Good effort Roger; I am seeing it for what it is.
However; I have to counter this general impression given out; but
firstly, a caveat - I have never used FT8.
And big apologies, this is not 160m related; its activity related, but
please go with it.
So, a couple of weeks ago I travelled to GD; in readiness for the CQ WPX
CW contest; and as things worked out, I had to travel on the Tuesday, on
an early ferry. The WX was unexpectedly very good; and we got set up
very quickly, towers up , station set up , new amp commissioned etc.
So I set about some HF operating beforehand; CW only (not so different
to what you would do on 160m, right ?). Yes, I'm a GD; so maybe a bit
more interest, but with the comments on every reflector now about FT8;
you could be forgiven for thinking that before the contest, there would
be no activity; after all....FT8!
Not a bit of it; and even with the small amount of time I put in before
the contest; I has heading for 1000 QSO's.
The point to me is, it doesn’t matter which band you are on, there are
skimmers everywhere; so if you CQ on a band, you will get a skimmer
spot, alerting the world to your operating.
The question then would be - do people have other things to do (work,
chores, a life etc) that want to stop them playing radio, especially in
the week?
(with FT8, I am aware of people leaving their stations unmanned, and
seeing what they've "worked" overnight; just because you always hear the
tones you can't assume someone is on the keyboard!)
Finally, I do lament the time that you would go on 160 in the 1970's,
and stay up in the early hours either rag chewing on one of the SSB nets
or working OK1ATP etc again, whilst waiting possibly for EP2BQ or PY1RO
to show up! And no cluster then! Have to say even though I'm now
retired, I don't have the time for that any more .
73 Dave G3NKC // GD3NKC
On 11/06/2026 14:36, Roger Kennedy via Topband wrote:
Regarding the impact FT8 has had on our hobby, it inspired a friend of mine
to write these new lyrics to the original song by The Buggles (Video Killed
The Radio Star).
I finally got round to recording it in my studio yesterday:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BMNPvMHBtI&list=RD6BMNPvMHBtI&start_radio=1
73 Roger G3YRO
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