DXing in any mode
Duncan <zl3jt@...>
de Jungle Telegraph
When a DX station comes on a band, they usually want as many contacts as possible for the duration of the 'Dx-pedition'. The primary goal of this activity is to give as many as possible a chance to 'work' a DXCC Entity. So therefore QSOs should as brief as possible, but all the information has to be logged in order to 'qualify'. The relevant information in both 'logs' of the DX and the caller has to only: 1. Callsign in the respective logs 2. Date 3. Band 4. Mode Time? you ask? No! The date is sufficient, but time in UTC would help a log search. It certainly should be in your log but only needs to be approximate... RST? you ask? No! It doesn't matter whether you are 3 by 1 or 59 Plus 60dB... The relevance is not important. If the DX copies your call it will always be 59 or 599, unless they want to actually check how strong their signals are to check propagation.... All other details can be found out by other means and do not affect the 'validility' of the contact... This is all that is required for 'DXing'. If you bear this in mind, we will all get along a little better, and more will have the opportunity to 'work' it for another 'new one'! To reduce interferrence, (QRM), from the 'pile-up', the DX station will often work 'split' frequency, so that everybody can hear (see) what is happening, and will usually state where they are listening (watching). They will ask the stations in the 'pile-up' to spread out so that they can hear (see) each signal, and copy each individual. When you hear (see) a different callsign being worked by the DX station, stop transmitting! You may be QRM! Wait until the DX station says, "QRZ?" or "QRZ up?" There's also NO point in calling when the DX station is Transmitting, you are only wasting electricity! The split in PSK could be 100Hz or more, but usually the DX station doesn't want to create QRM on other station's activities so the 'split' may be 1 or more KHz. In that case you will need to work VFO split, as the DX station may be outside the waterfall on the screen! If VFO split is required then you must not transmit while they are working someone else. They may be on your TX frequency by an act of chance, and you transmission may QRM the contact....Then you are a "Lid"! I hope that this epistle may help you 'get a new one', but the main thing is if you are not sure what is going on, then listen (watch) to find out before you press the PTT! Good DX ! Duncan __________________________________________________ Advertise with ZFREE - to find out more click below http://www.zfree.co.nz/about-us/advert.html
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