17:09 UTC today marked exactly one week of FT8 usage. For the 7 months preceding that, I had been focusing on JT9/JT65, and was amazed at how rapidly I was building up my list of contacts--640, at least 63 countries. FT8 puts that to shame: in ONE WEEK I had 312 QSOs with 29 countries. I worked 9 stations in my first 45 minutes using the mode.
FT8 is really addictive--it's hard to step away from--the instant response is great reinforcement. I went back to JT65 the other day and found it WAY too slow. The difference is that you have to stay with FT8--on JT65 you can set it up and go do other work on the computer until you get an alert, then go back and jump in.
Right now, I love FT8. It's a great way to build up contacts and fill in gaps for awards--as well as to communicate with the world (tiny messages notwithstanding). One negative I see now is that I expect to burn out on it--I can feel that starting to happen already. We'll see--the up side is that I've been motivated to go back to SSB at times--I've been in some contests, and I was able to work an Oklahoma station, which was the last state I needed for WAS Phone (now if I can just get 8 stations to return QSL cards...).
There is a philosophical discussion around whether FT8 is a real mode that should count for awards and such. As a relatively new ham with no Morse Code nostalgia, I believe that there should be no distinction. There are categories within the awards for various modes and bands, and those should satisfy the curmudgeons. Amateur Radio has always been about continuous improvement and use of new technology. To disparage people who do that is to disparage the service in an attempt to define a "real ham" in the image of one's own experience.
On the other hand, FT8 will take some getting used to. It's different. It's also fun and useful.
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