On Radio Magic
Claiming that technology is ruining things we love probably began the moment humans crafted crude tools to make hunting and gathering easier. (Much) More recently, it seems like nearly every hobby I’ve dabbled with in my adult life has legions that insist technological advances have changed it beyond recognition.
Technology has ruined golf by making it too hard to hit bad shots (not true in my experience!).
Technology has ruined tennis by turning it into a power game and taking away the artistry of the serve-and-volley.
Technology has ruined photography via the rise of computational photography, resulting in overly processed images that lack character.
And technology has ruined ham radio through, of course, FT8.
Or so the complaints go.
One of my favorite writers in our space is KE9V. It helps that he lives about an hour up I-69 from me. Beyond that proximity, I find his writing to be thoughtful, well-crafted, and unlike any other voice in the community.
In a recent post he looked at technological changes in ham radio over time, FT8 being the latest iteration. His focus was not that digital modes are ruining ham radio, but rather his worry that they create a more detached, less rich experience compared to “traditional” operating.1
Those of us of a certain age entered at a point when slowly spinning the VFO and listening to the atmosphere and observing certain operating practices was the norm. There is considerable wisdom and understanding to be gained by simply listening to the flutter of HF signals as they cross the poles. I fear these other aspects could be lost as everyone has gone digital, turned down the volume, and now stare at a computer-generated waterfall imitating the radio spectrum. These digital cowboys are missing the magic of radio, in my opinion. But that’s based on fear of lost tradition, in the same way as those who opposed the transition from spark to CW a century ago.
I’ve shared my mixed feelings regarding FT8 before. Clearly I’ve moved beyond most of my reservations, as the mode has been a godsend in these times of an uncooperative ionosphere and ruinous local noise. I agree with KE9V’s stance that FT8 can disconnect you from the “magic” of radio.
However, defining what is “magic” about radio can be problematic, as we all have very personal perspectives on the subject.
I discovered distance radio when I was very young and noticed that the AM receiver in our southeast Missouri kitchen could suddenly pick up stations from St. Louis and Chicago after the sun went down.2 Eventually, I discovered the world of shortwave listening and DXing, devoting hours and hours to searching for weak signals from the most remote locations.
That is my radio magic.
Which is what lured me back into radio as an amateur operator: the thrill of hearing those faint voices from thousands of miles away. And in ham radio’s case, sending my own back towards them.
As my logbook becomes dominated by FT8 contacts, you would think I have broadened my view of what constitutes radio magic. I do enjoy the FT8 chase. It gets me on the radio each day even when the frequencies devoted to phone are devoid of signals.
However, the rush that comes from making a DX contact on FT8 is much less intense than when I make one via SSB. I have distinct memories of many of my best phone QSOs. FT8? I remember a couple, primarily because they came in the wee hours of nights when I was unable to sleep and fled my bed to check what DX was possible at 3:00 AM.3 Otherwise they run together as I had no tangible, memorable connection to the operator on the other end of the exchange.
Most young operators starting in radio today did not grow up with AM radio in their lives. Hell, most people under 30 (40?) don’t know the band exists. For a generation that grew up with FM radio, cable TV, and the Internet, their computer decoding digital signals just might elicit the same jolt of excitement that I get when a station from afar picks my voice out of a pileup.
I really enjoyed KE9V’s final line in that passage I quoted:
But that’s based on fear of lost tradition, in the same way as those who opposed the transition from spark to CW a century ago.
Yes! I try to remind myself of this every day, regarding so many subjects, as I sink deeper into middle age. I genuinely think this is one of the biggest traps of growing older: viewing as a personal attack any innovation that challenges what is known and comfortable to us. Get off my lawn, shakes fist at clouds, etc.
It is never personal. It is simply the unceasing, twin, forward marches of time and technology. You can complain, plaster your QRZ page with “No FT8” logos, and ridicule those who express interest and excitement in the latest digital trend. That won’t stop the flood.
Or you can relax, hold your criticism, and accept that even if the next new thing doesn’t resonate with you, there is plenty of room in our hobby for others to find their own, unique radio magic through it.