[ADXA] The Cost of a "New One"

Wed Feb 14 09:07:53 EST 2024

and I forgot to mention….congratulations, Joel, on the 7O.  Things like
that can get frustrating and there isn’t always a payoff.  I’m glad your
dedication to the chase had a good outcome!
73,
Dennis

On Tue, Feb 13, 2024 at 4:41 PM <w5znjoel at gmail.com> wrote:

> Greetings ADXA Folks,
>
>
>
> I just finished writing my article for the 1st Quarter ADXA Newsletter
> and sent it off to Glenn. The topic is about pets so I’m confident you will
> want to read it when the newsletter is distributed via this reflector. Its
> such a thrilling piece that I actually fell asleep this afternoon proof
> reading it !!
>
>
>
> I have another topic in my head that I chose to post here rather than in
> the newsletter and it pertains to the cost of a “new one”. Now, I’m not
> referring to money. If you look at the different stations of ADXA members
> you will see we range from some very large stations through mid-size to
> small and they are all very effective. The reason you run with the big dogs
> is because you don’t pee like a puppy!! So exactly what do I mean by “cost”
> if I’m not talking about money? Very simple, I’m referring to personal
> commitment. I often refer to the 1964 Beatles hit “Can’t Buy Me Love”
> during my presentations at Contest University to make the point that you
> can spend a heck of a lot of money on radios and antennas and still not be
> successful in DX’ing if you simply don’t have a personal commitment to know
> what you’re doing.
>
>
>
> Three examples are very noteworthy for this writing. The first is Jon,
> KI5UCZ. Jon has a modest station but has the drive of a hungry wolf that
> hasn’t eaten in a month. He recently posted about his effort to work TX5S.
> He had been working 15 hours a day, 7 days a week and thought he would
> never have the opportunity to work Clipperton. Through his persistence and
> endurance he was able to pick them up for a new one, literally at the very
> last minute!
>
>
>
> The second is Dennis, W5RZ, “Mr. BIC”. He is at the top of the Honor Roll,
> mind you, but wasn’t satisfied with his DXCC Challenge numbers. The other
> members of the Russellville DX Mafia had left him in the dust. That had to
> change - can’t have that! We have all enjoyed reading his posts about
> focusing on spending what time he had on the air, in the hunt, searching
> for new band-entities and his success far exceeded his goal. Dennis doesn’t
> have a massive station but is determined. So determined that his new
> numbers have the dynamic duo of Russellville, BHS and JJJ, hearing LOUD
> footsteps flying up behind them on the DXCC Challenge count!
>
>
>
> The third is Lanny, K1LEC. Lanny has a modest station with a hex beam. You
> know he works a TON of DX! Lanny has some family caregiver responsibilities
> and doesn’t have unlimited time, but his time is coordinated and focused.
> Plus, he always shares with all of us what he is hearing and working right
> here on the reflector.
>
>
>
> So, what is the “Cost of a New One”? It is commitment, plain and simple.
> It is not measured by the amount of money spent on equipment, we each have
> our own personal desire and resources to build the station we can or want,
> but that doesn’t buy us “love”. It takes planning, desire, and commitment!
>
>
>
> I was driven to write this after my bout trying to work Yemen on 160
> meters. I failed in 2000 with 7O1YGF, again in 2012 when 7O6T had a big
> DXpedition to Yemen’s Socotra Island. That continued last fall with 7O8AD
> then 7O73T. The failure was attributed to either a lack of propagation or
> lack of attention to the difficulty of 160 meters by the DXpedition
> operator. Then came the announcement that Vlad, OK2WX, would be in Yemen on
> Socotra Island as 7O2WX in February with the big announcement “focus on the
> low bands”. I became excited but once the operation began my excitement
> turned to disappointment. The propagation on 160 meters was horrible and to
> make things worse Vlad would only show up on 160 for about an hour then
> bail to another band. So much for the “focus on the low bands”. 160 is a
> brutal, unforgiving band. A propagation path can open for as little at 10
> seconds and you “gotta be there”. So for 8 straight nights I had the
> headphones on from 5:15 PM (30 mins before our sunset) until sunrise in
> Yemen at 8:45 PM our time. For 3.5 hours each night, I sat listening to
> nothing but noise in the headphones. Vlad would be on but no propagation.
> Every night after his sunrise I would get up from the chair, disgusted, and
> stomp through the den to the bedroom. Kim wouldn’t even say anything to me
> as I walked through knowing I was upset and didn’t work him. Friday night,
> three days left before Vlad packs up and leaves, I’m in the chair as usual
> at 5:15 PM, headphones on, listening to noise. At around 5:50 PM I started
> hearing faint CW too weak to copy. Over the next 8 mins the signal started
> to build and at 5:59 PM I had a peak and put Vlad in the log! By 6:05 PM he
> had completely faded into the noise. That was #290 on 160 meters.
>
>
>
> I relate this story to emphasize the three examples above. Some times you
> can’t just simply turn on the radio and let your computer work another
> station. Your computer will do that but it has no clue of the “BIC” concept
> or how propagation works. You control that part and that is why you are a
> successful DX’er and can run with the BIG DOGS!
>
>
>
> Thanks for reading this, now GET BACK IN THERE AND WORK ‘EM !!!
>
>
>
> 73 Joel W5ZN
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