I’m a Ham Radio operator that stays on top of current DXpeditions (like 9L5A) in this hobby. Note I said DXpeditions. I am NOT a lazy automated, computer scripted Text Messenger. I couldn’t care less about TXTpeditions like VU4A, TL8ES, etc. that exclusively run lazy, automated computer scripted FThate.
Which is why when I read the news this morning on the 9L5A Website it brought a smile to my face:
“As there are many complaints about our log from live streaming (« DATA » vs. « FT8 » mode among others), it looks necessary to remind that we regularly update manually our log by overwriting the one coming from the live streaming. Some QSOs do not appear live but will be there after the next manual update which is now daily. So no need to send a multitude of messages that we don’t have time to process while we’re on an expedition.
Apart from that, the days follow one another with more than 10,000 QSOs per day with an almost perfect balance between CW, SSB and FT8. It looks so surprising compared to other expeditions that some criticize us for doing too much CW and SSB; this is a shame! We had announced for a long time that we would prioritize “human” modes, otherwise we would not have planned 15 operators. It would for sure be much easier to leave 6 stations running in FT8 and enjoy long nights of sleep, the beach and 31° water, we would already have exceeded 100,000 QSOs. But this is not the vision we have of radio in general and especially an expedition. Given the size of the pileups, there is obviously (and fortunately) a large majority who must think like us.”
I also see on the DX Clusters many so-called Hams cannot contain themselves and are complaining there’s not enough FThate for their liking. It’s embarrassing to see so much begging, especially when 9L5A is everywhere on the bands. Ohhh, poor TXTers!
Look at this snapshot (click to open in a new tab):
What a great way to wake up and start the day, don’t you think? Human Modes on Ham Radio!
I think I may have to donate a little extra to this 9L5A Group of Real Amateur Radio Operators.
Keep on keeping on Gentlemen, you’re carrying the torch for real Ham Radio just as true “communicators” do. It’s an honor to have chased your pileups and have you in my log!
From FT4GL’s log he’s operated automated FT8 24/7 for days on end. A quick look at any day of his TXTpedition shows his computer scripts rarely stop racking up the Q’s. Eat? Sleep? Build antenna’s? Work? All overrated.
From Club Log Expedition Charts you can “hover” over any hour of any day and see his log entry totals. A few hours for SSB and non-stop 24/7 FT8.
Go to FT4GL’s expedition charts (link), click Statistics, scroll down to Daily QSO’s and click over the Total QSO’s number for any day of operation. You can then hover your mouse over any hour and see the QSO run for SSB or FT8 Q’s for that hour.
The only problem with automated Q’s? The ARRL’s DXCC rule on automation:
“A resolution at the July ARRL Board of Directors meeting pointed to “growing concern over fully automated contacts being made and claimed” for contest and DXCC credit. The rules now require that each claimed contact include contemporaneous direct initiation by the operator on both sides of the contact. Initiation of a contact may be either local or remote”
From FT4GL’s Blog & Facebook Group, he’s a one-man operation with no CW. There’s no Internet remote operators, no rotating operator shift changes. Heck, from their well documented pilot communication problems they haven’t been able to make reliable eMail and messaging via the Internet but for an hour or two a day, if that.
And since radio is secondary to his work, how is this 24/7 one man operation possible?
If this FT4GL automated operation is allowed to stand not only does it encourage, it PROMOTES future TXTpeditions (who are already doing it) to use automation against the ARRL’s own rules and it turns their DXCC program into – a complete farce.
I suspect future TXTpeditions will NOT be using Club Log’s expedition charts to “out” themselves. Because of those expedition charts I can see today there’s 246 deserving North America Hams that have made a human mode SSB contact with FT4GL. Out of 40,947 Q’s.
What has happened to our hobby? What a shame.
N0UN
EDIT June 8, 2024 1600Z
From his own log book data something sure changed from him operating 140 out of 142 hours over 7 days STRAIGHT THRU on FT8 to immediately taking 7, 9 & 12 hours off every day since this June 5th post?
Hmmmm, I wonder what organization reached out and asked those hard questions?
I wonder if they’ll accept the answers they were given? I don’t think the “super conditioned athlete that needs no sleep” is gonna’ work, not over 7 days…
That’s funny. I just pulled the Club Log stats. Don’t even need to explain (.07%). Those that know, know.
hahahahaha!
I’m thankful for a REAL Ham Radio Operation back in 2009 – FT5GA!
N0UN
UPDATE! 0515Z – 25/May/2024
.025% now, lol!
UPDATE! 1245Z – 27/May/2024
Seems one of the N0UN Fan Club clowns couldn’t help themselves bootlegging my call on that lazy, brainless computer scripted text messaging thingy:
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness” – Oscar Wilde
Ya’ know 3 Hams from North America got through on 20 Meters SSB a couple days ago and I’m in good company as one of 8 from North America that worked FT4GL on 15 Meters SSB yesterday:
11 North American Hams have worked FT4GL on SSB so far out of 16,202 Q’s (.07%) with NO CW at all.
THIS is where FT8 has taken our hobby. What a shame.
UPDATE! 1512Z – 31/May/2024
96 North American Hams have worked FT4GL on SSB so far out of 25,638 Q’s (.37%) with NO CW at all.
And I see a second Ham didn’t get his text message Q because a N0UN Fan Club member bootlegged my call, again.
I found a simple cure for stray RF on my signal. At $10 the fix is cheap!
Occasionally with different frequencies, weather and beam headings I’ll get RF in my shack and onto my signal. If my microphone line gets near my Palstar AT5K tuner, or if I’m beaming 8 elements over the house on 10 Meters, or RF is being introduced into my W2IHY cabling and/or gear, there’s nothing more frustrating than hearing RF on my signal – no matter where it’s coming from.
I’ve installed dozens of choke beads on cables & leads and although they do work, they’re “fussy”. I’m always changing positions, wraps, adding/subtracting and moving things around to try and diminish stray RF it seems.
This little Besign isolator/decoupler COMPLETELY removed any and all stray RF from getting onto my signal!
I simply plug my Heil headset into the Besign and plug the Besign into my radio mic input. It couldn’t be easier. This isolator decouples whatever stray RF is on the mic line. No stray RF in, no stray RF out.
It also works on decoupling hum from a pole pig transformer in a linear amplifier I occasionally use around here. If my headset mic is within 2′ or so of the amplifier, my mic picks up the magnetic flux “hum” from the amp transformer. This Besign isolator removes 100% of that hum too.
And to add to this post, I just heard from a Ham friend in Florida who was getting RF into his Heil amplified speaker on certain frequencies. He installed the Besign isolator and reported back the RF is completely gone!
“Thanks for the tip Lumpy. I Was getting some RF into my Heil amplified speaker. Inserting toroids helped, but the gadget you recommended completely removed it. Two thumbs up!”
“Harry” is churning it out on CW & Phone. Does anybody remember what real Ham Radio was like before all this fake, lazy, mindless automated computer scripted text messaging the last few years? You know back when Ham Radio Operators weren’t so lazy and humans actually “communicated”? Before TXTpeditions and the Big FT8 Money Grab?
My trusty Yaesu SP-8 speaker bit the dust. The annoying crackling & popping told me it was time for a new speaker. Turning up the volume to listen across the room finally took its toll.
Even though I have the correct power supply/speaker for my FTDX101MP (the FPS-101), I use the SP-8 instead. Here’s a few reasons why:
I don’t like plugging/unplugging my headset into the radio. I’d rather plug/unplug into a much less costly speaker. I’ve seen $4,000 radios with worn out phono plugs, no thank you to that repair! The FPS-101/SP-101 doesn’t have a single phono jack, the SP-8 has two.
Secondly I like the seven audio filters on the Yaesu SP-8. The FPS-101/SP-101 doesn’t have any.
Not that I use it anymore but I have the LL-7 Phone Patch option in my SP-8. Nothing of the sort even available in the FPS-101/SP-101.
The case color matches the FTDX-101, and the height is very close.
Lastly I like I can run either of two audio signal inputs into the SP-8. The FPS-101/SP-101? No chance, only one.
Now I got why I use my Yaesu SP-8 instead of the FPS-101 out of the way, here’s the fix for a crackling & popping blown speaker.
8 screws and 20 minutes later, the installation was complete. Here’s a few pictures:
The new speaker sounds great, full bodied, no distortion even at high volume, and best of all no cracking & popping! An easy, low cost fix for your Yaesu SP-8 speaker. The ultra low profile Visaton R10S 4 inch 8 Ohm speaker will also fit the FPS-101 and SP-101 (no power supply) speakers.
I took a peek at the VU7A (Lakshadweep Islands) statistics today on Club Log (right). So far 25,000 Q’s – ZERO on CW, ZERO on SSB.
Then I took a look at my old friend’s T32TT (Eastern Kiribati) statistics. Well, I tried to but Dom doesn’t publish statistics anymore [somebody figured a way to count dupes on Dom’s last TXTpedition. Duplicate Q’s were running 50%!] But I know from T32TT spots for the last 30 hours he has 11,000 Q’s with ZERO on CW and ZERO on SSB. That’s a TXTpedition! The TXTpedition posted they’d have two CW and one SSB station, but we all know how that goes…
Ain’t this a bitch? Better yet, ain’t this a “lazy, mindless, automated computer scripted text messaging” bitch?
I’m trying to come up with a number that separates a traditional human mode DXpedition from a TXTpedition. Perhaps 20, 25% FT8? Or maybe 50%? Or heck, like these two TXTpeditions, they’re running 100% FT8. What percentage of FT8 makes a traditional human mode DXpedition a TXTpedition to you?
And just another friendly reminder for all you Dumbed Down, Lazy, Mindless, Automated Computer Scripted Text Messengers out there – you want to RR73 the virtues of FT8 from the rooftops – do it on your own blog, not mine. Beat it. Go play over at TXTpeditions.com. Only real Ham Radio COMMUNICATORS and OPERATORS allowed around this watering hole can comment here.
When I saw the spot from W3LPL’s DX Cluster “skimmer” for XV9Q, I thought there’s absolutely ZERO chance I’d hear Viet Nam on 30 Meters CW at 9:00 AM our local time. Not only did I think there’s no way I’d hear him, but with only a couple hundred watt limit on 30 Meters and just my ground mounted vertical, there’s no way he’d ever hear me either!
But what do I know?
I went to listen and sure enough there’s a station calling CQ signing XV9Q. I would’ve bet a $100 bill it had to be a pirate, but it turns out not only was XV9Q REAL – he was running Club Log’s “Livestream” logging program where I saw my call pop up seconds later!
What’s even more perplexing there was only a couple North American stations that worked him – even after my re-spot. “Spotlight propagation” I call it.
Here’s the recording working XV9Q 30M CW in broad daylight, simplex, 2 hours after sunrise (9 AM local):
And the cherry on top? An unsolicited LoTW confirmation hours later!
A two man low power DXpedition from a rare DXCC Entity with an emphasis on CW & Phone with the CW Op running FT8 on the side. A concept I can get behind 100%!
“Two operators will be QRV Nov 3rd to Nov 16th, licenses issued are 7O8AD (Ken) and 7O8AE (Shani)
This is a ‘Tent and generator” operation, limited facilities at Dhihamri, grid locator LK72CQ
7O8AD Ken: 1X CW + 1X FT8 (SO2R light) & 7O8AE Shani: 1XSSB
It means 7O8AE is the SSB call and 7O8AD is the CW/FT8 call.
100W RIGs: Three 100W stations. No amplifier due to weight restrictions.
Band: 160-10m. No band plan, use the VFO. FT8 will be WSJT-X F/H or MHSV – never on standard frequency.
Antennas: Verticals and VDA close to saltwater, clear beach take off.
All antenna support material will be constructed on the spot by material we can source locally. For that reason 40-10m will be installed first, then 160+80m.
Especially for 160/80m it means splicing wood poles and make a temporary support structure for the (toploaded) wire – so please be patient for low band.
Media officer/WW Pilot: Steve N2AJ, stevousa@aol.com
ALL questions during the operation to Steve, team will not monitor or answer any emails. We have no internet access, as we only have satellite connection to pilot via Garmin + HF (!).”
Updates will be posted here https://www.facebook.com/groups/6878768972146047/
7O8AE & 7O8AD QSL manager M0OXO – LOG will be uploaded AFTER DXpedition.
OQRS will open once Charles receives the logs. ALL QSL questions to Charles, team will not answer any questions related to QSL or LOG.
Donations/OQRS for both callsigns is via paypal – kenneth@opskar.no All upfront supporters will get their LoTW + Direct QSL cards automatically.
OQRS Direct, OQRS Buro or Direct mailed. No paper buro cards. Complete log will be uploaded to LoTW.
No busted callsign enquiries for FT8, if your computer gets lost, work us again.
I will personally make a humanitarian donation to UNCHR Yemen once I return home – anyone wanting to support this humanitarian fundraiser can use the PayPal address – and please label that separate donation “Humanitarian aid”. 500 houses in Socotra, Yemen were partially or fully damaged during a cyclone last week. All humanitarian donations will be transferred 100% to UNCHR Yemen, and everyone who contributes will be listed and thanked.
Thank you!
73 Ken
LA7GIA”
Anytime you can break a pileup from EU it’s a good thing! Thanks Shani!
A few current TXTpeditions as of this Blog Post writing:
T22T – 100,034 Q’s: .5% CW, 1% SSB, 98.5% FT
ZD9W – 6,518 Q’s: 0% CW, 0% SSB, 100% FT
5X3K – 29,802 Q’s: 22% CW, 13% SSB, 65% FT
It appears to many of us Real Amateurs (ie Real Communicators) the Amateur Radio Relay League (ARRL) sure has gone out of their way to allow the destruction of a hobby they say they’ve been trying for decades – to protect. TXTpeditioners, guilty. TXTers, guilty. ARRL, guilty. Lazy is, as lazy does.
Think I’ll go register TXTpeditions.com. Seems to be the new humanless lazy, automated computer scripted txt messaging app path for the future of Ham Radio. Swell.
The Big FT8 Money Grab. DXpeditioners have turned to the laziest, easiest way to make money – FT8.
Somebody has to say it – DXpeditioners have figured out they can turn on their automated FT8 computer scripts and make more money than actually operating their Ham Radio’s on Phone or CW.
“Money for nothin’ and chicks for free”. AND the ARRL approves because they’re profiting handsomely too. All those lazy, computer scripted 24/7 hour text message Q’s count for their DXCC program. Those indoor dipole non-human mode stations are stumbling over themselves to pay ARRL membership dues and pay again for DXCC Credits. The ARRL and DXpeditions figured out a way to print money.
Lazy DXpeditioners claim there’s nobody on CW or Phone to work. Ever notice the FT8 spots from these DXpeditions never stop? All day, all night, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week the computers are knocking it down. On the TN8 DXpedition I watched every night up to 9 unmanned computers went to FT8, only for most to bounce back to Phone and CW a little after their sunrise when the humans woke up. Completely and totally automated. Wake up with another 5,000 Q’s in the log. They cannot resist the lure of easy money.
But shhhhhh! It’s the Big Secret. Nobody talks about it, nobody wants to admit it’s happening. Every man for himself, just get those easy DXCC credits while you’re at dinner or outside mowing the grass – and for the DXpeditioner – collect those $5 to $10 Paypal’s per LoTW request while you sleep. 100,000 Q’s, 40,000 unique, or digital, or ATNO, or bandfills are how much at $5 a LoTW request? Do the math homie. All for a computer Q with a computer digital file upload (LoTW). That’ll pay for a DXpedition, won’t it?
Current DXpedition T22T with over 98% of his 83 thousand Q’s are FT. VK9LAA, ZD9W all following suit, all on FT8. Fake Ham Radio at best. Lazy, mindless, computer scripted text messaging is now a profitable endeavor.
Don’t deny it – Lazy is, as lazy does.
Don’t bother me for “up front” donations or ask my companies to “sponsor” these embarrassing “TXTpeditions.com” anymore either. You FT8ers go pay to play and leave me out of that crap – go to FT8Forum.com and play there, lol. You want my Club Log OQRS? $100 USD!
I liked the first one so much, I bought another! These have worked out great! https://amzn.to/3PzgAFX
I’m not sure how they can sell this refurbished Dell computer for less than $200, delivered, but I’m not complaining. They both look brand new. I can’t buy 32GB of RAM for that price.
“Dell OptiPlex 9020 Small Form Computer Desktop PC, Intel Core i7 3.4GHz Processor, 32GB Ram, 1 TB Solid State, Wireless Keyboard & Mouse, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth, HDMI, Windows 10 Pro (Renewed)”.
Since 2017 THIS is the “new” Ham Radio DXer. No skill required. Set your computer, go to dinner, come back after dessert and claim your DXCC “Participation Trophy“.
Look at the first few days of T22T and their 19K Q’s in the log:
How embarrassing. For both the DXpedition AND the new TXTer (oh sorry, I meant DXer). No hello’s, no goodbye’s, no speaking, no Morse Code CW skills, hell – no human communications whatsoever. Not a single CW or Phone Q. 19 thousand Q’s, and not a single one!
From their Press Release: “Rebel DX Group has given a quick update on their upcoming T22T – Tuvalu DXpedition. QRV from September 21 to October 9, 2023. 10 x stations on air simultaneously; CW (2 stations), SSB (1 station), FT8 (7 stations). WSJT-X software will be used on F/H mode. QSL via OQRS, LoTW.”
I guess the lure of lazy is just too much to actually operate Phone & CW on DXpeditions anymore. For both sides. Lazy is, as lazy does.
Thank God there’s still a few real DXers left that actually communicate via Human Modes!
“Cancel Culture” is alive and well at eHam Forum (eHam.net). I can’t even count how many forum topics in the “DXing” section have been “locked”. I’ve had enough. After the last thread I went to comment on was locked minutes ago, I attempted to delete my account. Isn’t it ironic the eHam Forum overlords have to “approve & allow” you to delete your account? Who does that in this day & age?
No harm, no foul here as “nutcase” Hams had taken over most of the interesting threads in the DXing section anyway. Several loser members and the commie censors that run the forum really do deserve each other. Another perfect example of misery loves company.
Solar activity seems to have dropped dramatically from a recent peak. Are we over the cycle peak and headed down again? Too early to say. Daily average sunspot numbers this week sank to 120.1. Predicted solar flux is 175 on December 6 to 8, 170 on December 9 and 10, 175 on December 11 and […]
December brings two ARRL-sponsored single-band contests. The ARRL 160-Meter Contest begins Friday, December 6 at 2200 UTC and concludes on Sunday, December 8 at 1559 UTC. Stations in the US (including Alaska, Hawaii, and US possessions) and Canada can contact any station; stations located overseas can only contact US and Canadian stations. Contacts may be […]
Applications are now being accepted for campers interested in attending the 2025 Youth on the Air Camp. Licensed amateur radio operators, ages 15 through 25, who want to attend are encouraged to apply online at YouthOnTheAir.org. The camp is scheduled to take place June 15 - 20, 2025, in Thornton (Denver), Colorado and the Denver […]
The 25th Annual SKYWARNTM Recognition Day (SRD) is Saturday, December 7. SRD recognizes the work of amateur and non-ham SKYWARN storm spotters in keeping their communities safe during severe weather. Trained spotters provide observations of “ground truth” to regional National Weather Service (NWS) offices. While meteorologists have advanced remote sensing data like radar, satellite, and […]
A YouTube telethon to raise money for the ARRL Teachers Institute on Wireless Technology was a resounding success. More than $21,000 was contributed during the livestream, which unlocked another $20,000 that donors had set out as a challenge gift. ARRL Director of Development Kevin Beal, K8EAL, says that upped the ante. “It's quite clear that […]
ARRL The National Association for Amateur Radio® is grateful to its members, who allow us to do the work on their behalf of promoting and protecting amateur radio and inspiring future generations to make ham radio and wireless technology a part of their lives. No one does more for amateur radio. ARRL is globally recognized […]
ARRL Headquarters was closed on November 29. So, this regular Fridaybulletin was moved to the following Monday (12/2).Solar activity increased during the current reporting week, November21-27. Average daily sunspot number rose to 155.7, and average dailysolar flux was 282.2.Weekly Commentary on the Sun, the Magnetosphere, and the Earth'sIonosphere - November 28, 2024, by F. K. […]
I Like This DXpedition 9L5A! I'm a Ham Radio operator that stays on top of current DXpeditions (like 9L5A) in this hobby. The post I Like This DXpedition 9L5A first appeared on N0UN.net.
FT4GL Automation. So how can it be this automated FT8 operation from Glorioso (FT4GL) has been approved for DXCC? The post FT4GL Automation first appeared on N0UN.net.
FT4GL Glorioso On The Air! Well, "Kinda". That's funny. I just pulled the Club Log stats. Don't even need to explain (.0007). Those that know, know! hahahaha! The post FT4GL Glorioso On The Air! “Kinda” first appeared on N0UN.net.
Cure for stray RF on my signal. And here's the $10 permanent fix: Also works on decoupling magnetic field hum from a pole pig transformer in a linear amplifier. The post Cure For Stray RF On My Signal first appeared on N0UN.net.
DXer vs. TXTer. They are not the same. Dom, T32TT calling N0UN on "Phone" from East Kiribati: (video). Guess this picture says it all: Lazy is, as lazy does. The post DXer vs. TXTer first appeared on N0UN.net.
Yaesu SP-8 Speaker Replacement. A good sounding, easy to find replacement - the Visaton R10S 4 inch 8 Ohm speaker. Also fits the FPS-101 and SP-101. The post Yaesu SP-8 Speaker Replacement first appeared on N0UN.net.
A friendly reminder for all you Lazy, Mindless, Automated Computer Scripted Text Messengers out there - you want to RR73 the virtues of FT8 from the rooftops The post Ham Radio TXTpeditions first appeared on N0UN.net.
When I saw the spot from W3LPL's DX Cluster skimmer for XV9Q, I thought there's absolutely ZERO chance I'd hear Viet Nam on 30 Meters CW at 9:00 AM our local time. But what do I know? The post XV9Q Viet Nam 30M CW first appeared on N0UN.net.
7O8AE & 7O8AD Yemen DXpedition. A two man low power DXpedition from a rare DXCC Entity with an emphasis on CW & Phone with the CW Op running FT8 on the side. The post 7O8AE & 7O8AD Yemen DXpedition first appeared on N0UN.net.
I Like This DXpedition 9L5A!
Look at this snapshot (click to open in a new tab):
7O8AE & 7O8AD Yemen DXpedition
eHam Forum is a waste of time.
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