It has virtues in that the Fox has a queue to manage and that the logging is automatic. When the Hound sees the RR73, the Hound knows they are logged. With regular FT8, this is not certain.
On the Hound side, it also dispenses, 100 per cent, with the trailing "73" which is also a benefit, especially when you consider the frequency shift, which also has technical advantages in terms of completing QSOs.
When I see an RR73, 'I' know I am logged and I am not in Hound mode. And my WSJT-X in regular mode does not send the trailing "73". So tell me again why I need to be in Hound mode? <rhetorical> I don't. The DX needs to be in multi-stream, the callers should call in regular mode. It's not like the DX's software knows whether you are in hound or regular mode. And it doesn't care whether your stream moves or not as long as it copies your R-## report.
That said, I could be wrong, there may be some advantage I don't see, but for me, so far, Hound is not needed.
Still some whacky stuff going on with their FT8. I was able to get in the log on 17m FT8 by calling a good bit below their TX and without F/H mode enabled. They are exceptionally loud here though... +26db!
Agreed, yesterday was 'whacky'! My 10m FT8 showed up in Clublog overnight, so I am done on HF. I would love a 6m or satellite contact, but with the weather forecast at my QTH, I don't hold out a whole lotta of hope of that.
