[DX] DXing and DX nets

[Gary Smith]

John,

I couldn't agree with you more.  I know that there are
those who will respond negatively as you have
indicated in the body of your e-mail.  However, I
think DX worked is DX worked, as long as you have done
nothing illegal.  Like you, I have developed my
listening skills over many years of both ham radio and
SWL Dx'ing.  I also run a modest station, running 100
watts into a dipole.  I use the DX nets from
time-to-time because it saves time in having to comb
the bands, but I also have worked a great deal of DX
outside of the nets, as I sure you have also.

I may be forever banned as well, but I support using
the ideas and technology that are legally available to
all of us in the amateur community.

73 es best regards,
Gary
WA1TJB

--- John Geiger <johngeig@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 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
> 
> __________________________________________________
> Do you Yahoo!?
> New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo!
> http://sbc.yahoo.com
> _______________________________________________
> DX mailing list
> DX@mailman.qth.net
> http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/dx


__________________________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo!
http://sbc.yahoo.com