A, B, C’s of Dx Fundamentals of the Art of DXing XIV

As mentioned time and again, one of the most important things that a DXer can have is good information, such as expected band conditions, planned DX operations (so you can plan to be available!), time and frequency reports of recently heard DX stations (so you can get an idea of their operating schedules), current “spots” of DX stations on the bands (so you can go work ‘em), QSL information (addresses, managers, postal costs, etc), DX operations that were approved for DXCC credit, and more. Here is a brief rundown on some information sources that you should know.

Several excellent and interesting books about DXing have been published. With apologies to any that may be unintentionally omitted, here are a few that I have in my library. Some are old (and possibly out of print) and therefore may be a bit dated in regard to recent developments; however, it is amazing how often you can find copies of older books for sale by searching the Internet (see references below). All are worth reading, for the interesting views they provide into the personal aspects of DXing and DXpeditions, as well as for the many basic techniques that remain essentially the same over time.

Secrets of Ham Radio DXing. Dave Ingram, K4TWJ. Tab Books, Inc. Blue Ridge Summit, PA. 1981.

The Complete DX’ER. Bob Locher, W9KNI. Idiom Press, Deerfield, IL. 1983 (1st ed.); 1989 (2nd ed.).

DX Power: Effective Techniques for Radio Amateurs. Eugene Tilton, K5RSG. TAB Books, Inc. Blue Ridge Summit, PA. 1985.

Low-Band DXing: Your Guide ot Ham Radio DXcitement on 160, 80 & 40m. John Devoldere, ON4UN. ARRL, Newington, CT. 2005.

The DXCC Companion: How to Work Your First Hundred Countries. Jim Kearman, KR1S. ARRL, Newington, CT. 1990.

Where Do We Go Next? Martti Laine, OH2BH. KTE Publications, Long Beach, CA. 1991

DXing on the Edge: The Thrill of 160 Meters. Jeff Briggs, K1ZM. ARRL, 1997-1998.

DX101x: Amateur Radio DX Guide. Rod Dinkins, AC6V, 2001. (www.ac6v.com/DXSAMPLE.htm)

Yasme: The DXpeditions of Danny Weil and the Colvins. James D. Cain K1TN, American Radio Relay League Press, Newington Connecticut, 2003.

The ham magazines are an excellent source of DX information, both in the usual DX columns and in many of the articles about equipment, operating, and DXpeditions. Some of the magazines to consider are

QST: ARRL Journal (www.arrl.org/qst/)

CQ Magazine (www.cq-amateur-radio.com/)

The DX Magazine (www.dxpub.com/dx_mag.html)

World Radio Magazine (www.wr6wr.com/)

Finally, local DX clubs and/or general amateur radio clubs are invaluable resources for the beginning DXer and Big Gun alike. If you are not aware of any in your locale, check the list of DX clubs and organizations in the next chapter to see if there may be one in a nearby community, then join them – you will most certainly be welcomed! Also, consider joining one or more of the national organizations or foundations listed. Your dues or donation will go towards support of deserving DXpedtions and you will probably also receive an informative periodic newsletter.

Several daily or weekly bulletins (some available via email for free!) provide valuable news and information about DX station activities, planned DXpeditions, or expected operations in DX locations by hams who will otherwise temporarily be in the area for other reasons. Here are a few to consider:

425 DX News (www.425dxn.org/)

Announced DXpeditions by NG3K (www.ng3k.com/Misc/adxo.html)

ARRL DX Bulletins (www.arrl.org/w1aw/dx/)

QRZ DX Newsletter (www.dxpub.com/qrz_dx_nl.html)

The Daily DX (www.dailydx.com/)

The DX Newsletter (www.darc.de/referate/dx/fedxm.htm)

The DX Notebook (www.dxer.org/)

The Ohio/Pennsylvania DX Bulletin (www.papays.com/opdx.html)

The Internet offers an astounding array of useful information for all hams, as well as for DXers. Sites with technical information, news, equipment (new, used, and antique) and interesting commentary are bountiful and more appear almost daily! The availability of powerful search engines provide easy access to information using only a few key-words.

A rich supply of information can be mined from the various DX organization websites found on the Internet (see “DX Clubs” in the Appendices). Invariably, these sites have a list of favorite links to other websites of interest. For example, as mentioned above, see the comprehensive list of DX organization links in the chapter entitled “DX Organizations”.

Finally, one should also look for the many ham-related portal sites that offer extensive collections of information pages and links to numerous others. The ARRL website (www.arrl.org/) is a premier example of a ham portal. Although by no means an exhaustive list, some others are provided below.