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Sunday, 7 October 2012

A DX Dilemma

It's the time of year when bugs fill the air and I seem to have caught several of them recently - several DX bugs that is, and I am finding them difficult to fight off. They are:

FM broadcast DXing in the 88-108 MHz range. This band often proves very interesting as we enter the time of the year when autumnal tropospheric conditions can take hold of the band and produce strong ducts of several hundred miles or more.

The tranatlantic DX season is beginning on the medium wave broadcast band too and, since erecting a new flag antenna on the garden, I have found that it works so well I can hear lots of transatlantic and oriental DX. My Perseus SDR receiver records the band for me, but finding sufficient time to play back the recordings is proving difficult;

Finally, because solar activity is quite high, the 10 metre amateur band has come alive and I have developed a keen interest in QRP DX. My measly 10 watts has enebled me to work almost world-wide and penetrate pile-ups with little difficulty. I have worked all continents except the Pacific region. I think I might be able to achieve this with a bit of luck, but but breaking through some of those pile-ups needs patience and can take a long time.

So, there's plenty of DX activity to keep me occupied, but each of these areas of the hobby take up more time than I would like. Which one do I focus on?

This should be DX heaven right now, but I would be completely selfish if I didn't accept that there are certain domestic chores which also need my attention as they will not do themselves. Did I mention my relationship too? So, I need to take all of these things into account and strike a healthy and happy balance.

It can be tough having so many interests in this weird and wonderful hobby of ours, but as long as I remember that it is only a "hobby" and nothing more, we should all be happy here. It's a very addictive hobby though! 

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