FT8 used for record-breaking 432 MHz contacts

The irony of posting this with a computer.

 

Irony? You gotta be smoking some bad stuff or are terribly confused. This computer does not control any radio gear.

 

Forum posts isn't dialog. It's computers, period. Nothing to see here.

 

Computers attached to radios = bad.
Computers attached to Internet = good.

I guess the second one exists so you can tell people about the first.

That's convenient.

I wonder what the old timers thought of the young whippersnappers putting war surplus model 26's on the air back in the 50's.

 

I think you mean Model 15's and older. The ship I was on didnt upgrade to the 26 until ~ 1962 when we went to 100 wpm crypto, that speed tore apart the 15's that were already as loose as a goose.

 

FT8 can only be used for digital or mixed awards. Your Phone and CW endorsements are as coveted as ever. Nothing can take that away from you.

 

Interesting controversy here. The OT's around where I live spend half the day on 2M FM ragchewing about the weather, their health, the utility bill and anything else except radio. They don't want digital modes either.

Conversely I do want to be on the air on HF but ... I have a 50W PEP limit, small garden (not a multi-acre yard), so no real possibility of worthwhile outdoor antennas, and no sunspots ... so really the digital modes are my best chance to get some actual contacts and real experience. I'm working on Morse, getting there and will be on air with it soon.

If I had 1500W and a 4-ele on top of a 100 foot tower I might have the luxury to work DX on SSB !

 

Simple solution: Stop publishing DXCC awards and the Honor Roll.

Make it a personal accomplishment instead of competition.

 

Well, even if that I have 1500W and 100 foot tower still does not do me much good. SSB is rough as I am only 200 meters away from 1500kHz AM doing 50KW 24/7.

FT8 to the rescue




Next thing I hear probably, I should not have been credited for 20 wpm because I drove my car to the VE session while "they" had to ride a horse drawn carriage to the FCC to get their CW test done.

Don't gate the newcomers with "I had to do this back in the day".

Those days came and went.

73

 

That's close !
The Woofferton HF broadcast station is not that far from me with 250KW but it does'nt cause too much trouble ...

The resistance to new ideas kind of reminds me of the early days of digital photography. "That's not a real picture !!"
Now if you use film you're a crank (except me of course, I just do it for fun)

Actually I thought Amateur Radio was for fun too

Happy New Year to All !
73
Rick

 

If FT8 wasn't fun, it wouldn't be so crowded. Get on the air and join the fun! The "Get a horse" crowd will always be upset about anything new. No coders, FT8, computers, etc. They're literally a dying breed.

 

Precisely. I'm actually astounded by the number of hams that chose the hobby to make them miserable.

 

Maybe we'd understand if we had to walk twenty miles in a blizzard with shoes made out of old rags and newspaper in order to take our license exam by kerosene lamp. Then build our radios out of Junior Mints found under the car seat and Band Aids recovered from the bottom of swimming pools. They had it tough back in the day.

 

And all that to talk about the weather and the latest health issue on 80M, exchange soft porn on 20M SSTV, be tracked like an endangered animal on APRS 2M, etc.

There is method to madness, I get that, but no, thanks.

W5TTW VA3VF RR73 it is.

 

I'm monitoring TA contacts on 600M JT9 as I write this. G0MRF is making a number of US hams happy.

The downfall of the hobby.