Best DX?

[KI4PRK]

Hey all: I've been wondering for a while what would happen if I made a post like this and I guess I'm about to find out...
Far and away my best was VU7RG. I literally had every last fiber of my body into contacting this rare entity with my 100W/Dipole. I was chasing a spot for a C9 one day on 20CW and the C9 went QRT. I tuned around a bit, heard an HZ calling CQ (a new one then) and nailed him. Otherwise the band seemed dead. So I flipped up to 20 SSB (something I rarely do as a CQ lover). I tuned around and heard a female voice... "Okay the K9 you're 59".... "QSL 73 QRZed 5 up" and so on. Then I heard "Okay 73 and good luck QRZed now this is Victor Uniform Seven Radio Golf 5 up"! Hot Dog! I flipped up 5 and called, but missed. And then... "Okay, who's the YL?" (being 13 I'm sometimes mistaken for a YL :P) I called twice and held my breath... my heart stopped... Yessss! Got 'em! I logged the QSO and yelled out. Scared my brother half to death!
Looking forwards to hearing other Hams DX stories! 73, de Brennen KI4PRK age 13 http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[AF6HA]

Brennen,

CONGRATS! #Keep up the "good work"!

Operating 17 Meters from my own station (TS-430S barefoot and a random wire antenna), my most-distant contact was an operator in Puerto Rico. #After trying for almost two hours one day to bust through a pileup in Alaska, I tuned around and answered a call I didn't recognize, and it turned out to be Carlos, W4PU, my most-distant logged in the month I've been operating HF.

Operating 20 meters from NI6IW on 20 Oct, I "worked" an operator from Jakarta, Indonesia. #This was from an TS-850S barefoot and a standard Navy 30-35 ft whip off the coast of an aircraft carrier.

It will be interesting to see where other operators have worked, and under what conditions. #You have a great start to a promising post!

[k0cmh]

Others here have heard this before, but I will repeat the short version for you.

In the middle of a major SSB contest, I was up near the top of 20 meters and found a quite spot or two. #I heard a fellow calling a US callsign and though I could have a nice states-side qso in the middle of this contest.

It turned out the guy was a South African calling for a regular sched he had with a friend in the US. #He could not contact his friend, so he chatted with me. #But in about one minute they found us and the gap between our keying was filled with people yelling their callsigns.

We signed off and I had him in the log. #He signed off with "station closing".

[ab9lz]

It was with Gary (a regular zedder) in the Canary Islands with a freshly minted homebrew QRP rig. Really a pile of circuit boards and wire, no case yet. Anyway I had just done a final alignment, it was still hooked up to the o-scope, and figured I'd tune around a bit. There was a phone contest on 40m with guys doing SSB all the way down to 7020. I heard a CU CQ come through the chatter on 7030 and responded, he barely copied me, but we were successful in exchanging names and rst... the whole time hoping I wasn't going to knock any of the many alligator jumpers loose.

That little radio got off to a fine start.

73 m/4

[kn4ds]

So far? 5H3EE in Tanzania this past weekend... 10 watts into a 40 meter dipole, but I was operating on 15 meters... not what one would expect to get much DX with.

Either that or R0MIR, the Russian Mir space station... that was back in 1995... on my homemade 1/4 wave ground plane on 2 meters... I had it hung from a string in a tree... and I thought I'd try a packet connect with the TNC aboard the station... so I got all set, had the tracking program running and knew it was about time to start hearing the packet bursts.... but I heard voices instead...

So I unplugged the TNC and plugged the mic back in (only had one radio at the time) and started calling R0MIR... eventually I heard "station in Milledgeville, Georgia, didn't get your call, but go ahead.." and then he did get my call...

Those are two... terrestrial would be the Tanzania station, space would Mir. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[n0nwo]

My favorites are not the ones consisting of an RST exchange and 73. Although in that category, the two most memorable were working Korea on 20m one morning before leaving for work (on the wrong antenna) and a Russian scientific station in Antarctica on 20m around 2:00 in the morning.

My most favorite rag chew DX contact was a gent in England, we talked for an hour because we had so much in common.

Minton

[kb9bit]

A couple of nice ones come to mind: Kerguelen Is., Peter I I., Vanuatu, Clipperton Is., Swain's Is. #But these were major DXpeditions and pretty easy even with my 100w and low Windom.

One of my all time faves was from a few years back. On 4th of July evening of 2005, I decided to jump on the radio before heading off to bed. #The band was quiet but while tuning around I heard 3B9FR, Rodriguez Is. calling CQ. #I called him and got him first time. #The fact this was an unexpected rare and new one was the coolest thing about the contact. #I have not heard him since. #I did get a QSL for that one about three months later.

I also worked 5R8GZ from Madagascar that same night and also worked 3B8CF while I was running 5w QRP.

I still have about 125 more entities to work before I get them all. #That absolute best DX contact ever is probably in that 125 somewhere!! #That's why I enjoy this hobby as much as I do!

[kl7aj]

On the DAY they gave us Novices 10 meters, I worked Netherlands Antilles. No big deal now, but it was magical then with my lil ol' Johnson Aventurer and a random hunk of wire!

erid

[ky5u]

International Space Station 2 weeks after I got my ticket. I was mobile going 65MPH down I-10 between Mobile and Pensacola. they were talking to a school and asked for any questions. There were none so they asked for questions from any amateurs listening. I asked one and they acknowledged and answered it. Have the spiffy QSL.

Other interesting contacts: Japanese science station at Anartica (CW), British Royal Navy (SSB), QRP station in African Jungle three days in a row (CW), USS Missouri on Pearl Harbour Day (CW), CIA (CW), 5th grade class in Pittsburg area (SSB), a couple freighters in the Atlantic, the Radiomarine facility in Bolinas (CW), and many many more.

My "want" list includes the Milton Keynes ARC in Bletchley Park.

[KA4DPO]

They have all been pretty good, I don't remember anymore.

[N8UZE]

I would have to classify my 1993 contact with Descheo Is. as my best DX. I was quite a new ham (May of 1992) and had upgraded to Extra a couple of months before the DXpedition. This was back when it took 3 months to process the upgrade and get the new license so I was still signing /AE to operate on the Extra frequencies. This DXpedition was down in the Extra portion. At the time, I did not realize the rarity of this entity. However, despite the pileup, the operator took time to congratulate me on the upgrade. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[K3VR]

I've worked all over the world, but my most surprising contact was breaking a pile up to an op in Turkey this summer while using my barefoot IC-706MKIIG mobile into a 20m hamstick. He gave me his "5/9 big signal from the mobile Brian" and I just laughed. Mother Nature... go figure!

[w3wn]

1982. Working 10 meters as a newly minted General with an HT-37, SB-301, Dentron Jr. Tuner, and about 100' or so of a long wire that went out the window, down to a tree, took a left hand turn through some other trees, and ended up pointing south.

Calling CQ on 28.540 with a whoppin' 70 watts output. Just got done talking with NP4CF when a weak station called me.

5W1DM.

Totally floored me... but boy, as weak as the signal was, he was fun to work! Had a very nice short ragchew. Then NP4CF (who obviously was standing by) asked to work him... and then the pile-up started.

Somehow working VQ9EF on the band later that day was almost anti-climactic.

About the next closest one was the day (about the same era) I was operating one of the contest stations at K3HKK and worked C6ACY on 100 Watts. What's unusual about that? K3HKK was in the ARRL VHF contest, and I worked him with on 6 meters SSB on an old SB-110A. Oh, if only 6 had been available to as many then as it is now, because the band was OPEN!

73

[W0BKR]

Well, mine was some years ago now with S79WHW (sk). I worked Bill who was a transplant from England to Seychelles and he mentioned in our QSO how he missed fruit pies, etc. being where he lived, etc.

I went to a store and bought some canned pie fillings and had them shipped to him.

Some months later, I ran across him on the bands and we chatted and lo and behold, he had received my parcel just days earlier, just in time for his birthday that coming week. Made me feel really good to hear him rant and rave about how good it tasted to have a "fresh" peach pie, etc. I felt good that I did something nice for someone.

I was sorry to see his passing some time ago. He was a really nice guy and great op.

[N2RJ]

Best ever? Gee, I dunno... I think NH2MS. 75w into a tribander beaming longpath (into 9Y).

Best recently? C52C on 40m, where I literally cleared the pileup.

[W2BBQ]

Japan and Africa with low power and vertical antennas and low power on phone on 11 meters before becoming a ham. Also N. Ireland on 11m with 12watts mobile.

[ks4du]

AH8A, Bill, in Pago Pago American Samoa on cw. I was running 1 watt to a dipole from South Carolina.

[KC7UP]

For me it also was Descheo Isl. in 1981 as a new general class and the call sign then KP2. He was calling on an expedition but no one was answering so we chatted for 5 minutes.
Curt

[kj3n]

There's been quite a few over the years:

The two hour long 10m packet QSO with a French station. We talked about everything under the sun, including the snow storms that hit his area earlier that year. This was early 90s.

W0AV in Kansas City, MO on 2m SSB with 100 watts and an 8 element beam only 25 feet above ground. This was somewhere between 1999 and 2001.

Oman and Qatar on 20m with 100 watts and an R-5 vertical (on an 8-foot pole) back in 2001 or 2002.

Laos on 15m with 100 watts and an 80m loop @ 35 feet back in 2003 or 2004.

South Africa, Iceland, Hawaii, Greece, and Greenland on 75m phone last year.


This year there have been several "best" moments:

Japan, Australia, Crete, N8S and 3B7C on 75m phone. This was while in persuit of an "unofficial" DXCC on 75m phone.

VU7RG on 17m. Never thought I would even hear them, let alone work them.

C50C on 160m, 80m, 40m, and 15m during CQ WW this past weekend.

CN2R and VP6I also on 160m during CQ WW.

ZD7X (thanks, Tom) on 15m with 100 watts and a 40m wire vertical during CQ WW (as KS3D).


I'm sure there will be others in time. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[kq9j]

JH1WIX using an HW-16 with 75 watts into an indoor dipole when I was a novice (straight key and all) in 1972.

After that, years later, the Russian Station on Antarctica.

Mongolia was cool too but man I have a hard time with any southeast Asia. Never have gotten Vietnam, or Korea, or Thailand.

[KC4RAN]

JY1 on 10 meters.

If there's one card I want to find again in my boxes and boxes of moved-too-many-times-to-count stuff... that's the one.

[AA0CX]

Molgolia. On 20 meter CW, using about 100 watts into my downspout-rain gutter antenna. This was on the IC-756.

New Zealand recently on 40 meter CW, using my Hallicrafters HT32B running about 50 watts and my Halli SX-111 Rcvr.

But you know, any DX is good DX! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[k0dxc]

My most rare dx was probably when I broke the 3b7c pileup CW. I am also 13.

[KU0DM]

hmmm...Slovenia, Serbia, or Slovak Rep. on 15
Not THAT rare, but the fact it was on 15 is pretty cool
13 yrs old and EXTRA!
Extra cool that is... http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[KU0DM]

or Somalia on 20

[Kb2RVL]

Or Pakistan on 15m Mobile

[K9STH]

KC4USB at Marie Byrd Land in Antarctica when I was a Novice Class in the summer of 1959 on 15 meter CW. I called CQ and the Antarctic station answered me. Just as soon as I signed with the station the telephone rang. It was a local W9 who ran a lot of phone patches for the staff at the research station and who just happened to be one of their QSL managers. He told me that he had been listening and that my QSL card was ready to be "picked up".

This was my first "real" DX. Now I had worked Canada a number of times but it was less than 200 miles from my location in northwestern Indiana to Ontario and it was almost 300 miles to the southern boundry of the state (Kentucky state line). I was not old enough to have a driver's license so I got on my bicycle and rode the 2 miles to the W9's house to get the QSL card. It took about 15 minutes from the time when I signed with KC4USB until I had the QSL in my hands.

I know that there have probably been even faster time frames between a contact with a DX station and getting the QSL card. However, I definitely believe that the time it took for me to get the card is definitely in the top 0.01 percent!

Glen, K9STH

[WA6MHZ]

On HF, it would have to be my Mobile contact with VU2 driving through downtown El Cajon a few years back. Now THATS DX!!! Also worked a Pakistan station mobile!! Won't see any contacts like that again for another 10 years!!


But my best DX Contact was not on HF, but on 2 meters. Here in Crest, I worked KH6HME with armchair copy sigs as a duct came in real well last year. We tried on 432 and would have made it but I had a rotator "failure" which meant the antenna was pointing about 90 degrees off. Rats!

But that probably still can't come close to the best DX of all on 10 Ghz. Using only a small horn and 10 milliwatts from a gunnplexer, I worked a station in Baldwin Hills (north of LA, well over 150 miles!) from Mt Soledad, La Jolla. Remember, this is like a Radar detector! Of course, he had a dish on his end!

But if I were to single out a DX contact that left a lifetime of memory on me, it would be from Chicago to Milwaukee, well over 100 miles, using a Heathkit Twoer to another Heathkit Twoer both with coathangers in the coax socket sitting on the radio station tables!!! Twoers were good for a watt at best. And then there was the time I worked W6ABN in Anaheim on 6 meters from Chicago using my Knightkit TR-106. He was on SSB and couldn't hear my AM signal, but then I called him on CW and had a good contact. OH, I had no key, I used the mike PTT switch to switch on and off the AM carrier to work him. VERY slow speed CW! But it confirmed California for me!

[K0RGR]

Not the rarest DX, but one of the most interesting was on 20 meters late one afternoon. I was ragchewing with a KL7 when a KC4 from Antarctica broke in. That was a 'bipolar' QSO.

Also, definitely not the rarest DX, but the night that Apollo 11 landed, I worked a UA0 station in Siberia. Normally, in those days, Russians weren't allowed to say much on the air. The exchange rarely got beyond RST, QTH, Name, 73 QSL via Buro. But this night, the Russian said something unexpected: " Congrats on Apollo". There was a lot of speculation that the Russians hadn't told their people about it, but I knew then that they knew - at least some of them did.

[AA0CX]

I forgot about a 10 meter ssb contact while I was mobile south of Fargo running 25 watts with Vlad, UA0FF (Sakhalin Island). He was calling CQ and I came back to him. Got a nice solid 5-9. What a rush! http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[n3ef]

C31CT Sept. 29, 2007 One of the smallest countries, Andorra, in the world with an interesting and unique history. I was always pretty good with geography, but never even knew this place existed. A country between Spain and France...never heard of it before.

Eric N3EF

[wa4dou]

The most exciting dx I've ever worked was KL7, KG6, and ZL on 6 meters. Thats Alaska, Guam and New Zealand. The longer you have to wait and the more difficult the likelihood of working it, the more likely it will be thrilling when/if it happens. I still need KL7 on 160 and KH6 on 6 for WAS.

[ks4du]

Quote[/b] (wa4dou @ Nov. 01 2007,18:40)]The most exciting dx I've ever worked was KL7, KG6, and ZL on 6 meters. Thats Alaska, Guam and New Zealand. The longer you have to wait and the more difficult the likelihood of working it, the more likely it will be thrilling when/if it happens. I still need KL7 on 160 and KH6 on 6 for WAS.
What a slap in the face! I was sure you'd say it was working me in QRP ARCI contest two weeks ago http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[NN3W]

Bouvet - 3Y5X - during the 1990 expedition (when I lived in San Diego). #This was probably the worst DXpedition I've ever had to deal with in terms of jamming, LIDs, folks calling on the wrong VFO, dead keying, feedback, the Woodpecker, etc. #The DXpedition ops were fine, but the behavior of the DX chasers was beyond belief. #And, shockingly, this was BEFORE the major DX Packet clusters went worldwide. #

It was one of the first nights the boys were on 75 meters and the pileup had just begun. #The pile was HUGE with every major Left coast big gun in the hunt.

I took my 700 watts and my G5RV down about 3 KHz and called once. #Bingo!

Literally fell out of my chair.

[AG3Y]

When I was the Chief Engineer at a local FM station, I used to take my HF rig up to the transmitter site on top of a mountain to the west of the city and get a short time of operating in after I finished maintenance on the commercial rig, and before it came on the air.

One of those early mornings, I hooked my rig up to a little ground-plane antenna that I strung into a small tree just outside the transmitter building. Interestingly enough I heard a couple of stations with strong Aussie accents talking to one another, just in "ragchew mode". I broke into the QSO during one of their "overs" and gave them a signal report. In returning back to me, one of the gents asked me what kind of power and antenna I was running. He about fell out of his chair when I told him I was at 100 watts with a ground plane! He said, "well, you certainly should market that antenna, because you have the strongest signal from the states I have ever heard!"

Not bad for an antenna that was about 5 feet off the ground! Of course, the fact that the FM station and my ham rig was on the top of a knife-edge mountain at about a 1000 feet altitude certainly didn't hurt my take-off angle !

73, Jim http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

[k8jd]

I'm not sure what is exactly the farthest , but I once worked a ship off the shore of Antartica on 40 CW.
I think some of the DX I have stumbled onto in exotic places is more interesting, like Norfolk island near Australia, or Kuwait,or St.Helena island off the West African coast. Even Pitcarin Island of #"Mutiny on the Bounty" fame. Some of those answered my CQ, I never call CQDX ! #Not bad since I don't have an antenna that works very well on 20 M or one that works at all on 17 or 15 M, the so-called DX bands !!!
I actually enjoy a rag chew on 160 or 80 M CW more than the DXing !. #
Recently (2 years ago)I worked New Zeland on the "dead" ten meter band with my RadioShack HTX 10 with 25 Watts!http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[VE1IDX]

So far I guess my best DX was when I worked the 3B9C dxpedition on Rodrigues Island from the mobile.I was using 100 watts and a Hamstick on 20m at the time. The best part was doing it via longpath at the time. It was in the morning on my way to work and I heard him calling North America and the Pacific via longpath. There were no takers.I got him on the second call.

[k8jd]

Someone, earlier in the thread, mentioned wanting to work Viet-Nam.....After the year I spent there, I don't think I would ever want to talk to anyone there again !http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/sad.gif

[k2gsp]

Best so far was KH8/KK6H in American Somoa from WC Florida on 20m.

[KC7YPJ]

tossup between my first dx wh6wi and kh7y (kure island) huge pileup and I got in on the 2nd try with 100w and a wire antenna

non dx I would go with a 3 way tie on w9ims for the 3 races, w2w baltimore md historical electronics museum event station, and w5kid

[NN4RH]

Hard to say which DX contact was "best" but several stand out -

My very first DX contact was with a YV5 on 15m CW. Not exotic at all but I remember being nervous as all heck when I answered his CQ and he actually came back to me!

My very last contact before I upgraded to Extra. One night I was just calling CQ and tuning around a "dead" 15m band, when an RA9 answered me. We had a very enjoyable 30 minute CW ragchew before he got spotted and our QSO got buldozed under in the QRM from rude power DXers calling him on top of me.

And the third was one morning as I was having my coffee, just tuning around 30m not expecting to hear much at that time of the morning, when I came across VQ9LA loud and clear calling CQ and nobody answering. But I knew it was only a matter a time before he got buried in a pileup. I gave a quick call - didn't even pause to tune up or check my power level or anything - made the contact, and literally a second or two after I signed the pileup was all over him.

So I'm a big believer in calling CQ and tuning around bands that are supposedly "dead".

[kx8c]

Quote[/b] (KI4SXC @ Nov. 01 2007,23:54)]Best so far was KH8/KK6H in American Somoa from WC Florida on 20m.
SXC same here. 1am local time, couldn't sleep, worked him on the third call. Very strong signal, too.

Most amusing 'DX' was working a TX station on 40m, which shouldn't be a big deal. But when I walked outside 15 minutes later I discovered my antenna was on the ground.

[ZD7X]

Nothing really stands out. I have worked the same ones that anyone else who has worked 255+ countries has.

The guys who can honestly comment about this thread are the amateurs who have worked 320+ countries. That takes a lot of skill, hours on the radio & just plain being at the right place at the right time.


Tom ZD7X

[k5jyd]

Trying out a 5 watt qrp rig with a 33 foot end fed wire on 20m that ran from a cloths line in the back yard up to the roof, I had a qso with a station in Japan (on cw of course) .The rig ( a mfj 9020 ) was on the picnic table in the yard powered by a 7amp hr gel cell.The key was an old j 38. That was an unexpected thrill. K5jyd in Texas

[w1vt]

When I went to school I got to play with a Hygain 204B monobander at 100 feet. #I could call CQ on a dead band and get rare DX to come back--one night VK0JS on Heard Island answered my CQ!

I finished up my 2xQRP WAS by working WB6FZH/KH6 on 20M CW--we were both running verticals! My vertical was made out of hookup wire--it hung from a tree to my 2nd floor apartment window.

[K1VSK]

the best Dx contact is the last country you need...

[KI4ITV]

My personal favorite was Pitcairn Is. on 20m. #
I was casually spinning through the band and answered a CQ as he came on the band. #We had a much longer than usual QSO for dx and when we signed the Pile-up was on full blast.
What timing...I would have never made it through that pile until it thinned out quite a bit.
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
Like I said, not the most distant DX, But definitely a favorite contact.

[wz9o]

Topic: Best DX?


Any DX that doesn’t get jammed by the bagchewers or netaholics!!!!
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mad.gif

[A71AN]

2X japanies station on mobile while driving, one after another in a matter of 2 monts and with great reposrts.

[KI4ODO]

My three best were Israel on 20m phone, Toratonga island (sp) same band, and my first CW DX witch was Italy.

I think I have that island name right. I'm at work without my log. It's a small island south of Tonga.

[WS2L]

Sometime in the late 1980's I worked Japan on 10 meters running 500mw

[KI4ITV]

Quote[/b] (KI4ODO @ Nov. 03 2007,04:13)]My three best were Israel on 20m phone, Toratonga island (sp) same band, and my first CW DX witch was Italy.

I think I have that island name right. I'm at work without my log. It's a small island south of Tonga.
DX Witch.
Thanks! #I can't wait to use that one in casual conversation somewhere. #
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif
You also reminded me of working psk31 on 30m one evening when an Israel station's CQ softly faded in long enough for a short QSO before drifting away into the noise again. #A gift from the god of propagation.
http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[KD4IFB]

lets see.. Australia, 20M wire dipole approx. 30' high, no external power using a Yaesu FT-101EX...approx.70 watts..I didnt think Id ever make it the pile up was so bad.. But timeing is everything, and it eventually paid off.. The next one was to Israel, I was waiting for a gentleman to end his contact with the station in Israel.. I never made the contact due to the Bomb sirens going off there and he had to shut things down and go to his basement. He quickly sighned and then was gone.. It was a real dramatic event . You could hear the sirens and his family yelling histarically... Never heard from him again... Hope alls well there!!

[KG6YTZ]

Alaska and Florida on 11m SSB mobile, years ago. I think the Florida contact was better because it was from inside a parking structure with the antenna folded down almost horizontal on a gutter mount. Alaska was during the summer near the top of the last cycle, when I probably could've made the contact on a wet noodle. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[A71AN]

I remember some times in 1995, heard some stations on 28MHZ taking non English on FM mood, I dropped my call sign and there were many Japanies stations calling me, I had a great pile up and it was great audio on FM, Japan is so far away from Qatar, but there signals was on full scale.

[aa3re]

South Carolina on 900mhz from SE Pennsylvania with 50 watts. S9+ signals. Can't do that everyday, with or without sunspots. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[N5PVL]

Back in the 80's in Dallas, Texas I tried out my buddy's 1.5 watt 2m HT on simplex and ended up having a nice QSO with a ham operating mobile in Ohio. After two or three minutes the magic went away and the Ohio station drifted into the noise.

[KI4PRK]

Wow, this was even better than I thought! The two things I've noticed are: 1) lot's of people seem to agree with the "tune the dead band" theory. I nailed 5T5DY this way on 15M at the bottom of the cycle... 2) A lot of people's favorite QSO's have been when rare DX answers their CQ's. I have had two like this. The first was when I was calling CQ on PSK31 with 3 watts on 17m and YW0DX answered my CQ! I'd just gotten them on same band/mode the same day, but I'm glad I have them on QRP http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif My other one was even better... Try calling CQ at 10 o'clock local time on 20M and you're the only signal on the band... Do you expect anybody to come back? No. Boy was I surprised when 9U0Z came back! 73, de Brennen KI4PRK

[KS4VT]

I don't do a lot of DX but one afternoon I stumbled upon XF2K on Larga Island Mexico on 20M. #I don't know if I was his intial contact on a new freq. but after we got done swapping info the pile-up started. #Glad I got in early. #http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

I'll add that my HF antennas are in my attic and I typicially operate with less than 50 watts.

[VE3EN]

3Y0C Bouvet Island on 10m, D68C Comoros on 10m FM, 4W6MM East Timor on 10m, E30NA Eritrea on 10m, JD1BCK Minami Torishima on 10m, AY1ZA South Orkney Island on 10m, H44AT Soloman Islands on 10m and JX3EX Jan Mayen on 10m are some of my favorites .. i guess i should have said they were all on 10m http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[w1vt]

I used to hunt DX with 4 watts on 20M from Hawaii with a homebrew half wave vertical. #I hung hookup wire from mast made out of two sections of water pipe and a long piece of bamboo that was harvested from the back yard. #Late one summer night I heard FR7CG/T working a phone pileup via numbers. #Not only is Tromelin rare, but it is an awkward distance, 10312 miles. #Normally I wouldn't bother, but I realized that at that particular time, on a Tuesday, I'd have minimal competition with other sixes! #So, when he went to "sixes," I was the first one through, with a 51 report! #He was running just 100W to a dipole.

[n8yx]

A VK5...on 10M CW, with 5 whole watts going into a CB ground plane at 30 ft.

A JA3...10M SSB, 25w to a Wilson 1000 mag-mount antenna. Got a 5x7 from the Japanese op; was using my friend (ex-KB8JLV's) HR2510 while we were driving to North Olmsted, OH to buy some ham goodies...

[wa9cwx]

Two neat QSOs come to mind.

Somewhere in the early 80s, I had just put up a new quad, I was testing the SWR on the low end of 20 with just a few watts, on a quiet frequency, when someone sent 'QRZ?'. I then had a five minute QSO with Bouvet Island!
(That started the pile up)

In the early 90s, I was sitting up late one night (about 2 AM), just had 20 meters on in the background (it was virtually dead), when I heard someone tune up and call CQ. Turned out to be a rare South Pacific Island. I don't remember who or where any longer, but I DO remember I was thrilled at the time. http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

Frank

[KE4YD]

The best DX? The last one!

[VA6AW]

THIS POST IS GREAT

WELL MY FAVORITE QSO WAS FINALLY WORKING ZD8AA IN THE MID 70'S. I WAS RUNNING 100 W AND A 1/4 W VERTICAL.

BIG PILE UP AND CALLED THIS GUY FOR HOURS. COULD NOT BREAK THRU THE BIG GUNS FROM W6/W5/W4 LAND. THEN DX STATIONS SAYS NO USA STATIONS AND I GAVE HIM A QUICK CALL. CAME RIGHT BACK. FANTASTIC FEELING.

SOME OTHER GOOD TIMES WERE ZL1AFH ON 1 W, VS5MC CALLING LITTLE OLD ME ON 20, JH1WIX OF COURSE, UJ8AC (WAITED 2 YEARS FOR HIS CARD),ETC.

NEVER COULD WORK THE MIDDLE EAST BUT HEARD MANY GOOD ONES.

GARY VA6AW / EX VE6AUP

[WA7KKP]

My best DX was working UA3CR from my mobile (TS120 & Hustler super Resonator) in Jasper, Alberta.

My OM did one better though . . . he worked KM6AX on Midway Island back in the late 50's. Not much, you say . . . he did it with:

Mobile AM transmitter, 20 watts input (about 15 out)

On 75 meters (3910 kc)

about 1:00 PM -- he was driving home for lunch.

Who says QRP doesn't work???

Gary WA7KKP

Best to me means the most difficult to achieve. Therefore, I would have to say either JA8 or Gambia in the 79/80 era on 6 meter SSB with S9+ signals.

73,

Frank http://www.qrz.com/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif