An Anatomy of a QRP DXpedition

What is a QRP DXpedition? How can I do one? When is the best time to go on a DXpedition? Is it expensive? Where can I stay and take my radio equipment? Do I need a special license? How can I get a license to operate from another country? If your thinking about a QRP DXpedition, these are just a few of the questions you will ask yourself. In this article I will try to answer these and many more questions about a QRP DXpedition. I hope you enjoy the article as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

What is a DXpedition? A DXpedition is any amateur radio operator who travels to another country to operate on the amateur bands. This could be one operator or a team of operators. This operator or team of operators might take their equipment with them or have the equipment at the DX location. Another possibility is a combination of both taking the equipment and having some equipment at the DX location. The location of the DXpedition will determine what and how much equipment you will have to take with you. Another major factor in determining how much equipment to take is how serious you want to be about the DXpedition. Do you want to put in a serious effort or will this trip be a casual one? For example, you might want to combine a DXpedition with a family vacation. It's entirely up to you.

If you have never been on a DXpedition and you are contemplating one, the first question is location? I like the beach so most of my DXpeditions have been on Islands in the Caribbean. It's up to you, but just remember the more rare the location the more contacts you will make during the trip. Here is an example: let's say I go to Germany for a DXpedition and use the call DL/WA3WSJ. There's nothing wrong with Germany, but using that call won't create many pileups. Most of the operators in Europe have probably worked a few Germans and many of US operators have also worked Germany. But, let's say I go to the Island of Montserrat and use the call VP2MKW. There aren't many hams on the Island of Montserrat so the rest of the world population of operators will want to work you. This creates, the word I love to hear, a "pileup." I will talk later about pileups.

If you have never been on a DXpedition, I suggest that you either go with someone who has been on one before or travel to a location that has easy transportation to it. This is why I travel to the Caribbean. The Caribbean is close and has many airline routes to the various Islands. I also know that many operators would like to have a QSL card from a Caribbean Island such as Abaco Island in the Bahamas. Again, it's up to you as to what you like and where you want to go for your DXpedition.

The next question you might ask yourself is how do I set up or plan a QRP DXpedition?

This is the most crucial step for a successful DXpedition. Here is a list of questions you should ask yourself:

1: Is this a serious or casual DXpedition?

2: Where is the location?

3: Do I have enough spare time for this DXpedition?

4: Can I get a license?

5: Can I get transportation to the location within my budget?

6: Do I have the gear needed to operate this DXpedition?

7: Do I have the operating skills needed for a successful DXpedition?

I've mentioned items one and two now for number three. Do I have the time for this DXpedition? If you go to the Caribbean, count on two days travel time. I usually take eight days for my trips to the Caribbean. This leaves a maximum of six days to operate as DX. I also make sure that during my stay on an Island there is a contest. I particularly like the CQ WW CW Contest which lasts for forty-eight hours. Count on three days for the contest if you don't have any major set up to do such as antennas etc. If your like me, the day after a contest all you want to do is relax. That leaves only three days to operate as DX outside the contest. Other locations such as the Pacific will probably take additional travel time and cut down on the operating time unless you add days.

Question number four is very important. Can I get a license? This question is a very timely one. You have to know how long it takes to get your license from the DX country. I usually ask the ARRL about how to obtain a license and they send out a packet of information about it. This packet usually has most of the information that you will need to obtain a license. If it doesn't, a call to the ARRL will usually send you in the proper direction for information. I've found over the years that the Bahamas are slow with all paperwork. You can call BATELCO, Bahamas Telecommunications Corporation, directly, but it will still take months to obtain a license. They operate on Island Time. The major factor here is time. If you book your trip two months ahead of time and it takes six months to obtain your license, you're out of luck! Bottom line here is to send for the license at least six months before the trip.

Question number five is up in the air. Can I get transportation to the location within my budget? Most DX locations are close to some airline route. The key word here is price. I travel to Abaco Island in the Bahamas for contests and US Airways has flights into and out of the Island. The price can vary by as much as forty percent by changing your flight one day. I usually fly from Tuesday to Tuesday and the cost for a round trip ticket from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Abaco is approximately $ 530.00. If you travel close to a holiday, the price will jump. For example, my daughter left one day after us on our last trip near Thanksgiving and the price for her ticket jumped up to $ 725.00. Watch what day you fly!

Another factor influencing which airline to use is how serious you will be about the DXpedition. I fly out of Orlando, Florida to Abaco because US Airways flies a larger plane into Abaco. If you take American Airlines, you will have to take a small puddle jumper into Abaco. This is ok if you're only taking light gear and no beam etc. But if you're taking larger gear, the small plane won't take it. So, determine how serious an effort you want to do and check what airlines are available for that location. Next check what size baggage the smallest plane on your trip will allow you to take on the DXpedition. As always, check prices. I usually use the Internet to arrange my airline schedule.

Question number six is totally up to you. Do I have the proper gear for the DXpedition? Again the major factor here is how serious an effort you want to do for the DXpedition. If you're serious about the DXpedition, antennas will be a major factor. If the DX location has antennas there, this isn't a problem. If the DX location doesn't have antennas, you will have to take them along with you. On my first QRP DXpedition to Abaco Island I took a Butterfly Beam and two wire antennas. I only used the wire antennas because my family went along and I didn't want to take the time to put up the beam. I wasn't very serious about operating on that trip. Again, it's up to you. What radio should you use for the DXpedition? I operate almost entirely all cw so my QRP rig has many cw features. If you're going to operate SSB, take a rig that has lots of SSB features in it. If the DX location has a rig or rigs there, it probably won't be QRP and make sure the rig has the proper filters in it for your DXpedition.

I once went to a location which the owner said had great rigs. He was correct, but he operates mainly SSB and the rigs didn't have any cw filters in them. I had to listen to half the band the entire DXpedition! Since that incident, I always take my rig with me to the DX location. I use my Elecraft K2 Rig when I'm on Abaco. I'm familiar with this rig and I know how to operate it without thinking about it. My point here is to take your rig with you to the DX location. You're familiar with this rig and you know it has all the features you need to work DX. Don't put yourself in a situation in which you don't have the proper radio.

What about logging? If you're spending the time and money to go on a DXpedition, you should take a laptop and use a logging program. I have never used paper to log while on a DXpedition. The reason is simple- you don't have the time to write down all the calls. In addition, you're work after the DXpedition will be greatly decreased by using a logging program. If you work a contest, all the dupe sheets and the log can be printed out in a matter of minutes. This is a real time saver.

What logging program should I use for my DXpedition? The answer to this question is simple. You should use a logger that is set up for the contest you're about to operate and one that will work outside the contest. I use CT because this program works with all the contests that I operate and has a DXpedition mode for outside the contest. The main factors here are to use a logger that meets your requirements and one that you're familiar with its operation.

This leads us to the next question. Do I have the operating skills needed for a successful DXpedition? Want skills are needed for a successful DXpedition? Again, you must define what you want to accomplish on this DXpedition. Do you want to operate in a contest and have a big score? Do you want to work a hundred countries on this trip? Do you want to set a world record or a personal record? It's up to you! You should define what your goal is for the DXpedition before you make a single plan. On my first QRP DXpedition to Abaco Island, I knew before I started the trip that it would be a casual operation. No personal records and no big contest score. This defined all the other factors about the DXpedition.

What minimum skills are needed to operate a nice DXpedition? In the past, I wrote down all the calls I copied on a piece of paper first then put them into my computer. I soon found out that this wouldn't work on my DXpedition. Usually everything is ok until someone calls you out on packet. The nice pace you were running at now turns into a feeding frenzy. You find yourself trying to copy a dozen calls and write them down on paper. The result is you can't copy anything and most of the operators trying to work you will become impatient and leave the frequency. Learn how to operate a logging program and learn to copy the calls in your head. The path is now head to computer which is much faster than head to paper then to computer. Initially this is very hard to do, but after working at it you will like it.

The next skill needed is to learn to focus on one call out of many calls. Some ops can actually copy multiple calls in their head. I haven't acquired this skill yet, but I can copy one call out of many calls. The routine goes like this: a: copy the call in your head

b: type in computer as you hear it

c: hit the button

This routine only takes a few seconds so you can quickly work through the pileup. Once the ops trying to work you figure out your timing, the pileup will dwindle down.

What about pileup skills? While I was on Abaco Island during the CQ WW CW Contest in November of 1999, I had a nice run on fifteen meters which lasted about three hours. Here are a few hints that worked for me. First I tried to hold a frequency at 21.005mhz. It didn't work because the high power stations knew they could move me. I would work two or three stations and someone would start calling CQ over top of me. Don't try to fight with a high power station to hold a frequency because you'll lose. Just find another open frequency or search and pounce.

I ended up on 21.087mhz and stayed there for three hours. I found this frequency by working stations as I went up the band until I found a relatively clear spot. I then started calling CQ.

I held this frequency for three hours because I developed a pileup. At first only a few were calling me. Then I heard the first wave hit me. What is a wave? I define a wave as a bunch of operators who see you on a packet call out and all of them call you at the same time. I worked through the first wave then it started to slow down. Now more operators hear the activity and wonder who is it? These operators only know there's a DX station on this frequency that they probably need in the log. They send a question mark. What I do is to work the stations sending their calls. I don't answer the question mark. As the calls begin to slow down, I send my call sign. Now the feeding frenzy starts to develop into a full blown pileup. If I keep sending my call, the pile will keep growing until I can't manage it. That's why I only send my call as the pile starts to die off because it's harder to manage a pileup with a QRP station. The stations calling you are usually running high power. I use the pileup to hold my frequency. If someone wants to steal the frequency, the others don't like it. I use the high power stations as frequency police to protect me! I think this is just great and I love to run a frequency utilizing this technique.