FORBIDDEN FRUIT

There's so much hatred for FT8 and associated digital modes on social media that it becomes utterly boring!! I don't do a great deal digital work, but I'm sick to death of seeing people belittle other people's preferred mode of operation.

By far the biggest victim of this vitriol is FT8 and it pains me to see people tearing apart the enjoyment of fellow hams, claiming that FT8 will be the death of Amateur Radio, when the truth is, it has generated HUGE levels of interest and activity on all the bands, all the time and occupies a tiny amount of bandwidth and never encroaches on others.

Anyway, enough of all that - I am only posting this because I saw a little poem on social media that someone called Gregory Weisheipl posted and I kinda liked it...

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

In the quiet of the night, beneath the starlit sky,

A room is softly glowing where the radio waves fly.

Amateur radio’s magic in the dance of FT-8, 

Where signals cross the oceans in a digital state. 

No voices in the air, just pulses swift and bright,

As callsigns on the screen bring messages to light.

From distant lands they come, in bursts of code they greet,

In silent conversations, where strangers often meet.

With patience and with skill, they tune the frequency,

Each QSO a bridge, in this vast community.

From mountaintops to valleys, through the atmosphere they soar,

Connecting friends and strangers on a worldwide tour.

FT-8, a wondrous mode, with messages so brief,

Bringing joy and knowledge, in its quiet, coded speech.

Though words are few and fleeting, the bond is ever strong,

In every signal sent, we hear the same old song.

So here’s to every operator, with ears and hearts so keen,

Who find the joy in contact, in signals clear and clean.

Amateur radio’s charm, in FT-8’s embrace, 

A timeless way of reaching out, across the human race.

 

PS : The poem was generated by ChatGPT! 😮