Part One of this series covered basic HF operating procedure. This month, we take a more detailed look at specific operating activities enjoyed by amateurs. There is also a chance to put what you have learned to practical use in contests such as the annual WIA Remembrance Day Contest held mid-August.
DXing
In amateur parlance, DX means long distance, normally defined by HF operators as being outside one's continent. There are many amateurs who, after establishing a station, enjoy talking around the world. DX operators have a variety of motives; some like experimenting with antennas, while others prefer to chase various operating awards.
As well as having an efficient station, good operating skills are important for the successful DX-er. These include a knowledge of radio propagation, being able to discern weak signals, a habit of listening around the band before transmitting, and a sense of timing when calling another station. Clear pronunciation, the use of standard phonetics on SSB, and steady sending on Morse are the hallmarks of the good operator.
Active DXers place great importance on contacting remote, obscure islands. Sometimes, groups of DXers may organise special voyages (called DXpeditions) to such islands, so that other amateurs may work them. These DX peditions are very costly, and organisers often solicit donations from amateurs and commercial sponsors.
When a signal from a DX-pedition is heard, there are often many stations trying to make contact. Quite appropriately, this wall of QRM is called a 'dogpile'. DXpedition stations may operate 'split-frequency'. This means that you listen on one frequency and transmit on another. For this reason, serious DXers use transceivers with dual VFOs.
Being able to be heard by a DX station is a matter of strategy and timing; the station might have a particular pattern of operating that you can exploit. When called by a DX station, make the contact brief, as you would in a contest, as many others may be waiting for their turn.
The impression gained so far is that the DXer is a rather competitive, solitary operator. This is not always so; some DXers hunt in packs. Several nets for amateurs who enjoy working DX, exist on the bands. In addition, groups of DXers in some cities have set up early-warning systems called DX clusters. This is essentially a special packet radio link between DXers. Their function is to alert all suitably equipped stations that a sought after station has appeared on the band. Thus, instead of spending time tuning around, one can switch off, watch TV, and only fire up the rig when a rare station comes on.
CONTESTS
A contest is an organised event where the aim is to make the most number of contacts within a given period. Apart from being an exciting and absorbing activity in its own right, contesting allows you to test the efficiency of your station, together with operating skills. With there being many stations on the air at the one time, a contest is an ideal opportunity to have contacts with various countries or call areas so that you can work towards many of the awards on offer.
While most major contests run for 24 hours, some short contests ('sprints' or 'scrambles') run for only an hour or two. These short contests have simple rules, and are good fun.
Contest contacts are much shorter than most other amateur radio contacts; all you need to exchange with the other station is a five or six digit number, consisting of a signal report followed by a serial number starting at 001. This serial number increases by one for every contact you make, thus you might send 57003 to the third station you work in a contest. The object is to make as many contacts as possible within the contest period.
The following is a typical example of an SSB contest exchange between VK1AA and VK6AA.
(VK1AA): CQ CQ CQ RD CONTEST, THIS IS VK1AA.
{VK1AA seeking a contest contact}
(VK6AA): VK6AA
{VK6AA responds}
(VK1AA): VK6AA, THIS IS VK1AA. My NUMBER TO YOU IS 57011
{VK6AA's signal is 5/7, VK6AA is VK1AA's eleventh contact in the contest}
(VK6AA): THANK YOU FOR THE 57011. MY NUMBER TO YOU IS 58001 {
{VK1AA's signal is 5/8, this contact is VK6AA's first in the contest}
(VK1AA): 58001 RECEIVED. 73 AND GOOD LUCK IN THE CONTEST.
{Contest contact ended successfully and both stations enter the contact in their logs. VK1AA continues calling CQ, while VK6AA looks for other stations calling CQ}
On CW, the procedure is similar, except there is a heavy use of abbreviations to save time (see Part One). Very often, nines are sent as 'N', and zeroes as 'T'. Thus, the first station you work might receive a '5NNTT1' number from you, which is the equivalent of a 59001 report on phone.
To formally enter a contest, a log of all contacts must be submitted. A sample log sheet, suitable for most contests, is shown in Figure 1. Normally, a front summary sheet, which shows your name, callsign, total score and declaration that you operated ethically is stapled to the front of the log - the format for this is generally specified in the contest rules. The major WIA-sponsored Australian contests are as follows:-
- Remembrance Day Contest (August)
- VK-ZL-Oceania DX Contest (October)
- Ross Hull VHF/UHF Contest (December/January)
- VHF/UHF Field Day (January)
- John Moyle Field Day (March)
- VK Novice Contest (June)
FIGURE 1 - SAMPLE CONTEST LOG SHEET
Name---------------------------Callsign----------------------Contest---------------------
Date----UTC----Band---Mode---Callsign------RST/no. sent----RST/no. rec--------Points
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
This log sheet is typical only, but should be acceptable for most contests. Read the rules applicable to the particular contest for more information.
AWARDS
An award is a certificate received for having contacted a specified number of stations in a certain geographic area, or on a particular mode. They range from the local club award to the internationally-recognised, and from the easy to the almost impossible.
The most well-known international award is the DXCC (DX Century Club), issued to those amateurs who have proved that they have contacted at least 100 countries. Another award gaining prominence is the 'Islands of The Air' (IOTA) award for contacting a specified number of islands.
The WIA has its own awards program, with certificates issued free to members.
WIA awards available include:-
- WIA DXCC
- Worked All VK Call Areas (WAVCA) Awards (VHF and HF)
- Worked All States (VHF)
- Australian VHF Century Club
- WIA Antarctic Award
- WIA Grid Square Award
QSLing
A long-standing tradition has been to exchange QSL cards after the completion of a contact. The practice comes from the days when working DX (usually with low power and home made equipment) was much more of an achievement than it is today. Many overseas stations tend to be almost obsessed with QSLing, to the point that they ask for a card even if filling in and sending the card takes longer than the original two-minute contact. In contrast, many VKs are more laid back, only sending cards for the more memorable contacts. It may be for this reason that we have the reputation of being bad QSLers.
Nevertheless, QSLing is almost mandatory for those who aspire to collect awards, which normally require cards to show evidence of contacts claimed. Also, the new amateur will often want to decorate the shack with cards received from distant countries. After a wall has been 'wallpapered', the novelty often wears off, with many an amateur storing cards in shoe boxes in a seldom-opened cupboard.
Every amateur should have a stack of their own QSL cards, even if they are only sent infrequently. Cards should be of postcard size, and include your callsign, address and (preferably) your Maidenhead grid square locator number. It should include spaces for the callsign worked, UTC date and time, signal report, band, and mode used. Spaces on the card for your equipment, antenna and power output are also desirable. Figure 2 shows a typical commercially-printed QSL card.
There are two ways of sending cards. They may be posted via the normal mail system. While fast, it is expensive. Fortunately, the WIA and its sister societies have established QSL bureaus for use by members. These bureaus send and receive QSL cards in bulk, so postage costs are reduced. Though sending cards 'via the bureau' is slower than QSLing 'direct', the money saved is considerable, particularly if you are an avid DXer.
QSL Bureaus consist of two sections; Inwards and Outwards. The Inwards section receives cards from overseas and interstate, and distributes them to members, while Outwards accepts cards from you and forwards them to bureaus in other states/countries.
You can collect cards that have arrived for you from your Divisional Office, or WIA or club meetings. Alternatively, you can have your cards mailed to you by sending a SASE to the QSL Bureau Manager. QSL Bureau procedures vary slightly between states; some Divisions may charge a nominal sum per card sent, while others charge nothing. Addresses for QSL bureaus are listed periodically in this magazine, and in the WIA Callbook (Reference Two).
QRP
QRP operation is the use of low transmit powers. Its adherents gain a special pleasure from working across the country or across the world with a couple watts of power. QRP, defined as the use of five watts or less on CW, and ten or less on SSB, is ideal for portable operation, where lightweight transmitting equipment must be used. In addition, the low-cost and simplicity of QRP equipment makes building one's own transceiver a practical proposition, particularly for CW operation.
Practically the full range of operating activities, such as DXing, contesting and VHF operation can be done with QRP. An efficient antenna and good operating skills are required for maximum success. Ownership of special equipment is not required; QRP can be obtained from many 100 watt transceivers that have an external ALC socket.
QRP in Australia is promoted by the CW Operators' QRP Club, which publishes a quarterly magazine, runs nets and sponsors contests for QRP operators. Those seeking further information on QRP are referred elsewhere on this site.
CONCLUSION
This short series has, I hope, given you a better knowledge of HF operation. As well as reading about it, the best way to learn is by listening and operating yourself. The appearance of this column has been timed to coincide with the Remembrance Day Contest, to maximise this opportunity.
REFERENCES
1. Lewis M, QRP- The Crest of the Radio Wave, Amateur Radio, April 1995,
2. 1996 WIA Callbook
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