In the beginning, when God created radio, some people, including me, found that I could “work DX” on a “DX net”. In fact I went on every net I could find to satisfy my thirst for new countries and Islands in the IOTA program.
I looked up to people like Jim Smith VK9NS, Roy Jackson ZL4BO, N6FF Dick Wolf, Dr Saleem OE6EGG, Zedan Hussein JY4ZH, Percy Anderson VK4CPA… who ran these splendid sessions for those who thought it was a hellava good idea to be involved.
Little pistols with bits of wire got a chance at some “real” DX, if and when they also joined in these nets on 20m and 15m or 40m The oldest and “best” was the ANZA net on 21.205 When I had my “novice Morse” I used to listen with anxiety to the activity generated each day on the 15M ANZA Net knowing that I couldn’t participate because it was out my of my allocated frequencies… It sure was incentive to pass the Morse test and upgrade to a full call……
But over time, a couple of years or so, I realized that there was no challenge working DX with someone supervising the QSO…Saying “Over rover” at the appropriate time. …Repeat his report…You’ve got the number wrong!. But if that’s the way you want to do it, who am I to criticize? I did it…then I got into using Morse code for DXing…..
Things changed dramatically in my mind…I could do it myself…All by myself…. It’s much more satisfying…and it’s bloody difficult to run a net on CW… So I got my DXCC Honour Roll all by myself, mostly with CW… I didn’t have to count any of the QSOs I had done on DX nets which was even more satisfying…But that’s just my way.
For something to do, I went on SSB nets as a DX station…It was good to do that for those who only work DX nets. But DX is where you find it …every time…. If it’s on a net, then join the net, work the DX station if you want…. What the hell does anyone else care? It’s nobody else’s business how you work DX. But I bet you won’t find nets on all bands, you will seldom find a DXpedition on a net….. So you have to forget nets, and join the pile up…
Pile ups are inversely proportional to the rarity of the DX station…remember that because you have to get craftier….. You have to make your own luck in a pile up!
73 and GD DX
Duncan, ZL3JT