|
Quick links
- DXing - DXCC hunting mostly, and measuring the Earth’s circumference by radio
- My DX records - 300+ countries worked, 8 band DXCC, WAZ and WAS
- HF beacons - lots on 10m plus the fabulous NCDXF HF chain and QRSS
- CW - what’s the allure of Morse code?
- DXpeditioning - activating exotic places
- Pileup tips - for DXers and DXpeditioners

- DX Code of Conduct - my personalized version
- JCC and other JARL awards - work hundreds of Japanese cities and guns
- HF propagation - naive notes
- CQ Magazine’s DX Marathon - the annual DXer’s challenge
- Configuring VE7CC’s CC User for multiple DXclusters - e.g. public + club clusters
DXing
I've been licenced since attending an after-school electronics club run by physics teacher Graham
G4AVV and his student Colin G4CWH, among others. Graham and Colin taught a few of us the
theory, and in turn when they left we taught boys in the years below us. The Radio Amateurs’
Exam was the first public exam I took. I taught myself CW straight away after a short a break to
complete my O-levels and got my CW pass on May 2nd 1979 (yes, more than 3 decades ago!). My
call G4iFB came through shortly after. [Colin, thanks for threatening to do nasty things to my
insides if I got a Class B VHF licence. You were right. HF is for grown ups and CW is definitely the
more civilised mode.]
I enjoy HF DXing whenever I can - around ZL dawn (sometimes) and dusk (most evenings) on the
low bands (30-40-80m, with no antenna for 160m at the moment) and for the odd spare hour in
the middle of the day on HF since my home office is my shack, conveniently enough. I keep an ear
open (just the one) for the 10m beacons some days too.
I’ve caught some good high-band openings including a solid long path run into Europe on 15m that
someone kindly recorded and published on YouTube video to show off their fancy instant-reversal
Steppir beam (nice!). A 15m QSO with my friend Jean 5T0JL led to a nice chat on email about HF
propagation and skeds on the high bands including 12m: Jean ran 90W to a vertical and I was using
100W to a simple wire loop on 12m, so that was clearly a magic path.
Long path signals are quite distinctive, for example here’s a clip of John 9M6XRO on 17m, with an
LP echo so strong it can be hard to make out his CW characters. Using an audio spectrum plot and
Audacity’s cursor, I measured the delay at 83 milliseconds:
 |
Travelling at close to 300 million metres per second (speed of light), John’s LP signal must have
gone an extra 24,900 km (0.083 x 300,000,000 / 1000) compared to the SP signal. John is close
to 8,000 km away from me, so his SP signal would have taken at least 27 milliseconds to arrive
here by the most direct route. Adding 83 to 27 milliseconds gives the total delay for the LP signal of
at least 110 milliseconds, representing a distance of no less than 32,900 km i.e. 24,900 + 8,000
(phew!). The earth’s circumference is about 40,000 km, so either my measurements or maths are
wrong, or the speed of light or Earth diameter are wrong (!), or more likely the signal took a
slightly shorter round-the-world trip than the true long path, especially if we factor-in the likely extra
distance between the ground and the ionospheric layers that reflect signals. It may have cut
corners along the grey line but, still, it’s close enough to LP for me.
One Saturday morning in August 2011 I heard my pal Paul ZL4PW CQing on 17/CW. We worked
easily enough on weak groundwaves. An hour later, I heard him CQing again, but this time with a curious multitone signal. It sounded like the normal groundwave sig - a normal sine tone - plus a
slightly higher frequency signal with a raspy note, presumably an auroral reflection with a bit of
Doppler shift. 10m opened to most of NA shortly afterwards, and just after lunch I was amazed to
work ZD8D on 30m. Even 12m flickered briefly to life a few times. A fascinating day’s DXing!
One ZL evening in December 2011, I was getting ready for a sked on 12m when I noticed very
strong echoes on my transmission. In fact, I was sure I could hear more than 1 echo, so I turned
on the audio recorder and sent a spaced-out string of fast individual dits to check. This blue audio
trace shows one of the roughly 50wpm dits captured by Audacity:
Yes, that’s right, there are 3 echoes! The first echo could have been a reflection from some sort of
reflecting surface - a patch of E-layer ionization perhaps - about 9,000 km away from me, or
perhaps an artifact in the transceiver or PC. The second echo delayed by 161 milliseconds had done
about 48,000 km, or roughly once around the world. The third and final echo arrived back here
about 300 milliseconds after the dit went out. Travelling at 300 million meters per second, I
calculate it had done a 90,000 km round trip, meaning twice around the globe! Wow!
I heard another triple echo on my own signal on 12m in May 2013, with the delays measured at
about 70, 161 and 300 mS again. I’m puzzled why the 3rd echo wasn’t at 322 mS ... maybe it
took a shortcut along a greyline ‘duct’ rather than following a true great circle path?
[Click the plot to hear what sending a series of spaced out dots sounded like, minus the sidetone]
For the record, on both occasions I was using the K3’s fabulously slick QSK+ setting, with the
KPA500 running 500 watts out to a fullwave 12m wire loop antenna. It probably helps that the loop
is fairly omnidirectional.
By the way, QSK sounds horrible on some rig/amp combinations: for example, listen to this short soundbyte of 1A0C on 30m. This is staccato CW - the CW speed is quite high to start with but
shortened CW bits turn some of the dits into blips. I measured the bit lengths on his “5NN”. While
the dahs are reasonably consistent (86 and 97 milliseconds in this case), the dots vary widely
between 13 and 33 ms, averaging a little under 23 ms.
In conventional Morse code, a dit should be one third the length of a dah. On average, 1A0C’s dits
were only one quarter of a dah (I’m being generous due to the measurement difficulties: those 13
ms dits were only one seventh of a dah!). The bits were shortened variably, most likely due to low
quality QSK. The op could have counteracted this by reverting to semi-break-in or increasing the
CW weighting on his keyer, or of course buying a better radio and amp, but he probably just didn’t
realise.
Strong echoes on SSB make it sound as if two stations are doubling when there is only one - here
is a clip of ZL2JBR one morning on 20m: by chance he was beaming NW from Wellington while I
was beaming SE from Hawkes Bay. After turning our beams towards each other (NE and SW
respectively) we had a solid QSO on ground wave.
My DXCC records
After more than a decade as ZL2iFB and ZM4G with over 100,000 QSOs in the log, I have worked
and confirmed 332 all-time DXCC countries, earning mixed, CW, Phone and Data DXCCs, DXCC
Challenge and single-band DXCCs on 8 HF bands from 10m to 80m.
I’m on the verge of qualifying for DXCC Honor Roll with just these eleven current DXCC countries to
go:
I have worked EZ twice but neither QSO is acceptable for DXCC due to ‘licensing issues’ in
Turkmenistan (amateur radio is not permitted by the government).
Here is my DXCC status as of April 2020:
|
All time
|
Current
|
|
Wkd
|
Cfmd
|
Wkd
|
Cfmd
|
CW
|
329
|
329
|
327
|
327
|
Phone
|
316
|
308
|
314
|
306
|
Digital
|
298
|
288
|
297
|
287
|
Mixed
|
332
|
332
|
330
|
330
|
|
I make about 6,000 regular DXing QSOs per year as ZL2iFB, plus another few thousand contest
QSOs as ZM4G, ZM4T etc. That’s about 20 QSOs on an average day - more lately on FT8 thanks
to the automation that lets me multi-task, generally working while keeping an eye on a side screen
for FT8. I don’t run full-auto. What’s the point? No fun in that.
This is my DXCC awards table on LoTW:
And here’s my mixed-mode all-time DXCC breakdown by bands (DXCC doesn’t count on 60m):
Band
|
160m
|
80m
|
60m
|
40m
|
30m
|
20m
|
17m
|
15m
|
12m
|
10m
|
6m
|
ALL
|
Worked
|
35
|
240
|
20
|
301
|
315
|
328
|
319
|
310
|
270
|
264
|
2
|
332
|
Confirmed
|
27
|
232
|
18
|
298
|
313
|
326
|
314
|
307
|
262
|
260
|
2
|
332
|
|
For the DXCC Challenge
, I have filled 2,370 band-slots,
98% of which (2,328) are confirmed.
The WAZ (Worked All CQ Zones) table is filling out nicely, aside from 6, 60 & 160m anyway:
CQ zone 2 is surprisingly difficult from ZL. We have to battle the US and EU hordes over a mostly
weak and fluttery polar path. Odd, then, that we can work OX, TF and the rest of VE without too
much trouble. Anyway, I relish the challenge. Wouldn’t want it to be too easy!
In WAS
, I’ve worked all 50 US states on 10 through 40m but I’m missing South Dakota on 80m,
most of the US on topband and all of it on 6 and 60m.
To fill that last 80m WAS slot I could:
-
Call CQ SD in our evenings
-
Watch the FT8 decodes for stations with grids in SD
-
Make skeds with active and willing South Dakotans
-
Work more 80m contests, especially those in which states are part of the exchange
-
Set DXcluster alerts in Logger32 for SD stations I have worked on other bands
-
... or simply spend more time on 80m whenever the path to NA is open.
Back to quick links
HF beacons
I sometimes monitor beacons while working (one of many benefits of working from home). While we had sunspots, I logged about two hundred 10m beacons, most running QRP to verticals.
Comprehensive beacon lists are maintained by G3USF and WJ5O.
It is disappointing that not all beacon keepers mention their beacons on their QRZ.com pages or publish information about their beacons elsewhere on the Internet, even the basics such as the
location, power and antenna. Why they would go to the trouble of installing, running and
maintaining a beacon and yet not publish this information puzzles me.
Beaconbytes
I record the beacons to help ID the weak signals we often receive here in NZ. Aside from the
beacon message text, the exact frequency (well, exact according to my K3’s VFO display,
calibrated against WWV) and characteristics such as its strength, keying speed, timing, tone of the
signal and any anomalies (e.g. does it chirp?) are often enough to ID a beacon reliably without
necessarily having to wait to hear its full callsign. In the case of those annoying beacons that only
send their calls infrequently, it’s a big time saver that lets me log more DX beacons while the band
remains open.
When the 10m band is wide open in ZL, there may be more than 50 beacons to ID and log at any
one time: that hyperlink points to a 13-minute MP3 recording of me systematically tuning through
the 10m beacon sub-band from about 28186 (VK5KV) to 28300kHz, (K6FRC/B) back in 2010,
pausing along the way to ID and log the signals using their callsigns if I catch them or their
messages or characteristic signals if not.
Another way to monitor the beacons is using an SDR to watch the entire beacon sub-band at once:
here’s a snapshot from my FunCube Pro+ dongle showing about 90 audible beacons. That near
-vertical swipe is someone tuning across the beacon band, I guess, or some sort of sun noise:
Beaconbytes
I have compiled a collection of MP3 audio recordings of (mostly 10m) beacons. Some are barely
above the noise floor, which is exactly how I often hear them:
6m is not the only magic band. Listen to TP2CE/B on 10m running just 450mW on the far side of
the globe, and even more remarkably AC0KC/B with a measly 50mW (equivalent to a quarter of a
million kilometers per watt). 50mW would barely power a very dim torchbulb, even one of those
fantastic white LEDs would be pathetically weak. And this is CW, remember, copied by ear, not
some fancy digital mode integrated over a period and decoded by computer.
A number of fishing buoys mark drift net positions with beacon transmissions (illegally) within
amateur bands. Some sit rather annoyingly in the beacon sub-bands. Most send a few seconds of
carrier (which usually starts up with a chirp), then a short callsign (1-3 characters, chirpy again,
chosen by the fishermen), then go silent for a minute or so. Here’s one on 10m sending C, one
sending D and another sending NZ all seemingly due East of NZ, possibly floating around central
America or the Caribbean, perhaps even further away. One or two come up in our afternoons when
propagation swings towards VK and JA. Despite running QRP to CB-type vertical antennas, their
saltwater ground plane is enough to launch the RF over thousands of km via skywave, much
further than is necessary for the net-hunting fishermen who presumably have a pretty good idea
from GPS as to where their nets were and I guess listen on ground wave as they approach over
the final few km.
NCDXF beacons
 The NCDXF beacons are a useful guide to worldwide HF
openings on 10 thru 20m, with the benefit that you can monitor a
single frequency on each band, ideally using Faros to hear when
various long and short paths open, or monitor either all or just a
selection of the frequencies automatically over a period to spot
the openings (e.g. using Beaconsee).
The NCDXF beacons are remarkably useful propagation tools. Like
all 24x7 beacons, however, they inevitably suffer occasional
outages and glitches, for example OA4B transmitting all its time
slots on 18MHz instead of moving band-to-band, VK6RBP with
ALC problems and CS3B with ALC problems and instability. Find
out about planned (and unplanned!) engineering works on the official NCDXF beacon site.
I urge regular users to contribute to the NCDXF to express your support for the beacon ops and
help keep the beacons running. NCDXF is also a major sponsor of DXpeditions.
Please avoid transmitting on the NCDXF beacon spot frequencies (14100, 18110, 21150, 24930
and 28200 kHz) and the beacon sub-bands (e.g. 28160 to 28300 kHz). They may seem empty to
you but there are often DXers listening intently for very weak beacons.
Back to quick links
CW
Check out what the History Channel has to say about Morse code, invented by Samuel FB Morse
(nice initials!), Joseph Henry and Alfred Vail, and used for telegraphy over wired and wireless circuits
since the mid-19th Century. It was used for the first ever round-the-world radio contact between
stations 2SZ at Mill Hill School in London and 4AA at Shag Station near Dunedin. To commemorate
the 90th anniversary of that historic QSO in 2014, the UK authorities gave special permission for
2SZ to be aired from the same school, and it was a big thrill for
me to contact them during the
Oceania CW contest. With modern equipment, aerials and scientific knowledge, round-the-world
contacts are no longer as rare ... but they are still special.
I have been using CW almost exclusively since I was first licensed in 1979 and discovered that 100
watts or less goes much further on the key than on the mic. Even with QRO I still love CW, perhaps
because CW is a more universal language than SSB. Nearly everything gets abbreviated - whether
you're a ZL or a JA, "73" sounds and means the same thing. CW is more bandwidth-efficient than
SSB (approximately 4 Hz per WPM for a well-shaped CW signal, according to K3WWP, so less than
about 150Hz at normal CW speeds) and much easier to filter out QRM. Even polar flutter and
auroral Doppler shift sound OK on CW. OK OK so the computer digital modes are even better still
but then the computer does all the work, and since I work in IT, typing is not my idea of a fun
pastime.
International Morse Code, plus various procedural aspects of sending and receiving telegrams, are
specified by ITU-R recommendation M.1677. If you care about CW, please pay attention to the
prosigns (such as ...-.- “end of work”) that should be run together as
one continuous character,
not separate letters (...-.- might be remembered and written as SK or VA but should not be sent
that way).
I can’t see much point in learning and using the AC prosign for the @ symbol in email addresses
when “AT” works perfectly well and is universally understood. Likewise “DOTCOM” or “DOTNET” or
whatever are self-evident whereas the dot/period/fullstop character is not so commonly used by
hams.
It’s odd that KN (go ahead named station) and BK (break) are usually sent as prosigns but don’t
appear on most ‘official’ lists of Morse prosigns. Maybe in theory they should be sent normally with
letter spaces, but in ham usage they have evolved into prosigns. In contests, I tend to send “TU” as
a prosign to save a few milliseconds, ending every QSO with an “X”. Seems appropriate to me and,
so far, nobody has complained.
Back to quick links
DXpeditioning
In 2001, I joined the Voodudes’ DXpedition to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for the XT2DX operation
in CQ WW CW. We transported the entire multi-multi station from Ghana to Burkina overland in a
hired minibus and set it up on the roof of an hotel. It was a real blast - although I have plenty of
contest experience, it was my first real experience of being at the DX end of a pileup. I joined the
lads again in 9L a few years later.
I was part of the Oceania DX Group’s VI9NI team in 2006 for CQ WPX CW. The contest was a bit of
a flop but the trip was fun.
The opposite happened with a short break to Rarotonga, operating as E51iFB from a fabulous
holiday QTH that just didn’t work out on the radio somehow. I could hear OK but evidently couldn’t
be heard, and to cap it all my laptop’s hard drive expired taking the whole E51iFB log with it. :-( It’s
a good thing I didn’t make many QSOs really.
I'd love to do more DXpeditions, in particular I want to visit the Galapagos Islands HC8 to combine
amateur radio and following Charles Darwin's exploration of the exotic fauna and flora that has
evolved there (takes me back to my genetics training). Perhaps one day I’ll get the chance to hand
out the Galapagos multiplier in a major contest ...
Lee ZL2AL put me on to the fabulous DXpedition videos by James 9V1YC (originally on DVD, now
online). The BS7H story is amazing - to see 4 self-contained stations perched on rickety wooden
platforms on rocks about the size of a rug, the largest remaining bits of a dead reef still above
water at high tide, in a war zone in the South China Sea, is almost incredible. They were fortunate
to have such good weather as I’m sure the slightest of squalls would have been catastrophic. The
“discussions” about whether DXCC rules should continue to permit such an entity rumble on. Rising
sea levels due to global warming will probably result in deletions of some of these wet specks of
rock before long, once they no longer poke above the sea even at low tide: perhaps then those
American hams who are still in denial about climate change will finally accept the inevitable.
VP8THU was a “micro-light DXpedition” using small barefoot transceivers. Given that they must
have spent a fortune getting the team there, it seems odd that they would skimp on equipment
and settle for poorer signals, but still they made a respectable number of QSOs. Watching them
ferry people and equipment from a dinghy up an icy rock face, and back again at the end, is best
done from behind the settee - a bit like the BBC’s “Dr Who”, too scary for kids to see out front.
The vids are well worth watching, whether you just work DXpeditions, dream of joining one or are
actually planning one for real. It’s a shame James 9V1YC doesn’t at least make a guest appearance
in front of the lens though: I guess either he’s not keen on letting someone else hold his expensive
camera or he’s camera shy!
Back to quick links
Pileup tips
There are many reasons why DXpeditioners enjoy DXpeditioning but top of most people's list,
surely, is "To have fun!". In this context, having fun generally involves:
-
Making QSOs as efficiently, if not necessarily as fast, as humanly possible: accuracy matters
more than rate and sometimes conditions or abilities dictate a slower pace
-
Meeting lots of old friends and making new ones (both in the team and in the pileup)
-
Working as many different (“unique”) callsigns as possible, not just filling lots of band-slots for
the big guns
-
Working real DX, the rare & surprising stuff, unusual paths, novices, the 100w/G5RV brigade
and QRPers
-
Using different bands and modes, often including things you wouldn't normally do at home
-
Taming the technology, putting out a good signal and hearing well
-
Dealing effectively with the piles and zoo creatures, getting better at it and at the same time
learning to be a better DXer
-
Elmering - teaching novice DXpeditioners the ropes - and learning new tricks from more
experienced peers
-
Getting on the air from exotic far-off places, not just idly dreaming about it (and ideally
making time for sightseeing!)
-
Being a pleasure to contact, spreading joy and happiness
-
Staying fit and healthy but getting absolutely exhausted, in a nice way
-
Being a great ambassador for amateur radio
-
Gaining the respect of fellow DXers and DXpeditioners.
Likewise, there are many reasons why DXers enjoy chasing and working DX:
-
Collecting sets and awards - QSLs, DXCC, WAZ, IOTA, stamps, points, what have you
-
Beating rivals, mastering the challenge and earning bragging rights
-
Meeting old friends and making new ones
-
Making connections with exotic, far-off places that non-hams would struggle to even point at
on the map
-
Discovering and exploiting different propagation modes and paths
-
Self-improvement - becoming more skilled, competent and accomplished, learning better
techniques, getting slicker with every pileup (which includes learning from the idiots what not to do!)
-
Proving and improving the entire system - the antennas, equipment and operator
-
Enjoying the chase as much as the catch: if it was all too easy, it would no longer be fun
-
Being a pleasure to contact, spreading a little joy
-
Gaining the respect of fellow DXers and DXpeditioners.
Some DXers living in exotic places grow tired of endless rubber-stamp QSOs. My late friend 5T0JL,
for example, preferred not just to swap reports but wanted to find out operators’ names at least.
It’s his choice: if someone is running a pileup, it’s up to them how to run it. Always listen carefully to
the operator’s instructions, and failing that take your cue from what the DX op and other callers are
normally sending. Just as it is considered impolite and inconsiderate to monopolise the channel by
sending a long brag file to a DX station that is running a decent rate on one of the digital modes, it
is equally rude to blurt out just “five nine” or “5NN” to someone who is routinely swapping names etc. Be nice!
To help both DXpeditioners and DXers have more fun, here are some Hinson tips I originally
developed to support the ZL7T DXpedition back in 2009. Absorb my tips to avoid appearing on the piles of fun page ...
Pileup-beating
advice
for
DXers
|
Pileup
management
advice for
DX
stations
|
Listen listen
listen!
If
you
hear
a
pileup
or
see
something
juicy
spotted
on
DXcluster,
please
don’t
just
jump
straight
in.
You
will
not
be
able
to
work
the
DX if
you
can’t
even
hear
the
DX,
so
first
find
the
DX
stn’s
TX
frequency
and
set
up
your
transceiver
and
antenna
properly
while
you
listen
to
his
rhythm
and
hopefully
find
out
his
preferred
RX
frequency.
|
Take command of your pile.
Be
clear,
fair
and
reasonable.
Lots
of
DXers
will
be
desperately
calling
so do
your
level
best
to
work
them
as
efficiently
as
possible.
Adopt
a
consistent
rhythm
and
sensible
speed
for
the
conditions.
Ignore
the
lids
-
don’t
rise
to
their
bait.
Pick
out
callers
that
synchronise
with
your
rhythm
[hint:
they
may
not
be
the
loudest].
|
Practice
and
hone
your
pileup
management
skills,
preferably
off-air using
the
outstanding
freeware
program PileupRunner by Alex VE3NEA.
Note:
this
tip
is
for
DXers
as
well
as
DXpeditioners. We
must
each
appreciate
the
other’s
needs
as
well
as
our
own.
|
Configure your rig correctly.
Use
the
appropriate
filter
settings,
RF
gain
or
attenuation
and
so
forth
to
have
the
best
possible
chance
of
completing
a
QSO.
You
might
like
to
lock
your
receive
VFO
or
pop
it
into
a
memory
once
it is
set
correctly,
though
you
may
need
to
make
adjustments
later
if
the
DX
shifts
about
to
avoid
the
frequency
kops.
|
Learn how to drive your rig and PC before you go on air from an exotic QTH.
Be
sure
you
know
how
to:
-
operate split (set and check it)
-
lock your TX VFO (or use a memory)
-
adjust
your
receive
filters,
notch
filter
and
DSP
-
listen
on
your
TX
frequency
for
dQRMers
and
split-challenged
callers
(if
you
can,
listen
with
the
volume
down
in
one
ear
only:
don’t
work
anyone
on
your
TX
frequency
by
mistake
or
you
will
cause
chaos!)
-
log and correct QSOs
-
send
standard
messages
using
memories
or
macros
(consistency
helps)
|
DX
stations
often
operate
with
relatively
low
power
and
basic/temporary
antennas,
so be
prepared
to
work
at
it.
Find
out
from
propagation
prediction
tools
(such
as
Club
Log)
when
you
are
most
likely
to
catch
the
DX on
different
bands
and
plan
your
move.
Make good use of the propagation.
Listen
patiently
to
see
if
they
are
getting
stronger.
Turn
your
beam
if
appropriate
and
maybe
check
the
long
path.
If
you
can’t
hear
them
well,
you
probably
won’t
get
through,
especially
if
they
have
a
pileup.
|
Take maximum advantage of your QTH.
If you are on a desert island, find a suitable location right on the beach if you can, as close as you dare get to the sea (simple vertical antennas work extremely well right at the water’s edge or even better on a short pole in the water - you simply can’t get a better ground plane). Next best would be a high cliff-top site with excellent take-off over the sea in the main directions of interest. Mountain tops, hill tops and even hotel roofs make good locations too. Don’t forget to order good propagation before you leave home ....
|
Spend
a
moment
listening
to
the
DX in
order
to
pick
up
his
pattern
and
style
of
operation.
Is he
working
all
comers
or
calling
specific
call
areas/continents,
working
by
numbers,
or
whatever?
Is
this
a
contest-style
quick
fire
operation
working
snappy
callers
who
only
call
once,
or is
the
DX
taking
the
time
to
chat
to
callers
and
work
the
slower
ones?
|
If
the
pileups
get
too
unruly,
consider
calling
and
working,
or
excluding,
specific
areas/continents
and
only
if
absolutely
necessary
work
by
numbers.
Don’t spend too long
on
any
single
area
or
number:
cycle
through
the
complete
sequence
at
least
once
every
10 to
15
minutes.
Keeping
the
pileup
under
control
is an
important
job
for
you.
If
you
are
too
slow,
the
mob
will
get
impatient
and
tempers
will
fray.
Play
the
game.
|
Double-check the DX stn’s callsign.
DXcluster
spots
from
over-excited
DXers
often
list
broken
(incorrect
or
incomplete)
calls.
Some
are
obviously
broken
but
others
look
OK at
first
glance,
until
you
notice
an Oh
instead
of a
zero,
an L
instead
of a
one,
or a
5
instead
of an
S ...
Do
not
call
until
you
are
certain
who
you
are
calling
and
make
sure
you
log
the
DX
correctly.
You
would
not
want
all
this
hard
work
to go
to
waste,
would
you?!
It is
considered
vaguely
rude
to
ask
“What’s
your
call?”
if
the
DX
sends
his
callsign
often,
but
if
you
have
listened
patiently
in
the
pileup
for a
few
minutes
and
are
still
not
100%
sure,
go
ahead
and
ask
him
to
confirm
what
you
have.
|
Send your own call frequently
, ideally during every QSO but if not at least once a minute or so. If you hear anyone sending QRZ or CL?, that usually means you are not IDing often enough, and it encourages the frequency kops. Don’t rush it: send your call slowly and carefully every so often. If it is garbled and gets listed wrongly on DXcluster, some of those calling you will log it wrong.
Take
extra
care
logging
when
you
are
either
tired
or
working
flat-out.
Simple
typos
(such
as
entering
an oh
instead
of a
zero)
are
hard
to
spot
by
eye
(although
slashed-zero
fonts
such
as Monaco help in that case). On CW and data modes if not SSB, have your computer send the logged call as part of the exchange, as a sanity check. And if the pileup gets too monstrous or the DQRMers and kops too disruptive, just shift to a new frequency and for a while at least enjoy working genuine DXers who are not totally hooked on their DXcluster dripfeed ...
|
Give
your
callsign
in
full
but
only
once,
then
listen
for a
bit.
On
CW,
use
QSK
if
possible
to
hear
instantly
when
the
DX
comes
back.
On
phone,
use
recognised
phonetics.
Never
give
“last
two”
unless
the
DX is
explicitly
asking
for
it.
If
the
path
is
open
and
the
pileup
is
huge,
giving
your
callsign
more
than
once
without
listening
just
creates
QRM
and
slows
the
DXer’s
rate
down.
If
the
DX
responds
with
part
of
your
callsign
missing
or
incorrect,
give
your
callsign
again,
in
full,
once
and
listen
carefully
in
case
you
are
doubling
with
another
DXer
with
a
similar
callsign
to
yours.
If he
still
can’t
get
your
callsign
correctly,
give
it
twice
and
listen.
Sometimes
it
helps
to s
l o
w
d o w
n a
little
-
savour
the
moment,
you
are
working
DX!
|
Repeat
at
least
the
corrected
part,
if
not
the
entire
call,
of
anyone
whose
call
you
did
not
send
correctly
the
first
time.
Failing
to do
this
leaves
the
DXer
uncertain
whether
the
QSO
was
completed
and
leads
to
additional
but
unnecessary
“insurance”
QSOs.
Get
this
right
and
the
callers
will
love
you.
Get
it
wrong
and
they
will
challenge
your
parenthood,
create
dQRM
on
the
frequency
and
be
somewhat
uncomplimentary
about
you
on
DXcluster
and
DX
reflectors.
Use
all
available
tools
to
focus
on
one
caller
at a
time:
notice
their
tone,
rhythm,
accent,
strength etc.
as
well
as
their
callsign.
Concentrate.
Use
the
filters
and
DSP
if
they
help.
Turn
the
beam
if
you
can.
Keep
your
sending
speed
in
check,
no
matter
how
big
the
buzz
you
are
getting,
as
accuracy
comes
first.
Use
“Farnsworth”
extended
inter-character
gaps
on CW
for
the
slower
callers,
especially
if
they
are
evidently
having
trouble
copying
you.
|
Choose the best times to call the DX.
Be
aware
of
propagation.
Check
the
solar
figures
and
propagation
predictions
(more
advice
further
below).
If
conditions
are
poor
and
the
path
is
not
good
right
now,
hold
on
until
they
improve
and/or
choose
another
band.
Check
any
pre-announced
preferred
frequencies,
or
use
previous
spots
as a
clue.
Meanwhile,
keep
notes
for
yourself
and
look
for
other
DX to
work
-
tune
around
because
rare
DX
stations
often
come
up to
work
DXpeditions
and
some
look
around
the
bands
while
they
are
on.
Remember
it’s
always
best
to
work
and
then
spot
DX
than
to
see
them
spotted
and
join
the
pileups!
|
Be
aware
of,
and
take
advantage
of,
propagation
making the best of short greyline openings, long paths, sporadic E, tropo etc.
Listen hard for weak DX callers
. If
you
hear
or
work
some
DX in
a run
of
routine
QSOs,
put
the
pileup
on
hold
for a
moment
and
call
specifically
for
more
of
the
same
DX to
take
advantage
of
the
opportunity
which
may
be
just
a
brief
opening.
Remember: you are
in
charge.
Avoid
turning
the
pileup
into
a
bun-fight
by
doing
what
you
say:
if
you
say
“Standby
Europe”
(or
“NO
EU”
on CW
and
data),
studiously
ignore
any
and
all
Europeans
who
call
until
you
say
“Europe
go
ahead”
(or
“EU
NW”
or
“CQ
EU”).
|
Operate split.
Find
the
DX
station’s
listening
frequency
by
listening
to
his
instructions
(e.g. “Up five to ten”) and tuning around the pileup to pick out those he is working (“5NN” or “five-niner” reports are a dead giveaway). Set your transmit VFO near but not on the exact same frequency as previous callers. Try to find a clear spot in the direction he is tuning. Even if the DX is working simplex,
shift your TX a bit
using split or XIT.
Moving
as
little
as 50
to
100Hz
up or
down
will
help
the
DX
resolve
your
signal
from
the
brainless
melee
of
zero-beat
callers.
DXing
is an
art,
not a
science.
Repeatedly
sending
your
call
without
any
respect
for
the
DX or
other
callers
may
get
you
blacklisted
and
is
wasting
everybody’s
valuable
time.
Think
about
how
your
signal
will
sound
at
the
far
end,
find
yourself
a
good
spot
to
call
and
call
at
precisely
the
correct
moment.
Use
the
right
tempo
and
pace.
Match
the
DX
for
speed
if
you
can,
otherwise
slow
down.
Sometimes
slowing
right
down
will
give
you
the
edge*.
If
the
pileup
is
massive,
you
stand
a
much
better
chance
of
getting
through
if
you
simply
hunt
for a
clearer
transmit
frequency
within
the
range
the
DX is
patrolling,
and
call
there
patiently.
If
the
DX
says
“up
5 to
10”,
go
for
the
10
not
the
5, or
even
better
7.5kHz
up.
Respect
the
rights
of
other
users
of
the
band,
some
of
whom
are
not
in
the
pileup.
Be
careful
not
to
transmit
on
top
of
another
QSO.
If
you
have
a
dual-RX
rig,
use
the 2nd RX to monitor your TX frequency to make sure it remains clear, and if not move again.
Repeat
after
me
the
DXer’s
mantra:
listen listen
listen!
|
Operate split - always!
Tell
your
callers
what
to
do:
use
“split”
or
“UP”
often.
Give
them
a
clue
about
when
and
when
not
to
call (e.g.
be
consistent
in
your
use
of
“thanks”
or
“TU”).
Help
them
discover
where
to
call,
either
by
saying
something
specific
like
“listening
up
five”
or
“listening
two-fifty
for
North
America”
on
SSB
or
“UP1”
on
CW,
or
being
a bit
more
vague
if
you
need
to
spread
the
pile
out
(“UP”
or
“DN”
work
fine).
Be
considerate
to
other
users
of
the
band
and
be
extra
careful
if it
is
crowded,
for
example
in a
busy
contest
or if
other
DXpeditions
are
active
at
the
same
time.
Don’t
step
on
someone
else’s
toes
by
dumping your pileup
on
top
of
them
- in
other
words,
listen
to
your
chosen
RX
frequency
range before announcing
it.
Restrict
your
pileup’s
bandspread
by
working
within
a
sensible
range
of
frequencies
(e.g.
spread
no
more
than
twenty
kHz
on
SSB,
no
more
than
ten
kHz
on
CW).
Focus
on
callers
who
are
precisely
synchronised
with
you,
as
they
are
evidently
hearing
you
OK.
If
their
timing
is
way
off,
move
swiftly
along:
you’re
wasting
time.
Use
narrow
filters
to
single
out
specific
callers.
Patrol
systematically
through
the
receive
range
when
things
are
quiet
but
be
prepared
to
move
swiftly
through
the
range
when
the
heat
is
on.
Pointedly
ignore
the
alligators,
callers
who
interrupt
QSOs
or
call
blindly
as
they
are
certainly
rude
and
are
probably
not
hearing
you
well
enough
to
make
a QSO
efficiently
anyway.
If
you
decide
to
warn
them,
avoid
giving
their
full
callsigns
as
that
confirms
you
are
hearing
them
and
they
will
just
continue.
If
you
can,
monitor
your
own
TX
frequency
on
the 2nd RX and if you hear anyone calling you there, send “UP” more often [but do NOT work them!!].
NOTE:
even
if
you
have
published
‘preferred
frequencies’,
don’t
stick
to
them
slavishly. DXers will find you wherever you are. DXpeditions
that
have
unwisely
chosen
and
stuck
to
low
band
frequencies
permanently
masked
by
QRM
in
some
parts
of
the
world
have
missed
out
on
QSOs
and
annoyed
DXers
unnecessarily.
Clever
DXpeditioners
nudge
their
TX
frequencies
a few
10s
of HZ
to
dodge
the
idiot
dQRMers,
and
aim
for
frequencies between the
round
100Hz
frequencies
of
DXcluster
spots
(e.g. they
might
transmit
on
say
28010.05
or
.15
rather
than
exactly
28010.1).
|
Double
check
your
rig’s
frequency
display
and
VFO
settings
while
you
transmit
to
make
sure
you
are
actually
operating
split.
Accidentally
or
even
worse
deliberately
transmitting
on
the
DX
stn’s
frequency
is a
no-no,
creates
QRM,
interrupts
his
rhythm
and
raises
everyone’s
blood
pressure.
Don’t
be a
frequency
cop.
Also,
please
try
to
contain
your
enthusiasm:
do
not
shout
and
overdrive
your
rig
as
that
will
make
your
signal
difficult
or
impossible
to
copy
and
will
create
QRM.
Keep
checking
your
ALC
and
compression
meters
and
reset
the
mic
gain
where
necessary!
Listen
carefully
for
other
stations
the
DX is
working
and
try
to
figure
out
his
pattern,
for
instance
is he
working
people
mostly
around
one
specific
frequency,
over
a
small
range,
or
“randomly”
across
the
entire
pileup?
|
Be careful not to link your VFOs.
If
you
don’t
know
how
this
happens,
or
how
to
unlink
them,
read
the
manual
or
ask
someone
who
knows.
It’s
a
common
rookie
mistake,
especially
on
the
K3.
On
any
unfamiliar
rig,
take
a
moment
to
figure
out
how
to
use
the
VFOs,
split
and
XIT/RIT.
Double-check
the
VFO
displays
and
TX/RX
indicators.
[Hint:
if
you
hear
an
unruly
mob
of
pileup
cops
on
your
chosen
RX
frequency
telling
your
callers
to
QSY!
QSY!
UP!
UP!,
there
may
well
be
another
DX
station
using
that
frequency
so
it’s
probably
worth
shifting
your
pileup.
If
you
hear
the
cops
on
your
TX
frequency,
you
either
need
to
say
“UP”
more
often,
or
QSY.]
|
Wait for the right moment to transmit.
Please
do
not
tail-end
other
QSOs
or
call
continuously,
but
wait
for
your
cue
which
is
usually
when
the
DX
says
UP. [Hot
DX
tip:
it
often
helps
to
wait
just
a
second
or
three
longer
if
the
DX is
tuning
around
the
pileup.
Don’t
be
too
hasty
to
call
at exactly the same instant as everyone else!]
|
Maintain a consistent rhythm
to
avoid
encouraging
other
callers
to
call
over
the
top
of
QSOs
in
progress.
Ignore
tail-enders
and,
if
they
are
really
rude,
silently
blacklist
blind
callers
and
dQRMers,
at
least
for a
while.
If
the
QRM
is so
horrendous
you
can
only
pick
out a
partial
call,
send
just
the
partial
to
encourage
that
station
to
try
again,
hoping
that
others
will
wait.
|
When
you
call,
give
your
complete
callsign
just
once,
then
listen
for a
moment
and,
if
the
DX
has
not
come
back
to
someone,
call
again
in
the
same
way.
Everyone
should
be
listening
far
more
than
they
transmit.
|
Listen at least as much as you transmit.
Use your filters etc.
to
the
best
effect
and
make
a
special
effort
to
pick
out
weak
callers,
whether
DX or
QRPers
(ideally
both!).
If
you
hear
a
weak
caller
but
can’t
quite
get
his
call,
try
again.
Persist.
He is
probably
DX,
maybe
QRP,
and
is
trying
hard
to
reach
you.
Take
your
time
to
make
someone’s
day.
|
Listen carefully to what the DX is sending.
Always send your full call.
If
the
DX
sends
X?
and
your
call
does
not
contain
an X,
then
just
stand
by
for a
moment:
they
are almost
certainly not
talking
to
you.
If
the
DX
sends
W3X?
(especially
if
they
repeat
it),
they
are almost certainly not calling K5Xsomething, and certainly not something totally unrelated such as UA9ABC or I5ABC. If you keep on transmitting regardless, you will only prolong the agony for everyone, get a bad reputation and you may even be blacklisted (in order to shut you up, some DX ops may appear to
work
you
without
actually
logging
the
QSO:
don’t
take
the
risk!).
Be nice, people. We all want to play.
|
Repeat
whatever
characters
of a
partial
call
you
are
reasonably
certain
about.
Try
to
avoid
sending
question
mark
- to
lids,
“?”
means
“Go
ahead”!
Focus
on
the
specific
tone
and
rhythm
of
the
caller,
and
persist
doggedly
until
you
get
his
complete
call.
If
you
make
a
genuine
mistake
and
nobody
returns
to
your
first
or
second
offer,
say
something
like
“No
copy,
QRZ”
(or
“NIL
QRZ”
on
CW)
and
return
to
normal
calling.
If
you
are
reasonably
certain
the
caller
had,
say,
“W3X”
in
his
call,
ignore
any
unrelated
callers:
working
them
‘to
get
them
out
of
the
way’
inadvertently
encourages
the
pile
to
ignore
your
instructions.
As a
last
resort,
make
up a
fictitious
full
call
to
complete
your
partial,
have
a
phantom
QSO,
and
move
along.
Don’t
log
it
though!
|
If
you
are
confident
the
DX is
working
you
but
has
made
a
small
mistake
with
your
callsign,
do not give him a report but
repeat
just
your
callsign
,
then
listen
just
in
case
he’s
working
someone
else.
Only give
him a
report
when
he
has
copied
your
callsign
correctly.
If he once again repeats his mistake, send “NO” followed by your callsign once or twice. [Sending someone a report signals that he has your callsign correctly.]
|
If
you
send
someone
a
report
but
they
do
not
respond,
two
things
are
likely:
either
they
cannot
hear
you
(possibly
due
to
QRM
on
your
TX
frequency
from
pileup
kops
and
lids)
or
you
have
made
a
mistake
with
their
callsign.
If
the
station
you
are
working
responds
with
their
callsign
but
does
not
send
you a
report,
listen
extra
carefully
to
the
callsign
in
case
you
made
a
mistake.
Persist
with
them
until
you
get
their
correct
call
and
their
report
(which
is a
clue
that
you
now
have
their
call
OK).
|
If
you
are
uncertain
that
you
completed
a
QSO,
call
again
straight
away.
If you can’t get through to confirm, check the online log if available. Avoid unnecessary duplicate QSOs on the same band and mode, unless you are really not sure that you made the QSO first time around (“insurance QSOs”). Also, do not repeat your callsign if the DX has just sent it correctly, as this sounds like you are making a correction.
|
If
you
hear
someone
you
have
just
worked
immediately
or
soon
after
calling
you
again,
check
your
log
carefully,
repeat
their
call
back
to
them
and
say
something
like
“QSL”
or
“You’re
in
the
log”
to
confirm
and
complete
the
QSO
unambiguously
for
them.
If
you
made
a
mistake
in
the
log,
correct
it,
apologise
and
patiently
confirm
their
full
call
on
air.
To
cut
down
on
insurance
QSOs,
update
your
online
log
as
often
as
you
can,
at
least
daily
if
possible.
Gaps
in
online
logs,
and
realtime
updates
from
places
without
reliable
Internet
connections,
cause
more
grief
than
not
using
online
logs
at
all!
|
If
the
DX
starts
calling
for
QRPers,
exotic
DX or
first
timers,
take
a
short
break
to
allow
them
their
chance.
Go pour yourself a coffee or make a cup of tea. At the very least, turn off your amplifier and turn down the wick. By all means sign /QRP if your license allows this but only if you are running 5 watts or less! Play the game. The DX will return to the pile shortly so rest and be patient. If you like, spend your time checking propagation predictions to find out when would be your best chance to work them.
|
Periodically,
ask
your
pileup
to
QRX
while
you
call
specifically
for
DX
callers,
QRPers
and
anyone
who
hasn’t
worked
you
before
on
any
band/mode
.
Listen
extra
carefully
for
weak
signals
and
ignore
the
alligators
as
best
you
can.
Turn
the
beam
-
make
the
effort.
If a
QRPer,
rare
DX or
first-timer
gets
through,
you
will
be
making
someone’s
day extra special
and
perhaps
teaching
those
alligators
a
lesson
in
humility
and
operating
technique
(some
hope!).
|
If
the
DX is
calling
for a
specific
area
but
you
are
not
in or
near
that
area,
QRX.
The
DX
will
most
probably
return
to
the
pile
shortly
but
give
them
a
chance
to
work
some
real
DX.
This
is
not a
hard-and-fast
rule:
if
you
are
operating
from
a
relatively
rare
QTH (i.e. in the top half of the most wanted lists), or if an unusual opening is in progress, it’s OK to call occasionally and briefly to let the DX know the path is open. However, moderation is the key. If the DX is clearly struggling to keep control of the pile, don’t make things even worse for them. Think first and call reluctantly, if at all, if they are not calling your area.
|
If
you
find
you
are
being
monopolized
by
callers
from
a
given
region,
it is
better
to
ask
them
to
wait (e.g. “NO EU” or “JA QRX”) than to call another specific region, since there may be DX callers waiting for their chance.
If
you
hear
and
work
some
DX
(such
as
long
path
Africans),
ask
the
pile
to
wait
while
you
call
for
more
of
the
same
(“EU
QRX
EU
QRX
AF AF
AF
ONLY
LP”).
Give
the
Africans
a few
minutes
to
round
up
their
DX
pals
and
call
you.
Some
DX
openings
are
very
short
and
the
DX
that
made
it
through
your
pile
has
probably
been
calling
patiently
for
ages.
Stick
to
your
guns:
if
after
saying
AF
ONLY
you
work
anyone
clearly
not
in
AF,
expect
to be
hounded
by
yet
more
rude
and
ignorant
callers.
Ignore
callers
who
only
give
partial
calls
-
they
are
usually
cheeky
queue-jumpers.
If
you
fall
for
their
tricks,
tell
them
very
directly
to
wait
their
turn:
the
rest
of
the
pile
will
silently
thank
you
for
being
firm
and
fair.
|
Send
clearly
- not
too
fast,
not
too
slow
- and
work
on
your
timing.
You
stand
a
much
better
chance
of
getting
through
if
you
synchronize
with
the
DX,
calling
him only when
he is
listening
for
new
callers.
Sometimes,
consciously
delaying
your
call
a bit
makes
a big
difference,
as
does
offsetting
your
transmitter
a few
tens
of Hz
from
most
of
the
pile
who
are
zero-beat
on
the
frequency
spotted
on
the
cluster
(plus
or
minus
their
uncalibrated
VFOs!).
Do
not
call
blindly
or
out
of
turn.
Do
not
send
a
report
unless
the
DX is
calling
you
and
has
sent
your
callsign
correctly.
Do
not
become
a
pileup
kop,
shouting
at
people
on
the
DX
station’s
transmit
frequency.
Most of all, whatever else happens,
stay cool
. If
you
lose
your
temper
and
start
disrupting
the
pileup
or
chastising
other
callers,
you
will
only
inflame
things
and
slow
down
the
rate
for
us
all.
If it
all
gets
too
much
for
you,
take
a
break
to
cool
off.
Go
make
another
cup
of
tea
or
walk
the
dog.
The
DX
will
most
likely
still
be
there
when
you
come
back,
refreshed
and
ready
to
play.
There’s
more
sage
advice
for
pileup
kops
further below.
|
Keep your cool!
For
example,
if
you
get a
partial
callsign
or
suspect
you
might
have
made
an
error, persist doggedly until you are confident enough to complete and finally log the QSO.
Always
be as
clear
as
possible
in
what
you
are
sending
e.g. send “<call> KN KN KN” or ”<call> ONLY!” to indicate that other callers apart from the person you are working should stand by, and
stick
to
your
guns
.
Make
every
effort
to
confirm
full
callsigns,
or at
the
very
least
repeat
the
corrected
suffix
or
prefix.
If
there
is any doubt
about
someone’s
callsign,
immediately
ask
the
caller
to
(re)confirm
and
wait
for
their
response.
Remember, you are in charge.
Keep to a reasonable, even-tempered speed.
Remain
polite
and
gentlemanly
at
all
times.
Thank
the
pileup
for
being
patient
with
you
and
following
your
instructions.
Acknowledge
them
for
standing
by
while
you
complete
a
difficult
QSO.
Encourage
good
behaviour
(e.g. callers
from
the
correct
area
if
you
are
working
geographically)
and
ignore
the
bad
(callers
from
the
wrong
area).
Never
lose
your
temper
on-air.
If you lose your temper and start disrupting the pileup or chastising other callers, you will only inflame things and slow down the rate for us all. If it all gets too much for you, take a break to cool off. Go make another cup of tea or walk the dog. The DX will most likely still be there when you come back, refreshed and ready to play.
|
Remember, everyone, this is only a hobby!
|
Special
pileup
tips
for
digital
DXing in addition to those above
|
Lock
your
RX
frequency
on
the
DX
and
turn
off
all
automatic
tuning
(e.g. AFC and NET in MMTTY). Manually select your TX frequency, lock it or pop it in the memory and for sure don’t touch that VFO if the DX calls you! Keep to a sensible range but look for a
quiet
spot
away
from
the
DX
stn’s
TX
frequency (up to 1 kHz away on PSK, probably more on RTTY) and stay put for a while. If the DX seems to drift off frequency, use the RIT on your rig to keep them in tune rather than moving your VFO or adjusting the receive frequency in software. Don’t forget to listen on your chosen TX frequency and watch the waterfall to make sure it’s still clear.
|
Stick
to
the
preferred
band
segments
for
each
mode,
especially
if
this
is a
condition
of
your
licence.
Avoid
the
beacon
frequencies
and,
of
course,
listen
first to find a clear spot.
Always split.
Never
operate
simplex.
Avoid
listening
too
close
to
your
own
TX
frequency.
Turn off all automatic tuning
and
lock
your
TX
frequency
to avoid wandering across the band. Use suitable filters to pick out individual callers. Remember your responsibility to tune within a limited range to avoid spreading the pileup out too far. If stations are clearly not hearing you well, double check that your TX frequency remains clear and don’t forget to send “UP” or “QSX 14085-6” or similar.
|
Setup
your
digital
mode
software
and
macros
appropriately
.
When
calling
DX in
a
pileup,
give
your
own
callsign
two
or
three
times
and
listen.
It is
not
normally
necessary
to
send
the
DX
callsign.
Get your macros ready e.g. in MMVARI: “$transmit$ $mycall$ $mycall$ $receive$” and “$transmit$ $call$ TU $sentrst$ $mycall$ $receive$” (note: using $sentrst$ lets you send genuine reports from your log)
Make
sure
you
can
actually
copy
the
DX
properly
and
have
his
call
correct
(DXcluster
is
peppered
with
busted
calls).
|
The
worst
thing
for
callers
is
not
knowing
who
got
called
due
to
QRM.
Repeat
a
caller’s
callsign
at
least
twice
and give your own callsign frequently, especially if there are other DXpeditions active at the same time.
Get your macros ready e.g. in MMVARI: “$transmit$ CQ DE $mycall$ $mycall$ UP 1 $receive$” and “$transmit$ $call$ $sentrst$ $call$ $receive$” and “$transmit$ $call$ TU $mycall$ UP $log$ $receive$” (note: the leading and trailing spaces are important for readability)
Be
consistent
and
get
into
the
rhythm
for
more
efficient
QSOs
and
to
reduce
out-of-turn
calling.
|
Use
multi-frequency
decoding
software
if
possible e.g. $multirx$ in MMVARI. Monitor the pileup to identify who is working the DX and so where he is listening. Look for holes in the pileup in which to transmit. Stay well clear of the DX station’s frequency and respect the band limits.
|
Use
multi-frequency
decoding
software
if
possible e.g.
$multirx$
in
MMVARI.
Monitor
the
pileup
to
identify
numerous
callers
simultaneously.
Avoid
working
callers
too
close
to
your
TX
frequency
or
out
of
band,
and
try
not
to
let
your
pileup
spread
too
far
(no
more
than
a few
kHz
please).
|
Do not overdrive your transmitter.
Apart from perhaps overheating and damaging it, your signal will probably become unreadable and create QRM for others. This is especially important if you are using AFSK with tones generated by a PC audio card. Use your rig’s transmit monitor function for a simple but crude quality check. If you have a separate receiver or a monitor scope, listen to/monitor your own data transmissions to check the levels. If not, find a local ham who is willing to help you conduct some tests, or use a web SDR. If you have trouble contacting reasonably strong stations normally, and especially if you receive reports indicating poor quality signals, check those settings again.
|
Look
out
for
well
modulated
signals
and
make
certain
your
own
signal
is
clean.
Do
not
overdrive
your
transmitter
and be careful not to knock the microphone or PC audio level controls once set. It pays to keep a written note of the correct settings. You should really have figured those out before you left home but small adjustments may be needed in the field: ask a local to check the quality and width of your data signal when you first set up, and act on any adverse signal reports.
|
|
* Here is an illustration of some of the techniques in use.
Along with several other ZL DXers, I had been calling K4M (a major-league DXpedition to Midway
Island in 2009) on 40m/CW for some while one ZL evening but was getting nowhere in a huge
pileup, so I consciously and deliberately changed tactics:
-
First, I stopped transmitting for a while, taking a break to
LISTEN
in the pileup for the stations
he was working, trying to figure out his listening pattern. He seemed to be working several
stations at a time on or near one frequency, then spinning the dial randomly: this meant it
was worth me finding someone he was working and calling him on or near that frequency
rather than, say, calling in a quiet spot in the pileup. With him on the main receiver in my left
ear, I tuned through the pileup on the sub-receiver in my right ear, listening hard for the tell
-tale “5NN” of someone actually working him and trying to pick up his rhythm. After a couple
of failed attempts, I caught a JA sending him a report and set my TX frequency right there.
- Next I
turned down my CW sending speed
to try to catch his attention - the idea being to
be still sending my call while others in the pile have finished. This is the reason that stations
signing /M, /P or /QRP so often get through: there’s nothing magic about the suffix, except
that it takes longer to send. This trick also works well if the path is marginal or if the DX has
bad QRN.
-
As soon as he finished with the JA,
at exactly the right moment
, I gave my call just once
and listened. He came right back with a partial call (no QRZ, just part of my call) and I
immediately re-sent my full call once more and listened again. At this point we were perfectly
synchronised, with no need for procedural signals such as K or over, nor the dreaded question
mark that invites all the lids to call too. This time he came straight back with my full, correct
callsign and report, so I sent him 5NN TU, he sent TU K4M UP back real quick and that was
that, another one in the bag, thank you very much.
After trying for ages, the QSO itself took just a few seconds but I had a broad grin on my face all
evening.
If you appreciate this advice and want more of the same, I recommend these excellent guides:
The New DXer’s Handbook by Bryce K7UA
The BIG PICTURE of expedition operating and the direct relationship to Anti-Social Pileup Behavior
podcast by Rick “The Locust” K6VVA
DXpeditioning Basics by Wayne N7NG for ARRL/INDEXA
Ethics and Operating Procedures for the Radio Amateur
by John ON4UN and Mark ON4WW for the IARU
So you want to be a DXer? DXing tips from Jim AA0MZ
Back to quick links
The DX Code of Conduct
I’ve adopted my own personalized version of the DX Code of Conduct:
-
I listen loads more than I transmit. I listen even harder as I get closer to
Honor Roll - more elephant than alligator.
-
When calling someone or CQing, I call briefly and then listen for a
reasonable interval. I don't call continuously, and I don't call at all if the DX is clearly calling
someone else. If I'm not sure, I listen more and transmit reluctantly, leaving more time for
others to call. See 1st bullet!
-
I only call someone if I can copy them sufficiently well to complete a QSO. Until then, I hold
back ... and listen intently.
-
I distrust DXcluster and RBN spots and always make the effort to listen to confirm the DX
callsign myself.
-
In QSO, I send my own callsign frequently, usually on every over even when contesting or
running a pileup. When things get frantic, or if someone successfully tail-ends, or if a pal who
clearly knows its me calls in, I may not ID every single time ... but I try not to make anyone
listening-in wait long to find out who I am.
-
I listen on the frequency before and while transmitting (including while working split) to avoid
causing interference. I never tune up on the DX frequency, in his QSX slot or on top of
another QSO ... in fact, thanks to no-tune amplifiers, I don’t tune up on-air at all.
-
I’m careful to work split whether the DX says “UP” or the pileup is clearly off frequency, and I always listen first. I use a one-button macro to configure my K3 instantly for split.
-
When I’m operating split, I try to keep the pile quite close to my transmit frequency so that
everyone can hear the pile to one side, even if I don’t send “UP” every time. I try hard not to
spread my pile so far that it dominates the band and causes QR .. but I expect callers to listen
first on their transmit frequencies.
-
Hint: if I’m working a CW pile, don't zero-beat with me too accurately. Shift off-frequency a
bit to make it easier for me to differentiate you from other callers. I normally run my RX
filters at about 2.8kHz bandwidth and listen on the HF side of my carrier so there is a good
chance I will copy you if you call on the high side.
-
We all occasionally make mistakes but there are more than enough frequency kops out there.
I certainly don't shout "UP! UP! UP!" like a demented parrot or transmit profanities because I
know that will QRM other, more considerate DXers patiently listening on the side.
-
I won't interrupt a QSO but wait patiently for a contact to end before calling in. On the very
rare occasions that I tail-end to catch a friend, I send my callsign quickly, once, at precisely
the right moment, and listen. I don’t send any more info than absolutely necessary.
-
If you call me while I am still talking to someone else, I am unlikely to contact you, especially if
you are so rude and inconsiderate as to call me at length or repeatedly. Please shut up, be
patient and listen carefully to what I am sending. I normally end my QSOs with “SK” and I try
to remember to send “QRT” or “QSY” before I leave ‘my’ frequency. If the frequency ‘belongs’
to the other station but you want to work me, you might be able to catch my attention by
sliding up ~1kHz and calling me, if the frequency is clear.
-
Before calling CQ, I normally send "QRL?" and listen, by which I mean "Is this frequency
already occupied?" The anticipated response is either complete silence which I take to mean
“All clear: go ahead Gary!” or else "QRL" or "Y" or "R" or "C" or whatever, indicating that the
frequency is indeed busy. Hint:
if you send "QRL" on my frequency without the question
mark, I presume you are telling someone else (who I can't hear) that the frequency
is busy
, hence I will not respond. If you then start CQing, you will probably cause me QRM.
Please don't omit the crucial "?" in "QRL?"!!
-
I hold back if the DX operator calls specific geographical areas other than PAC, OC or VK/ZL,
unless I’m convinced that he really means “CQ not EU” or “CQ not USA” or “CQ not JA”. It is
rare to hear “CQ PACIFIC”, “CQ OC” or “CQ VK/ZL”, so much so that I normally spot anyone
doing so, while I’m calling them, in the hope that other locals will join me in calling the DX.
-
On CW, I routinely use QSK (full break-in) which works extremely well on the K3. Feel free to
drop in your callsign while I am still transmitting a CQ: if I hear someone on my frequency, I
will normally stop transmitting as soon as I notice them. That doesn't always work,
particularly if there is QRM and QRN or if I am deafened by my own echoes, but I do my best.
-
I will normally try to match your CW speed. Send at whatever speed you find comfortable,
from 5 up to about 40 WPM (the edges of my comfort zone). I'll be happy when the speed
pot on my MM3 is finally worn out!
-
When a DX operator calls me, I repeat my callsign if he has copied it incorrectly. I persist
doggedly until I am sure he has my call correct. The rest (including his report) can wait. If the
moves on to the next QSO without confirming my call, I will call again because I hate being
“NIL” (Not In Log).
-
If you call me and I respond but bust your call, repeat your call until I get it right. Just be sure
to listen in case I am in fact working someone else with a similar call to yours.
-
If I send "CE3?" I am explicitly asking the station whose callsign begins with CE3 to call again.
Similarly, if I send “XY” I am listening carefully for the person whose callsign contains that
precise sequence of characters. If your call does not match, then
QRX:
you will get your turn.
If you hear me sending "CE3XY CE3XY CE3XY?? KN", especially if I slow right down as well,
that's a giant clue that I am rapidly losing my patience with rude out-of-turn callers and may
shortly QRT to cool off and regain my composure.
- I hate partials. If you call me, please give your full callsign or I may pointedly ignore you.
Correct identification is a legal requirement in many countries. It is inefficient and annoying to
deal with the ignorant callers who repeatedly send partials at me. Life's too short for partials,
except perhaps when someone has most of my call and requests a fill-in, and even then I
normally repeat the missing bit once or twice and then send my full call for good measure.
-
Outside of contests, if I hear two or more people calling me at the same time, I tend to go for
the weakest ones first in the hope that they might be DX or QRP. In contests, I go for the
snappiest, clearest callers in order to maximize my rate, unless I catch the feint whiff of a new
multiplier.
-
If you run QRP, it's up to you whether you sign "/QRP" (if your license allows it), simply
mention your power in QSO, or don't let on until you send me your QSL card. It's not always
possible, but I may turn down the wick at my end for a two-way QRP QSO although I would
prefer to make the entire QSO on QRP before putting 2xQRP in my log and QSL cards.
-
I enjoy making new friends and I’m thankful for the contacts I make.
I routinely
confirm all of my QSOs within hours via LoTW.
I respond 100% to the cards, ClubLog
OQRS and email requests I receive, although it can take me months. If you want my card, by
all means ask for one during the QSO, email me or make a request on Club Log’s OQRS
facility. Please email me if you feel you have been waiting too long for a requested QSL, or if a
confirmation does not show up on LoTW (maybe I busted your call, or maybe I was working
someone else).
-
I respect my fellow hams and try to earn your respect. If you think I am being inconsiderate,
operating badly, or ignoring legitimate callers, please email me about it, preferably with an MP3
of whatever caught your attention. We can all improve our techniques. Seriously, I welcome
learning opportunities and honest feedback.
Thank you for reading this far. Please encourage others by referring and ideally linking to the DX
Code of Conduct from your QRZ page, your personal website, DXpedition website or other ham
websites. Talk to your pals at the radio club about it. Mention DX-Code.org in DXCluster comments
or on-air. Most of all, don’t let your standards decline to the level of the assorted idiots and
dQRMers. Together, we can make a difference, and best of all, I know it works - check out my
DXCC tally above!
“It’s not wasted time to stand by and
let someone else complete a QSO:
you can learn a lot by listening”
John ZL1BYZ
PS If you are one of those ignorant oafs who rudely and persistently interrupts my QSOs and
ignores my pleas to shut up and wait more patiently, simply click on my nose and I will gladly log
you ...
Back to quick links
Japanese city and gun awards
JARL, the Japanese national radio society, offersan award for working Japanese cities. I stumbled
across this after noticing yet another JA special event station with a weird callsign sending its JCC
number to strings of JA callers on 40m. Google found the JARL page listing those JCC numbers and
with a bit of digging and guesswork, I found this brief page about the JCC award. The basic award
requires QSLs from at least 100 of the nearly 800 current Japanese cities, ignoring the deleted
cities (which I hardly dare ask about).
There is a similar JCG award for working at least 100 of the 396 current guns ... not, not that kind
of gun, a Japanese gun is evidently a “regional congregation of towns and districts”, not unlike the
districts or parishes of G-land I guess, making this award vaguely similar to the dreaded Worked All
Britain award.
JARL’s main English page for all its awards is here.
Back to quick links
HF propagation
On the topband reflector, N7DF noted that changes of the direction in which the interplanetary
magnetic field impinges on earth's magnetic field (known as Bz, apparently) affect propagation on
all the SW bands. The 24 hour and 7-day magnetic data from NOAA did indeed show a correlation
between Bz (the yellow plot) and the outstanding 10m conditions I experienced over the previous
weekend:
Notice the Bz (and Theta and Phi) dips to the negative region on the 13th and again on the 14th
and 16th: these were the very periods when 10m conditions peaked for me. According to N7DF,
the periods of change between Bz+ and Bz- correlate with enhanced LF conditions, while the stable
Bz- periods correlate with enhanced HF conditions.
... Unfortunately, this is yet another lagging indicator that doesn’t help predict when conditions will
peak. But still, it’s an interesting aside.
Likewise with the Space Weather Overview image from NOAA:
Those yellow peaks on the X-ray chart were flares, while the red, orange and yellow bars on the
geomagnetic chart reflect a Coronal Mass Ejection from the sun that sent the A- index to about
100, generating auroras and all but wiping out HF propagation (and the FOC BWQP contest ) for a
day or so. The few DX signals I could hear on 15, 20 and 40m were weak, and my kW evidently
wasn’t enough to reach most of them on CW ... but I did contact ZG2TT on 15m using FT8 with
200 watts out to my 5 ele monobander beaming due East, receiving a -14 dB report.
NOAA’s D-RAP page shows when HF conditions are lousy due to heavy absorption caused by solar
flares. Bright green, yellow or red areas on the map mean weak or inaudible signals on the high
bands, whereas normally all we see is dark colours meaning daytime D-layer absorption on the low
bands. Fade-outs due to solar flares (as in the example below) can last just a few minutes up to
several hours. Click the static image to visit the live NOAA page which refreshes periodically:
The plot above was a few minutes after a flare wiped out 5X0NH’s signal on 17m: both short and
long path between ZL and 5X pass through the polar regions where the orange and red shading
indicates significant HF absorption.
Operating single-band on 15m in the 2012 WPX CW contest gave me the chance to study the way
the paths change with propagation. Towards dawn and dusk, DX signals from the Far Side often
appear at strange angles of azimuth (e.g. UK stations that are normally worked by beaming due
North or South can be strongest to our East or West, and at other times I had some good runs
while beaming at the South Pole) but the mystery is solved by looking the great circle map: the
grey line between night and day snakes its way around the world giving those odd angles as it
passes either end and, usually, give substantially stronger signals for a while.
I’m fascinated by long path openings, not least because they offer a way to work DX stations that
struggle via short path due to local terrain and QRM. It’s quite a buzz to break through a US pileup
working an African station via their SP, since my LP to Africa passes over North America: all I need
is for the African to hear my weak fluttery “DXey” signal as it pops up at just the right moment
between the stronger US SP signals in their pileup, and for the US guys to give me a break, which
mostly they do. I’m trying hard to train myself to pay more attention for LP callers in my own
pileups too, so please don’t give up too easily if you are calling me on your LP though my SP pile.
Lately I’ve been enjoying greyline propagation on 80 and 40m. The greyline peak within a few
minutes of sunset and sunrise is quite noticeable on 80m, provided the QRN is low enough to
differentiate signals from noise. Here is a website displaying lightning strikes:
Lightning in the Tasman Sea puts the QRN crashes above S9 on 80m. Usually, the 80m noise floor
reads about S4 on my K3 using the fullwave wire loop antenna. I’m not sure why it is so high -
computer crud from the shack, I guess. More investigation required.
Back to quick links
CQ Magazine’s annual DX Marathon
CQ Magazine's DX Marathon is a DXers’ competition to work the most DXCC countries plus extras
(such as the Shetland Islands and Kosovo) and CQ zones during the calendar year.
Here's how to prepare and submit your entry for the 2019 event, step-by-step:
-
Extract and save your complete 2019 log as an ADIF file.
-
Download the official spreadsheet from the CQ DX Marathon website and save it somewhere
handy.
-
Download the DX Marathon scoring utility by Jim AD1C (tnx Jim, what a star!).
-
Install and run the DX Marathon utility. Enter the station info, then point it at the ADIF log from
step 1 and the spreadsheet from step 2. It hunts for all the CQ zones and countries in your
log and magically completes the spreadsheet for you.
-
Check the spreadsheet manually for errors such as busted calls and zones. The notes on the
DX Marathon website are very helpful, including many busted DXcluster spots (you always
double-check a spotted DX station’s callsign before logging him, right?).
-
Add some soapbox notes and save the spreadsheet.
-
Send the spreadsheet as an email attachment to Scores@DXmarathon.com before the
deadline (January 10
th
2021).
-
Check the inbox for a confirmation email that the entry has been received.
- IMPORTANT:
double-check that the entry is shown on the list of entrants at the DX
Marathon website. [My 2015 log was submitted and confirmed by email but mysteriously
disappeared from the entrants’ list due to gremlins in the system. Luckily it was found ... and I
won the Oceania plaque.]
-
Take note of any feedback from the contest adjudicator such as apparently invalid claimed
countries or zones (usually zone 2) and fix them if you can before the dealine.
-
Wait patiently for the results. Logs in the running for top honours are thoroughly checked: I
know because John K9CT found a ZB pirate in my 2016 log.
This year’s event started on January 1st, so if you are DX, don’t be surprised if I call you on several
bands having already worked you in previous years! Likewise, I’m happy for others to call me at
least once per band and mode per year - well as often as you like really. If I’m not busy, let’s have
a chat. If I’m running a pileup or contesting, please don’t be offended if I exchange a brief greeting
and quickly return to the waiting pile.
By the way, although CQ Mag offers us no way to track our performance during the year, the
CDXC DX Marathon Challenge and league tables on Club Log are a useful substitute, highly
motivating.
Back to quick links
Configuring VE7CC’s CC User utility to connect to multiple
DXclusters
Using Lee VE7CC's CC User program to connect to your favourite DXclusters beats connecting
directly for several good reasons, such as:
-
Auto-reconnect - if the link drops, it logs you back in
-
Easier filtering - point-n-click configuration of the DXcluster filters for bands etc.
-
Sort spots by band, frequency etc.
-
Read announcements, cluster mail etc.
-
Merge spots from multiple DXclusters: connecting simultaneously to more than one DXcluster
node with CC User is useful to maintain a feed even if individual cluster nodes drop out or get
bogged down, and to merge spot feeds from different sources e.g. the members-only spots
received from a private cluster plus general spots from a public cluster.
The default list of DXclusters in CC User does not include every single one. Paul (G4BKI) maintains a comprehensive list of DXclusters accessible via Telnet.
Here’s how to configure CC User to connect to an unlisted cluster, the CDXC private (members
-only) cluster in this case:
-
On the top line menu, select
Configuration
--> Cluster (telnet)
-
Into the (normally empty) node box, type
CDXC
, then click Add
[Note: it is also possible to
add another DXcluster address to the default node data file, but if you later select the 'Update
node list' option on this screen, your changes will be overwritten when the software re
-downloads the default node data file from the WWW. So basically, don't bother.]
-
Into the address field, type
cluster.cdxc.org.uk
(or the Telnet address for another cluster)
-
Into the port field, type
7300
(the most common port, although some - particularly CC
nodes - use 7373 etc.)
- Click
Apply
to tell the software you intend to connect to the CDXC cluster
- Click
Exit
-
On the top line menu, select
Configuration
--> User info
-
Enter your CDXC cluster login ID and password
(obtained from CDXC) and optionally
complete the rest of this panel with the appropriate info for your location, home node etc.
- Click
OK
to save it
-
If you are currently connected to another cluster node, click the
Disconnect
box next to the
node name at the top of the screen
- Click
Connect
to tell CC User to make a Telnet connection to the address entered in steps 3
& 4 and then submit your username and password entered in step 8 to log you in, and that
should have you connected to the CDXC cluster.
-
Optionally set up the cluster info, band filters etc. using the
Settings
, Bands
and other tabs in
CC User then click Tell Cluster to let the new node know about them.
VE7CC’s DXcluster node and CC User software has the option to deliver CW Skimmer spots from
the Reverse Beacon Network. Skimmer spots show up when someone starts CQing on CW or
RTTY, often before they are spotted by a human being. Personally, I like the fact that RBN spots
everyone, not just “DX” - ordinary hams CQing, not just those with rare or exotic calls - so I have
filled many ordinary band/mode slots for the CQ DX Marathon and caught up with non-DX friends
that probably would not have been spotted, so I would otherwise have missed them unless I
happened to be tuning past at the right moment. There are some disadvantages to RBN though,
primarily busted spots ... but to be fair busted spots turn up on DXcluster too.
Logger32 can also collate spots from two different clusters - simply connect to the respective
clusters from the Telnet and Local host tabs in the cluster window.
<Aside> To those who decry the use of all this technology: oh please, give it a break! Just
because you prefer to hunt your DX “the hard way” doesn’t give you the right to complain about
how others do it. We don’t constantly moan at you for being behind the times, it’s entirely up to
you what technologies you do or do not choose to use. You may not know which end of a
soldering iron to hold but you do at least operate a radio, don’t you? Isn’t that “technology”?
Personally, I’m all in favour of hams continuing to push the technology envelope and share their
creativity, time and knowledge so generously with their fellow hams. It’s all part of the ham spirit to
me. YMMV. </Aside>
Back to quick links
To hear really well, you need to be really really quiet.
Banish switch-mode power supplies. Scrap those nasty
plasma TVs and noisy CRT displays. Hunt down and
eliminate computer QRM. Then, when you’ve cleaned up
the neighbours, go home and re-check yours yet again.
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