FT8 really is reshaping amateur radio. Even if all DXpeditions swore not to use FT8 bots (but you know they will), hams are moving to FT8 and related modes in huge numbers. Here are a couple of related items that I ran across yesterday.
The Summer 2019 edition of the Northern California DX Foundation newsletter included the following:
Why use FT8 mode in DXpeditions?
FT8 is rapidly becoming the digital mode of choice for DXpeditions and here are some reasons why:
- Important for little pistol stations, especially in antenna-challenged HOA or high-noise neighborhoods.
- No other mode has the capability of working five different calls in parallel in the same sub-band with queuing.
- Very high rates possible compared to RTTY, which equals more ATNOs in the log.
- Easier to reach certain parts of the world under poor propagation conditions and weak solar cycles.
- Excellent mode for challenging bands like 6M and 160M.
- Still get credit for a digital QSO toward awards, etc.
- May attract new operators or revitalize older ones.
- Excellent mode for hearing- or speech-impaired hams.
- DQRM not a problem.
- Less stressful for DXpedition operators.
- Has tremendous remote operation possibilities.
Along the same lines, the ARRL has decided to reactive the Band Planning Committee. A news article yesterday notes:
In an effort to more effectively address HF digital technology issues, ARRL President Rick Roderick, K5UR, has reactivated the ARRL Board of Directors’ HF Band Planning Committee. The six-member panel, chaired by First Vice President Greg Widin, K0GW, will primarily focus on spectrum allocation issues that have gained increased visibility with discussions on accommodating automatically controlled digital stations (ACDS) — many employing Winlink email. The committee will also discuss operating frequencies for FT4, FT8, and other digital modes. Widin says the committee will meet next week to chart its course. Reactivation of the HF Band Planning Committee came out of discussions during the July 2019 ARRL Board meeting.
I really am of two minds on this. As my friend Jeff, KE9V, said on Twitter, “FT8 is an amazing software application that allows your personal computer to experience all the thrills and excitement of global two-way radio communications!” Note that he didn’t say that it allows you to experience the thrill, but rather your computer. He decries the impersonal nature of FT8, and I have to say that I kind of agree with him on this.
On the other hand, to paraphrase an NBA cliche, the band don’t lie. The CW segments, and even the SSB segments, of the HF bands are often quiet or relatively inactive, while the FT8 segment is chock full of signals. I may not find the impersonal digital modes all that exciting myself, but you can’t argue that they’re not popular and possibly deserve a little more bandwidth.
Dan, would be much better if this shaped ham radio,
https://soldersmoke.blogspot.com/2019/07/the-fish-soup-10-homebrew-qrp-cw.html
Just my opinion…
If you mean homebrewing and experimentation, I can’t disagree with you, but the reality is that it’s not going to happen–for most hams, anyway.
Local voice nets here on 80 m and VHF/UHF (even 6 m AM!) are going strong. Many of the participants on those nets run FT8 at other times.
This year I was able to make some SSB DX contacts on 6 m during the sporadic-E season, but it’s fair to say that compared to 2017, 90% of 6 m SSB DXers have gone to FT8 (and 99% of the CW 6 m DXers).
As for HF bands being mostly quiet, a major factor is that propagation is poor on many days. Don’t declare HF SSB dead until 2025 when the bands should be better (or at least, not as bad). Then we’ll know.
As an urban ham limited by antenna & noise, FT8 lets me work a lot of DX to places I could never get on phone, especially with a flux of 65. It levels the field a bit – the big guns can’t overpower everyone as they can on even CW. FT4 also opens a lot of doors, higher noise floor but a lot faster QSO rate.
While I enjoy making phone contacts, I also enjoy just sitting at the machine and playing FT8, RTTY, or PSK31. All of those are enjoyable for various reasons, albeit the biggest downside to FT8 is the limited number of PSK or RTTY contacts especially stateside, and RTTY is still much more common for contesting (with a number of contests having explicit or implicit bans on FT8/FT4 because of exchange requirements)
I think something needs to be done with FT8 as there are so many people using that think they know what they are doing but are over driving their signal sucking up bandwidth are out of sync. However for the little pistol it’s a good idea. I really don’t think it is shaping ham radio as it is just a small part of many things that make up the hobby.
73’s Mike de N8GBU
The new digital modes get you “in the chair” and at your radio. With a DX Cluster running with your logger, you can pick up stations on SSB and CW you otherwise would have missed.
I hate to see s8,9 signals on 6M ft8 and SSB nothing there. I personally think it’s a waste of time and I live in a deed restricted area. Long live Vhf, Uhf SSB.
Ft8 has no room in my shack.
If you want something more personal, maybe try JS8 (http://js8call.com/). It’s like FT8 for people who want to chat.
I have worked JS8Call, and I like it!
FT8 has its place. And maybe we should get in the habit of using FT8 to move off to another frequency to ragchew more often.
FT8/4, like early PSK31, is popular as a novelty mode, but without any real capacity for communications payload I suspect the bloom is already off the rose. Unlike PSK31, it likely will retain some lingering traction in DXCC circles.
Life’s to short for qrp..