DX Technique...?

[Choirboy]

How do y'all find and work DX contacts? I spend a few hours at the computer most every evening (where my base station is mounted), and I will scan the band, changing the channel every 10 seconds or so, listening for activity. If I hear something on sideband, I flip back to AM just to make sure that I'm not hearing a local contact. If I hear what I think is skip (spacy hollow whistling sound), I'll jump in, but nobody responds. I will have a new base radio soon, so that should help....


Does this sound like a plan, or should I be targeting certain channels and talking before I listen? I'm new to this, so any help will be greatly appreciated. I aspire to PDX status, the holiest of holies :D

Thanks, y'all!

[BigBopper]

I would pick a channel, like 6, 26, 28, 34, or 26.915(freeband) and just yell your" PDX numbers, wavin a hand looking for conditions", and if someone is out there they will respond,,here in Ohio channel 28 is hot for skip,,,,

[humanphibian]

I'm with Bopper on this one. I'll generally flip over to 6 every now and then and see if anything is going on. Seems like the guys on "The Supa Bowl" are the first people talkin when the band opens. If it does, just start trying to get out there. I talk in my mobile, so I try to find an open area as high up as possible. I generally try to find a low traffic overpass that I can set up on, I think all of the metal in the bridge may help, dunno, but it seems to push my signal a little better.

[Looney]

when dx rolls its going to roll

[Choirboy]

Once again, please pardon my ignorance , but what is the "Supa Bowl" ?

Thanks!

[rayray1963]

Choirboy wrote:

Once again, please pardon my ignorance , but what is the "Supa Bowl" ?

Thanks!

The super bowl is where all the big dogs in radio go to try and out talk each other. Most of them are on BIG, BIG radios, in the 10, 000 watt range and up.

[BigBopper]

Super bowl is channel 6,,,,,channel 26 is called the rose bowl here in Ohio

[406]

I'm a reading and a learning too. Good info here, much to learn. and 10,000 is a big big radio.....it will be some time before I get where the big boys play.

406

[rayray1963]

406 wrote:

I'm a reading and a learning too. Good info here, much to learn. and 10,000 is a big big radio.....it will be some time before I get where the big boys play.

406

Get ready to drop somewhere around Thirdty thousand plus to run with the big dogs.

[WildRoot]

You know, when the skip rolls in, it's one of those freaks of nature that always fascinates me --- a 5000 watt base might not be able to talk across town, while a 4 watt mobile might talk transcontinental. I used to shoot skip with a flat-footed mobile/base, a Turner +2 and a 5/8 wave ground plane, and bagged calling cards from all over North America --- had them tacked up all over the wall. Even made contacts in Puerto Rico and Venezuela. "CQ CQ CQ! DX-LAND DX-LAND DX-LAND!"

It's just freaky, but probably no more freaky than the fact that deep space probes transmit their signals through millions (or billions) of miles of highly charged particles and radiation with only a half-watt or quarter-watt of power.

[Choirboy]

when dx rolls its going to roll

I think I understand now. When the skip is rolling, it is obvious on several channels so there is no need to sit hunched over the radio searching for that one elusive contact. Am I getting warm?

My 148GTL is supposed to have pretty good ears, and the tip of my A-99 is about 60 feet above the ground, so I should be able to hear skip easily even though I don't currently have the power to talk, right?

[rayray1963]

Choirboy, you should be able to talk even with out a lot of power, you will just have to find a channel thats not all jammed up with other traffic, thats why I like the higher channels or 26.915. Just jump in there and start calling out. One way of really telling in the Austin area, when the skip is starting to roll in is on 19 you will start to hear the guys from El Paso trying to talk up rides over the border. When you hear them try switching to another channel and see what you hear.

[WildRoot]

Yeah, I think you're basically at nature's mercy with its unpredictable electrostatic conditions, regardless of what channel you're on. Sometimes you might hit a wormhole in the static that lets you hear (and talk) from San Diego to New York City on a rinky dink mobile. Other times, you can be pushing so much power that your antenna is glowing, but some guys in North Dakota will clog up your ears for 24 hours straight, and they can't hear you. You never can tell. When I was really into shooting skip many years ago, I'd sit by the radio for days just spinning the dial --- make no contacts at all some days, make several contacts on other days --- but it was pretty much a random phenomenon.

[lyrsbnge]

when dx rolls its going to roll

I think I understand now. When the skip is rolling, it is obvious on several channels so there is no need to sit hunched over the radio searching for that one elusive contact. Am I getting warm?

My 148GTL is supposed to have pretty good ears, and the tip of my A-99 is about 60 feet above the ground, so I should be able to hear skip easily even though I don't currently have the power to talk, right?

Choir-boy,you will have NO problem DXin when the conditions are right. Iv'e been off the radio now for about 3 to 4 yrs. When i left,it was CRAZY--contacts every day--during peak times,contacts every other minute. It has something to do with the earths cycle---every 7 yrs. I will leave this part to someone who knows what there talkin about!! I was using a 148F with great quality coax--a 10 amp Radio Shack power supply--all running to a 5/8ths ground plane/20 foot straight whip that is mounted to a chain length fence pole!! Everybody around here says when i key up,i am doin just as good a job as they are--and they spent 2 times the cash!! Barry

[Rancho119]

You can talk all over with a little of nothing. Years ago I hit a contact in England using a President Washington on an end fed longwire antenna extended out from the second story balcony of an apartment I lived in. So if the conditions are right anything is possible. :D

[grease monkey]

i just wait till i start hearing the big boys on channel 6 start talking.and since my home channel is 7 i can hear them bleedover.then ill switch back and forth from 6 to 26.915 trying to mkae contacts till i finally do.

i was freeked out when i made my first contact when i found out where he was.he was from texas talkin to me like he was in my passengers seat.i was whoa,wait a minute,aint no way im talkin to texas,then i realized i was.

[MistaEko]

I can usually pick up really well on 6 and 17 with my little mobile radio in my van, but I'll call out even where there's local guys around and not catch 'em. I need some elevation I suppose with my low-wattage.

Though, I am looking at this handheld unit with booster and 6 foot antenna that runs on AC power with hopes of being able to sit home at nights and maybe hit somebody. Thoughts?