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73 Silvano i2ysb
John - K6MM says:
August 30, 2018 at 3:08 am
I was the main RTTY operator on the KH1/KH7Z Baker Island DXpedition. I started using RTTY on Radio 1 — while simultaneously using Radio 2 in FT8 mode.
That’s right. SO2R two different bands and two different modes. My hourly rates on RTTY: 80-90 per hour. My FT8 rates: 250-300 per hour.
I am not a green RTTY operator. In fact I have won several RTTY contest awards over the last 10 years. But on Baker Island,
the FT8 rates were hard to ignore, and so after 900 RTTY QSOS we switched to FT8 for the remainder of the DXpedition.
This was a good decision. As Paul mentioned, we logged almost 17,000 QSOs on FT8. Many were weaker stations from Europe —
and for many of these stations, FT8 was their only QSO with us.
The primary goal of any DXpedition is to log as many QSOs (and hopefully ATNO ones) as possible.
In digital mode, FT8 is much preferred for the following reasons:
1. It’s important for little pistol stations especially in antenna-challenged HOA or high-noise neighborhoods.
2. No other mode has the capability of working five different calls in parallel in the same sub-band with queuing.
3. Very high rates are possible compared to RTTY = more ATNO’s in the log.
4. It’s much easier to reach certain parts of the world under poor propagation conditions and weak solar cycles. This certainly proved to be true for Europe.
5. FT8 is an excellent mode for challenging bands like 6M and 160M. We didn’t work any stations on 6M (in any mode) but we did log 140 FT8 QSOs on 160M.
6. You still get credit for a digital QSO toward awards, etc.
7. FT8 may motivate non-digital operators to get in the game.
8. It is an excellent mode for hearing or speech-impaired hams.
9. Intentional QRMing (i.e., DQRM) is not a problem since FT8 is a closed system.
10. It’s much less stressful for DXpedition operators.
11. FT8 has tremendous remote operation possibilities.
Is RTTY dead as a digital mode? No. It will always persist especially for contesting. But for time-limited DXpeditions, FT8 is quickly becoming the digital mode of choice.
My advice: Embrace it. FT8 is here to stay …… until the next digital innovation comes along. : >)
73
John Miller, K6MM
http://www.baker2018.ne
73 Silvano i2ysb
John - K6MM says:
August 30, 2018 at 3:08 am
I was the main RTTY operator on the KH1/KH7Z Baker Island DXpedition. I started using RTTY on Radio 1 — while simultaneously using Radio 2 in FT8 mode.
That’s right. SO2R two different bands and two different modes. My hourly rates on RTTY: 80-90 per hour. My FT8 rates: 250-300 per hour.
I am not a green RTTY operator. In fact I have won several RTTY contest awards over the last 10 years. But on Baker Island,
the FT8 rates were hard to ignore, and so after 900 RTTY QSOS we switched to FT8 for the remainder of the DXpedition.
This was a good decision. As Paul mentioned, we logged almost 17,000 QSOs on FT8. Many were weaker stations from Europe —
and for many of these stations, FT8 was their only QSO with us.
The primary goal of any DXpedition is to log as many QSOs (and hopefully ATNO ones) as possible.
In digital mode, FT8 is much preferred for the following reasons:
1. It’s important for little pistol stations especially in antenna-challenged HOA or high-noise neighborhoods.
2. No other mode has the capability of working five different calls in parallel in the same sub-band with queuing.
3. Very high rates are possible compared to RTTY = more ATNO’s in the log.
4. It’s much easier to reach certain parts of the world under poor propagation conditions and weak solar cycles. This certainly proved to be true for Europe.
5. FT8 is an excellent mode for challenging bands like 6M and 160M. We didn’t work any stations on 6M (in any mode) but we did log 140 FT8 QSOs on 160M.
6. You still get credit for a digital QSO toward awards, etc.
7. FT8 may motivate non-digital operators to get in the game.
8. It is an excellent mode for hearing or speech-impaired hams.
9. Intentional QRMing (i.e., DQRM) is not a problem since FT8 is a closed system.
10. It’s much less stressful for DXpedition operators.
11. FT8 has tremendous remote operation possibilities.
Is RTTY dead as a digital mode? No. It will always persist especially for contesting. But for time-limited DXpeditions, FT8 is quickly becoming the digital mode of choice.
My advice: Embrace it. FT8 is here to stay …… until the next digital innovation comes along. : >)
73
John Miller, K6MM
http://www.baker2018.ne
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