|
|
| DX and the DX Cluster
"DX” means long distance but the term is one which is capable of many different interpretations. Generally speaking on the bands below 30MHz signals emanating from one’s own continent do not qualify for the title. However there are those who argue that for stations using low power or simple equipment, this is just not true. The most important factor here is not who is right. It is the distance between the transmitter and the receiver that counts.
“DX” is one of the oldest facets of amateur radio and “ working dx” remains as popular today as ever it was. Although distance worked is, as mentioned above, an important part of “dx”, it is the degree of difficulty that makes working dx so fascinating. But the band being used is also an important factor. Hearing long distance stations on 14, 18, 21 ,24 and 28MHz is good but it is not a particularly great achievement under the right circumstances. It is much more satisfying and difficult to hear or work them on 7 and 3.5MHz.
Another factor to be taken into account is “rarity.” Under good conditions signals from southern USA are more likely to be heard in the UK and Ireland than those from northern Mexico and the reason being the fact there are very few XE2 ham operators compared to those north of the Mexican border.
Working DX stations calls for special skills including politeness and lots of patience. The most important part of the station is therefore the operator and his/her ability to know and handle their receiver. Next comes the antenna since it controls the incoming and outgoing signals and finally the rig itself. The rig, indeed the entire station, must be in peak working order, since what suffices for a local ragchew will almost certainly not be good enough for hearing and working weak signals from the other side of the world.
Vital to successful DX working is the operators ability to hunt out and listen to the distant station. By listening, the operator can assess the way in which calls are being handled and thereby determine the best way in which to approach the distant station. Calling at the wrong time or on the wrong frequency causes interference which not only leads to a lost contact, it also loses friends. There are many ways to work DX and these have been well documented in numerous publications including those produced by the ARRL and the RSGB.
There are an increasing number of DXCluster stations around the world. They provide the DXer with near real time exchanges of DX, band conditions and list stations heard/worked by amateurs across the globe. The provision of the DXCluster is highly valued by the World’s DX community. DX Summit is one of the most popular tools for spotting DX and it may be seen by clicking here. Updated 13 June, 2010 21:33:14 GMT
| |
|