I got a letter in the mail asking me to set up a wellness appointment with my doctor M***B****. The problem is, Ms. B isn't a doctor, she is a P.A. I didn't think the reference to her as my doctor was appropriate.
NO Question here, just a comment. I used to listen to the SCDX club repeater 145.480. I enjoyed the DX alerts very much and listening to some folks. The few times that I tried to talked I did not feel welcome there. Then I heard the stupid ID message and that was it. I tried to continue to listen for the reports but just can't take the message. To me it sounds like CB radio or something. I no longer try to use or listen to your repeater.
Lisa is an extraordinary talented person, who was a renowned speed skater. Go look at her bio and learn something about being respectful and disciplined. Lisa, those guys lost out by not being friendly to you! Best wishes from Boston. 73 Chip W1YW
OK, new ham here. DX question: If I want to CQ for DX only what is the proper way to call it on the air? I've heard some DX stations use various methods. Some call "CQ 17 meters"several times followed by their call sign. Should I just call CQ and Call or CQ DX and Callsign? Also the proper way to respond to a dx call. Just my callsign followed by QSO or just call sign? thanks
Call: "CQ DX CQ DX this is --------- (repeat call twice more; use phonetics) listening". To respond to DX: "This is KX7Tango Alpha Bravo you are five nine" Keep it short, unless the DX has already been chatty with a previous QSO.
Jesse, Here's what I do...although I'm more of a 'pouncer' than I am a caller: 1. Make sure you're about to CQ within your license allowed frequencies. Consult the band plan to make sure you're in the phone band plan (I assume you're using phone) as you don't want to CQ by phone in the CW area of the band. See here: http://www.arrl.org/files/file/Regulatory/Band Chart/Hambands_color.pdf 2. "This is KM4ZBZ, is this frequency in use?" Repeat 3 times over a minute. If clear, you may proceed to call CQ. 3. "CQ DX, CQ DX, CQ DX 20 meters, this is kilo-mike-four-zulu-bravo-zulu, KM4ZBZ calling CQ DX, CQ DX, CQ DX on 2o meters from North Carolina, United States, kilo-mike-four-zulu-bravo-zulu calling CQ DX twenty meters." You may repeat this every 15 to 30 seconds until you get tired of it or someone answers. When they answer, see below for an example. 4. If you are targeting a country or region, you may say: "Scandinavia" or "Europe" or "Russia" immediately after your "CQ DX" string. When you are pouncing on a DX, say you hear this from a station in South Africa: 1. "CQ DX, CQ DX, CQ DX, this is Zebra-Romeo-One-Two-Three calling CQ DX, CQ DX, CQ DX, ZR123 calling CQ DX...etc." 2. As soon as he/she ends with their call sign or says "QRZ", you pounce. 3. Jesse: "kilo-mike-four-zulu-bravo-zulu, KM4ZBZ" 4. South Africa: "kilo-mike-four-zulu-bravo-zulu this is Zebra-Romeo-One-Two-Three, ZR123, my name is Simon and you are 5-7 in Johannesburg South Africa, over?" 5. Jesse: "Zebra-Romeo-One-Two-Three this is kilo-mike-four-zulu-bravo-zulu, KM4ZBZ, roger, Simon, my name is Jesse and you are 5-9 here in North Carolina, United States, 5-9 North Carolina United States, over" 6. South Africa: "KM4ZBZ this is ZR123, roger, Jesse, thank you for the QSO, and 73" 7. Jesse: "Roger Simon, thank you and 73. I will QSL via Log Book of the World" 8. South Africa: "Roger Jesse, I will also." 9. Jesse: "ZR123...KM4ZBZ clear" Then you will likely hear ZR123 CQ'ing again on the same frequency and you can go pounce on another CQ DX on a different frequency. If he/she wants to rag chew...great...entertain them. If not, keep rolling. If you are in a contest, 59 is always the signal report on both ends...even if he sounds like he's hollering up from the basement! If you decide to contest to go snag some contest DX, get N1MM+ and learn how to use it. Even if you don't care about your points, the other guy might...so help him out by logging the contacts. For casual DX'ing, get a Log Book of the World account from ARRL. It takes some time, as they snail mail you a post card (sooooo 1980s!). Then, get the minimum QRZ membership, open up a log book, and log your contacts in QRZ and then forward them to LOTW using that function that is within the QRZ logbook. There are other logging programs that will also forward to LOTW and can be used for contesting as well, namely http://n3fjp.com/ Happy DX hunting, Jesse! Hugh WA2LXB
This thread title got me thinking. Just what is "DX"? To me, it's achieving something that's unusual or took some effort on your part whether it's an extraordinary distance (for you) for the band/mode/power/equipment/skill that you are using, or working somewhere that is rare because there are no hams there i.e. a dxpedition, or somewhere that is a difficult path from your location for some reason. For instance ZL to ZS is always an achievement because the path is over the South Pole. So, if a new ham with a handheld and it's rubber ducky manages to get into a repeater that they have never heard before that's 80 km (50 miles) away, because there is some enhanced propagation, that's DX. Ian ZL3OF
Just so everyone knows.... I did NOT email 'Dr DX'. He/she emailed ME back with the rude response-- responding to this thread and my original post. So given that 'Dr DX' reads the posts, why doesn't he/she conduct the QnA HERE on QRZ??
Hi Ian. That's a good question! Here's the Wiki reference including the rich history of DX that began with broadcast band radio, and if you go about half way down to "Amateur Radio DX" you'll see the amateur radio explanation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DXing There's an equipment component to being able to consistently achieve DX contacts that requires research, collaboration, careful selection and careful tuning of antennas, transmitters and receivers-especially if you're trying to achieve QRP HF DX. All of this raises the cost, effort and eventual reward for the hard work. I remember making what to me was my first HF DX contact...it was St. Croix, USVI...and I'd visited the island several times, so it made the contact all the more meaningful. If you make a DX contact in a country, and then go there later, you may wish to ask some of your DX contacts if you may visit their shack or meet for a coffee. International electromagnetic diplomacy followed up with an eyeball QSO! I'm not well-read on DX, but I do own John's book on low band DX'ing, and the chapters on radio propagation are just fascinating: https://www.arrl.org/shop/ON4UN-s-Low-Band-DXing/ John's book is now in its 5th edition I believe, and he describes everything from grey zone to aurora to ducting effects on radio propagation, and why signals that should be heard from one particular point on the compass end up showing up on a different point on the compass...and why. I give credit to the Wiki reference, as it distinguishes between HF and VHF/UHF DX. For instance, if I set up a high gain 2 meter beam antenna array and was able to contact my buddy in Long Island simplex without a repeater, that's a 200 mile QSO, and that qualifies in my book as VHF DX...as does satellite bounce. Satellite requires carefully selected equipment and that you research satellite fly by times and angles, up/down frequencies, that you have a high gain antenna that will track the satellite manually or automatically, and that you compensate for Doppler shift as the bird flies by. The terrestrial distance to your QSO may not seem that far away were you on HF (a NY satellite bounce may result in a QSO in Ohio or Illinois or Georgia), however, it is indeed long distance for a VHF/UHF signal to go up 100+ miles, down 100+ miles and do it all on a 4 watt hand talkie! Check out AE6LX! Good luck with your DX! Hugh WA2LXB
