[CW] Is K1JT ruining amateur radio?

[Radio KØHB]

AF4K asks “Is K1JT ruining amateur radio?”

I don’t know K1JT (Joe Taylor) personally, but my impression is that he has done some remarkable work in his life.  Ignoring for the moment his Nobel Prize in Physics, his contributions to Amateur Radio weak signal operation would alone qualify him as a “legend” in our service.  It would be hard to name any Amateur who more exemplifies this FCC rule:

§97.1   Basis and purpose.
The rules and regulations in this part are designed to provide an amateur radio service having a fundamental purpose as expressed in the following principles:
…
(b) Continuation and extension of the amateur's proven ability to contribute to the advancement of the radio art.
…

So my answer to AF4K would be “No, Joe isn’t ruining amateur radio.”

But perhaps AF4K doesn’t think that K1JT is personally ruining our hobby, but that his weak signal digital modes will ruin the hobby and shouldn’t be allowed.  

As Bry points out, like PSK31 before it, FT8 has drawn thousands of Amateurs to a few distinct “watering holes” on each band, and like RTTY and SSTV, these islands of activity aren’t good places to strike up a CW QSO.  

But that hardly equates to “K1JT is ruining amateur radio”.  

I don’t even think that is equates to the narrower statement “K1JT is ruining CW”.  

The FCC has given CW a HUGE advantage in operating flexibility over EVERY OTHER MODE

§97.305 (a) Except as specified elsewhere in this part, an amateur station may transmit a CW emission on any frequency authorized to the control operator.

As a CW operator I can legally chose ANY clear Amateur frequency try to strike up a contact.  (It probably wouldn’t be very “bright”, but it would not be illegal.)

No other mode enjoys such an advantage.

Further, the very nature of FT8 in fact makes it quite “spectrum frugal”.  Because you can’t “tune it by ear”, the convention for operating FT8, like PSK31 and other “machine” modes, has been to establish a “channel” for that operation on each band.  You aren’t likely to encounter these PSK or FTx stations randomly operating outside of those small “digital corrals”.  Even if you did, a single FT8 signal occupies about the same spectrum space as a 25WPM CW signal.

So, no, I don’t think that Joe Taylor, K1JT is ruining Amateur Radio, and he is not ruining CW.

73, de Hans, KØHB
"Just a boy and his radio"™


FROM:  Bry AF4K at hotmail.com

I ask this question - is K1JT ruining amateur radio?

The new FT modes do have some advantages for a limited 
contest style exchange. And for DX if you don't mind things 
become rather more IMPERSONAL in the amateur radio service.
Sometimes that is fine. 

What prompts this message is an FT8 signal (apparently) - 
with 12- 13 seconds transmissions for the past hour or too
on 7049 kHz or so.  That signal seems unstable, and 
perhaps not getting any replies, but still.. 
what the heck are they doing?

I KNOW It has been asked before, but I am prompted 
to ask my questions now because CW is slowly diminishing 
from our HF bands and we are  accustomed to 
the experiences that:

1) We can no longer operate CW on 7068 - 7080 because of 
the popular FT DIGITAL modes and others that have taken up 
permanent residency there, it seems to me. 

2) We are now accustomed to the idea that 7040 kHz +/- 
has been taken by 24 hour unattended WSPR stations
conducting personal experiments with their 
LOUD (often) one way transmissions...

3) Now today I awake to find that there are even MORE JT modes 
taking over 7050 kHz. That is  from about 7048 - 7051 today!

4) Is it enough to have a CW event once a week on Wednesdays
if JT modes are on the same spot for the other ~150 hours of a week?

Can we talk about this? Was anyone consulted first?  
Is this a lone wolf digi station trying to disrupt things 
and cause trouble?

What are the problems? What are the solutions? 

I just had a CW rag chew with an interesting 84 year-old 
fellow amateur on 7061 kHz that was a blast. 
We exchanged more information at 16 wpm than 
all of the K1JT digi guys did during that time, and we 
had a lot of fun. 

I would like to calmly discuss this. Is there a sensible 
approach for those of us who enjoy CW?

Have any of the CW clubs or QRP groups been contacted
by K1FT to see if we Object to being turfed out of our frequently 
used parts of the bands?

One solution may be to simply state "USE IT OR LOSE IT." 
But should it come to that all of the time?

What are your experiences around say, 7040 and 7060 kHz?
Especially around 7050 kHz this week??

I am interested to know if OTHER amateurs are annoyed 
by the droning sounds of unattended stations,
and stations only exchanging boring grid squares 
instead of having a real conversation.

What is the future of 40m like to you?

7100 - 7125 kHz is still interesting and those of us 
near Canada and the Carribean are accustomed 
to sharing the space and finding a spot.
 
It works well. However, if thousands of digi 
stations are now going to land on 7050 kHz 
and just take it, and just commandeer that spot, 
then in my opinion that sucks.

Your thoughts please?

Bry AF4K

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