Over the past few years, I would set "radio goals", and try to accomplish them. The first was WAS...and I didn't stutter....intentionaly. I would pretty much select a band and hang out there until the goal on that band was completed. It is not a very efficient way to operate, but does work. At the end of the day (aka a few years) I completed WAS on 6-160.
I then set a goal of 100 countries on each band, and used the same process...pick a band, stay there until 100 was reached. Do whatever I needed to get to 100 on that band. It often involved making an antenna change from the wire I normally use. It would be pretty easy to get around 90, then new ones got harder to find. I would then build a yagi, or a different wire antenna to see if that would help, and it always did. I also found out to get LOTW confirmations, you had to work about 110 entities to get 100.
My goal has been partially accomplished with DXCC on 10-80 minus 60meters, however the total DXCC count was fairly low. Maybe 150ish total new entities. Then a huge shift came along. ADXA, which I was not interested in at all ( I thought), came along. After attending a meeting with Mike, as a non-member, at Joel's place, my view changed. I became interested in becoming an ADXA member not because of the DX but because of the amazing people that I've met. After becoming a member of ADXA about 2 years ago, my approach to DX changed. Now it has become get a spot on a new DX station and go fight with the world until they are worked. This has resulted in the totals below, with a total number of entities at 283.
While I am really pleased with these numbers which I thought would never be reachable pre-ADXA, I do have one regret. I'm sure that you all see my regret in the above stats. I have no bands showing DXCC plus 3db, (aka 200).
The last couple of days, I have semi-quenched my appetite for new entities to attempt DXCC +3db on 15 meters. I am pretty sure I will get a confirmation from CY0s and S21WB ( counting chickens before they hatch). This should give me 198. The past couple days, I have camped on 15 and wished for the 5 element monobander that is laying on the ground. I did work a few new ones such as 4K6SA Azerbaijan, JY5IB Jordon, Ty5AD Benin, and 3 stations in Kaliningrad. Now we play the LOTW confirmation waiting game while to try to pick off a few more.
It is all fun, and I celebrate the accomplishments of ADXA and its amazing members, and their stations. With the limited abilities of my station, I do feel like the ugly girl at the prom "just glad to be here".
Everyone have a great day and good DXing!
Randy/W5ZJ