Getting the last endorsement on Starr's DXCC award took time, but he attained the ultimate DX achievement--Honor Roll--without an amplifier or tower. [All photos by the author]

I recently received notification from the ARRL that I had, at long last, achieved the DXCC Honor Roll. Even though I had enjoyed working DX as a youngster, I didn't really pursue it until my first DXCC certificate showed up in the mail in 1987. Of course many hams have made Honor Roll in much shorter times. I guess for some it's a race and for others a goal. It's really a personal choice. When I got those last QSL cards from P5/4L4FN and TN3B/TN3W, I thought, "Wow, I did this thing without a tower," and that other towerless hams might like to know some of the things that helped me along the way.

The best single radio related thing I ever did for the pursuit of DX was to upgrade to an Amateur Extra license. A huge bonus for Extras is the sub-bands, just loaded with juicy DX. The first 25 kHz of 15, 20, 40, and 80 meters are remarkably rich with distant prefixes; there are also the Extra-only phone sub-bands on 75, 20 and 15-meter phone to consider.

On Morse, most DX stations seem to like speeds around 20-30 wpm and occasionally higher. When I tested for my Extra the code requirement was 20 wpm. For months I tuned in to the ARRL code practice sessions a couple of times a week. I would read highway signs and billboards in code while driving to work. It was work, but it really paid off.

I'm not particularly "technical." I've been an art director all my life, so the ARRL Extra Class License Manual was a great way to focus on the important stuff. I passed the code test the first time out, but flunked the written test. A month or two later, however, I passed the written exam at the Tampa FCC office.

The last two cards, completing Starr's quest for Honor Roll.

What's Going On?

To work the DX you need to know where and when it will be on. Use the Internet to get the scoop. Good sites for past, present and upcoming DXpeditions and contests are www.ac6v.com, www.arrl.org, and www.ohio-penn.net. Sometimes DXpeditions are announced months in advance. I keep a write-on calendar on the wall next to the operating position to note important DXpeditions that I don't want to forget. For real time information, oh2aq.kolumbus.com/dxs is terrific. This is an on-line packet cluster that's just plain fun to see in action. You can see call-outs from around the world and zero in on single bands or single calls. It is very easy to use.

A good active 2-meter DX packet cluster is invaluable for picking up new ones. Most have neat extra features such as chatting with those on the cluster and researching operating habits of DX stations so you can estimate times and frequencies. Find out if there is a cluster near you, and jump aboard. There is also an on-air resource, the NCDXA Net, which meets on 14.236 MHz at 2230 UTC weekdays. They are very cordial and helpful. You can ask them just about anything that's happening in the DX world and, if they possibly can, they will get you an answer.

Of course, the most important "site" is the facility of your own ears. It's amazing what's on that's not called out on the cluster. And the good news is the pile-up will be a lot smaller or non-existent. Occasionally, you will be among the first few to hear a rare one. What could be better? So listen, listen, listen, as the great DXers have always said.

Of course none of this makes any difference if you don't know what countries you do and don't have. You can download a country list from ARRL's DXCC site and other Internet resources, or get a free one from major vendors at your favorite hamfest. A lot of hams use a logging program to keep track of entities worked. Try to memorize the country prefixes if you don't already know them. And keep a country list handy for those exotic prefixes like T5 (Somalia) or ZC4 (the UK Sovereign Base Area on Cyprus).

Other Kinds of Listening

I had just worked my first Jan Mayen station on 10-meter CW during a CQ World Wide DX contest and then went down to 20-meter phone to try to find an old friend. He was in a roundtable with a small group when one of his friends mentioned just working Monk Apollo on 28.456 MHz. I scooted back up to 10 meters and worked SY2A on the Greek island for a new one. A lot of time you can pick up juicy tidbits by just listening to other DXers chat!

Our Christmas Day 2000 celebrations had calmed and everyone had gone home or was napping. I slipped out to the shack to see what was cooking on the bands. On the lower end of 20 meters was a small group having a nice leisurely chat. I listened for a few minutes and realized one of the participants, Chuck, was in fact signing 3Y0C. They finished up their roundtable and I expected a thundering herd would call Chuck, but I think I may have been the only one to call! It was nice actually talking with Chuck for a few minutes.

Recently I was ragchewing with a newfound friend in Denmark and let him know I was looking for Juan de Nova. Lars let me know about an upcoming expedition I had heard nothing about! It obviously pays to listen to DXer friends, both old and new.

Stand on the Shoulders of Giants

Tuning across the lower end of 20 meters one weekend morning, I heard a local ham, Bob Beatty, W4VQ, signing his call in a lively pile-up. Because Bob is an excellent DXer, I knew he was chasing something good. It turned out to be an expedition to Shijiutuo Island by the Beijing DX Club, BI3H. Similarly, I heard K3VN on the coast east of me in a big pile-up one day. Since Al is usually on the other end with everyone calling him, it seemed likely he was on to something, and he was: Ed, P5/4L4FN, in North Korea.

Whenever I hear N4WW, K4XI, N6AR or AA4MM calling someone, my ears perk up. These are local hams with years of experience and countless lessons learned. Plus, I can probably hear the DX if they can. Identify the great DXers in your area and see what they're working.

I must mention my all time favorite DX book, The Complete DX'er, by Bob Locher, W9KNI. If you aren't familiar with this book, do yourself a favor: get it and read it. My DX IQ bounced up 50 points after I read it.

Gain is Good

In January 1997, Heard Island was activated. I had known months earlier that this might be a "once in a lifetime" opportunity. There was no way I could let this one slip away. I did not have a beam, tower or amplifier. I was using wire antennas supported by tree branches. I decided to build a 2-element, 20-meter delta loop and get it up in the trees as high as I could. I knew this would allow me to hear VK0IR and I could direct my signal down their way. And what do you know...it worked!

When the Kingdom of Bhutan was activated in May 2000, I couldn't hear them on 15 and 17 meters with the antenna I normally used for those bands, a 160 meter full wave loop. I could hear them, however, on 15 and 17 meters with the 20-meter delta loop beam. For these two bands, I worked A52A by listening on the 20-meter delta loop beam and transmitting on the 160-meter loop, using a manual antenna switch to accomplish this. Since then I have pointed the delta loop at many expeditions with success, the latest to the Republic of the Congo.

The delta loop beams are real bargains, dB-per-dollar-wise. The PVC pipe spacers for the 10- and 15-meter beams were only 86 cents each at Home Depot. The wire was No. 14 stranded. The 20-meter beam is more substantial and probably cost two or three times as much. Assembly is quick since you're just dealing with PVC pipe, PVC cement, slingshots, wire, string and rope. I found all the information in books like All About Cubical Quad Antennas by W6SAI and W2LX, W1FB's Antenna Notebook and The ARRL Antenna Book.

The ability to work split frequencies can greatly enhance your chances of snagging some rare DX.

Be a Split Genius and Other Stuff

Take a listen in a big pile up and you will notice that at any given moment most of those calling have no chance to be heard. Why? Because the DX is not listening on those frequencies. Take time to identify the DX's listening pattern. Are the stations he's picking out of the chaos transmitting a tad off-frequency from the DX station? Anticipate where the DX will be listening and transmit there. Sounds simple. You'll need a transceiver with good split capabilities and some practice.

It's natural to become annoyed when someone is tuning up or otherwise transmitting on the DX frequency during a split operation. However, there is a way turn this to your advantage. Just think about this: As long as you can still hear and understand the DX, ignore the interference and call the DX on his listening frequency! Many will not call while the DX is being interfered with, thus leaving your transmit frequency clearer.

A handy and complete tuning chart for each of your antennas can make the difference between making a contact with a DX station, and merely having a story about how you heard it.

Sometimes things happen mighty fast when you're chasing DX and you want to be prepared to change antenna, frequency and power levels quickly. A couple of homemade operating aids that are very useful for saving time are an antenna tuning chart for each antenna and an amplifier tuning chart. Having these presets posted close to you can be the difference in making a significant DX contact.

After The QSO

For DXCC award chasers, getting a QSL card from that rare DX is essential. There is a simple set of steps to take to maximize your chances of getting a card. But first, after you've worked an expedition, take a moment to go on-line and check their Web site to see if you're in the log. If not, work 'em again! Here are the simple steps to QSL card bliss:

• Make sure your QSL card has your call, the DX call, all pertinent log data including UTC and your name with complete address, including county, ZIP code and country all on one side. This makes it easy for the DX station or QSL manager to see everything without having to flip the card over.

• You need two envelopes. The first is either a self-addressed, stamped envelope for those wonderful QSL managers within your own country, or a self-addressed envelope with enough funds or International Reply Coupons included for return postage. This envelope should also have the same log info as the QSL card clearly printed at the bottom of the backside. The second envelope holds the first envelope, the QSL card and IRCs. It's a really good idea to use privacy envelopes to discourage snooping.

• Make sure the DX or manager address is correct. You can go online and check at www.ac6v.com. Click on to "DX," then go to "QSL routes." You can also check www.qsl.net/k4ute. If the station in question was part of a DXpedition, you should check the specific QSLing instructions. Sometimes there will be different addresses for different modes, bands, operators or locations.

• There has been a lot written about sending QSL cards. Check out the tips at www.ac6v.com and research past articles in CQ and QST. Also check out the outgoing and incoming QSL services provided by ARRL.

• Wait. Some cards come quickly and others can take a long time. But you're a DXer--you know all about patience.

Give Something Back

If you possibly can, give something back to the hobby we all love so much. If you are new, I can assure you that anything you give will come back to you tenfold in rewarding experiences. All hams are blessed with talents and knowledge. Share your gifts. Doing this will only make your operating achievements that much sweeter.

Stan Starr, AC4S, studied for his first license, KN4PGT, with his best friend in 1957. He earned a BSID from Georgia Tech and an MBA from Rollins College, and designed for Chrysler, Mattel and Disney. He is retired, still but does freelance design. At MARS station AA6WAH, Stan ran thousands of phone patches to troops in Viet Nam while with the 306th Psychological Operations Battalion. He is a former Director of the Orlando Amateur Radio Club and has done design and advertising work for the OARC, HamCation, and other clubs and friends. He's presently contemplating a tower. A life member of the ARRL, Starr can be reached at ac4s@arrl.net.

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