I was in a DX'ing slump and determined that my problem was that I was not sitting down and turning the rig on. I decided I would place my Butt In the Chair and work at least one new band counter every day for 50 days straight. I made a chart and started filling it in.
A new band counter could be one I had worked before but not verified. With my low Challenge score of around 1200, finding new ones was usually not difficult. On some days, I only worked one, but it was more typical to work 3 or 4, maybe more when DXPeditions were active.
A couple of days were challenging. My wife had a virus and got severly dehydrated, so I spent most of a day at the hospital with her. I got on 30 meters before leaving the house, and worked a 4S7. I also worked a JA, which I had never confirmed on 30. Another day, I had to go to LR and get a test to see if I had lung cancer. I had to stay overnight, so I got up early and worked FG4AO on 30 meters. Fortunately, the spot on my lung picked up by two CT scans was "nothing" according to the doctor who stuck the tube down my throat.
11/7 was the 50th day, and I worked F8JIR on 30M to make it 50 in a row. I'll probably add a couple from expeditions before the day is over.
I have no idea how many new ones I picked up, because I had decided
the hard and fast goal was to work a new unconfirmed band counter each
day. The Lotw verifications will fall where they may. If I have to
keep working JA's and F's on 30 meters until one matches on Lotw, so be it. I'll eventually QSL direct to some of the better ones that don't use Lotw or OQRS. The
DXPeditions and OQRS are lifesavers, though. I have hopes of making it
to 1300 by the end of the year.
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the meeting!
73,
Dennis, W5RZ
(I'll never be a DX Hog, but maybe a DX piglet!)