Stepping up the pace

I just saw the latest DX-World Weekly Bulletin #388, and I am minded to draw it to your attention, and to encourage you to take a browse. In case you have not seen the DX-World Weekly Bulletin #388 as yet it can be found here  Thanks to the DX-World bulletins amateur radio operators can know what is happening and where, and get to know what is going to happen, and when. Amateur radio operators also have the opportunity to list their operation's activity. This is a tremendous service to the amateur radio fraternity and we must be eternally grateful for it. Let me encourage all of us to bookmark this DX-World website and let be one of our first go to websites for amateur radio. If you are like me, you will have a bookmark folder entitled "amateur radio" and this link could be in the DX folder.

A quick scan of this latest dx bulletin shows future activity from V4, St Kitts, to wit,

V4, ST KITTS John, W5JON will once again be active as V47JA from Calypso Bay between June 12 and July 10. Operation from 160 to 6 meter using SSB and FT8. QSL via LoTW or via home call direct.

We are indeed thankful and grateful that John is visiting and keeping V4 alive and active, irrespective of the ongoing pandemic, and the prevailing protocols. This shows a real love for V4 amateur radio. I do not wish to express any harsh words to the amateur radio operators who live in V4, and I suspect this number to be in excess of twenty [20], because I do not know their personal prevailing situations which would prevent their ham radio operating. I would expect that the local amateur radio society would have an assistance mechanism in place to help any member interested in operating, as in getting on the air, as quickly as they can. This is just my view and I might be wrong. Maybe the local amateur radio society does have something in place, but maybe it is that I do not know about it.

In almost every country there is ham radio activity on VHF, but as to how many have interest in VHF DX activity is another question. Very few hams, if any, may be interested, as it calls for more equipment and antenna systems. Some hams would prefer to invest in HF DX rather than VHF DX. A few V4 amateur radio operators HF active, maybe even working DX, but still not exposing themselves to the rest of the world. I believe that we should be giving everyone [in the world] the opportunity to contact V4. I believe this is where the DX-World bulletin can be our helper. There are other helpful entities that would piggyback, but this, DX World bulletin, can be the starting point for our DX activities. This I believe the local ham radio operators should consider.

Being a DX operator calls for discipline, and organization. In the days of our youth in ham radio, we had a fixed time to work DX. When we finished work at 4.00 pm daily it was straight home, and on the radio forthwith, and many time there was a pile up already waiting on the frequency. Sometimes a DX list was taken up before we arrived, and the ham with the best signal and propagation, was net control. One can learn  a lot from these DX operations. Time was important as the propagation would change. On some bands the window was shorter than others. Today we have computers and tools to make the job easier, but the ham radio operator still need to know the basic principles, and appreciate the working. 

Until the bands peak in a couple years working some DX would offer challenges. I am not blessed with unlimited cash like some of us. Almost any transceiver can work but the antenna, in my view, is critical. I am of the view that the best, most affordable antenna should be used. A beam or quad, an antenna with good gain. A 40 foot to 50 foot tower, with a rotator is personal preference. A 40 foot lamp post with 10 foot pipe extension, and rotator, all personal preference. It is all about getting the antenna up around 50 feet and pointing in the preferred direction.  That may be too rich for me so I am using home brew wire beams, and other antennas that support low angle DX radiation. This is what amateur radio is all about. Experimenting with antennas to get the signals that we need. This is what we need to do as we step up the pace.

Working backwards [a] Build DX antennas with what we have. Maximize our knowledge and our tools. [b] get our antennas as high as we could, at least 50 feet up if possible. [c] If possible get the most affordable beam or quad, kit and build if necessary. [d] Organize a DX operating schedule. [e] Organize DX operating times, with or without collaboration, from other ham radio operators.[f] Determine DX areas of interest, make contact with DX ham radio operators.

In between time we need to keep learning more about amateur radio. We need to keep abreast. I understand that many of us are taken in by the new radios on the market. I am learning that the SDR radio may be the latest technology, but the new radio does not 'sound' as good as they used to. It boils down to old ham radio operators know what they used to hear, and can compare it with the new radio 'sounds', but young hams have have nothing to compare, and this new sound is great to them. Well, if they like it so, let it be so. For old school ham radio operators there are devices that can be added to the new radios, that can provide the better sounds accustomed to. This will increase the cost of enjoying a new sdr radio. The only other option is to buy an old fashioned, but obsolete transceiver, but that could cost you more than the new Chinese SDR product. You win some, and you loose some.

Let us step up the pace of our ham radio before the season change on us again, and we have to wait until next year. Have a great ham radio day.