979e38b4   
   From: gsm@mendelson.com   
      
   Jeff wrote:   
   > Does anyone do anything besides CW while DX'ing?  I still have to   
   > learn/practice CW but would like to try my hand at DX.  I know that CW   
   > is generally most efficient at low power, but if you don't yet know   
   > it..it isn't much help..   
      
   Since you did not say where you are or give a callsign, I'll assume   
   you are in the U.S. The FCC slants DX contacts twoard CW. During the   
   sunspot low, the prime DX bands are 80m and 40m. Outside of the America's   
   80m is 3.500 to 3.850, most of which is CW only in the U.S. 40m is   
   7.000 to 7.200, but until very recently it ended at 7100.   
      
   You can work split, where you transmit in the ssb portion of the band,   
   while a DX ham transmits in their voice band. Arranging such contacts   
   is difficult, and here when there is propigation to the U.S. on the   
   3.850-4.000 and 7.100 to 7.300 bands, they are full of broadcast   
   stations, and it is almost impossible to hear anything else.   
      
   These stations start going off the air around midnight local time,   
   but so do most of the local hams.   
      
   Many hams outside the U.S. have little or no English and therefore   
   prefer to use CW beacuse there is no languange problem. Others   
   speak it perfectly well.   
      
   As the sunspots improve the chance for voice contacts improves   
   as the higher bands open. 20m is occasionaly open now, but not   
   all day.   
      
   My suggestion to you is to get a rig, get out there and start   
   making contacts. The skills you learn apply to both CW and voice.   
      
   There are a million ways to learn morse code, the best one IMHO   
   is an audio/visual course called "code quick". It was the best   
   $50 I've ever spent on a hobby.   
      
   Another method that works for MOST, but not ALL people is to   
   get on the air and ask local hams for the name of an Elmer   
   (mentor).   
      
   Note that ACCURATE sending and copy is far more important than   
   SPEED, so once you can send and copy accurately, then you can   
   get on the air and start making contacts. The best way to   
   improve you speed is to use it.   
      
   If you don't have an HF rig yet, I suggest that you look into an   
   older Ten-Tec rig. They are excelent for CW and SSB and you can get   
   an older rig fairly cheaply. It won't have a lot of "bells and whistles",   
   but it will work well. Ask around for advice on buying a used rig,   
   and buy it from someone you trust. Avoid auction sites.   
      
   73,   
      
   Geoff.   
      
      
   --   
   Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm@mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM   
   IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838   
   Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/   
      
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