[NLRS] [MWA] N0HJZ - CQWW VHF

[Richard Clem]

>>>>>What about FSK441 and now MSK144? I don't recall this much talk about
digital in
VHF contesting when those modes were popular (and still are) Are those also
not
modes that use software for decoding?<<<<<

Speaking of digital modes and MSK144, I am calling CQ at this very moment
(Monday, 315 PM Central, 2015z) on MSK144 on 50.260.  I'm curious if this
thing is working, so if anyone happens to see this, I'd appreciate a reply.

Here's my take on digital modes.  I'm a relative newbie to digital modes.  I
did work all states in 2009 on PSK31 with a homemade interface (just a couple
of patch cords, with a manual switch to transmit).  That was to get the Triple
Play award, and then I kind of lost interest in digital modes.

I've been on a quest for 5BWAS, and the tough ones have been the close in
states on 15 and 10.  The activity seems to be on FT8 these days, so I had
Santa bring me a SignalLink USB last year, and I've been plugging away at it. 
I still have a few "easy" ones on 10, but the challenging ones I have left are
Iowa and North Dakota on 10, and North Dakota on 15.  It seems to me that the
easiest way to get those will be meteor scatter, and it looks like MSK144 will
be the best way to get them on meteor scatter.  

Since Christmas, I have 44 states worked on FT8.  The remaining six don't look
particularly difficult, but I've been spending most of my time on 15 and 10. 
Are these QSOs easier than CW or SSB?  Maybe a little bit.  Once I have the
radio tuned, I don't have to fiddle with the knob as much as I would for CW or
SSB.  But as a digital newbie (but as a ham for over 40 years), there is a
certain skill set involved.

Again, right now, I'm calling CQ (or maybe it's my computer that's calling
CQ).  I'm trying to bounce some RF off of random meteor trails, something I've
only done a few times in the past, and only by chance.  If this thing actually
works, then eventually I'll want to set up a sked with someone in Iowa or
North Dakota.  Will that be cheating on my 5BWAS because the computer is doing
the work?  Maybe a little bit, but I'll still take those QSOs and apply them
to my total.

73,
Rick W0IS