DXing
My main radio focus is collecting band-countries for the DXCC Challenge, the WAZ and WAS awards. DX is a journey not a destination. It doesn’t matter how many goals you can achieve, it is what you make of the experience along the way that really counts.
How it all began
I began DXing on HF one year after I got my license in 1977 at age 15. My first antenns were two low dipoles, one for 80 meters and one for 20 meters which were matched for 40, 15 and 10. DX attracted me and immediately brought me the idea to set my first goal: 5 Band DXCC. It took a few years but I made it with 100 watts and achieved it in Jan 1987. When that goal was reached, I built my first amplifier with a 3-500Z tube and replaced the radio with a Drake B-line. What a difference that made. My first QSO with the new amp was KP1 on 80m.
DXCC Honor Roll
After achieving 5-Band DXCC I thought: "I should be happy and proud now". But I wasn’t. When I had worked 3Y1EE - the first Peter I DXpedition - with my 20m dipole in January 1987, I set my next goal: DXCC Honor Roll. We moved to a new place and I could upgrade my station with my first tribander.
| DXCC | current | needed | deleted | total | needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mixed | 340 | 0 | 11 | 351 | |
| CW | 339 | 1 | 11 | 350 | P5 |
| Phone | 340 | 0 | 10 | 350 | |
| Digital | 338 | 2 | 9 | 347 | BS7H KH3 |
All in all it took 16 years to get to the top of the Honor Roll. My last entity was Clipperton in 1992. In 1994 I was even on the top of the top of the DXCC Honor Roll. After a few more years I also reached top positon of the Phone and CW DXCC Honor Roll. I now need only P5 on CW as my last CW entity as well as two more entities on RTTY/Digital.
DXCC Challenge
Now being on the top I was again not really satisfied. Is that all I can do? No, let’s make it a little more difficult and let’s try to work as many countries as possible on each of the HF bands and Six Meters. I had found a real challenge that fascinated me. The DXCC Challenge Award is given for working and confirming at least 1,000 DXCC band-entities on any Amateur bands, 160 through 6 meters except 60 meters (deleted entities do not count for this award).
| Band | current | needed | deleted | total | needed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 160m | 305 | 35 | 6 | 311 | ... |
| 80m | 332 | 8 | 6 | 338 | 3Y-B JD-M KH3 KH7K KH8 KH8S P5 VK0M |
| 40m | 339 | 1 | 10 | 349 | P5 |
| 30m | 339 | 1 | 9 | 348 | P5 |
| 20m | 340 | 0 | 10 | 350 | |
| 17m | 339 | 1 | 7 | 346 | P5 |
| 15m | 340 | 0 | 10 | 350 | |
| 12m | 335 | 5 | 7 | 342 | BS7H KH4 KH5 KH7K P5 |
| 10m | 339 | 1 | 11 | 350 | BS7H |
| 6m | 229 | 111 | 2 | 231 | ... |
| total | 3237 |
On Oct 27, 2009, DF3CB reached 3100 entities and the Top Ten of the 
DXCC Challenge. I need only one more entity on each 40m, 30m, 17m and 10m, five on 12m and eight on 80m.
The Challenge continues
- Until 1995 I had reached 108 entities on 160m, 216 on 80m, 303 on 40m and 314 on 10m when I set up the station I am using now.
- In 1998 I got interested in Six Meters. See my Six Meters Page for more details.
- In 2005 I could work my last zone on 160m to complete 160m WAZ and WAZ on 9 bands, I reached RTTY DXCC Honor Roll, worked my 300th entity on 80m, my last entity on 15m and reached the magic number 3000 in the DXCC Challenge.
- In 2014 I took part in the ARRL Centennial QSO Party and managed to be the station who worked most W1AW's outside of North America.
- 2016 was another great year with reaching 300 entities on 160m, less than ten left on 80m and K5P Palmyra on 30m and VK0EK on 10m as my next-to-last DXCC entities on these bands. Palmyra brought me to the top of the ARRL DXCC 30 Meters. On Dec 21, 2016 I also began operating on 60m when we got authorization for 5 MHz in Germany.