10 Jun 2018

The great FT8 debate

Like Marmite (here in the UK) you either love it or hate it! I love FT8.

Reading Southgate News today I was pointed to Dom Smith's blog on the subject. My voice is poor these days so I find speech modes hard. I also like seeing what is coming through on a different PC in the house, whilst doing something else. Although I go on FT8 TX sometimes, I use RX mostly.

See  http://www.domsmith.co.uk/blog/2018/06/09/the-great-ft8-debate/

UPDATE 1336z: There is little doubt that FT8 is controversial. Some see it as the end of amateur radio as we knew it: the end of casual chats, leisurely QSOs. They may be right. Certainly FT8 is not a chat mode. Fast(ish) formulaic QSOs yes, but these cannot be received by a casual SWL. On the other hand it has transformed operating for many allowing QSOs where these would not have happened in the past. Every time I go on 2m FT8, even when conditions are "flat" I seem to get spots from over 300km away despite running 2.5W to an omni antenna! Every time I spend a day on 2m RX I seem to spot stations very very far away. It certainly has transformed bands for many. Overall, I think FT8 is a good thing.
at 10:44
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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Don't let dinosaur opinions bother you, in all eras are the same:
https://www.kb6nu.com/there-is-nothing-new-under-the-sun/r
73

Sun Jun 10, 02:57:00 pm GMT+1
Laynw said...

In the "Summer Doldrums" fighting incessant noise and getting head hearing fatigue, even on CW with all the filters cranked in, it is SO REFESHING to switch to FT88 and seeing and working stations all over the globe, it has brought my little rig and poor antenna system to LIFE. (How's that for an overly long sentence?)
Layne AE1N

Sun Jun 10, 05:23:00 pm GMT+1
Steve McDonald said...

FT8 is certainly a fast and efficient mode that will put contacts in your log, if that is all you seek. OTOH, for me, it's just awfully boring, and brings little pleasure in everyday operation. If you prefer to do other things while the radio does the work, it does a good job. I suspect many will return to conventional modes once they tire of it. It has its place for sure but when signals are clearly audible, why not actually converse with stations or are we all in too much of a hurry to receive immediate gratification and grow the QSL collection? I think much of its appeal to new younger hams is its resemblance to fast-paced video gaming, very much familiar to most millennials as well. I use it when I need to but not otherwise.

Mon Jun 11, 05:04:00 pm GMT+1
Roger G3XBM said...

Thanks Steve. It suits my poor voice (don't have to say a word!) and I monitor most of the time. If it replaces voice modes and real chats that would be a great shame. On the positive side, it concentrates activity in a few kilohertz which is good for poor solar conditions on supposedly "dead" bands and works with weaker signals than SSB or CW. Jury out!

Tue Jun 12, 11:36:00 am GMT+1

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