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Technician HF
- Thread starter Mudfoot
- Start date
I use ssb and I use it a lot. I do use ft8 if I get bored enough. I perfer AM when band conditions are favorable, but don't miss out on the fun of other modes.
I do think we can agree the dumbing down started long before ft8. I see your point though. A lot of people are plug and play appliance operators. I can live with that as long as they behave well on the air.
Those that want to use poor antennas and qrp don't bother me as long as they know when to stop talking. The weaker they are the longer they seem to talk. Let them tear it up on ft8.
Some of the old old guys that were around before ssb see it differently. IMHO SSB was the ft8 of its day. Some people didn't like it for various reasons and some still don't.
My biggest beef is how people act. The ones that feel entitled to tell others how they should operate and think they own a frequency. Don't get me started on nets.......and that whole echo link thing.
Just one more note on low power and poor antennas. If it weren't for ssb there wouldn't be as many people praising these crummy antennas. The AM mode is a good way to test antenna performance.
I actually agree with pretty much everything you just said in this post. Just to clarify something, when I expressed my distaste for FT8 I didn't mean it as used in a casual way. It was directed at those that threw away the microphone or key and do EVERYTHING as FT8 and that is all they think about. I may try it sometime but by that time it will likely be replaced by something else. I have tried PSK31, SSTV and RTTY in the past too. Still keep coming back to SSB with a sprinkling of AM.
I
like am,fm n ssb despize some of that computer enhanced bs, fusion would be ok if you ran your own node.everytime im using fusion somebody always wants it ,so i got it never use it
I feel the same way about FT8. Way too many new hams on the FB groups that have had their tickets for two weeks and claim they have WAS. I always answer that their computer must be tired. I agree with CK that they have zero understanding of antennas or proper operating but boy they think they are the cat's meow because they can FT8...sigh...
BJ radionut
Supporting Member and 6m addict
im gonna piss in your cornflakes with this,what the hell is ft8,raspberry pie?sd whatever it is? Plus talking 2 meters on cell phone? I prefer chewin fat on simplex with friends,and working weak signals,thats what ham is to me,not a race to spend like crazy to be on computer talking, went from semi private to everybody knows via computer.
Few of us put pl on a frequincy n talk semi private.
Shadetree Mechanic
Delaware Base Station 808
I really like the big AM sound on 75m. Whenever I listen in with my Grandfather's Hammerlund, I think to myself "This is the way it was meant to be". I wish my Grandfather was still around, there are so many questions I want to ask him.
Big AM, Big antennas, and Big transmitters, That's what floats my boat.
Big AM, Big antennas, and Big transmitters, That's what floats my boat.
Semi-private because you use a PL tone?? Not really. YOU might not hear anybody else but anybody not using a PL tone including off the shelf scanners can receiver you quite fine. The only way they cannot is if they have PL enabled on their RX and not do use the correct tone. I don't know.......maybe what you meant is that you can talk without anybody else joining in but it is still not what I would call private if the world can still hear you.
said semi private,anything broadcasted can be listened to but it keeps a few we got in our area out of our discussions. They are the did it all know it all n cant id themselves like we are required to do as well as breaking in no call sign just "hey i do that" kinda bs
Forgot 1,his wife passed test few weeks ago n damm captain,she is THE FIRST N ONLY WOMAN TO DO SO
Gottcha. Yeah that would keep them from jumping in. I am assuming when you say PL tone you mean a CTCSS tone and not DCS tones. Now wait until they learn how to do a tone scan and find the tone you are using. Some radios have the basic 38 CTCSS tones while most of the newer ones have 50. I would pick one of the ones not included in the basic 38 or better yet use a DCS (digital coded squelch) instead. MUCH harder to just stumble across and find.
we jump around we use newer tones never same 1 in a week. That guy who makes sure we know his wife passed test is same jerk that wont turn mic down or use the 1 he has that sounds fine. I was at the test day when his wife took test.im not able to be a ve but i asked him politely to step out,4 members not able to test also said we must go out let the ve's n those taking test be in quiet,he started to get pissy n i said hey thats the rules.we went outdoors
I'm a little late to the party... My opinion.. just leave the license requirements the way they are for a while. If people REALLY want hf then let them upgrade. If you want to FT8 (sucks) whatever.. different strokes. Dxcc earned voice or cw with modest antennas and power levels obviously requires more practice, patience and operator skill than FT8. That said I don't really care what your mode of operation is but you do have to understand there is a big difference. WAS ft8 on 6 NOT the same as voice! .
By the way Capt KW.. you need to get that knee squared away and put some decent aluminum on that big free standing tower. I don't have your grid on the higher bands
By the way Capt KW.. you need to get that knee squared away and put some decent aluminum on that big free standing tower. I don't have your grid on the higher bands
It also seems weird that grown men like to drive in left-hand circles as fast as they can too.
Dxcc and WAS are goals of the hobby for some.
Analogy:
Guys that get rapped up into hotrods. Have the ability to be fast but just cruze the streets or take it to the track for time slips. Its just a piece of paper but its proof. WAS on ft8 is like a blown SS maro running 13s vs WAS cw and running 10s..