FT4GL Automation.
So how can it be this automated FT8 operation from Glorioso Island (FT4GL) has been approved for DXCC?
https://dxnews.com/dxcc-approved/
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:
http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-contest-and-dxcc-rules-now-prohibit-automated-contacts
“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…
N0UN
I will say this again…Losing the Morse Code requirement killed our hobby,,,Passing the code and written part was a “Right of Passage” and you were proud to be “IN” with this growing population of Selected “Hams”
Sad
Great analysis Wayne. Keep up the good work.
DXCC Awards have been pretty much meaningless since the league decided to include these text message contacts as valid Qs for DXCC Mixed Awards. Had they simply created a separate award for the text message contacts, it would have preserved the legacy DXCC program.
Im sure the league and the big clubs that fund these text message operations will “look the other way” re: the automation you have exposed as they will go for the money grab.
The hobby is certainly going to shit.
73, Ron WB2PKR
The only solution to this bs is getting on the air with a key or a microphone and ignoring this stuff. Just keep moving forward……
FT8 is FAKE ham radio
The DXCC award is no longer what it used to be. I had 274 confirmed on CW and SSB, SSB adding very little to my DXCC count. It took me 45 years with 100W and always with but one (1) dipole available.
Years ago I mentioned on eHam and elsewhere that Joe Taylor’s creations would end CW to begin with. I was ridiculed and called almost an idiot. Today’s activity on the CW bands shows the old fart was right after all.
Gust ON6KE
I heard you talking about this on 208 a bit. You make great points about all of this. It’s a shame that people get rewarded for this kind of behavior.
I personally don’t have a problem with FT8 any more than I have a problem with a Desert Eagle. They’re both tools that can be used for good or ill. Having said that, I completely agree that treating an FT8 contact like a CW or phone contact cheapens the hobby, and further that this fully-automated operation is an abomination.
Scott KD9ZRD
PS – yeah, the ink is hardly dry on my ticket, but I’ve been Ham-adjacent for most of my life.
I dont do FT4/8, nor CW but np for those that do. I have been calling on/off between spl +5-50 (!), in the hope my /m would be heard. I may have got a 20m contact last night, maybe not. After the colourfull language displays on the call freqs on every band i have heard him I remain hopefull of just one contact.If DXing was a sport i would be in the Olympic HF Team!
Its nice to know that a couple of ATNO skeds are scheduled but we all know that will not work, but i do hope so!
I would of hoped for 40m to be a bit better, but the bands heve been better when i am at work. Still, happy hunting, remain positive and hope….you dont get that 59 from one of the pirates out there,73
ROB M0KPD/M
Rob miss you on 80
Good article Wayne. Keep it up. And, love your Colorado videos – lived there 4 years/ stationed @Ft Carson in the early 80s. Miss it.
I’m a broken record, but I WILL get my revenge regarding this FT8 bullshit in mid 2025. This future DXpedition is 100% guaranteed to infuriate the FT8 malcontents everywhere…………Blah, blah, blah talk is cheap but I WILL put my money (or should I say my CW key) where my mouth is.
Stay tuned for the fireworks mid 2025!!!
Tom KH0/KC0W
Check the hourly stats of VK9LA and K8K (both are YL2GM operations). Same kind of robot operation. Shame for our hobby !! And this guy gets serious sponsor money from the various renowned DX clubs as well …
Bonjour à tous,
Je suis attristée de lire des commentaires pareil,
140 heures sur 142? D’où tu sors les statistiques pareil ?
Sache que je ne suis pas adepte de numérique, j’ai dû faire pour satisfaire la communauté, justement, tu as oublié de préciser que quasiment arrêt de mon trafiqué été dû à ton commentaire et malgré encouragements des autres OM j’ai décidé de pas reprendre le micro durant 1 weekend, il n’avait jamais automatisme sur FT4GL, pour les futures expéditions n’aura pas ni ft8 comme cw,
Ça va te faire plaisir !
Bonjour à tous,
Je suis attristée de lire des commentaires pareil,
140 heures sur 142? D’où tu sors les statistiques pareil ? J’ai dormi 3 heures sur 24, remerciements sont là…
Sache que je ne suis pas adepte de numérique, j’ai dû faire pour satisfaire la communauté, justement, tu as oublié de préciser que quasiment arrêt de mon trafiqué été dû à ton commentaire et malgré encouragements des autres OM j’ai décidé de pas reprendre le micro durant 1 weekend, il n’avait jamais automatisme sur FT4GL, pour les futures expéditions n’aura pas ni ft8 comme n’aura pas de cw,
Ça va te faire plaisir !
I got the statistics from YOUR OWN LOG YOUR TEAM UPLOADED on Club Log. It shows your FT8 station ran non-stop for days and days. You can mouse over every hour and see your computer generated QSO count.
N0UN