabid, competitive, bass fishing and fisherman. The differences are strikingly similar to those of old school, traditional CW ops compared to modern day, latest/greatest gadgetry/mode ops. Yeah, I expect some water over the transom on this...
