[DX] DXing and DX nets

[John Geiger]

Was anyone also insulted by the article in the last
Hows DX in October 2002 QST?  In this article, working
DX on a DX net was compared to "Selling your soul" and
stated to be as unethical as running over the legal
limit of power (which is not only ethical, it is
illegal, but that was not mentioned).

I have worked DX on DX nets, and am not ashamed to say
so.  I have worked 299 countries, with what most would
say is a very modest station.  I have never run more
than 100 watts, to most either a dipole or vertical
antenna.  My current antenna is a miniproducts Mini
Quad at 28 feet.  Before that I had a Cushcraft MA5B
(installed in Feb 2001) at 30 feet.  I also had a mini
quad for awhile in 1984-1986, and did use a 4 element
10 meter monobander for a couple of months in 1984,
which was near the bottom of the sunspot cycle, and
didnt work any new countries on it.  I also used an
indoor dipole in a second floor apartment from
1993-1996 and did work 7Q, 9G, 1A0, OK, OM, 9A, T9,
ZA, and a few others for all time new ones.

My point is-how is it unethical and selling my soul to
use a DX net.  If I had a few monobanders at 75 feet
and a Texas Kilowatt, I might work all DX on the first
or second call, and hear everything at 20 over 9, but
that setup won't be in my possession anytime soon.  So
I have learned to work DX through operator skill.  I
run alot of CW since I seem to have better luck there.
 I recently got into RTTY and also seem to go very
good DXing there.  I use the WARC bands alot, I
LISTEN, and I constantly develop my pileup skills.  I
also use DX nets if it will net me a new country or a
new band country, or sometimes just for the fun of it.
 

I had worked 240 countries before ever seeing a DX
spotting cluster.  I don't consider using a cluster
unethical, or selling your soul, although it does take
away some of the need to develop good listening
habits, and picking out callsigns from very weak
signals.  

So, does anyone else feel the same way as I do about
DX nets, or am I going to be seriously flamed and
forever banished from the DXers Vahalla?

73s John NE0P

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