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Who would you consider the best DX'er on this site

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I have tried to post them here but I have not managed to do so. If you wish to copy that picture & post it here feel free to do so.

SIX-SHOOTER
W4KVW

Here's one pic. But I didn't see the one taken with a drone.
w4kvw_antennas.jpg
 
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I like to contest and chase DX. I have worked 300 DXCC entities and have 288 confirmed. Just missing 8 entities on 160 and 7 entities on 12 meters for DXCC on all HF bands.. Working a new one is tough. I need a couple of not so rare ones like Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Monaco , and a few others. Most of what I need are rarely activated islands in the Pacific Ocean or islands near Antarctica.

I think to be a successful DXer you need to be flexible with the modes and the bands you operate. If you are just starting out you will want to have a decent antenna for 40 meters, 20 meters and a WARC band like 17 meters or 30 meters. A WARC band like 17 or 30 thins the competition quite a bit since many hams don't have a decent WARC antenna.

For DX you want a low take off angle for your signal. Wire Delta loops are easy to erect (you only need one vertical support) and if you feed it 1/4 wave up the side, or at the corner, your signal will be vertically polarized. A delta loop does not need to be high off the ground. I use a pair of delta loops on 80m that are only a few feet off the ground. They are phased so I can get a little gain NE or SW. I can work New Zealand and Australia, at greyline, every morning, on 80m from eastern Pennsylvania. I also have delta loops for 30 and 12 meters.

Having the ability to work any mode the DX might operate also increases your success rate. Rare DX will have a huge pile up of stations trying to make contact. SSB has the most competition. It is also the most difficult to make a contact in a pile up in my opinion. CW is easier, FT8 even easier.

There is a lot to learn to be a successful DXer. You will need to know how propagation works, best time and band to use to work a rare DX from your location, and good operator skills to be heard. You won't be the loudest station the DX hears so you have to know how to use split frequencies properly and when to drop your call sign into the pile. And much, much, more to learn.

These skills are learned by listening and learning how DX works, but the best way to learn is from an experienced DXer. Preferably one you can visit and watch him/her operate (aka an Elmer). An Elmer can help you design your station and keep you from making expensive mistakes.

You will also learn that the extra $$ spent on filters and dual receivers have advantages when working DX. Don't worry about that now. Just dive in and have fun.

Here is a link to a much anticipated DX-pedition to Bouvet Island. According to Clublog (an online database used by many DXers around the world) Bouvet Island is second most wanted DX entity in the world (North Korea is #1). The pile ups will be massive. https://www.3y0j.no/ Their budget is over $700,000!

Well....that's my two cents. Sorry for the long post.
 
How about contacting Mainland China? North Korea? You know the forbidden places.

Not sure what you mean by "forbidden places" No such thing really. Mainland China has a very real presence on the air and is perfectly legal to talk too and actually more common than a lot of other entities. North Korea forbids amateur radio, so there are no operators to talk too. Even if there were operators, nothing forbids you from working them.
 
I said forbidden exactly because it's forbidden.
are they even allowed to own 2 way radio equipment there?
"Allowed" don't get you free @Moleculo. I'd be looking for Pirates, not half starved automatons. I don't doubt you haven't made any contacts to N. Korea. Cuba may have 1 in a 100,000 that has a radio or willing to try and broadcast. Cuban mountain folk perhaps might dare. In any event I sure do appreciate all the replies.
 
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@Captain Kilowatt that's a very interesting unknown until now fact in my shack here. So we agree that there is a forbidden place, N. Korea. I see your position and think that's cool interpretation. Thanks for the post.
 
Cuba may have 1 in a 100,000 that has a radio or willing to try and broadcast.
First Class licensees have CO-prefix call signs and may run up to 2,000 W on authorized bands.
Second Class licensees have CM-prefix call signs and may run up to 100 W.
Third Class licensees have CL-prefix call signs and may run up to 10 W.
AS of last year 3000+ operators in Cuba...EASY!!!!
I call Cuba Junk DX :ROFLMAO:worked so many don't even count them any more from Indiana.
 
@Crawdad thanks for the reply. I wasn't interested in the best one, I asked who do you think is the best DX'er. But it was for you to answer. It kinda worked. I drew in lots of folks and their opinions, was offered lots of information.. A few competitive folks chimed in, so all in all a great thread was started and continues. I intend to learn from some of the folks and then get my antennas correct, whether covert or in plain sight. This hobby is blossoming here in my bare shack. The whole Ham Universe opened up for this ignorant guy. What a fascinating subject and I am still interested in learning more.
 
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@BJ radionut, thanks I knew I can count on you for some solid info. My short list of shoutout replies had you the last on line. Saving the best for last in my view. You've helped me tons. Ran out of time tonight, tomorrow or perhaps later I'll get back here. Thanks.
 
I said forbidden exactly because it's forbidden.

"Allowed" don't get you free @Moleculo. I'd be looking for Pirates, not half starved automatons. I don't doubt you haven't made any contacts to N. Korea. Cuba may have 1 in a 100,000 that has a radio or willing to try and broadcast. Cuban mountain folk perhaps might dare. In any event I sure do appreciate all the replies.
I have worked quiet a few stations in Cuba on 2 meter SSB,6 meter SSB,& HF over the years & I even have QSL Cards from a few.I believe that CO2OJ is now a SK but I have worked him many many times.

Clayton
W4KVW
 
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@Captain Kilowatt that's a very interesting unknown until now fact in my shack here. So we agree that there is a forbidden place, N. Korea. I see your position and think that's cool interpretation. Thanks for the post.

No we do not agree. If f I am forbidden from something that means that I am not permitted. That is not the case. North Koreans are the ones forbidden not the rest of the world.
 
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I said forbidden exactly because it's forbidden.

"Allowed" don't get you free @Moleculo. I'd be looking for Pirates, not half starved automatons. I don't doubt you haven't made any contacts to N. Korea. Cuba may have 1 in a 100,000 that has a radio or willing to try and broadcast. Cuban mountain folk perhaps might dare. In any event I sure do appreciate all the replies.


More like 1 in 1333 and well known people in downtown Havana are on the air. Hardly mountain folk that barely dare to be on the air. In fact Cuba has several thousand licensed amateur radio operators.
 
First Class licensees have CO-prefix call signs and may run up to 2,000 W on authorized bands.
Second Class licensees have CM-prefix call signs and may run up to 100 W.
Third Class licensees have CL-prefix call signs and may run up to 10 W.
AS of last year 3000+ operators in Cuba...EASY!!!!
I call Cuba Junk DX :ROFLMAO:worked so many don't even count them any more from Indiana.

3000??? My info says they had 8500 as of 2014. Perhaps that includes all license classes including their low power class.....10 watts max.
 
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My info says they had 8500 as of 2014.
You are very possibly correct CK. I did a quick license search; my results may very well be just the "CO" class operators. I'll try and look this up again, see if I can get better numbers. I have worked many here in Indiana on 6 meters. I don't even bother to call them anymore unless 160 or 80 meters for "DX" credit.
I have come to realize on "DX" contest weekends they seem to come out of the woodwork.:LOL:
The 2000 watts power limit is laughable, in the same framework of the Brazil and Italian stations power limits.
I really believe QRP in both of those areas means operating something less than a Henry 8K Ultra(y):love:
 
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