Do you feel that your personal importance is not duly
reflected by your present status as radio amateur or as a radio pirate?
Do you feel inferior because one of your club
collegues just bought a new FT-1000MP or was awarded a DXCC Honor-roll
membership?
If you answer one of these questions with yes, the Dawg X-ray Club has the solution for you:
DX-ers guide to instantaneous fame
Don't stay a little grey amateur no one
talks about. Take yourself important and turn into a shining star the
DX-community talks about. Make your call famous over night and become a world
reknown DX-pert. It is so easy if you just follow the rules on this page: Join
the Dawg X-ray Club!
The Rules
1) CQ calls
1a) Be a phoney
Use phone mode only. It takes up more frequency
space and thus provides a much broader presence of your personality. It is not
as tedious and old fashioned as telegraphy (CW). Be aware that in the near
future CW contacts will not be acknowledged anymore for DXCC and IOTA awards.
Only for jamming purposes (see 3j and 3m below) CW might still be appropriate.
1b) Be a broadcaster: the TNWN principle or "In doubt I shout"
Some know-it-alls might tell you that listening is more important than
transmitting for radio amateurs. But why would this apply to operators whose
declared goal is fame? Can you think of any renowned broadcast station that
listens before transmitting? Thus, never delay your transmissions by previous
listening.
Note: The consequent implementation of the
"transmit now, worry never" (TNWN) principle is the
chief distinctive mark of Dawg X-ray Club members.
1c) Spelling and yelling
CQ-calls can be so boring if you just use
the standard version of the phonetic aphabet. Therefore, be creative like:
"This is DAVID KENTUCKY FIVER LARRY IDAHO ZEBRA
calling CQ DAAAAAAWG X-RAY"
Please note the pronounciation of DX which
is extremely essential: "daaaawg x-ray, daaaawg x-ray" (try it several times, if
you are not already familiar with it).
1d) Making sense with vanity call signs
Choose vanity call signs
that allow customized spelling. Let's assume your name is Diethelm. By the right
choice of call sign your CQ-call could read like:
"This is DIETHELM LOOKING FOUR FRIIEEEED CHICKEN EGGS"
Another
unconventional way of spelling the own call sign:
"DOTTEL FOTTEL NINE SOTTEL DOTTEL"
became the trademark for
"Moehringer", a ham who advanced to the most famous radio amateur of his
hometown Moehringen, a little village near Stuttgart.
We
should add that Moehringer's spelling habits were only a small part of his
contribution to sense making in amateur radio. An invaluable platform for the
latter was - and maybe still is - the VHF repeater DB0ST (the former DB0WR, see
the history blurb of DL4TA
and follow his link to the "official" DB0WR web site - both sites in
german). Moehringer's fame certainly was unrelated with any other pattern
of behavior described on this page and, therefore, he could never be elected as
a club member.
1e) Callers to ignore
Never answer to a weak signal or any QRPers.
Be warned that "QRP" is a movement of losers who try to interfer with regular
amateur radio traffic using inefficient equipment. Dealing with them only takes
you time and is almost never worth it. Therefore, if weak stations are
calling you, just resume CQ-ing. By long transmission cycles you increase the
chance to attract rare DX-stations. Be goal-oriented.
2) DX-Cluster
The DX-cluster is now becoming
the stage to demonstrate excellence for the ambitous expert. Don't miss your
opportunities there!
2a) Self-Spots - do it yourself
Proudly announce yourself by
DX-spots. If no one besides you spots you, who else than you should spot you?
Some people might object that a DX-spot must contain second-order information,
i.e., that a station A hears a station B with A different from B. But this is
nonsense, made up by people who have not yet reached your status! Hasn't
the cluster been particularly designed for important DX-ers like you? Don't
hesitate to spot yourself on a daily basis so people will learn about your
schedule of activity. Use spots like those of "Len", the grand seigneur of
self-spotting:
DX de KN6LEN
28600.0 KN6LEN WEST COAST listening for
dx
1710Z
Actually, self-spots may be very important second order
information, just of another kind: they mark the few moments when the spotter
realizes who he is and where he is on his dial at the same time. One should be
aware that "spot yourself" is free translation of the famous antique greek motto
"gnóthi seautón" ascribed to Thales of Milet.
2b) BINGO-Spots
Let others know about your successful
DX-operations. If the DX-station was already spotted fifty times before, just
make your spots unique by personalizing them. An excellent method to make others
envy you are the so-called BINGO-spots:
DX de
ID1OT: 3799.0 XY7Z
BIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNGGOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1255Z
DX
de DA7ZLE: 3799.0 XY7Z my DXCC #
333 1256Z
DX de SW8NK: 3799.0
XY7Z NEW ONE
!!!!!!! 1257Z
DX de M0RON: 3799.0
XY7Z WKD ON 23 BANDS
!!!!
1257Z
DX
de AL1AR: 3799.0 XY7Z wkd without antenna
!!
1258Z
Or even better, make the cluster a show room for all the fabulous
qsl cards you have recently received:
DX de
N1NNY: 21225.0 P5/4L4FN rcvd QSL, my #345, nice color
card! Tnx Ed! 2048Z
Such spots will easily elicit the attention you
need and deserve. For example, an impressed fellow-DXer might respond:
DX de DO0FUS: 21225.0 P5/4L4FN
congrats N1NNY, you are a great op!!
2050Z
Further reading: Wilhelm Busch: "Das tapfere Schneiderlein"
(The brave little taylor)
2c) Digg the cluster not the bands
Look for DX-stations on the
cluster. Never waste time by searching the bands yourself.
2d) Attracting DX-stations through spotting
A clever strategy of
cluster-aided DX-ing is to seek the attention of the DX-station by placing
cluster spots and anouncements. Since landline access and plenty of computer
equipment is obligatory at DX-locations, you can expect any DX-station to
monitor the cluster permanently. Invite the DX-station to your frequency by
anouncements like:
08Feb2002@08:55:24 YT1ZFW
-> ALL: To LU1ZA Pse luck for YT7ZDX & YT1ZFW on 14095 73 Tnx!
11Feb2002@19:40:48 YT1ZFW -> ALL: To JX7DFA Per Please
QSO rtty,I need JX for rtty dxcc!Tnx
Or simply tell others to make
the DX-station come to your favored
band:
21Jun2001@15:40:18 DL1QSL -> ALL:
Pse ask VU7DX for QSY to 20, need VU7 on 20!!!!!!Tnx
2e) Global players without antennas
Not owning shortwave equipment
does not mean you should renounce to become a global player in the DX-community.
Just put fantasy DX-spots on the cluster or retype cluster spots you see. Start
discussions by full anouncements. Being a so-called cluster
crab will make your life more colorful and make your call famous within a
few weeks. Find more about DX-ing, the optimal use of the DX-cluster, and how to
apply for becoming crab of the
month (crab nomination has been discontinued).
2f) DX-peditions rely on YOUR opinion
DX-peditioners are people
enjoying life and traveling around sponsored and pampered by generous
DX-organizations. Usually they have no idea (and they don't care) whats going on
on the bands. Therefore, it is important that you share your opinions and
complaints about DX-peditioners with the whole community. The best place is on
the DX-frequency itself, but you should also consider to state comments as DX
spots or AN/FULL anouncements in the cluster. You may use fantasy calls for
postings. Examples:
DawgX
14200.0 TI9M have no mike for
SSB? TI91304 21 Feb 2002
DawgX 21000.0
TI9M Very bad operation
... TI91811 21 Feb 2002
In the course
of a major DX-pedition one can discern two typical phases that the opinion of
our club members passes through:
I) whining and
complaining phase: "poor operators"
II) dazzling phase:
"great guys, got them on 20 bands"
3) On DX-frequencies
3a) Tune in and stay tuned
Tune your transmitter directly on the
DX-frequency to make sure that full output power is available on the target
frequency. Transmit for longer periods to test whether your equipment is ready
for heavy duty cycles.
3b) Who is the DX?
Ask who the DX-station is. Often DX-spots are
set by people who cannot tell A from B. Ask for DXCC region or IOTA number and
don't waste time by looking up this information yourself. Enough people
just hang around on DX-frequencies and don't know what to do with their time.
3c) Where is he listening?
Ask for the split frequency. Getting
this information on the DX-frequency makes your life much easier. You will also
win new friends because usually many people just wait to tell you. In rare cases
some crumblers might complain. Then just appeal on HAM spirit.
Hints: Mention your call several times on the
DX-frequency - many ears are listing and it is a unique opportunity to introduce
yourself on an international podium. Be social, say hello to friends and discuss
latest local news. There should always be time for a little chat, shouldn't it?
3d) The "coup"
Once you located the split frequency, put the mike
gain to the maximum and start calling. Keep on calling until many people on the
DX-frequency tell you to shut up because you are already five times in the log
of the DX-station. As you will notice, efficient behavior on the split
frequency of the DX-station will also provoke broad feedback on the cluster by
people who envy your operation skills. For instance:
7003.0
F9BBL 20-Jan-2002 2340Z qrm-ing
vp8
<PA7XMM>
10100.0 F9BBL 17-Jan-2002 2216Z
you calmed down and got your <OH7YZZ>
10100.0 F9BBL 17-Jan-2002 2201Z
Is continous calling Ham spi <OH2ZRF>
10100.0 F9BBL 17-Jan-2002 2158Z
d10100 My tx is off your is <OH2ZRF>
10100.0 F9BBL 17-Jan-2002 2156Z
no but you qrm all the time <OH2ZRF>
10100.0
F9BBL 17-Jan-2002 2154Z Are you OZ
9BBL?
<OH2ZRF>
Here the spotted station has already reached an
exceptional level of excellence. The spots indicate that he skillfully applies
our master rule 1b) and also some of the following rules, 3f), and
presumably also 3e). Wow!!
Also watch for feedback by anouncements
mentioning your call. For instance, they could look like:
09Feb2002@17:25:06 K2CXW -> ALL: IK9SAW
QRMing: Well done, DX-stn gone QRT: Tnx!!
12Feb2002@09:06:29 F9NZD -> ALL: IK9SAW TKS FOR BIG QRM HAVE YOU A
RECEIVER ???
3e) Tail riding
If the pile-up is big, an economic, elegant and
time-saving technique to get in the DX-station's log is tail riding. Let's
assume your call is DM3LIB and the DX-station asks for SQ3XYZ: Then it is
clearly your turn - basically he asks for your call and just got problems with
some of the letters.
3f) Instructions from a DX-station?
There is a quite general rule
how to handle instructions from a DX-station: If you hear the DX-station at all
(experts don't need to hear the DX-station), ignore any instructions from
this side. Commonly, DX operators are guys hanging out on a sunny island and
drinking Baccardi. Mostly they are occupied with other things and have no clue
at all what they are doing with their radios. Their instructions, if
sensible at all, are for newcomers, not for experts like you.
Here an example: The DX-station asks for AS while you are
sitting in the middle of EU: You should take your chance NOW and call. This is
the time when all the other EUs shut up and the DX station can hear your signal
loud and clear. Always keep in mind our chief guideline (1b): In doubt YOU shout!
3g) Tell the DX-station about yorself
Once you attracted the
attention of the DX-station, don't be too brief. Even if the DX-station doesn't
want to know, tell him or her all about your equipment and your antenna system.
Don't forget a detailed weather report and some personal information, such as
about your past DX-successes, your club memberships (like your DIG number), the
name of your dog, etc. Repeat your call and the call of the DX-station several
times to make sure that all listeners will learn about your close association
with the DX-station.
3h) Celebrate successes, you deserve it
After getting in the log
of the DX-station, go back to the DX-frequency and ask for QSL information. Ask
several times because people sometimes spread wrong QSL-information. Finally you
should put BINGO-spots in the cluster (for details, see 2b above). Explain in
full anouncements how you achieved your DX contact and why this is impossible
for other people. Further references: The song "Bobby Brown" by Frank Zappa.
3i) Dupes are fun for everyone
Make sure to work DX-stations
repeatedly on the same band. Every dupe QSO is another demonstration of
your value as a DX-er and the quality of your equipment. Also you keep the
frequency busy and prevent that too much unqualified people get a chance.
It is a very fulfilling experience to work a DX-station
ten times ore more on one band. If you have achieved this you should look up the
Happy Duper Award (HDA) program maintained by the Dawg X-ray Club. Recommended
references for passionate dupers: H. Boell:."Nicht nur zur Weihnachtszeit" (Not
only at christmas time). The movie "Groundhog Day".
3j) Turn frustration into action
After calling the DX-station
incessantly you might become frustrated. Some DX-stations are just bad
operators, incapable to put your call in their logs.You should then go back to
the DX-frequency and express your frustration by deliberate jamming. Yes, be an
asshole! Your QRM serves four very important purposes: I) Your psychological
relief. II) It is a clear statement of what you think about the DX-station (but
see also 2f, above). III) It prevents other less skilled DX-ers from working a
station that is not in your log. IV) It chases incapable DX-stations off the
band. Often, DX-stations are chickens - after a bit of QRM action by people like
you they go QRT voluntarily.
3k) International Amateur Police Department (IAPD)
Unskilled
DX-ers tend to misbehave on DX-frequencies. In such moments your intervention is
required: It is up to excellent operators like yourself to give education by
lengthy explanations and instructions on the DX-frequency.
Education on DX-frequencies is favored by the Dawg X-ray
Club because of its multiplier effect: People will learn about your excellence
and at the same time many ignorant people will receive the lecture, even those
not actually misbehaving. (Join the IAPD task force
and receive your personalized IAPD plaque. Apply at the Dawg X-ray Club
headquarters.)
3l) The split/up rap: Join it and feel the togetherness
Every
skilled Dawg X-ray Club member starts to call the DX-station simplex to find out
about the split frequency. If you hear your club collegue you should not only
tell him "split" or "up" if there is good short-skip condition to him. Make a
"split" or "up" call on every ocassion. You will be rewarded by the fulfilling
experience of togetherness, if not only a few stations, but an immense choir of
"splits" and "ups" forms the refrain of every simplex call. Participating in
this chain reaction of radio excellence will make you feel truly connected with
all the other Dawg X-ray Club members. Yes - you are not alone!
3m) QRM-ing for the shy
If you feel somehow confused about a
CW-pile-up you happen to come across, the noblest and most discrete strategy the
Dawg X-ray Club recommends is to simply send questionmarks. Even our shyest
members should feel comfortable with this strategy and its impact is
nevertheless tremendous: First, such genuine confession of deep confusion is an
important first step to your perfection as DX-operator. Second, spicing the air
with questionmarks will subconsciously cause the DX-station to question his or
her behavior. Third, this strategy adds to senseless QRM, just as any of the
more vocal behaviors recommended for our members.
4) DX-operations
You should not go on
DX-peditions since it costs you money, it is work, and it opens opportunities to
your competitors only. Therefore, the Dawg X-ray club does not recommend
DX-operations to its members. However, if you happen to operate as a DX-station
here some rules:
4a) Long lists - rare birds
To take up very long lists can
increase your importance dramatically. It documents how wanted you are and
it keeps a lot of people listening to you for a long time. Since the propagation
changes over time, you also get rid of QRPers.
4b) Become a net celebrity
For maximum public exposure, join
DX-nets. With the upcoming of the DX-cluster, DX-nets lost their original
meaning. But they still provide an excellent opportunity to work few people with
maximum overhead of senseless communication and under the admiration of big
audience. For more information about DX-nets, see the very instructive No List Lizards, Inc.
page, in particular, the article Sitting Ducks (article unfortunately no longer
online).
4c) Call by countries not by numbers
Calling by countries can
never be just (think of all the 335 DXCC prefixes). Therefore, it gives you the
natural opportunity to set preferences. For instance, it is nice to work
all your buddies at home (switch to your native language then). Although driving
most other people crazy, it will substantially increase your local status.
4d) The two favorable split strategies: gluing and spilling
As a
DX-station you shape your pile-up like when you have played in the sandpit. You
can either squeeze the callers like lemmings or spread them all over the band.
Both is fun. Therefore, Dawg X-ray Club members adher to the extreme strategies
of split operation:
1) Gluing: Never change your
listening frequency, or even better, just stay simplex. This naturally fades out
QRP-ers and other little pistols.
2) Spilling: Skip
successively over the whole band. It is a rewarding experience when an entire
band becomes yours. Try it!
4e) Secret service operation
A fascinating way to pile up
pile-ups, even as a not so much wanted DX-country, like DL or W, is the
so-called secret service or undercover operation. Use a fluent DX-operation
style but strictly avoid to give the own call for long periods of time - let's
say longer than half an hour. In many DX-ers this will trigger the wfwl (work
first worry later) reflex and big pile ups will be guaranteed. Also for major
DX-peditions secret service operation can be droll: Imagine the confusion you
can cause in the DX-community, and think of all the poor guys taking a pirate's
599 for the confirmation of their DX-contact.
4f) Dawg X-ray Club parties - How DX-stations recruit new club members
Some Dawg X-ray Club members are just natural talents, may they suck up our
rules by nutrition or acquire them in early childhood, who knows. But can a
DX-station help to recruit new club members?
Definitely
so, simply by rewarding those who carefully apply the club rules. Give a Dawg
X-ray Club party: Accept callers that you didn't call upon (see 3f). Put tail
riders (see 3e) in your log. Be a gluer (see 4d) and work only the yellers that
completely cover up the DX-frequency. Encourage tattletales who unbid tell you
their whole life story although lots of stations are waiting (see 3g). A few
rewards will break the ice and bring almost everyone in party mood...
Important notes:
1) All call signs on this web page are chosen for demonstration purposes only. Coincidences with calls of existing amateur operators are purely accidental.
2) The examples on this page are picked arbitrarily. The choice is not meant to reflect any representative statistics concerning the distribution of club members over different countries, regions, license classes, etc.
3) You can send your suggestions for nominees for the famous Dawg X-ray award. Please add a detailed list of achievements. Self-nominations are encouraged.
4) If you know typical patterns of behavior of Dawg X-ray Club members that are not included here, please send a mail to the address below.
5) If you find the behavior described on this page embarrassing, don't follow the rules of the Dawg X-ray Club and just refrain to become a member. Probably, no one in the whole world would blame you...
6) This page is primarily a pladoyee for modesty and self-criticism. Who besides us cares these days about amateur radio and DX-ing in particular? Our passion can be fun but also bears the potential of obsessiveness. Even in the heat of the DX-moment we should try to recognize this danger (gnóthi seautón) and avoid behavior that is ruthless and embarrassing. See also W8KC's DX Point-Counterpoint!
7) Essentally this page highlights a hit list of "not-to-do's" in DX-ing, some just odd, some thoughtless, and some highly illegal: all in all a caricature of repelling attitude. Find the complementary information, reasonable assemblies of "how-to-do's" at: So you want to be a DXer? (AA0MZ) and Operating practice (ON4WW) .
8) If you feel uncomfortable about this page, please direct
any comments or complaints to the person responsible.
9) In any case, don't take this page entirely seriously. It's just a hobby. Relax and enjoy...
Further related information:
The Rotten Radio Series in the QST magazine written by H. P. Maxim (W1AW) --using the pseudonym T.O.M.-- starting in 1917 (W1UJR webpage)
The Amateur Radio Operators Code written by P. M. Segal (W9EEA) in 1928: "The Radio Amateur is CONSIDERATE, never knowingly operates in such a way as to lessen the pleasure of others." (ARRL Webpage)
W8CNL was calling "CQ Dog Xray". So, some nut sent him 4 copies of a dog's Xray. - WA7RFH (QST for November 1974, Strays, p. 88)
So you want to be a lid by A. J. Massa (W5VSR), in Ham Radio Horizons 1978.
Primer
and links to detailed information for the DX-cluster. (Webpage of the
Falmouth Amateur Radio Association, K1BI)
DX
Point-Counterpoint: "DXing brings me closer to the world's people" versus
"You DXers are all idiots!!!" (W8KC webpage)
Books about DXing. Classics and recent (AD1C webpage)
The end:
Responsible for the content
of this page: Fritz Sommer, dl4tt@qsl.net. The credit for this web site,
however, goes to many radio amateurs who provided information, ideas and
feedback.
Last update: April 8th, 2009
- visits since February 12th, 2006: 