What does a DXpedition “Pilot” do?
I have been asked about being a pilot on a few occasions and recently on the Kiwi DX List. Basically a DXpedition pilot is a “screen door” between the DXpedition team and the 50,000 ham DXers out there that want to work the DXpedition. The pilot becomes the regional collection point for complaints and accolades for the DXpedition. If the pilot didn’t exist then DXers can and sometimes turn ugly. That’s a fact.

DXpeditions teams try to do their best, often under the most trying circumstances and like other forms of human endeavour can sometimes fail miserably at doing their job. The worldwide DX community can often be unforgiving and that leads to some rather bizarre and appalling on air behaviour to disrupt the DXpedition they have lost respect for. Believe me. It happens. The job of the pilot is to be a “sounding board” and a channel for information to and from the DXpedition team.

A typical scenario is a team working short path direct with signals 20 over nine into a region hour after hour frustrating DXers in smaller countries two or three skips away that could easily work them. In other words the DXpedition team band plan will sometimes preclude working rarer areas that really need them. Strangely, South Africa, South America and often ZL/VK suffer. If that info can get to a pilot network, the pilots can usually make the team aware that they are not taking advantage of conditions to work rarer countries. It is real time information such as that which will really help the team to do their job better. One of the problems of DXpedition team members is that they become zombies after a few days of thousands of QSOs, screaming hams, rude behaviour  outrageous pileups, poor food, crap living conditions and weather that is usually 10 degrees too hot or too cold.

As a DXpeditioner it’s sometimes difficult not to get depressed and lose enthusiasm and indeed get really snarky with your customers… the DX community. In fact, a week of high pressure shovelling out pileups makes you lose touch with reality. Pilots love to relay messages of congratulations and accolades to the team from the ham community as it gives them encouragement to carry on and do their job.
One of the more pleasant duties of a pilot is to pass messages to and from the team to their families and to the ham community in the form of bulletins or newsletters. It’s a great job and it also means you get to know a bit of what the guys are up to and with a little luck the pilot’s call may sound a bit familiar to the team in a pileup. As a pilot, I make it my business to put ZLs and VKs in a prominent place on the table so the DXpedition team will be aware of us. It has worked very well before.

Some things pilots does NOT do.
We don’t make individual skeds. We don’t have access to the logs. We don’t pass individual messages to individual team embers unless specifically asked to do so. We do not lose our temper when outrageous requests are emailed to us. We don’t relay individual emails to the team. We try to treat all inquiries and requests equally and fairly.
Some DXpeditions give me very little work. Others have resulted in hundreds and hundreds of emails from around the world that have to be answered. It’s a great job and I love it because of the amazing friends I have made around the world over many years.
That’s what a pilot does!

73, Lee ZL2AL

Pileup Management

The WeeklyDX™ Helpful Hints No. 35 from the DX University™*

Best Practices for DXpedition Operating

This week, I want to address DXpeditioners directly. DXpeditions during the past few months have been a problem. To be honest, some of the operating has been very poor. (That’s a polite version of what I have been reading.)

Some of the DXpedition operators recruited for these operations seem to have forgotten – or never learned – much of what has been written about how to manage their operations. As a result, reactions to these operations in many cases have been vile. Much of the negative reaction is coming from DXers who see their opportunities for a QSO diminishing. Additional reaction is coming from non-DXers who have had their own operating unnecessarily disrupted by the pileups. In these cases, the non-DXers have gone to the source, the DXpedition frequency. Setting off a circus there is not difficult at all.

There have been numerous attempts in the “local media” to pinpoint the reasons for this behavior, and some of it has been off the mark. But increasingly, DXers are beginning to understand: virtually every instance of poor pileup behavior can be attributed to poor pileup management. The nature of a DXpedition pileup mirrors the skill of the DXpedition operator. A carefully managed pileup will run with little disruption to the remainder of the band and minimize frustration. To begin, here are some suggestions for making the most of your pileup.

Best Practices for DXpedition Operating

1. Check your transmit and receive frequencies before starting.
2. Use split operation from the beginning
3. Maintain a rhythm of regular transmissions. No long silences.
4. Do not use excessive speed on CW. Slow down when signals are weak.
5. Reduce speed further on CW to communicate with the pileup.
6. Sign your call sign at least every minute.
7. Issue calling instructions after every QSO: EU UP5 or NA UP 5-10
8. Minimize Pileup width: Suggest Max 5kHz CW and 15kHz SSB.
9. Move receive frequency in a generally regular pattern.
10. Repeat corrected call signs so everyone is confident of being correctly logged.
11. Work and log dupes, it’s quicker.
12. Don’t leave the pile-up hanging: Keep the callers informed about QRT/QSY, etc.
13. Maintain a moderate, but “in-charge attitude.”

*This list, and more about these Best Practices will appear on the pages of the DX University very soon.

In the remainder of this space today, I will mention two of these points. The first is point number 8. Several DXpeditions have been observed working stations on the “WARC” bands over virtually the whole range of frequencies. This is simply unacceptable, and really unnecessary. The DX operator who says he can’t hear without spreading the pile so widely frankly hasn’t learned how to manage his pileup. The suggested limits are and must be adequate – by definition. The bands don’t belong solely to DXers. To believe that they do is nothing if not arrogant. If there are too many stations calling within those limits, steps must be taken to limit the number of stations calling. Roger, G3SXW points out:
http://dx-code.org/DXpednew.html#split

As responsible [DXped] operators, be considerate of other users. It’s their band too. The more rare the DXpeditions QTH, the larger the likely pileup and this can produce pileups that spread out beyond what is reasonable. A 5 to 8 KHz spread for CW and 10 to 15 KHz spread for SSB are considered by many DXpedition operators to be reasonable.

Roger adds: Additional good reading on this topic can be found at http://www.dxuniversity.com/dxped/tools.php

Another important practice is Point #12: not to leave the pileup hanging. There has been considerable complaining about DXpedition stations moving from their frequencies without notice, etc. If a QRX or QSY to another band is necessary, inform those DXers in the pileup. We all know that frustration is a primary catalyst for chaos. Considerable frustration can be avoided by being careful to let the callers know what you plan to do.

Of course, there are other exacerbating conditions. In particular, some expeditions to very rare places don’t have the resources to match the rarity of their location. I believe the PT0S expedition to St. Peter and St. Paul Rocks is one of these. This is basic and conceptual planning. PT0S a “specialty DXpedition,” concentrating on the low-bands and on six meters. This expedition was billed as a specialty event, but that seems to have gone unnoticed. With only four operators, this leaves one operator responsible for impossible task of meeting the demand on all of the other bands. It is likely that SP&P is just too rare for four operators and a concentration on the low bands and six meters. As a result, the callers are spread over fewer bands, increasing the demands on the pileup management skills of the operators. My observation is that the low band pileup management is excellent, while the operation on the other bands leaves something to be desired.

*The DX University™ is a daylong learning session for newcomers and old-timers wishing to hone their DXing skills. These weekly articles published in the WeeklyDX™ are archived in the pages of The DX University.

Thanks to the DX University and the WeeklyDX™

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Posted: 2012-11-18

From The Northern California DX Foundation

You may have heard about the DX Code of Conduct (www.dx-code.org), but you might not know its history or the current state of the project. The genesis was DX Etiquette, an article that appeared in  QST  early in 2010. It aroused a groundswell of support and people asking, “Why can’t we do something about it?” So we did. A small committee of world renowned DXers got behind the idea of developing suggestions about how to promote ethically based operating.

These were not new; in fact The Amateur’s Code (Creed) was formulated in 1928. ON4UN and ON4WW even wrote a book about it. We wanted to revitalize the concept of good sportsmanship and carry that message to every DXer in the world. Accordingly, our first objective was to translate the code into other languages, currently 35, enough so that every operator can find it in a language he can read. At the same time, we spread the word to the various clubs around the world. Our next objective was to get the DXpeditions on board. After all, as pileup behavior improves, the DXpedition operators are the prime beneficiaries; they have more fun. The same holds true with the DXers at the other end. Operators returning home tell us we are making a difference. We also want to help every DXpedition operator become fully proficient in pileup management skills.

We have received help from Hams who have been on many DXpeditions who have helped create a portion of our website with suggestions that every team leader can use for training newer operators. Promoting ethics isn’t the easiest of tasks. In fact, it can seem rather stuffy, as if we are preaching to people. The term “good sportsmanship” seems easier to swallow than ethics. We hope each operator will see the logic and say, “That’s what I believe too.” With that attitude comes support, and with that support the Ham radio community will be the beneficiary.

The Code

• I will listen, and listen, and then listen again before calling.
• I will only call if I can copy the DX station properly.
• I will not trust the DX cluster and will be sure of the DX station’s call sign before calling.
• I will not interfere with the DX station nor anyone calling and will never
• tune up on the DX frequency or in the QSX slot.
• I will wait for the DX station to end a contact before I call.
• I will always send my full call sign.
• I will call and then listen for a reasonable interval. I will not call continuously.
• I will not transmit when the DX operator calls another call sign, not mine.
• I will not transmit when the DX operator queries a call sign not like mine.
• I will not transmit when the DX station requests geographic areas other than mine.
• When the DX operator calls me, I will not repeat my call sign unless I think he has copied it incorrectly.
• I will be thankful if and when I do make a contact.
• I will respect my fellow hams and conduct myself so as to earn their respect.

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Tips for the Casual DXer by Dan Romanchik KB6NU

If I was serious about DXing, I’d probably go out and buy a big linear and put a ten-element Yagi up on a 50-foot tower. I’m not all that serious about DX, though. I’m more of a casual DXer. My current station consists of an Icom IC-735 running between 50 and 100W into a 20m ground plane antenna. I work some DX when band conditions are good, and when they’re not, I’m happy working US stations.

I imagine there are a lot of casual DXers. Casual DXers have neither the time nor the money to build a true DX station and track propagation reports, but enjoy working foreign stations when they can. For these folks, I have a few tips:
Use the right band. In general, you should use the highest frequency band that’s open. If the 10m band is open, get on 10. You’ll get the most bang for your buck on 10 and 15 when they’re open, than you will on 20 or 17.

LISTEN! This is a corollary to “If you can’t hear ’em, you can’t work ’em.” I’ve worked many DX stations by just tuning around and pouncing on them when I hear them calling CQ. In many cases, I was the only one to return their call.
Listen even when the band seems to be quiet. Sometimes this means that the propagation is such that it’s skipping over the domestic stations and DX conditions are good. I remember one evening tuning around for a while, and almost giving up when I heard a Spanish station calling CQ with a 599 signal! I answered his call and he gave me a 579 report. We had a very nice QSO on a “dead” band.
Also, listen for really weak signals. I’ve worked a couple of DX stations whose signals were almost unreadable, but for one reason or another, were able to copy me just fine and gave me quite respectable signal reports.

Get a good set of headphones to help you dig out the weak ones. Be patient. If the DX station doesn’t come back to you on your first call, hang in there and try again. A lot of times, DX stations are interested in working as many stations as possible, meaning that they’ll rip them off one right after another. If they’re not extremely rare, or the band is not that active, the DX station will quickly work all the strong stations and after a while it will be your turn. If you tune away too quickly, you’ll never get your chance.
Hone your CW skills. It really is true that it’s easier to work DX on CW than on phone. There are several reasons for this. First, there are fewer stations clamouring for the attention of a DX station on CW. Second, weak CW signals are more readable than weak phone signals. This is important if you’re using 50-100W and even more important when you’re using a QRP rig. You hear a lot of DX stations operating at 20 wpm or more. While most of them are courteous and will come back to a station calling at 12 or 15 wpm, it’s very satisfying to be able to work them at the speed they’re calling CQ.
Work the contests. Contests can be intimidating, but your best chance for working new countries is during the DX contests. During these contests, you’ll not only hear a lot of DX stations on the air, they will be eager to work you. Making US contacts is, after all, how they score points.

You don’t have to work the entire contest, nor do you have to send in the logs for scoring. Figure out what information they’re expecting you to exchange with them, either by listening to several contest QSOs or by reading the rules in QST or on contesting.com, then just jump in and start working stations.
Another benefit of working contests is that it seems to help improve your code speed. My theory is that during a contest you’re concentrating more on the contest than you are on the code, and this helps break down the mental barriers we erect to increasing our code speed. Having given you these tips as if I were some kind of expert, I’d like to be able to report that I’m DXCC with a couple hundred countries under my belt and a boxful of DX QSL cards. Of course, I can’t, though. Since getting back on the HF bands in August 2002, I’ve logged maybe sixty countries and have only a handful of QSL cards. After all, if I knew the exact numbers and had QSLed a higher percentage of my DX contacts, I wouldn’t be a casual DXer anymore, now would I?

73 de Dan, KB6NU

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1. How to Succeed At QSL’ing “Without Really Trying – by Ron Notarius WN3VAW

(Author’s Note: This article is based on a post to the DX QSL reflector in May 2002. It was updated for publication in the June 2002 issue of The WASHRag, the newsletter of the Wireless Association of South Hills, Inc. N3SH/WA3SH of Pittsburgh, PA. This update was done at the request of a QSL Manager who wanted to pass these tips on to individuals who needed assistance in sending and receiving QSL cards. Permission is granted to anyone who would like to reprint this for their own use or in their club newsletter providing the author [WN3VAW] and sources [DX QSL Reflector, WASHRag, and eHam.net] are properly credited.)

In recent years I’ve had very good success in getting my DX QSL cards answered, both from domestic and overseas managers and from the DX stations direct. High return QSL rates are sometimes difficult to achieve, especially amongst those amateurs who are just starting out and haven’t learned all of the “tricks” that sometimes help get one that rare or wanted QSL card when others fail at the task.

Several new amateurs asked for advice on how to succeed. While I don’t pretend to know all of the answers, here’s what I tell them:

1. Learn patience. Cards do not return overnight. Expect a minimum of 10 – 14 days for domestic cards and 4 – 6 weeks for overseas cards. 6 weeks for a domestic card and 3 months for overseas is not uncommon. In the cases of a major DXpedition, expect 4 to 6 to 9 months for a return, since most of the time (and there are exceptions) cards are not printed until after the DXpedition returns and the managers literally have tens of thousands of QSL requests to check through.

2. Listen, listen, and listen some more. Listen to the DX station when you work him/her, and before and after. With the exception of contest environments when serious contesters are trying to maximize QSO rates, take a few moments before and after your QSO. Listen specifically for any instructions the DX has regarding QSLing. Sometimes different managers handle different modes or bands (such as 6 meters). Sometimes a guest operator (for example, the 2002-03 4U1ITU operations by K1ZZ) will QSL direct or have his/her own manager.

a. Also, if you have packet or can check an Internet packet node, check the cluster to see if anything has been posted.

2. Subscribe to some of the free (OPDX, 425 DX, etc) or pay (Daily DX, Weekly DX, QRZ DX?) DX e-mail information services as they usually have complete and detailed QSL information.

3. Learn where the Internet search engines for QSL information are and use them. (I highly recommend PATHFINDER, located on the www.qsl.net servers.) But keep in mind that sometimes the wrong information or out of date information gets listed even in the best of them.

3. Make sure the DX station has your call correct, which can sometimes be difficult in a big pileup. It’s been suggested that if you are in doubt, log the calls of the stations worked before and after you so that you have some “proof” you made the Q & the call in the log is busted. Obviously, you can’t QSL the station if you’re not in the log!

a. And it should go without saying, make sure you have the DX call correct also! Too often, someone sees a spot for a rare DX, jumps on the frequency, beats the pileup, and logs the call wrong because the call posted on the cluster has a typo or some other error. Go back to rule 2: listen, listen, & listen some more!

4. Use “security” envelopes, even domestically. Or wrap the contents of the envelope in a thin blank sheet of paper. Or both. Cuts down on potential theft, and the sheet of paper “smoothes” the envelope out a little so that there’s less chance of postal machinery snagging on and destroying an envelope.

a. I have begun in recent months to use computer-generated QSL cards, usually taking my contest logs and manipulating the data (beats writing out 500 cards by hand.) Most of the pre-perforated, 4 to a sheet card stock you can buy (Avery 8387 Ink Jet Postcards) will not fit a #10 envelope. I recently “discovered” that Staples carries the slightly larger #12 Business Envelope, 100 to a box. It may cost a little more than buying two boxes of 40 or 50 #10 Security envelopes, but it’s well worth it – and they are usually manila, so they are security envelopes to boot. And unlike the 6 x 9 or larger clasp envelopes, or the “bubble pack” envelopes, the #12’s run through a standard ink jet printer with little or no problems, so you can make them look professional.

5. Minimize use of call letters on the envelope. You’re usually OK on envelopes going to stations or managers in theUS,Canada, and most ofEurope. But the sad fact is that there are way too many areas of the world where people handling the envelopes covet cash, and have learned that call letters indicate an amateur radio related piece of mail, like a QSL card request with dollars and/or IRC’s.

a. Consider having your envelopes printed professionally with a return address, or use a good quality laser or ink jet printer to print them on the fly. Consider strongly making them look like a professional letter, not a personal one. Some people have gone so far as to make them appear to be “junk” mail (as in “congratulations! You may have won 2 IRC’s by opening this letter!” – ok, only Ed McMahon could get away with that one.)

b. If you’re not going to fake a company name and you’re married, use your spouse’s name (as in “John & Jane Smithe” not “John Smithe”). Again, makes it appear to be something other than a QSL request.

c. Use your home printer to print the mailing address right on the envelope. Hand-written addresses do not look professional. Mailing labels sometimes look like junk mail, but do not look professional.

d. Tape envelopes shut. This prevents humidity and other factors from “accidentally” opening sealed envelopes.

e. Some people recommend cutting a corner off the envelope so that the contents of the envelope can be inspected. That one has never done much for me, but many swear by it.

4. Learn patience.

5. Make sure your address is complete on your enclosed SAE or SASE. If sent domestically, make sure you have enough postage on the SASE. If sent internationally, don’t forget to include “USA” as some DX get quite annoyed having to add that.

a. If you have them, affix a USPS Label 19B sticker to the SAE (that’s the current official Air Mail label). You can get them free for the asking at most post offices, assuming the clerk isn’t in a bad mood.

6. If you print your SAEs, and your software permits it, include the mailing bar code. Use the ZIP+4 number if you know it (and you should). Also, check your mail — especially bulk mail or commercial mail. Seems to be an extra 2 digits added on to the bar codes that the USPS doesn’t advertise (for example, mine is 15234-2317+71). Anything that helps route that envelope back to you, use! (See also 5b above)

7. To IRC or not IRC, that is the question? Most DX will either not respond to your direct request, or will reply only via the bureau, unless you include something to help cover the cost of postage. Sometimes they request more than is absolutely necessary for return postage; in some cases, this helps cover miscellaneous costs including power and food. There have always been rumors about certain managers getting “rich,” which is beyond the scope of this article. Be so as it may, follow the DX’s instructions if any as to IRC or Green Stamp (US Dollars) quantities or preferences.

a. Some areas of the world prohibit their citizens to possess US or other foreign currency. It is usually a bad idea to send Green Stamps to these areas.

b. Banks in some areas of the world charge large fees to convert US or other currency to theirs. So the DX may have to wait until s/he has enough on hand to make the conversion and related costs worthwhile.

c. Some areas of the world do not accept IRC’s or no longer accept the older IRC’s (including the green “no expiration” ones we’ve used for years), a list that has been growing in recent months, Universal Postal Union rules not withstanding (some countries do not belong to the UPU). In these cases, US $ makes more sense.

d. In some areas, a dollar buys more air mail postage than an IRC. In other areas, the opposite is true. And some places want more than one IRC to cover air mail back to the US. How do you find out? Ask questions on one of the many DX & QSL reflectors. Also check out the fine IRC chart that Bill W9OL has at http://www.qsl.net/w9ol/ircchart.txt

e. Where do you get an IRC? You can buy them at the Post Office, currently for $1.75 each — if you can find a Post Office that knows what to do with them and a clerk who can be bothered (IRC’s are a little arcane and many don’t know how to deal with them, another matter outside the scope of this article). DON’T. Instead, contact a domestic QSL manager (I usually get mine from Steve KU9C, occasionally from others including Joe W3HNK and Bernie W3UR) and buy them from him. Why? Because they can only redeem them for an $.80 stamp. So buy them for about a buck each — saves you $.75 per, and lets them buy those stamps with a little extra. (What happens to that little extra? Pays for the QSL card printing, covers bureau postage for the manager, covers other misc. costs and essentials for the DX. Ask the manager in question what he does with it, he’ll tell you.)

e-1. New or old IRC? The new ones are huge (they won’t fit into a #10 envelope with folding!), so in the past I recommended not using them unless absolutely necessary. But since more and more administrations no longer will accept the older “green” ones, you may have no choice. But don’t fold them unless absolutely necessary. Check into #12 envelopes since the new IRC’s don’t fit the #10’s.

e-2. Don’t use the (older still) brown “surface” IRCs. They were officially phased out years ago, and their redemption value to the post office(s) are minimal if anything. So what to do with them? Believe it or not… sell them to a collector on eBay for top dollar!

f. If you’re going to send a green stamp, try and get “fresh” ones from your local bank branch. Again, some foreign administrations or banks can be funny about that, they dislike handling older bills. If two GSs are needed, get a $2 bill; same value, less bulk, less weight, and very rarely in circulation so they’re almost always in good shape.

g. Have you considered using an outgoing QSL service? Les WF5E runs a very successful one (and there are others, but I’ve used Les a lot lately). He charges a flat fee of $.25 per outgoing card, which can add up to a significant savings when you’re dealing with a lot of cards – and he takes checks, too. The only “catch” is that you have to have envelopes on file at your local Incoming QSL bureau – Les sends out the cards to the DX stations in bulk, gets them back, and then distributes them through the bureau system. Keeps everyone’s costs reasonable, and as long as you’re not in a super great hurry to get the card back, you will get it, eventually. Expect a 4 to 6 month turn around when using a service like this.

8. Learn some more patience.

9. If possible, try not to use commemorative stamps internationally. (Even though the current $.60 & $.80 air mail stamps are a little “flashy,” they’re also pretty common). Some of the envelopes stolen in transit are swiped for the stamps, especially the “rarer” domestic stamps sent domestically.

10. Reality is that there are some DX that either have most of their mail intercepted or are IRC/GS collectors. So don’t be afraid to ask first. But don’t be disappointed if some of these never come through, or if they reply years later through the bureau. Some have reasons; they might be good ones (which is no excuse, though). Some are just… what they are.

11. Learn yet more patience.

12. If I make a mistake on the QSL card I’m printing or writing, I destroy it and make a new one. Some people will mark it up and send it anyway. Most cards that are saved for awards purposes can’t be used if they appear to be “altered” so they’re not worth the bother.

13. Keep your log in UTC time (AND DATE) not local time. Today, 99%+ of all amateurs who QSL keep their logs in UTC (GMT to the old fashioned!). If the DX has to spend a lot of time looking for your call and confirming the data, you may go to the bottom of the pile or the “hospital” pile. It does no good to get your card in first if it has a problem causing the DX to deal with it last!

a. Don’t forget to keep the year straight come the first of January! Some DX understand, but others will be very strict. Wrong year = No QSL card!

14. Don’t give up. Things happen. It took me 12 years, for example, but I finally tracked down and got my EL7X card — the original request had been lost during civil disturbances, and it was a long time until I found that the amateur had escaped and was still alive AND still had his logs. Some Silent Key logs are lost, but others are put in a family member’s or a QSL manager’s hands and cards can still be obtained. ASK if in doubt.

15. Patience!

Some things that I know others do that I don’t:

1. I have hardly ever bothered with the flimsy light-weight air mail envelopes. They made sense when air mail was weighed by the pound and sometimes the cost of buying the envelopes and handling them is more than the cost of postage. Those who swear by them will no doubt disagree with me on that!

2. I also do not bother trying to buy foreign postage to send on an SASE. You pay a premium for it, and you may not always send the right amount or the right stamps (some countries use different stamps for domestic and international mail). Especially with the (2002) conversion to Euros in much ofWestern Europe, again it strikes me as more hassle than it’s worth.

3. I also rarely bother trying to get foreign currency to mail with my QSL requests; again, trying to find it is a hassle, and then there are costs above and beyond the value of the currency itself. However, when I have received local currency from a DX station, I save it and use it for the next envelope & request I send to that entity.

4. Some people have success with 6 x 9 manila envelopes. I used to use them for a particular QSL card I generate from my computer that won’t fit a #10. Also, some people get odd sized envelopes from the card stores (usually leftovers after a big holiday). Nice idea — but they don’t fit my printer. I have also been hassled at the Post Office by ill-informed clerks that equate the 6 x 9 envelope with a “package” that has to be screened by Customs before leaving the country.

Ron Notarius WN3VAW 

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DX Windows,  High power and Good Manners

There has been a debate going on the reflectors about high power and the abuse of the rules governing each country’s power regulations. The ZL limit has now been increased to 1000 watts and our signals have the ability to be easily heard on the other side of the planet

A well known and respected DXer had this to say;

“I hear what you are saying about high power and you probably are correct in your thinking. But I see very few of these super high power alpha male hams on the DXCC Honour Roll or see them actually emerge with an intact reputation after a lot of years of doing what they do. High power doth not maketh the complete amateur. In fact it does the opposite. Power corrupts. Witness the reputation of the Alpha male “DX window terrorist” Italian on 14,195 month after month. He runs super high power, has a great antenna system and drives the DXing fraternity mad by sitting on top of major DXpeditions and transmitting a string of foul abuse.

He revels in the publicity given to him on the DX Clusters which is why he continues to do it. He is the DX equivalent of a repeat offender drunk driver. He really doesn’t accomplish a lot except contribute to the profits of his electricity supplier and enrage the rest of the world’s DXers. We all know him. I am not talking about the odd amateur inNew Zealandthat runs a clean kilowatt amplifier and there are many that do. Doubling your power output only gives you 3 db on the other end over 500 Watts so it’s hardly worth worrying about. They have to live with their own reputations.

I actually am not worried about the high power terrorist wannabees. They create their own reputations somewhere between a bad smell and a loathsome creature that crawls out from under a kicked over rock. I can live with them as they are few and far between and do not represent anything sane in Amateur radio.

I do worry, however about the VKs and ZLs that show lack of courtesy by rag chewing in the “DX window” around 14,195 Khz. They simply call a CQ DX (which is the worst way to try and snag a rare DX station!) in the window and when answered by another VK, ZL or USA station and carry on a long irrelevant QSO totally unaware of what maybe under them. And of course they don’t have DX cluster on the screen in front of their noses. You would think that most hams around the world would know that the 20M and 80M DX windows are pretty special and DXpeditions generally use those two arenas.

I often hear a VK and a ZL carrying on 14,195 comparing signal reports, transmitter power etc while all the time a Rare DXpedition station was underneath them. They didn’t have a clue that at that particular time thousands of DXers were cursing the very existence of VKs and ZLs. Of course their excuse would be “I didn’t hear anybody” The answer to that is that just because you can’t hear them, doesn’t mean that they are not there and you are not interfering with hams in some other part of the world trying to work them. I am sure that if I confronted either of these gentlemen, their excuse would be “I called CQ and was answered by a VK and he is DX to me. “Yeh right”.

In this particular case it was mentioned to me in an email from a mate on another continent about the operating habits of a few VKs and ZLs in the 20M DX window. I have to agree. The same thing happens in the 80M DX window from 3780 – 3800 Khz. I care about our ZL reputation in the international DX community. In actual fact we rate extremely highly internationally and I would like to keep it that way.

If you call a CQ DX in any DX window and are answered by a “local” VK or ZL then move off the frequency and leave it for your fellow DXers. It’s easy to say “Down five” or Down ten” If you call and work a rare DX station, be aware that there are a lot of other guys that are listening to you waffle on about your family and dog while waiting to have a go at the DX station.  A bit of knowledge and common courtesy should prevail. It’s just good manners!

73, Lee ZL2AL

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The curse of mankind is assumption

I was giving a talk to the local radio club a few weeks ago about DXing and after racing along at a fair clip assuming that my listeners knew the basics. I was floored when one club member asked about operating “split” Dumb questions are the ones that never get asked so I stopped and took some time to explain what operating spilt frequency is all about. At the end of the talk several mentioned that they now appreciated why DXpeditions operate split frequencies. Some of the new HF operators would like to know about operating “split”. Even the seasoned DXers should read this as we all end up pushing the wrong buttons at the wrong time in the heat of the moment.

DXpedition stations have the unenviable task of sorting out who is calling them. They can only do that if they are heard by their callers. DXpedition operators are like orchestra conductors. They call the tune and how it is played. Imagine you are a rare DXpedition station and you call CQ on 14,195. There are hundreds of stations on the planet that monitor this prime DX frequency around the clock and inevitably one will call and work the DXpedition. He will also put the station up on the world wide DX packet cluster network and within minute or so thousands of big guns and little guns will call him on his same frequency. Immediately the rare DX is covered up by a seething, unruly pack of enthusiastic DXers. Obviously he won’t be able to be heard and will quickly loses his status as the orchestra conductor. To keep control of the situation the rare DXpedition station will go “split” and specify where he is listening. He will do that every few QSOs and his patter will run something like this:

 “ZL2ZZ   59   TU   XX0XX up 5 to 10” (or on CW UP 3)

He acknowledges ZL2ZZ, gives him a report, states his call and tells the pack where he is listening. Quite clever really! He directs all his callers to call on 14,200 to 14,205 kHz and he listens there. He  also spreads them out to make the mad keen DXers easier to hear and as a result his “run rate” increases. You, as the DXer who wishes to work the rare DX station must put your transmitter where he is listening and move your receiver to listen on his frequency 14,195 kHz. This is done with the “Split” button on your transceiver. Most modern radios have the ability to separate the transmitter and the receiver frequencies. The older ones do also but usually need an external VFO to control the second frequency. Transceivers also have the ability to reverse the transmit and receive frequencies instantly with the use of a little button marked A/B. When you are set up for split you can hit the button and usually hear the stations that are working the rare DX by tuning your receiver VFO around the 200 to 205 area. By hitting the A/B button immediately after the DXer has worked the rare DX you will place your transmit call on the frequency that the rare DX station was last listening on.

Unfortunately, many others can hit buttons too and will call there. Knowing that, the rare DX will often move his receiver VFO up or down just a bit to pick off another station out in the clear. It all becomes a bit of a game with both the fox and the hound in the hunt to make the contact. If you listen long enough you will learn how the rare DX thinks and learn his operating pattern. You also run the risk of forgetting to hit the A/B button to return to the correct splits and end up calling on his transmit frequency. Most embarrassing! Almost as bad as listening to the DXpedition station calling and since you are not hearing where he listing, you assume no one is calling him and you call simplex on his transmit frequency. Immediately the DX Police (guys who listen to his transmit frequency will yell “UP, UP, UP” at you) It really pays to listen, listen and listen carefully before you make the call. You will quickly learn how that rare DXpedition station operates and where he is listening. You will also increase you chances of working him quickly and efficiently. You will work more DX.

73, Lee ZL2AL

Check DX Propagation with Beacons

Here is a good way check the propagation and MUF to DX in less than a minute using the Northern California DX Foundation world wide beacon system.

Enter the following frequencies in sequence (low to high) into your radios memory forCW.14100,18110,21150,24930,28200. (You may need to enter a slight offset to hear a good CW tone, like 14199.6, 18109.6, 21149.6, etc.)

If you want to check the propagation and Maximum Usable Frequency to New York, tune in 4U1UN (United Nations HQ in NYC) listen at 0:00 on 14100 kHz, then switch to 18110 at 0:10, switch to 21150 at 0:20, switch to 24930 at 0:30, switch to 28200 at 0:40. You can easily tell which frequency has the best propagation in less than a minute.

If you want to check the propagation toSan Franciscolisten for W6WX at 0:20 past the cycle start time on 14100, Then switch to the next higher band you have stored in your memory bank every 10 seconds and if the next higher band is open you will hear W6WX .

If you have a good Atomic Clock (WWVB) or accurate clock you can identify the beacons without even knowing the morse code. Each beacon has a 10 second slot, They send their call sign (CW at 22 WPM) followed by 1 Dash at 100w, then 3 dashes at 10W, then 1W then 0.1W. If you can hear all the dashes, the band is really open. The 14100 kHz cycle starts at 00 at the beginning of the hour and repeats the cycle every 3 minutes: 00, 03, 06, 09, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48, 51, 54, 57…minutes past the hour.

The sequence of transmissions on 14100 kHz is:

Callsign Location Timing
4U1UN U.N. NYC 0:00
VE8AT Northern Canada 0:10
W6WX CA, SF 0:20
KH6WO Hawaii 0:30
ZL6B New Zealand 0:40
VK6RBP Perth AU 0:50
JA2IGY Japan 1:00
RR9O Russia 1:10
VR2B Hong Kong 1:20
4S7B Sri Lanka 1:30
ZS6DN S. Africa 1:40
5Z4B Kenya 1:50
4X6TU Israel 2:00
OH2B Finland 2:10
CS3B Madeira 2:20
LU4AA Argentina 2:30
OA4B Peru 2:40
YV5B Venezuela 2:50

The NCDXF Beacon Website is at: NCDXF Beacon Network

Please do not transmit on these beacon frequencies.

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DXing tips by the North Jersey DX Association

WFWL (Work First, Worry Later)
Sooner or later, every ham gets bitten by the DX bug. After all, working through the ether to places unknown is the be all and end all of our hobby. And to communicate around the earth, without wires, is why most of us pursue the hobby. We can earn awards just for keeping track of the places we talk to. Islands, counties, grid squares, state capitals, but most of all — COUNTRIES (entities, they’re now called). These are real places on earth. They define our economic and political environment. They’re REAL DX!! Set your goals and go for it!

1- DXCC Entities:
• Get a list of current DXCC entities from the NJDXA web site: www.njdxa.org Put in your Lat/Lon and the list will include beam headings and distances from your QTH.Get a great circle map centred on your QTH for quick reference. You can download software or calculate one online: www.wm7d.net/az_proj/az_html/azproj_form_short.shtml

What’s on the air?
• There are many DX publications out there, including free ones. The ARRL prepares a DX newsletter every week. The Ohio-Penn Bulletin is also free. Another one is at: www.425dxn.org/monthly/
• There are man DX reflectors that you can find on the web with quick searches. Depends on how much mail you want to get. The moderators of these reflectors will enforce the rules, often strictly. No flaming, and no off-topic posts.

2 – Fish where the fish are:
• When are the different bands open and to where?
Below 20 tend to be open at night from sunset to sunrise while frequencies above 20M close during the middle of the night.
• What are you hearing and when?
If you hear the Europeans coming in on 17M at 2PM NZT then remember that it’s 2 AM where THEY are.

Will the same bands be open all night?? Very possibly.
• 15, 12 and 10 get nice openings into North America in the morning. Read your bulletins and see who’s operating from there, then start tuning. You hear OH2 calling CQ and have it confirmed? Take a pass and keep on tuning for other islands like OH0.
• How come bands, like 10, can be absolutely dead all week and suddenly come to life on a contest weekend?? You really think sunspots read the contest schedules? It always amazes me that contests will bring dead bands back from the dead. It turns them into a seething snarling mass of life. Never assume a band is dead. Check your propagation charts and call a few CQs. Wake up the band.

Where should I listen?
• Usually, DXpeditions will announce their operating frequencies ahead of time, but they frequent the bottom of the CW bands, usually within 25kHz of the bottom : 7010, 140105, 21010 etc. They’ll be split and listening up 5 khz or more. Phone is different, but there are common places: 14195, 21295, 28495 with splits of 5 khz or more usually up. 3795 – 3800 on 80M, and no special place on WARC bands. 40M listen for the DX around 7050 to 7070 listening up around 100 kHz 7150 – 7250. Listen first!! The DX station operator will give out specific instructions every few QSOs along with QSL information.

DX Nets
• DX is where you find it! Scattered around the bands are the DX nets, Usually, you won’t pick up anything really rare, but you can check in and listen while you’re doing something else. I think that just tuning around produces better results but sometimes a lone rare DX station doesn’t have a lot of confidence handling huge pileups and will ask the Net control station to help keep order. DX nets are slow and sometimes filled with big ego stations but they are useful from time to time. You can also pick up a few countries on other, non-DX nets, like the IOTA frequency 14260 with a lot less hassle. Many DXers frown on the use of nets, but, as I said DX is where you find it so “go for it”. A hint — sometimes expeditions go on the nets near the end of the trip, and after they have run out of pileups.

3 – PacketCluster
• The internet clusters are fine to see who’s on the air, generally, but by the time you see it, it’s old news. The pileups will most likely be huge if it’s anyone scarce. It may also be posted by someone in Asia or Europe, and you won’t be able to hear the station anyway. While it’s fine to see who’s on, it may not help you. They DO ask that you become ACTIVE, and post “quality” spots to keep the node busy. Local clusters also let you look up prefixes (even the weird ones), set filters, get headings and search databases. They also let you send TALK messages to other individual stations, ANNOUNCE messages to the cluster, and send and receive packet mail. The extent of it is set by the sysop. More than you would ever want to know about PacketCluster can be found at: http://cestro.com/pcluster/

Learn how to be a hunter
• Tune – Tune – Tune
• Be your own ears. Don’t rely on PacketCluster — especially over the Internet. The pileups will be huge for anything the least bit rare. Find it yourself, work it pretty easily, and post it yourself. Then sit back and listen for the jackals trying to pick up the scraps, • Just how many Italian or Spanish stations do you really want to work? Don’t waste your time working common countries over and over and over again when the bands are open! But use the information you have. If you hear lots of the common Europeans, remember that the band is also open to Lichtenstein, Andorra, San Marino, and Monaco, as well as Greece, Mt. Athos, and Northern Africa. Is 10 meters filled with JAs? Tune for China, Mongolia, and Nepal. This will also give you a hint if the band is open to North Korea! On MAJOR contest weekends you will expect huge activity and often won’t see spots outside of the scope of the contest.

4 – I hear ‘em, how do I work ‘em?
• Do what he asks! What is he working? Is he calling for Europe only? 2’s only? Don’t make him angry!
• Split frequency? Make sure you’ve set up properly before you transmit. Why would you tune up on HIS frequency? He isn’t listening there. If you must tune up on the air, then go to a clear spot just past the pileup. Be patient and switch VFOs to see how he’s working the pileup. Is he hanging around a spot for a few Q’s? Is he tuning upwards? Downwards? Random? Plan your strategy around his operating techniques.

• You hear someone you want to work, but it isn’t his frequency. Move up the band and call him on a clear frequency. I think people tend to tune more slowly and carefully in an UPWARD direction, and then speed down to the bottom of the band to begin again. This works for catching not-so-rare countries, or for nabbing a ragchew with a station you want to chat with. In this case, he’ll be answering YOUR call, so you can set the rules of the QSO.

• Check the DX resources on the internet to see how long the expedition is going to last. It’s always a lot easier to work an expedition near the end of the published schedule, because all the big guns have worked ‘em earlier. WARC bands seem easier than 20 and 15, but you have to plan better. CW will always be easier than phone, because there are fewer operators AND the DX may be better ops as well. The danger of waiting is that the group may leave ahead of schedule, locking you out by missing the last day of operation.

• A directional antenna is always best. Turn it to the area you want to work. In the early morning, check the signal long path. Swing the beam past the station’s location and back again to get the strongest signal — it may not be where you expect it to be.

• Watch PacketCluster (especially 2M local nodes) to get a better idea of band openings. Also, lots of comments will warn you of pirate operations, qsl routes and split frequencies.
What the heck’s that weird prefix??? Special event stations and contest stations will often sport obscure prefixes.

• PacketCluster command sh/p will show the country, BUT command sh/h will show the country AND the beam heading AND distance http://dx.qsl.net/logs/ is an excellent online prefix finder.

Contest Weekends – To Work or Not to Work?
• Contesters want your contact — not your card.
• Try the WARC bands to snag the non-contesters. Contesters are deluged with QSL requests and may be especially slow to QSL or may not QSL at all.

• BUT – some rare expeditions like to go during contest weekends, so don’t be reluctant to work ‘em. You can work lots of contest stations, and save the contacts for backup QSLs, if needed later.
Signal reports
• Give any report you want. Just expect a 59 or 599 in return. Think about it – if you were working thousands of stations, would YOU want to make all those extra entries in a log??

5 –  Online Logs
• Most rare expeditions today post their logs on the web. If you’re in the log, you don’t have to rework the group on the same band/mode. You are guaranteed a card if you show up there. http://dx.qsl.net/logs/ is the best starting point. The DC rags will have specific information for new expeditions.

QSL
• First, always check sources to see if the DX station has a MANAGER! start your research at: http://www.qsl.net/ad5xa/callbook.html
• Send a card direct to the station or the manager (whichever is correct) for the first time you work a new entity. Get the card in the box.

• Overseas? Enclose 2 GS (GS = $2 USD) or 2 IRC (even though one should be enough) and an oversized envelope, addressed. You can also affix air mail postage that you can buy from 3rd parties, but I think 2GS works best. Some countries don’t accept IRCs. US currency may be illegal to own in others. Foreign postage may be best for hostile or some third-world countries — include a little extra. You can get these from stamp companies. No NZ stamps. They’re only good here in New Zealand

• Some expeditions will give a foreign manager, but will have arranged to send the cards from another country. Don’t be upset if you sent your card to a German manager and it comes to you with a U.S. stamp. It’s one way to help defray the costs of an expensive expedition where boat charters and other unimaginable expenses must be met. So for DXpeditions to rare places, where there is a Western (European) manager, or a Japanese (JA) manager, a couple of bucks is appropriate, and appreciated. Sitting in your shack, you have no idea of what DX-peditioners must go through to give you that “new one”, and to boot, they don’t even get credit for working it! The team that went, at huge personal expense, to Peter I Island, all still need to work it. • DO NOT put call signs on the envelopes!

• Postal thieves know how to look for these letters. Send your card out in a plain, No. 10 envelope, typed recipient’s address and return address. A business envelope with a business return address is even better. Keep the bulk down to a minimum and flatten the whole thing before you seal the envelope. When you send a self-addressed envelope, be sure to put a piece of waxed paper under the gum on the envelope flap. Otherwise it may stick itself closed by the time it gets there!

• US manager? A SASE should be enough, but if the contact is for a place that required a special, and often very expensive, expedition, add a couple of GS, too. You really want these guys to go somewhere else down the line. You can even make up a fake return address that looks like a business and print it on your envelopes. Just don’t make the letter look like it’s from one ham to another.
• Doesn’t respond but really needed? Re-QSL. If all else fails, make up a card with HIS callsign, QSO details, and a note that he should please check his log, and if correct, sign it and mail it back to you in the envelope that you provide. Still enclose the payment. Another clever idea is to look up his email address on www.QRZ.com and send him a pleasant inquiry type email. I spent two years tracking down an elusive 5V7 and finally got the card after opening up a dialog with him by email.

• Deadbeats? Quite rare actually. There are a lot of very nice guys in the DX world. But, with few exceptions, there will usually be another operator from the same place. But if it’s from a really rare operation you may even have to send snail mail letters to get a response. QSLs do go missing in the mail. There are some rogue post office workers around the world that give DXers a bad name.

• Your card really isn’t needed or wanted by most DX stations (unless you yourself are operating from a scarce county or island, in which case YOU are the one who will be inundated with requests.) You don’t need a fancy card or any card at all! You can design a “card” and print it out from your computer log, if you like. Just be sure to include all the details AND sign or initial it. This works well for expeditions where you have worked the same call sign on several bands and modes. You can list them on the same page.

• Surprise! You’ll get cards via the bureau from scarce expeditions, even if you didn’t QSL them! Lots of operations run off all the labels at once. Labels not claimed directly will often be put on cards and sent via the bureau after a year or so. But don’t count on it. • Don’t forget to send a donation from time to time to your local NZART incoming bureau for your cards. Our local bureaus are run by volunteers and postage is increasingly more expensive as time goes on. A donation will make a big difference in coping with the costs of outgoing envelopes and processing charges.

DXing is extremely addictive!

Probably the greatest lure in amateur radio is to contact someone else just a little further away. When you first start out into the world of DXing, DX may be 100 km but later you will work into every corner of the planet. With some it becomes an absolute obsession and they will go to any length to contact that country they haven’t worked yet. For others, it is a pleasure to rag chew with an amateur in a foreign country to learn more about that country and its culture. DXers often end up meeting other DXers when they travel. Many lifelong friendships are made this way.

DXing is a competitive sport. You will find out the moment that you hear some rare DX that a thousand other hams heard that same station and are also calling at the same instant. The problem is that many of your competitors are outstanding operators with high power, excellent antenna systems and vast experience. Most of your competitors are average operators with average stations and antennas and they are easy to compete with. You just have to be a bit more cunning with your skills but eventually you can work up to competing with the top group. That rare DXpedition will usually work the big guns first and then you can easily make the contact at the end of their stay at the rare location.

Currently there are 340 DXCC “Entities” eligible for the ARRL DXCC award program. An entity can be as large as Australia or as small as St. Peter and Paul Rocks out in the South Atlantic Ocean. There are rules that govern what constitutes an Entity” and they may be found on the ARRL Website You can find the rules for the various awards and where you can download the applications forms. CQ Magazine in the USA that run the Worked All Zones awards program and also sponsor major contests throughout the year have the rules on their website also. Usually you start off with trying to work the first one hundred countries or entities and that will be a milestone for you. It will teach you how to get involved with a pileup and how to be a bit cunning when you do. It will teach you that other DXers in other countries may not have the same sense of fair play as you do. The second 100 countries are a little more difficult to work. Achieving 300 countries is very difficult and will usually take many years. For a variety of reasons including sunspot cycles, rarity of the country and how often the government in charge of it will allow amateurs to operate there. The last 40 entities are extremely difficult and very few ZL amateurs have managed to do it. But the challenge is always there and it becomes a passion to achieve it.

Strategies for Successful DXing
There are some proven strategies that work. Listen to the operator and find out where he is listening and if he is working split frequencies. Working “split” is not difficult, just different. It’s a new skill for you to learn. Find out where the thousands of other operators are transmitting and avoid the pack. Position yourself just off the edge of the pack. Refine your timing so that you will be heard in a “gap” rather than in with the pack. Placement and timing is everything. Your signal should be slightly out of the pack so you will be noticed and your call should be slightly out of sync with the pack… just delayed a bit so that he will hear you start your call but not delayed long enough that you are calling on top of the guy the DX station has already decided to work and is answering. Successful experienced DXers are extremely skilful with their timing and consequently work the DX. You may not be heard on your first call; you’re second or even after a few hours of calling. Be patient! Sometimes it’s an exercise in pure frustration but persistence usually wins and it’s an absolute joy when you snag that new country. Top level DXing is not easy but you will learn that amateur radio is more than inhabiting your local 2 metre repeater. You will also be rewarded with friendships around the world and an understanding of other cultures.

Is CW Worth the Effort?
It really is true that it’s easier to work DX on CW than on phone because there are fewer stations clamouring for the attention of a DX station on CW. CW will still be around for the foreseeable future in spite of recent changes in amateur licence regulations around the world.
Weak CW signals are more readable than weak phone signals. Hone your CW skills. DX stations often run 20 wpm or more and while most of them are courteous and will come back to a station calling at 12 or 15 wpm, it’s very satisfying to be able to work them at the speed they’re calling CQ. Life is much easier with an electronic keyer as it takes the work out of sending your call over and over. There is nothing worse than operating with a pair of uncomfortable, ill fitting, harsh sounding headphones. Invest in a good set of headphones to help you dig out the weak ones and avoid fatigue. A better idea is to buy a quality boom microphone headset with a good sounding microphone cartridge.

Work the contests.
Contests can be intimidating, but your best chance for working new countries is often during the DX contests. Contest groups often will activate multi-multi stations in rare countries and they are easy to work. I recall working CN2R in Morocco on 80M a few years ago. He was S9+ and begging for 80M contacts and very easy to work. You don’t have to work the entire contest, nor do you have to send in the logs for scoring. Figure out what information they’re expecting you to exchange with them, either by listening to several contest QSOs or by reading the contest rules on www.contesting.com, then just jump in and start working stations.

What Bands to Operate
The seven popular amateur radio bands offer the DXer propagation to most parts of the world most of the time. When the sunspot count is low between the eleven year peaks, the higher bands like 10, 12, 15 and 17 metres are poor and opportunities are limited. 20, 30 and 40 metres present excellent DXing providing you have good antennas. DXing is more difficult on 80 and 160 metres because the ambient noise levels are often intolerable in urban areas. When the propagation is right and the bands are open at sunrise and sunset, 80 and 160 metres can be extremely rewarding with worldwide contacts. We are fortunate here in the Asia/Pacific region as many rare DXpeditions take place and are easy to work on the lower bands.

When the sunspots reach maximum every eleven years the higher bands are magic. 10, 12 and 15 metres are often open 24 hours a day and it is relatively easy to work 100 countries during a weekend contest. Having a ZL call is a wonderful asset. ZLs are reasonably rare in other parts of the world and there are not that many ZL DXers to compete with. ZLs are often the first “real” DX station that Europeans work. ZL DXers are respected around the world and we have some world class Kiwi DXers amongst us. It is not uncommon to call a CQ on 20 metres and generate a pileup of Europeans or North Americans that may go on for hours.

Operating aids
The DXer has far more tools at his disposal than he had 30 or 40 years ago. Then, you heard a rumour, read monthly DX magazines or received a phone call from a trusted friend. You listened daily, you waited and finally you would hear that weak rare station and attempt to work him with primitive valve equipment. Today’s modern DXers have computers with the Internet based newsgroups, real time packet clusters, propagation prediction programs and information not dreamt of by old timers in the game. Today one knows where and when the rare DX will operate. With a few mouse clicks the modern well equipped station will change the radio to that frequency and mode, track the amplifier to the right band, select the correct antenna system, turn the beam to the heading and set his call up in the logging program in a few seconds. Sounds easy! The reality is that you still have to use your skills to get your call in his electronic logbook. And it doesn’t get any easier as thousands of other hams have the same technology. Below are some web links to programs and services that will help you work DX.

Websites to Help your DXing
AC6V The definitive reference site for ham radio – Over 6000 links
DX Atlas – A program for DXCC, WAZ, IOTA info plus Grayline and path headings.
DX4Win – Excellent Logging program
N1MM – An excellent contest Logging program
Logger32 – Excellent logging program and Free
W6EL – Propagation prediction (and it’s free!)
NZART – Home of NZART The New Zealand Amateur Radio Transmitters
CQWW DX Contests – The CQ Magazine awards and contest website
ARRL – American Radio Relay League – the largest national ham radio association
DXCC – The ARRL DXCC awards and contest website.
DX Summit – Live DX Cluster spots 24 hours a day
KA9FOX: Ham Radio Contest / DX Library. A very worthwhile and informative multi site

Packet Cluster Networks
Packet clusters have been a phenomenon of the DXing world over the past 10 or 15 years. Basically it works like this. A local ham in a city in Europe somewhere “spots” or works a rare station he types into his cluster software the details in the following format:
DX 14015 ZD9BV Calling CQ.
The last comment is optional. The message or “spot” immediately appears on the screens of all connected to that cluster. Most clusters are now linked to the internet and there are more than 1000 of them around the world in every populated area. As soon as that spot hits the internet it spreads to all the cluster nodes and you will see it on your screen in your shack. In fact you will see a continuous stream of DX stations, Announcements and WWV information on your screen 24 hours a day. DX packet clusters are a wonderful tool for chasing DX

Minimum – Maximum Station gear
There are some facts to consider when you are thinking about investing in equipment for your station.

1. The operator on the other end can’t tell whether you have the latest all singing, all dancing multi featured transceiver costing in excess of $8K or a 30 year old valve radio you picked up at a junk sale for $300. 100W is 100W. Both are equal. The only difference is that the older radio may not have all the latest modern features.

2. The stations with the 30 metre towers and stacked 5el monobanders driven by very large amplifiers will often beat you in a pileup. These are the guys that work the rare DX first and they love doing it. After they have done it… they go away and let the rest of us work the station. As long as you are aware of the big guns, it’s not a problem because time will be kind to you.

3. The stations that have the “best” sounding audio will always win in a pileup. It is human nature that the DX station will always take the path of least resistance and work the station he can understand and clearly hear the easiest. Best means clean, punchy and standing out from the rest. Commercial broadcast announcers are picked because of their mellow authoritative voices. Be aware of your own limitations and strive for the best audio you can generate. An authoritative voice helps!

4. With CW – You will need an electronic keyer and clean keying set a bit below the pack’s general speed. This is better than trying to impress the DX station that your electronic keyer can do 45wpm with ease. He can’t! – Well, actually some DX ops can but they are rare.

5. At the end of the day everything helps, but don’t get hung up on particular antennas or brands of radio equipment. They are only part of the picture. A good antenna is the second best investment you will ever make. The first is taking the time to learn the techniques and skills of how a rare DX station thinks and operates. A cunning operator will outwit a big antenna every time!

The Process of QSL’ing
If a newcomer to DX’ing starts out by working DX stations during contests he will quickly learn that he will work key countries multiple times. I would make the bureau one of my first choices The QSL Buro Service here in New Zealand is excellent and it will save you postage costs. My best advice is to save your postage dollars and greenstamps for your rare station direct QSL requests. Confirming DXCC takes time anyway, and by the time one gets close to 100 different confirmed countries, several months or years will pass. As one begins to find QSL cards in the mailbox, it is good to be prepared. There are several systems of filing, and the one that is probably the most common is to keep QSL’s in order by DXCC entity. Shoeboxes help and they are inexpensive. There are some neat boxes sold buy the big chain stores here in NZ to file photographs in and they are excellent for QSLs. Keeping QSL’s in DXCC entity order is the first step in being able to find and sort cards for awards later down the line. Believe me, it is not an easy task to sort a couple of thousand QSL’s from scratch. Be smart and start sorting at the very beginning.

Computer Logging
Computer logging programs are almost essential for those who have a large number of QSO’s. Over time they become one of the best tools around for keeping things in order. Don’t start out with a cheap Shareware Logging program. A key factor in a logging program is to be able to display various award details in DXCC entity order as one has them worked or confirmed. The main prestige awards are DXCC, WAZ, DXCC Challenge, WAS, WAC, IOTA There are thousands of others.When one wants to see how their goals are being met, they can look at their statistics right on the computer screen. Computer logging programs are a great time saver because most of them generate labels that will save hours and hours of handwriting. They can keep track of QSL’s sent and received with just a click. A really good computer logging program will do all of the above and control your radio, send CW, display your local packet cluster DX spots and print the QSO information directly onto your QSL cards with no labels involved.

Awards and Rewards

There are over 3200 awards available to wallpaper your shack. Only a handful really measure how well you compete with other DXers around the rest of the world. They are the prestigious ARRL DXCC awards, the CQ DXCC and WAZ awards, the RSGB IOTA and Dxing awards and the European WAE (Worked all Europe) awards. In fact the list of awards that can be earned for working certain collections of DX stations is almost endless.
http://www.ac6v.com/ will give you a link to the universal awards page.
The picture shows No.1 Honour Roll plaque for working all 340 DXCC entities. Only a few ZLs have achieved this prestigious award. We have some world class operators here in NZ

DXpeditions
If DXing is an obsession, then DXpeditioners comprise the lunatic fringe of the DX world. At any given time there are hundreds of amateurs operating from rare locations around the world. You can be assured that there are thousands of others actively planning a DXpedition somewhere and hundreds of thousands of “armchair DXpeditioners” who would love to go. Planning a major Dxpedition is almost as complicated as a NASA mission. Large scale modern DXpeditions can chew through $100,000 or more in no time so it isn’t a project that any group of enthusiasts will take on lightly. New Zealand just happens to have ten or more of some the rarest DXCC entities islands within its territory. ZL7 – Chatham Island, ZL8 – Raoul Island and ZL9 – Campbell and Auckland Islands are usually in the top 25 most wanted entities.

There have been major DXpeditions by New Zealanders to all these locations during the past ten years but the demand continues unabated. Opportunity abounds for ZLs to organize more trips to these desired locations. I can assure you there is nothing as sobering as a huge pileup of thousands of unruly Europeans on 20 metres calling you to make that elusive contact. It is frightening but is also the experience of a lifetime to participate as an operator on a DXpedition. The camaraderie and experience gained is incomparable. DXpeditions to ZL7 are easily organized and are tremendous fun and are to be recommended for gaining experience.

When you consider all these factors, it is no wonder that DXing is so popular Even though we are only a couple of years past the fabulous conditions during the peak portion of sunspot cycle 22 & 23 there is always rare DX around to be worked. The next few years will be good for HF DX. On the other hand DXing on 80 and 40 metres will be a bit more difficult. The current sunspot cycle number 24 will peak in 2013 and again provide fabulous world-wide propagation. I am trying to provide tips and information in this section to help you succeed in DXing, whether you are a newcomer to DX or a DXing veteran. If you would like to find out more about DXing, contact me ZL2AL  and I will be happy to put you in touch with DXers in your area.

73, Lee ZL2AL

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