Re: [IRCA] [NRC-AM] RIP DX Tests (was: Re: Rackley on Synchronous AM Boosters)

[Les Rayburn <les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Patrick,

True enough. I just turned 55, and I’m just hoping that enough analog signals will remain to last my lifetime. Can’t imagine a world without radio to DX. The Chinese have a saying, “Make friends with change.” I’ve lived long enough to see the wisdom in that. 

I can say that radio has been a lifelong hobby of mine, licensed as a ham at age 9—and active in DXing even before that. I’ve tried a bit of everything. Ham, SWL, AM, FM, TV, Public Service Bands—and enjoyed it all. There is magic in the ether and I hope that the younger generation find something similar to excite them. 

 


73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 
EM63nf

Member WTFDA, IRCA, NRC. Former CPC Chairman for NRC & IRCA. 

Elad FDM-S2 SDR, AirSpy SDR, Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop, Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active Whip. 


> On Jan 8, 2017, at 2:23 AM, Patrick Martin <mwdxer@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Les,
> 
> 
> You are so right there. But with us DXers dying out and few young people to take over, I doubt another 20 years there will not be any left. Maybe in Ham or SWBC circles. But even SWBC is dying out as so many stations only stream now or on FM. I am so happy I got started in the 60s. With over 3600 MW, SW, FM, TV, etc QSLs, it has been a lot of fun. I will still continue to QSL, but unfortunately getting that reply is hard now.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Take care my friend.
> 
> 
> 
> Patrick
> 
> 
> Patrick Martin Seaside OR KGED QSL Manager
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> From: IRCA <irca-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of Les Rayburn <les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Sent: Saturday, January 7, 2017 1:34 PM
> To: Patrick Martin
> Cc: National Radio Club NRC am@nrcdxas_org; IRCA Radio List - irca@hard-core-dx_com
> Subject: Re: [IRCA] [NRC-AM] RIP DX Tests (was: Re: Rackley on Synchronous AM Boosters)
> 
> Patrick,
> 
> Always good to hear your sage input with these types of discussions, my friend.
> 
> These concerns were raised almost a decade ago when we first started the process. Our response then was simple—if the station owner, chief engineer, or other person of authority authorizes the CPC Chairman to act as their “QSL Manager” then those QSL’s carry the full weight and authority of the station.
> 
> As you point out, this process is common in amateur radio circles. And several DX’ers have acted as QSL Managers for individual stations for years.
> 
> Given that the CPC Chairman often is a more reliable judge of valid reception than even a Chief Engineer might be (given their knowledge of distant reception) then I personally find these types of QSL’s to be very valid.
> 
> As other have expressed. Ultimately, someone who cheats at a hobby activity, with no reward other than recognition of peers, then they cheat only themselves.
> 
> 
> 73,
> 
> Les Rayburn, N1LF
> 121 Mayfair Park
> Maylene, AL
> EM63nf
> 
> Member WTFDA, IRCA, NRC. Former CPC Chairman for NRC & IRCA.
> 
> Elad FDM-S2 SDR, AirSpy SDR, Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop, Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active Whip.
> 
> 
>> On Jan 7, 2017, at 2:44 PM, Patrick Martin <mwdxer1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> 
>> Les,
>> 
>> I do like that idea. We have done that in the past with great results.
>> My only question, if we did that on all DX Tests, are the QSL's the
>> CPC puts out considered legit? I have always wondered about that. I do
>> know that the Hams have had QSL Bureaus for years. There doesn't seem
>> to be any issue with them. Too bad there isn't a DXer in most markets
>> that could take over the duties of all QSLing AM or FM. That would
>> sure change things a lot. But we do not have the resources for that.
>> 
>> Patrick
>> 
>> On 1/7/17, Les Rayburn <les@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>> One approach that has been successful in the past is to have the CPC offer
>>> to handle all verification and QSL duties on behalf of the station. This
>>> proved to be very successful in obtaining DX Tests simply because it removed
>>> the burden from the station.
>>> 
>>> We further would take the lead on producing test materials (CW Morse Code
>>> ID’s, sweep tones, phonetic voice identifications, etc.) and providing that
>>> as an MP3 file, or on a CD.
>>> 
>>> At the end of the test, the CPC would verify reception reports and send out
>>> QSL’s. The station personnel received a detailed report showing all
>>> receptions (often plotted on a map using Google Earth)
>>> 
>>> The CPC Chairman is often more familiar with DXing, and better able to judge
>>> any questionable reception.
>>> 
>>> This approach allowed us to obtain DX Tests for a number of smaller
>>> stations, with limited resources. Another tactic we employed as to produce
>>> :60 long “Test Material” that could be run by a station during the overnight
>>> hours at the TOH as their ID. No change in transmitter power, pattern,
>>> etc…just distinctive test material that could cut through clutter.
>>> 
>>> All that was required was for the station to insert the material into their
>>> inventory. These often ran for weeks at a time during the overnight hours.
>>> These too resulted in a lot of “new ones” going into the logs.
>>> 
>>> I’m sure there are other innovative approaches that could be successful as
>>> well. The key is to acknowledge that times change. We have to change our
>>> tactics as hobbyists if we want to remain successful.
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 73,
>>> 
>>> Les Rayburn, N1LF
>>> 121 Mayfair Park
>>> Maylene, AL
>>> EM63nf
>>> 
>>> Member WTFDA, IRCA, NRC. Former CPC Chairman for NRC & IRCA.
>>> 
>>> Elad FDM-S2 SDR, AirSpy SDR, Quantum Phaser, Wellbrook ALA1530 Loop,
>>> Wellbrook Flag, Clifton Labs Active Whip.
>>> 
>>> 
>>>> On Jan 7, 2017, at 2:21 PM, Patrick Martin <mwdxer1@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> Rick,
>>>> 
>>>> Anytime people could always cheat. There were reports from back in the
>>>> 50s with faux reports. I like sending a cassette, reel to reel tape,
>>>> or now CD of what I heard so the CE could tell the reception quality
>>>> as well as it being accurate. But to give up totally on DX Tests
>>>> because of of a faux report or two, it ruins it for the rest of us. I
>>>> love catching the rare stations that could never be heard without a
>>>> test. One issue we are having is the reluctance of station personnel
>>>> to reply to any reports now. Even e mail replies are hard to obtain.
>>>> Even though I get fewer QSLs these days, I still go after them. But DX
>>>> Tests should still be viable in our hobby. We do not get many these
>>>> days as stations do not sign off like they did. I still look forward
>>>> to them when we get them.
>>>> 
>>>> Patrick
>>>> 
>>>> On 1/6/17, Rick Dau <drummer1965us@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>>>>> Sorry, DXers of the world, but it's high time that DX tests be done away
>>>>> with....
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> Back in the day, some unscrupulous participants in the hobby made it a
>>>>> practice of waiting about 2-3 weeks after tests were conducted, looking
>>>>> through the pages of DX News, DX Monitor, and other print publications,
>>>>> jotting down the details of what OTHERS were hearing, then sending their
>>>>> own
>>>>> faux reports based from those details off to the testing stations.  Very
>>>>> often, engineers would happily mail back QSLs to the offenders, totally
>>>>> unaware of what was going on.  Fortunately, a select few DID get wise to
>>>>> the
>>>>> shenanigans being perpetrated and then began conducting tests with the
>>>>> caveat that reports had to be mailed within a scant few days (say, within
>>>>> a
>>>>> week or so) after the test, or they would simply not reply to the
>>>>> report.
>>>>> This was, in effect, to curtail the cheating.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> But with the progress of technology comes a downside.  Through
>>>>> reflectors
>>>>> such as these, along with message boards, DX chatrooms (WHEN they work),
>>>>> and
>>>>> other means of instant communication, the cheaters are once again seeing
>>>>> the
>>>>> information that others are posting without making their OWN efforts to
>>>>> hear
>>>>> the stations.   DX tests were fun while they lasted, but, IMHO, they need
>>>>> to
>>>>> be put down.
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 73,
>>>>> 
>>>>> Rick Dau
>>>>> 
>>>>> South Omaha, Nebraska
>>>>> 
>>>>> ________________________________
>>>>> From: ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> on behalf of
>>>>> wghauser@xxxxxxxxx [ABDX] <ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>>>>> Sent: Friday, January 6, 2017 5:48 PM
>>>>> To: ABDX@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>> Subject: [ABDX] Re: Rackley on Synchronous AM Boosters
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> To answer Todd`s question about anyone hearing KKOB Santa Fe, recently
>>>>> in my reports and DXLD:
>>>>> 
>>>>> Also, I have repeatedly called for a DX test to be arranged on Santa Fe
>>>>> only, turning off the main Albuquerque transmitter, however briefly
>>>>> (without
>>>>> of course, trying to set it up, myself; maybe I would if I still lived
>>>>> in
>>>>> ABQ) And now there is no CPC chairman. Glenn
>>>>> 
>>>>> __._,_.___
>>>>> ________________________________
>>>>> Posted by: wghauser@xxxxxxxxx
>>>>> __,_._,___
>>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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