This past Sunday I was cruzing the bands for some POTA stations and on 10m I came across a pileup and stuck around to see what it was all about. It was 7Q6M in Malawi Africa calling "CQ UP". I flipped the Icom 7610 into split and Dual Watch (Dual Watch meaning turned on the independent sub receiver). There was a large gathering at the watering hole and I took some time to listen to see how 7Q6M was working the pileup. I dropped my call a few times and then I heard them come back to me and I was in the log. 

I then a few days later logged TO9W in St Martin, now they are pretty much local to me BUT they are an ATNO and it only took the first call to get them in the log. This coming weekend is the ARRL 10m contest and I will be up and running in that in the low-power CW category. Hey if you are an SSB aficionado you also can take advantage of the 10m DX. I found that last year the DX was on early mornings then after about noon hour it was North America.

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In this episode, we join Martin Butler M1MRB, Dan Romanchik KB6NU, Caryn Eve Murray KD2GUT, Edmund Spicer M0MNG, and Ed Durrant DD5LP to discuss the latest Amateur / Ham Radio news. Colin Butler (M6BOY) rounds up the news in brief and the episode's feature is SpyRadio and Parasets.

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SOME INFORMAL THOUGHTS ON WORKING CW DX

Recently, I came across some questions another amateur radio operator posed to a group of CW enthusiasts. Since I have an interest in Morse code, I thought I would explore these questions:

— begin quote —

1. When chasing some particular CW DX station needed for my DXCC punch-list, what are some things(s) that one can do to improve one’s chances of snagging that DX contact amidst a congested pileup? Is it truly the luck of the draw or roll of the dice? Or are there some time tested methods, less than obvious, that the experienced CW DX chasers have used that seem to improve one’s chances of snagging the DX contact? Yes, I’m aware that there are many variables to consider. I’m just looking for some general suggestions to improve my odds of success based on the experience of others.

2. If, let’s say, a DX station appends “UP 1” or “QSX 2” to his CQ call or just “UP” appears in a DX cluster spot listing, what is considered an acceptable amount of “UP”? I’m amazed sometimes at the amount of “UP” that I hear. LOL. Does a hefty amount of “UP” actually improve one’s chances? What does the DX op expect?

3. After a DX station sends their callsign how long should one wait to reply with one’s callsign? I hear stations respond immediately. But sometimes I hear others wait just a “bit”, and then respond to DX. And sometimes when the DX station is responding to a chosen station, other callers are STILL calling the DX op. What do most DX operators expect with regard to the response of a reply? Immediate? One-Mississippi …?

4. I hear stations reply to DX with their callsign once. Others sometimes twice. If I send my callsign twice I run the risk that the DX station has already begun his reply back to me with my sig-report while I’m still in the midst of sending my 2nd callsign reply. So … I should send my call just once?

— end quote–

Great questions!  And, the answers translate over to working DX pileups on voice, too.

Here are some of my off-the-cuff remarks, based on my limited experience DXing since 1990:
(I am an avid DXer, with 8BDXCC, etc.)

1. Listen, Listen, Listen: The DX station typically does work split – the DX station on, say, 14.023 MHz, and the DX station is listening anywhere from 14.028 to 14.033 (up 5 to 10). You first, of course, need to listen to the DX station, but, also to hear the stations that are calling the DX station! The trick is to be able to hear some of the stations that are piling up on the DX, and to determine if the DX is working a station, then tunes up a little, or down a little, from the frequency on which the last caller was chosen.

Once you know this, you want to position your signal so that the DX operator tunes to or very near where you are transmitting your signal. If the DX station does not call you but continues in the same tuning direction, you reposition your transmit frequency (always in the pileup window) and try again. If you do not know where the DX station is listening next, and especially if you cannot HEAR the DX station, you are calling blind and are in for a long effort.

If you have a way to see the waterfall at and around the DX frequency, you can often see the general spread of “UP” where the callers congregate. When listening (and, let me tell you, listening is key) to the DX station, watch the waterfall for the responding caller (the station in the pile-up calling the DX), as sometimes it is very obvious who is answering the DX. Watch this exchange for a number of new callers – and get a sense of HOW the DX operator is moving through the pile-up. Anticipate where the DX might listen next. Choose that “next frequency in the pattern of movement” and use that as your calling frequency.

2. Timing your call: this takes a bit of effort. I typically listen to my chosen transmit frequency, trying to call never at the exact same time as others, on or near my calling frequency.

3. I always send my callsign TWICE… something like this:

DX: DX1ABC UP
ME: NW7US NW7US
DX: NW7US 5NN
ME: R R NW7US 5NN TU
DX: NW7US TU, DX1ABC UP

There are some fine CW-oriented DXing books, PDFs, and websites that talk about this. For instance:

http://sota-dl.bplaced.net/articles/cw_chasing_tips_for_newcomers.pdf

https://www.cadxa.org/getting-started-in-dxing.html

I hope this personal observation of mine about working a Morse code pileup is helpful in some way.

73 de NW7US
https://NW7US.us

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Ham College episode 107 is now available for download.

Extra Class Exam Questions – Part 45
E9C Practical wire antennas, folded dipoles, phased arrays, effects of ground near antennas.

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I awoke this morning to darkness and rain and according to the weather report, it's going to be all day. Over the past week, I have been having a rainy day of the mind. This happens now and then and it happens to everyone who is in the process of stretching the mind. I got up one day and for the life of me when I was doing my CW practising I was lost when it came to hearing the letters S and H. Which was which....I never had this issue for ever and now I am getting very frustrated as when I hear either of those letters I am at a loss which one it is!! At my speed of 34-36wpm if you have to stop and think you lose everything. With my practice simulator, I would replay a call sign over and over and it was only a guess when I committed to either H or S. This also made the CQ WW CW contest at times very frustrating and at times embarrassing for me. 

This has happened in the past and it's nothing new to those who are into Morse code. The word on the street is keep at it and the mind is an amazing thing and it will come around. I am happy to say that as of today for some reason I am back in the zone. I can't explain it but now when I either hear S or H I know exactly which letter it is. Below is one of my practice sessions and the proof is in the picture.