[COham] Digital Wins

[Paul Signorelli]

    Last week i was outside operating portable with my PRC319  and 10 foot whip.
 i called CQ for 10 Minutes on 20 CW, 10 Minutes on 20 SSB. No takers.
 Then i  called CQ on 18096, no replies.
i burned up 30 minutes of battery time with no replies to my CQ's.
   Then i switched to FT8.
Many guys were there just waiting for me to call them.
   i worked a few US stations: K1BZ Dave MD, W4TM Roy GA, K4OP John KY. Then looking for DX, i got CU7AA Al, in Azores and SM2SUM Peder, Sweden, in less than 45 minutes of digital operations.
   If you want to make Q's you have to go where the activity is.

      The next day  i was outside again calling CQ on 20 meters and 2 YL's called me on CW!,  In less than 30 minutes;  WB9TFF, Donna, and KK4JOW, Diane, called me.
That's worth 20 -  FT8 Q's any day !
   So maybe there is something more important than making more Q's or getting more Grids in the least amount of time.
   Maybe there is a Quality or Value Factor that is important.
Having a real Q with a person really is more important.
   Even Not making a contact is important; Later that night i got an eMail from Jim, W1PID, in NH. He had been on a bike trip and he heard me and called me but i didn't hear him, but he was there.
He counts too.
Paul  w0rw