The Aussie Dxer in Europe
DXing has been very much a part of my life since I was 16 years old. I don't think a day has gone by when I have not done something that was dx orientated. No I don't regard myself as fanatical, however I do spend far too much time with this great hobby than I should. Its striking a balance when it comes to family, work and the hobby. DXing certainly is my release valve and when I want a bit of time to myself, its nice to go out into the dx shed and absorb myself in the hobby.
I am certainly more of a lazy dxer these days. When I first started in the hobby I was churning out twenty hand written reports a night and it was such a joy to receive all the QSL's back in the mail. But these days finding time to type reports and the cost of postage restricts me. The other point is that we live in a different time and stations are less friendlier to dxers than they once were. A lot of reports these days end up in the rubbish bin as if it were spam or junk mail. Time is money and a lot of staff don't know what to do with reports. We are sadly probably seen as radio nutters or like train spotters. Maybe they are right. I need have a good hard look at myself in the mirror and talk to my psychologist about this. Doctor, Doctor I'm a dxer.. Okay son take it easy and tell me all about it. BTW I could do with some amphetamine on DXpeditions these days to keep myself awake. I've become one of those old blokes that I used laugh about as a 16 year old. The ones who used to talk about the glory days of dx. Guess what, I do that now.
Back in 1976 my listening was done on an old valve HRO receiver. No digital display and you had to keep hand written logs. There were no computers or internet way back then. Looking back now you had to really know the band as well. Everything was by ear and I think this was the time that I was truly switched on and the energy levels in the hobby were at a high. These days it gets all too easy. A Perseus SDR receiver being able to record the entire band overnight and the ability to go back and listen to recordings as if you were just tuning the band for the first time. The ability to filter and change modes. And of course we have Email and excel sheets and databases to refer to. DX info is at hand on the net and you don't sit there waiting for the postman to deliver the clubs magazine. But do you think this has made my life in the hobby easier? Its probably had the reverse effect and turned me into a very lazy dxer.
I first began serious listening in 1976 – Wow now 42 years ago. I can’t believe its been that long. It only seems like yesterday writing out those hand written reports.
HF / MW Receivers
QSL’s
First Shortwave QSL
Best DX Catches
Mediumwave
I am certainly more of a lazy dxer these days. When I first started in the hobby I was churning out twenty hand written reports a night and it was such a joy to receive all the QSL's back in the mail. But these days finding time to type reports and the cost of postage restricts me. The other point is that we live in a different time and stations are less friendlier to dxers than they once were. A lot of reports these days end up in the rubbish bin as if it were spam or junk mail. Time is money and a lot of staff don't know what to do with reports. We are sadly probably seen as radio nutters or like train spotters. Maybe they are right. I need have a good hard look at myself in the mirror and talk to my psychologist about this. Doctor, Doctor I'm a dxer.. Okay son take it easy and tell me all about it. BTW I could do with some amphetamine on DXpeditions these days to keep myself awake. I've become one of those old blokes that I used laugh about as a 16 year old. The ones who used to talk about the glory days of dx. Guess what, I do that now.
Back in 1976 my listening was done on an old valve HRO receiver. No digital display and you had to keep hand written logs. There were no computers or internet way back then. Looking back now you had to really know the band as well. Everything was by ear and I think this was the time that I was truly switched on and the energy levels in the hobby were at a high. These days it gets all too easy. A Perseus SDR receiver being able to record the entire band overnight and the ability to go back and listen to recordings as if you were just tuning the band for the first time. The ability to filter and change modes. And of course we have Email and excel sheets and databases to refer to. DX info is at hand on the net and you don't sit there waiting for the postman to deliver the clubs magazine. But do you think this has made my life in the hobby easier? Its probably had the reverse effect and turned me into a very lazy dxer.
I first began serious listening in 1976 – Wow now 42 years ago. I can’t believe its been that long. It only seems like yesterday writing out those hand written reports.
- Age: 61 – Born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Residence: Rijswijk (The Hague) The Netherlands – JO22DB
- Home town: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Mediumwave – My main interest since about 1981. I use a Perseus and the Jaguar software.
- DAB+
- FM Broadcast Band (During Summer) 87.5 – 108 Mhz. Mainly during Sporadic E.
- NDB (Longwave) Beacons on longwave. CW mode
HF / MW Receivers
- Perseus SDR – My main receiver because of the filters and ability to record a band.
- Icom R75 – A great receiver that I have used on many a DXpedition.
- Drake SPR4 – Runs off the sniff of an oily rag. A great radio for 12 volt DXpeditions.
- Drake SW4A – The valve version of the SPR4.
- Kingsley AR7 – Old RAAF receiver. A museum piece. What a beautiful radio.
QSL’s
First Shortwave QSL
- Radio Japan NHK 15.160 kHz in 1976
- 1593 1XP Radio Pacific – New Zealand in 1983
Best DX Catches
Mediumwave
- 850 Khz – JBC Radio One, Jamaica. One of those rare occasions that a station fades up for a few minutes and is never heard of again. I was sitting at Marlo in Western Victoria, looking for Latin american signals. I thought what had faded up was a U.S. station but later when I went through my recording I nearly fell off my chair. It came up with “JBC Radio One” ID and then into some reggae. Faded and was gone forever. Not many Australians would have heard this. The station no longer exists on 850 khz.
- 15043 khz Weekend Music Radio – Voice Of Scotland (80 watts) From Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Not the most exotic catch I have ever received but given propagation and distance involved, 80 watts of power from Scotland for a pirate was pretty special I think. I have many low powered Indonesian amitir stations and some great tropical band dx that could go close, but for power this is the one.
- 518 khz Muscat Oman. Even though I have had quite a bit of Trans Atlantic dx, this one across land would have to be my best. The Asian’s have evaded me so far on a personal level but the guys at Walsoorden have heard the Japanese before. So I live in hope. Bahamas has been nice and New Orleans.
- Hard to say: Probably some of the Pacific stuff. Low powered NZ or the 10 watt info stations in outback Australia. Sitting on the Tourist Info stations on 88.0 back in Melbourne and following the SpE cloud was pretty special. These wee little transmitters that had no right to propagate. You could sit there with a road map and predict where the next station was going to be. These days in Europe it is interesting but very difficult. Thank goodness of RDS.
- 301.3 Greensboro, NC USA #824 REF 046 – Have started DGPS dx in Feb 2012. I have 100 stations and about 37 countries.