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Summerfest 2004 Austin, Texas Aug 7, 2004

Summerfest 2004 Austin, Texas Aug 7, 2004. Introduction to DXing and Contesting. WB ø YEA. AB5K. Big Gun or Little Pistol. No matter the caliber, nothing compares to the thrill of tickling somebody’s radio on the other side of the world!. What We’ll Cover - DX. Basics of DXing

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Summerfest 2004 Austin, Texas Aug 7, 2004

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  1. Summerfest 2004Austin, TexasAug 7, 2004 Introduction to DXing and Contesting

  2. WBøYEA AB5K Big Gun or Little Pistol No matter the caliber, nothing compares to the thrill of tickling somebody’s radio on the other side of the world!

  3. What We’ll Cover - DX • Basics of DXing • Cool tips for finding and working DX • Station requirements Resources for DXing like a Big Gun • Logging and QSLing • Going for the Gold • DX awards to impress your friends!

  4. What We’ll Cover - Contesting • What kind of ham enters a contest? • What’s the object? • Getting started in contesting • The variety of contest types • How to win a contest • Online contesting resources

  5. Getting Started in DXing Gale Zeiler WBøYEA

  6. DX - Where Is It? • All Bands (160-6m) • Including the 30, 17 and 12m WARC bands • Mostly the low end of the band • All Modes (CW, SSB, Digital) • Daily/Weekly Nets • List Nets • Contests • DXpeditions • DX Packet Cluster – Real Time Spotting

  7. Best Conditions For DXing • Function of 11 year sunspot cycle • Going into trough of current cycle – Poor Conditions • WWV, Internet propagation forecasts (free) • Seasonal Conditions: Season vs. Band • Winter 160 – 20m • Spring 40 - 6 • Summer 20 - 6 • Fall 40 - 10 • Time Of Day • Early morning (11-1600Z) 80-20m • Mid-morning to mid-afternoon (16-2200Z) 20-10 • Late afternoon to Sunset (22-0300Z) 20-10 • Night time to Early Morning (03-1000Z) 160-40 For DXing on 160 and 80 think “Dawn/Dusk”!

  8. Station Requirements • HF Transceiver • Decent receiver (sensitive & selective) • Split-Frequency transmit capability important • QRP to Legal Limit • Computer & logging software (preferable) • Antennas • More is always better, but you can start modestly and do very well

  9. Can you see the antennas in this photo?

  10. Take a closer look! CTDXCCer W5EK has worked 262 countries from a deep valley location in NW Austin in less than 18 months with stealth dipoles & 100 watts!

  11. Good DX Etiquette – Operating Split • Listen carefully before you call a DX station on his frequency • “Rare” DX stations often work SPLIT • DX station announces “Up” • Calling stations transmit up (usually 2-5 Khz) • Everybody else can hear him without QRMing him • 40 Meter SSB • DX stations can’t operate above 7.100 Mhz • Listen for DX station to indicate listening frequency (QSX) in US phone band ALWAYS LISTEN ON YOUR XMIT FREQUENCY BEFORE CALLING!!

  12. Finding DX the Old-Fashioned Way • Listen, listen, listen • But listen strategically • on the right bands at the right times • Collaborate with a buddy • “Hey Joe, OD5NH is on 14.192!” Some of the world’s top DXers do it the old-fashioned way, like CTDXCC’s own Marv Bloomquist, N5AW.

  13. The new-fangled way: DX Clusters DX “Clusters” • Hams all over the world reporting sightings of DX stations (or YOU!) • Real-time • Exact frequency • Beam heading • Packet radio & Internet-based “Working DX using packet clusters is like shooting fish in a barrel.” - Anonymous DXCC Honor Roller “Like taking a shower with my clothes on, but it feels good.” - W5ZL

  14. DX Cluster Demo DX Monitor software download athttp://www.benlo.com/dxmon.html

  15. DXing Resources • DX Packet Clusters (local nodes/Internet) • Propagation forecasts • ARRL • QSL.net • Local club members/E-mail reflectors, websites • Internet newsletters • 425 DX News • Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin • Daily DX • ARRL DX • Magazines: QST, CQ, 10/10 International • Directories: IOTA, etc.

  16. Going for the Gold Susan King K5DU

  17. Why bother? • You have a goal • Logging and QSLing is how you know you’ve met your goal • It’s how you prove to others that you’ve met your goal “I have RTTY DXCC, nyah, nyah.”

  18. Logging • Do it, even though FCC requirements have eased • Be accurate: time, date, call, band, mode, grid, IOTA, etc. • Use UTC, Zulu, Coordinated Universal Time • Get a map, atlas - learn geography Companion programs like MS Encarta are a great way to understand the DX op and the environment!

  19. How to log • Lose the pencil and paper • Don’t be afraid of geekiness • Any PC is good enough if it runs the right software

  20. Computer logging software • QSOs can be entered online as you operate or offline later • Must output Cabrillo (kah-bree-oh) or ADIF format • Should output reports in ARRL format. DX4WIN is good, Excel is difficult

  21. Logging Software (cont’d) • Standalone or interfaced to rig • Windows-based logging software (examples) • N1MM (Free) www.n1mm.com • DX4WIN (~$90) www.dx4win.com • N3FJP (~$19) www.n3fjp.com • Most programs allow printing QSL strips and mailing labels direct from log! • Better programs provide direct LoTW interface for upload and download!

  22. Printing QSL Labels • Ensures your QSLs match your log • Choose label text large enough to easily read. Some software prints labels this size Be kind to QSL managers!

  23. Back up your log files!

  24. QSL cards • The Good • The Bda • The UgLy

  25. The good Simple, everything on one side, all required information

  26. The bad Bophuthatswana is not a recognized DXCC entity

  27. The UgLy No comment required!

  28. Before you send the QSL • Find out where to send it • Internet Resources • QRZ Dot Com www.qrz.com • QSL Pathfinder www.qsl.net/pathfinder/WebClient • Find out how to send it • How does the person want it • Send dollars, IRCs, SASE

  29. Three main ways… • Bureau • Direct or via the station’s QSL manager • Logbook of the World (LoTW)

  30. Bureau • Outbound • Send cards to a central place • Wait, maybe years, for cards to come • Make sure country has a bureau • Inbound • Have envelopes or money on deposit with your bureau • Keep up to date with your sorter • Offer to help your sorter You can check status of your cards/envelopes at the W5 QSL bureau at www.okdxa.org/buro/index.html

  31. Direct or via a QSL manager • Determine best path – direct or mgr. • Enclose an SASE if US (SAE foreign) • Don’t make it look like $$$$ • Send enough money (usually $1-2), postage is expensive in many places • Send IRCs, one unit of cheapest international postage • Make an international friend

  32. Logbook of The World – Paperless QSLing • Send an e-mail log (Cabrillo or ADIF) to LoTW • LoTW is an online database of QSO information • Provided by the ARRL • Not as complicated to use as it looks

  33. How LoTW works • You prove that you really are K5DU • You send in a log • Someone else sends in a log • The logs are compared • If K5DU and HS2ABC worked each other at the same time, band, and mode - there’s a match.

  34. Confirmed QSOs

  35. Getting DXCC credit • Use your friendly neighborhood card checker • Send cards and forms to ARRL • Use LoTW

  36. Applying for Awards with LoTW • DXCC credit available now • More awards to come • Follow the simple 5-page directions • Not everyone uses it

  37. Other Awards • Many countries, clubs, etc. give awards • Look in ham magazines • Listen online • Do what makes you happy • Do something that makes the world a better place

  38. Getting Started in Contesting Gary Schmidt W5ZL

  39. Contesting Even though you may be just a Pup, you can still have fun contesting with the Big Dawgs! Special thanks to Carl K9LA, NCJ Editor

  40. CQ Contest! Why enter a contest? • The Casual Contester A desire to just have some fun, improve operating skills, and work new countries, states, counties, etc. from the smorgasbord of participating stations • The Feisty Contester A desire to compete • The Committed Contester Able to leap tall buildings with a single bound Able to master the art of sleep deprivation Ken WM5R in action

  41. Benefits of Contesting • It’s just FUN • Gets the competitive juices flowing • Improves operating skills • Excellent preparation for emergency operations • An excellent use of our allocated spectrum Remember: “Use it or lose it.”

  42. Do I Have to Have a “Contest Station”? • Plenty of Big Gun contest stations • Multiple radios • Multiple towers • Serious station automation • Also plenty of “normal” stations You don’t have to be a Big Gun to have Big Fun contesting!

  43. How to Win a Contest • Work a lot of stations • Work as many “multipliers” as possible • Work smart • Make good band change decisions • Use efficient operating techniques • Don’t waste time or words (similar to emergency operations) • Know when to “Run” and when to “Search & Pounce” • Know when to take a break

  44. Many different types – beginner to expert • SSB, CW, RTTY • DX ARRL, CQWW, IARU, WPX, foreign hosted, etc. • National Field Day, Sweepstakes, NAQP, VHF/UHF, State QSO Parties, etc. • Specialty Sprints, FOC Marathon, SOC, SKN, etc.

  45. A Contest for All Seasons/Tastes Beginner to Expert ARRL RTTY ARRL SKN Jan ARRL VHF ARRL DX Sprint CQ WPX ARRL Field Day NAQP ARRL VHF IARU HF World Championships State QSO Parties (Many) ARRL UHF NAQP Sprint CQ WW DX TQP ARRL Sweepstakes ARRL 160 ARRL 10 Dec Click on contest for more info

  46. Multiple categories . . . designed to let you compete on a level playing field  Single operator  Assisted/unassisted  Power  QRP, low, high • Single band and/or mode (some contests)  Multi-op, single transmitter • Multi-op, multi-transmitter

  47. When are contests run?  Usually on weekends • Starting/ending times vary by contest • Durations as short as 4 hours • As long as 48 hours • Max operating hours also vary  Good on-line contest calendar: www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/

  48. Online Contesting Resources • ARRL www.arrl.org • ARRL Rate Sheet newsletter http://www.arrl.org/contests/rate-sheet/ • Contesting.com www.contesting.com • National Contest Journal www.ncjweb.com • Central Texas DX & Contest Club www.ctdxcc.org

  49. Best contests to get your feet wet  Field Day  Straight Key Night • State QSO Parties • Many to choose from • Our own (Texas QSO Party every September!)

  50. What’s Req’d to Get Started?  A radio and antennas  A logging system  Pencil & paper o Tried and true, but hard to keep track of dupes  Computer based logging software o Many options from freeware to networked  DOS-based: TR Log ($60-75) www.trlog.com  Windows-based  N1MM (free) www.n1mm.com  Writelog (~$75) www.writelog.com  N3FJP ($39-49) www.n3fjp.com o Can even trigger pre-recorded voice, CW, or RTTY exchanges

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